| Conference Registration WebCT Homepage | |
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| Thursday, July 13, 2006: 1:30 PM-2:15 PM | |||
| Michigan B Room (Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers) | |||
| I-14: Using WebCT to Facilitate Virtual Learning Communities | |||
| Detailed Description: | Faculty teams at National-Louis University participated in a project during the 2005-06 academic year aimed at setting up virtual learning communities. Using WebCT as the primary tool for implementation, teams were encouraged to be creative and explore any tools and methods desired to enhance effectiveness of the virtual communities. Join us gain insight on using WebCT to enhance dialogue among educators, create a repository of best teaching practices, facilitate continuous improvement, and build stronger communities. | ||
| Presentation Format: | Showcase | ||
| Topic: | Empowering educators: Professional development models and methods | ||
| Target Audience: | Course Designers, Faculty and Other Instructors, E-learning Managers | ||
| Appropriate Audience Level: | Beginning or new users of WebCT, Experienced WebCT users | ||
| Abstract Text: | A faculty team in the College of Management and Business at National-Louis University facilitated a project during the 2005-06 academic year aimed at setting up virtual learning communities. Adjunct faculty were selected to lead teams in four disciplines: organizational behavior, communication, finance, and marketing. Objectives for each team included: provide opportunity for faculty to dialogue and easily share instructional materials; enable faculty to share ideas for online teaching and learning; enable faculty to identify and share best practices for courses by discipline; and identify key success factors in implementing a plan for extending virtual learning communities within the college and larger university. WebCT is the online learning platform for the university and was the primary tool used by the teams to facilitate the implementation and maintenance of the various virtual teams utilizing various WebCT tools including Course Mail, Discussion, Content Modules, and synchronous Chat Rooms. Teams were encouraged to be creative and explore any tools and methods desired to enhance effectiveness of virtual teams. Team leaders were paid and required to submit detailed reports on their findings by June, 2006. Team reports were to include the following: what worked and did not work in the process of implementing the virtual learning team; specific ideas and practices shared in the discipline team; suggested key success factors in implementing and managing an effective virtual team; recommendations in going forward for the team and for new teams. Individual team results will be the basis for findings for this presentation and provide useful insight on the use of WebCT as a tool to enhance dialogue among educators, provide repository of information regarding best teaching practices, facilitate curriculum design and continuous improvement, and assist in building a stronger sense of community among faculty. | ||
| Session Leader: | Douglas L. Schreder National-Louis University | ||
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