An item from the folks at the USDLA, who I should note have been somewhat K-12 friendly – but are primarily higher ed focused.

Thursday 3/21: USDLA Brief Our 2024 National Conference Program is Live! And: Only 10 More Days to be an Early Bird We hope you have had a great week, USDLA friends! We are so happy to share the program for our 2024 National Conference, which is packed with educational, interesting workshops and speakers you won’t want to miss. Click here to see what’s in store for you June 17-20 in St. Louis. If you haven’t yet registered for our 2024 National Conference, do that today to take advantage of our Early Bird Special, which ends March 31: usdla.org/2024-conference-registration Also, be sure to register for these webinars featuring two of our National Conference Speakers: March 29 — USDLA Free Friday Webinar: Is Anyone There? 7 Ways to Increase Instructor Presence in Online Courses with Hanna Howell, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Alabama in the College of Education and Human Sciences June 5-7: Tennessee State University: A.I. for All Summit hosted by longtime USDLA Board Member Dr. Robbie Melton Come and meet Hanna and Robbie at the conference — along with dozens of other spectacular presenters. Questions about the program? Send an email to President-elect Valary Oleinik voleinik@usdla.org and Event chair Bernadette Deamico BDeamico@usdla.org. We’ll talk with you on Tuesday when we bring you more USDLA News. — Hope Katz Gibbs, communications director hgibbs@usdla.org REGISTER FOR THESE EVENTS! USDLA Free Friday Webinar: Is Anyone There? 7 Ways to Increase Instructor Presence in Online Courses When: March 29, 1-2pm Register: usdla.org/webinars About: Students enroll in online courses for a variety of reasons. However, while asynchronous online courses may be ideal for many due to the flexibility offered, they can be extremely isolating for students. Research shows that instructor presence can help create a sense of community within an online course, can build trust between students and the instructor, and can increase student engagement while also increasing academic achievement. Every stakeholder involved in the course creation or facilitation of online learning wants students to feel valued, but getting started can be a daunting process. Have you ever felt like “just a facilitator” within your course? Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the thought of giving detailed feedback to every student? As an instructional designer, have you ever wondered how to change your design practice to help subject matter experts be more present within the course? If you answered yes to any of these questions, come join us as we discuss seven ways to help increase instructor presence within online courses. These strategies will not only help instructional designers implement ways to increase instructor presence during the course design process, but also ways the instructor can insert themselves into the course in a positive way. This session will also focus on the four attributes of high-quality feedback and how these principles can be implemented within any course, no matter the size. About the presenter: Hanna Howell, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Alabama in the College of Education and Human Sciences, Department of Teaching, Learning and Leadership. Previously, she served as the Assistant Director of Instructional Technology Support Services at the University of Alabama. She is active in the Quality Matters organization as a certified peer reviewer and facilitator for Improving Your Online Course. Her research interests include: business and academic continuity, instructor presence, and use of artificial intelligence tools in the prek-12 classroom. A.I. for ALL: Open Education Summit When: June 5-7 Where: Tennessee State University, Avon Williams Downtown Campus, Nashville About: Dive into the heart of innovation at the AI for ALL Summit, where inclusivity meets the cutting-edge of artificial intelligence (AI). Our vision is a future where AI technologies are within reach for everyone, fostering an environment of growth, learning, and empowerment through Open Educational Resources (OER). Learn more: ai-tnstatesmartcenter.org/aiforallsummit2024 Become a MEMBER of USDLA Become a SPONSOR of USDLA Higher Education Certification Professional Learning Certification Support USDLA When You Shop @Amazon Smile Thank You to Our National Sponsors D2L, Instructure, JDL Horizons, Poly, Google, Verizon, Carolina Distance Learning, Harmonize, FDLA, IAP, Nearpod, ViewSonic, Wolfvision, Anatomage,  Arizona Telemedicine Program and Southwest Telehealth Resource Center, GoReact, Huddly, BocaVox, Softchalk, NC Sara, Simple Syllabus, VDO360, Symbiosis, VirtualCare, Waldorf University, Merlot, IntelliBoard, Flo-ops,  Upswing, Questionmark, Perlego, Padlet Thank you for supporting USDLA, our Sponsors, and our State Chapters. Chuck Sengstock, President Valary Oleinik, President-elect About United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) Formed in 1987, USDLA is a 501(c)3 non-profit association formed in 1987. Our weekly newsletters reach more than 100,000 people globally, including our members and sponsors working in industries including pre-K-12 education, homeschooling, higher education, continuing education, corporate, military, government, and telehealth. Our mission is to promote the development and application of distance learning for education, training, advocacy, and networking: USDLA.org USDLA | www.usdla.org

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