Center for Academic Excellence Conference May 29
The mission of the Center for Academic Excellence is to support innovation and scholarship in teaching and learning. This summer, the Center will present its 13 th annual Innovative Pedagogy & Course Redesign Conference, themed "Collaborations for Empowerment & Learning," from May 29-30. The conference is open to Fairfield faculty and staff as well as to those at other institutions of higher ed. Last year, the conference drew 120 participants, some traveling from Nebraska, and even Qatar.
This year’s featured presenters include Dr. Peter Felten (assistant provost, executive director of the Center for Advancement of Teaching and Learning and of the Center for Engaged Learning, and associate professor of history at Elon University), co-author of the new book Engaging Students as Partners in Learning and Teaching: A Guide for Faculty, whose interactive presentation, "Partnering with Students," will explore practical questions about student-faculty partnerships in teaching and learning, based on research that demonstrates the importance of student engagement in learning. During the closing plenary, Dr. Katie Linder (director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at Suffolk University in Boston, Mass) will present, “Helping Students Learn in an Age of Digital Distraction. " She will explore how to break through the cognitive overload and discuss how to help students develop effective strategies for learning in the midst of this age of digital distraction.
New this year, the CAE is partnering with the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium (CTDLC) and 天美传媒视频无限制观看’s Academic Computing to offer a one-day e-Learning pre-conference: “E3 Engagement, Empowerment & E-Learning” on May 28. The featured presenter is Dr. Rob Robinson, principal strategist at Blackboard, where he focuses on strategic consulting engagements in higher education and online program management. Prior to coming to Blackboard in early 2012, Rob served as assistant vice provost for educational technology at the University of Texas at San Antonio where he led online and hybrid course development and supported faculty and staff across the institution.
Dr. Robinson holds a BS and a PhD from UT Austin and an MBA from St. Edward's University. He is currently chairs the Board of Directors for the President of the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) and is immediate past president of that organization.
“We see these conferences as opportunities to share innovative pedagogies, to build connections and collaborations within and across institutions, and to reflect upon the meaningfulness and impact of our work as educators and scholars,” says Dr. Suzanna Klaf, associate director of the Center.
