Distance Learning Roundtable

Presenters: Dr. Michelle Dennis, Dr. Eric Roe, Katia Nyysti, Matthew Bruce, Katie Gordon

In this webinar: Members of the National University academic and student support leadership teams will unpack their unified strategy for cultivating student engagement. A team of presenters (Dean, faculty member, academic support services, student experience, and virtual community architect) will provide their unique viewpoints and insights on how they foster a sense of belonging and community among students through their various roles.

A sense of belonging means a student feels part of a community without adapting to who they are. A student who feels part of a university is more likely to engage with the community (Dost & Smith, 2023; Masika & Jones, 2016). Attendees will learn about National University’s best practices and guiding principles for designing community engagement and connection. Become a USDLA Member and get access to all of our Free Friday Webinars: www.usdla.org read more...

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August 2, 2024—The US Distance Learning Association is thrilled to launch a new tradition: Each First Friday of the month, we will spotlight one of our state chapters.

To get us started: USDLA welcomes its newest state chapter, the Delmarva Digital Learning Association, and its founder, Dr. Alexandra Salas. She joins forces with two leaders from Wilmington, DE-based Goldey-Beacom College — Deanna M. Merritt, Ph.D. SHRM-CP, Faculty, Management & Marketing Director, Center for Professional Development & Partnerships and Russell Michalak, Director of Library & Archives. read more...

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July 28, 2024 — Learn the three elements that will help you design experiences and motivational learning environments.

Dive into gamification design, focusing on the creation of engaging challenges and relatable characters that drive explicit engagement.

About our presenter: Bernardo Letayf is an international gamification expert, trainer, and speaker specializing in education, Web, and UX design/development with over 21 years in the industry. Formerly a teacher, he created BLUERABBIT to gamify education and remove the stress and attention from grades. Today, this award-winning platform has successfully gamified over 13,000 players on all continents and is currently used to gamify corporate training programs, university courses, and schools. read more...

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June 19, 2024 — This USDLA Free Friday Webinar focuses on ways that blockchain technology can improve the portability of micro-credentials.

Blockchain, a tool that originated in the financial sector, has recently supported enhanced documentation and information sharing in education. The pilot presented here involved disaggregating the three specialization courses of a degree program to create micro-credentials. One key goal was to develop micro-credentials that aligned with the degree program. A second goal was to ensure that the credentials existed as part of a formal ledger and provide shared access. GitHub, an open-sourced repository, created a soul-bound token for adding credentials to the chain. The chain supports ease of verification, thereby improving outcomes for students. Expanding this initiative may help support equity for students seeking short-term credentials. read more...

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A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, communications director, US Distance Learning Association — Having been virtually meeting for more than 36 years, engaging virtual meetings producer John Chen can juggle 16 screens of information at a time.

He has planned the only 100% live virtual conference in the training industry for 1,200 people and produced a six-language virtual webinar. He is a recognized thought leader on engaging virtual meetings and the John Wiley and Sons author of “Engaging Virtual Meetings” and “50 Digital Team Building Games,” top-selling business books. John's work has earned him multiple awards. John's 300,000+ clients across the United States, Spain, France, and Taiwan have experienced breakthrough results. read more...

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July 1, 2024: A Note from Hope, executive producer, Inkandescent Radio — It is a great honor and pleasure to be the communications director of the US Distance Learning Association, usdla.org. Each July, we welcome a new president to lead us for the year and today the baton is passed from our 2023-2024 president Chuck Sengstock to incoming president Valary Oleinik.

Chuck says: As the outgoing president of the United Distance Learning Association, I am very proud of our accomplishments this past year. We have made great strides in reinvigorating our public policy initiatives and have seen definitive growth in membership. Our Board of Directors is engaged and excited for the next year under the leadership of Valary Oleinik. As you'll learn about below, Valary's initiatives specific to technology, leadership, and connections/collaboration are very exciting. Her leadership will take our organization to the next level. Hang on for an exciting year. Mark your calendars! Our next conference will be July 23-26. I hope to see you! read more...

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April 2024: A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, communications director, US Distance Learning Association (USDLA) — Please join us for this month's episode of our new USDLA Free Friday Webinar hosted by USDLA president-elect Valary Oleinik.

Meet our guest: Dr. Pam DeGuzman, Nurse Scientist at UVA Health and an Associate Professor of Nursing at the University of Virginia School of Nursing

Today's Topic: Implementing Telemedicine in Libraries: Barriers and Strategies for Success

About the webinar: Public libraries offering telemedicine provide a critical lifeline to patients, particularly those who live long distances from sites of care. In this session, Dr. Pam DeGuzman will provide a comprehensive overview of research on the implementation of telemedicine in public libraries. She will share commonly encountered barriers and review models linked to successful patient outreach. She will provide information about the recently developed Telemedicine in Libraries Pre-Implementation Workbook that guides librarians and community partners step-by-step to build the foundation for a successful program. read more...

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January 2024: A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, communications director, US Distance Learning Association (USDLA) — Please join us for this month's episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, when, for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts.

Meet our guests: Dr. Heather F. Perfetti, president of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), and Nicole Biever, the organization's Chief of Staff

Today's Topic: The importance of credentialing for US colleges — and what the future might hold read more...

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August 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month's episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts.

Meet our guest: Monica Cornetti, Founder and President of Sententia Gamification

Today's Topic: The Art of Game-Based Learning

Pat and Dean have 10 Questions for Monica:

How has gamified and game-based learning evolved in the adult education market, and what are some notable success stories or case studies? What are the key differences and similarities between gamified learning and game-based learning, and how do these approaches impact adult learners? How can gamified and game-based learning be effectively integrated into distance learning programs across diverse educational settings, such as corporate training, higher education, and telehealth? What are some main challenges and considerations when implementing gamified and game-based learning for adult learners, and how can these challenges be addressed? What are the potential benefits of incorporating gamified and game-based learning into distance education for adult learners, and how do these approaches enhance learner engagement, motivation, and retention? Can you share some examples of innovative technologies or platforms that support gamified and game-based learning for adult learners, and what features or functionalities make them effective? How do gamified and game-based learning approaches cater to the unique learning preferences of adult learners, and what strategies can be employed to ensure inclusivity and accessibility? What research or studies have been conducted on the efficacy of gamified and game-based learning in the adult education sector, and what insights do they provide for practitioners and policymakers? How can educators and trainers effectively design and implement gamified and game-based learning experiences that align with adult learners' specific learning objectives and outcomes? How can gamified and game-based learning foster collaboration, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking among adult learners, and how do these skills translate into real-world applications within their respective fields or industries? About our Guest: ​Monica Cornetti works with individuals and organizations like yours who want to learn how to think playfully to change behaviors and achieve objectives. A gamification speaker and designer, Monica was repeatedly rated #1 among the “Gamification Gurus Power 100” by RISE from 2015-2020, and in 2021 and 2022 was recognized as #1 in the Most Influential Women in Gamification who created a legitimate impact in the gamification industry. Monica is the President of Sententia, Inc. and leads the company’s education and design projects at Sententia Gamification. She is also the Gamemaster of GamiCon (annual international conferences for the gamification of learning) and Head of Faculty at the Gamified Learning Academy. read more...

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