Instructional Technology Council

General and Registration Information

General sessions at eLearning 2012 will feature: Dean Kohrs, author of Hacking College, who will present "College: There's An App For That! How Mobile Computing Will Change Online Education." Gardner Campbell from Virginia Tech will discuss, "The First Step In Transforming Higher Education: Awakening the Digital Imagination." Josh Jarrett from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will present, "From Here to 2020: Forces Reshaping Teaching and Learning in the Next Decade," and Cable Green from Creative Commons, will discuss, "The Obviousness of Open Policy."

Fred Feldon, professor of mathematics at Coastline Community College, and Donna Gaudet, professor of mathematics at Scottsdale Community College, will argue, "Resolved: Developmental Students Can’t Succeed Online" in THE Grand Debate, moderated by Michael Catchpole from North Island College.

See general information about eLearning 2012, exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities, general session speakers, pre-conference workshops, registration and hotel information.

Teaching World Languages Online
March 6, 2012 - 2:00pm-3:00pm Eastern Time
Presenters: Steven Hartlaub, World Languages (French and Spanish), and Josephine Books, Inver Hills Community College

Coping with Student Incivilities in the Online Learning Environment
March 13, 2012 - 2:00pm-3:00pm Eastern Time
Presenter: Laura Duvall, Psychology Faculty, Saddleback College

Using Student-Generated Content to Keep your Course Fresh and Relevant to Students
March 20, 2012 - 2:00pm-3:00pm Eastern Time
Presenter: Dave Wilson, Parkland College

Register online or see the 2011-12 Webinar Schedule for a description for each presentation. ITC will have 36 weekly presentations through July 2012.

ITC is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2012 Awards for Excellence in eLearning.  The judging panels carefully reviewed each nomination, the accompanying Web site or online course materials, and held each of the winners to the high standards and best-practices exemplified by previous ITC award winners.  Judges included members of the ITC board of directors, past award winners, and attendees at ITC’s annual Leadership Academy.  The innovation and diligence exemplified by each award winner mark them as exemplary members of our community.  This recognition is extremely well-deserved.

These outstanding distance educators will be recognized at a special Recognition Luncheon on Feb. 20, 2012 at the Westin Long Beach in Long Beach, California at eLearning 2012. ITC will provide a complementary registration to each award recipient to attend eLearning 2012, on Feb. 18-21, 2012 in Long Beach, California, so they can accept their award.  At the presentation, a member from each panel of judges will briefly share how each recipient was innovative, unique, or exemplary.

Congratulations to all of the winners, and thank you to all of the excellent nominations we received.  If you would like to submit a nomination for ITC's 2013 Award for Excellence in eLearning, stay tuned to the ITC Web site.  The 2013 nomination forms will be posted in early Fall 2012.

2012 ITC Awards for Excellence in eLearning

Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. James Picquet
Retired, Vice President, Instructional Services
Dallas County Community College District, Dallas, Texas

Outstanding eLearning Program
Georgia Perimeter College Online, Clarkston, Georgia

Outstanding eLearning Faculty
Garret Brand, Professor and Faculty Professional Development Coordinator
Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Kim Huett, Instructor, Media and Instructional Technology
University of West Georgia, Carrollton, Georgia

Outstanding Fully-Online Course
Chinese 180 – Online
Jingfang Satow, Instructor at Coastline Community College, Fountain Valley, California

Outstanding Blended Course
Anatomy and Physiology, and Biology
Kelly Trainor, Instructor at Yavapai College, Prescott, Arizona

Outstanding Student Services
The Distance Learning Programs and Support Department
Sinclair Community College, Dayton, Ohio

Outstanding Technical Support and Service
The Teaching and eLearning Support Department (TeLS)
Yavapai College, Prescott, Arizona

Outstanding Use of New Technology and/or Delivery System
Florida State College's Global Learning Solutions

Outstanding eLearning Student
Natalia N. Avila, Coastline Community College 

2012 Distinguished Educators
In addition, ITC recognizes every faculty member who was nominated to receive the Outstanding eLearning Faculty Award as a distinguished educator, chosen by his or her institution as an exemplary member of their community.

Deborah Allen, Anoka Technical College
Lynette Bean, Davenport University
Lisa Borzewski, St. Petersburg College
Garret Brand, Grand Rapids Community College
Cheryl Chapman, Coastline Community College
Gabriel Decio, McHenry County College
Dominique Mertens Elliott, Savannah College of Art and Design
Ken Haley, Paris Junior College
Jenny Hanson, Normandale Community College
Kim Huett, University of West Georgia
Ken Jarvis, Anne Arundel Community College
Jennifer Lopes, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts
Karen Motley, Sinclair Community College
Amy Jo Swing, Lake Superior College
Carol Wake, South Dakota State University

At the Recognition Luncheon on Feb. 20, 2012, ITC will present each distinguished educator with a framed certificate, and list him or her in the eLearning 2012 conference program and on the ITC Web site.  This is a small thank you for the incredible work they do for the distance learning students at their institutions.

On Oct. 20, 2011, the Department of Education issued a Dear Colleague Letter which offers "an overview of the fraud schemes that the Department’s Inspector General (IG) detected, and recommends immediate steps that institutions can take to detect and prevent fraud."

"In this letter, we also describe further actions that institutions can take and that the Federal government is committed to taking, including increasing technical assistance to institutions of higher education, the convening of a Department-wide task force on distance education fraud, and plans for recommending legislative and regulatory changes to address the relevant issues." …

"The Inspector General's Report identified an increasing number of cases involving large, loosely affiliated groups of individuals (fraud rings) who conspire to defraud title IV programs through distance education programs.  These fraud rings generally target institutions with low tuition in the context of distance education programs and involve a ringleader who: