Approximately 140 higher education professionals and faculty from across the Commonwealth, and a few from beyond Virginia, recently attended J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College’s The Art & Science of Online Education Conference. Faculty, staff and technology professionals collaborated during this two-day conference to discuss quality in online education, student success, faculty development and engagement, and emerging technologies.
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A virtual conference was held in tandem with Reynolds’ conference on online learning. Avaya, the company that hosted the virtual conference, was on site to show attendees how virtual meeting space can be used for education.
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Conference highlights included a keynote address from Anne Arundel Community College Dean Jean M. Runyon and a panel discussion with JSRCC online students. Dean Runyon highlighted the nationwide efforts that are being made to develop and improve online education opportunities; these efforts range from developments in quality course design, training and support for faculty teaching online, and expanded support services for online learners. At the student panel session, conference participants listened and learned from students as they shared their experiences with online education and how they developed their skills in time and resource management, and how they engaged with instructors and peers through digital technologies.
The conference was supported with grants from the U.S. Department of Education Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) and the U.S. Department of Energy. The FIPSE grant has significantly supported the College’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), The Ripple Effect: Transforming Distance Learning, One Student & One Instructor at a Time. J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The College’s QEP is part of SACS accreditation process.
Presentations from the conference will be posted soon to www.reynolds.edu/conference.
