2015 Online Learning Symposium

Kent State Online: Creating Community

Friday, December 4th, 2015 - Kent Student Center

This years' event was an in-depth exploration of creating and cultivating engaged, collaborative communities in online courses. Interactive sessions explored:

• New resources available to faculty
• Examples of innovative work
• Campus Partner vendor/exhibitor session
• Breakout sessions on Best Practices, Online Accessibility, and much more.

Keynote speaker: Rena M. Palloff, Ph.D., LCSW

An author, faculty member, consultant and 2012 winner of the Richard Wedemeyer Award for Outstanding Practitioner in Distance Education, Palloff’s research involves organizational behavior and management and how institutions can use community to promote successful learning outcomes in online courses.

Symposium Proceedings

Keynote Presentation

• Building Online Communities: Techniques That Work
  • Rena Palloff, PhD, LCSW
    Rena Palloff Presentation (PDF)

Concurrent Sessions
Ideas and Support from the Kent State Online Community

• Designing Effective Online Discussions
  • Amy Grincewicz, Instructional Designer, OCDE
    Amy Grincewicz Presentation (PDF)
    Amy Grincewicz Takeaways (PDF)
• Understanding Issues in Online Accessibility
  • Amy Quillin, PhD, Dir., Student Accessibility Services
  • Jason Piatt, Dir., Online Compliance & Communication, Kent State Online
    Jason Piatt Presentation (PDF)
• Springboard for Success: Getting you and your students off to a great start with Kent State Online templates
  • Ben Hollis, PhD, Dir., Instructional Design, Kent State Online
  • Bethany Simunich, PhD, Dir., Online Pedagogy and Research, Kent State Online
    Bethany Simunich Presentation (PDF)
    Bethany Simunich  Takeaway (PDF)
    KSU Online Template Video
• Faculty panel on great ideas and examples in online learning
  • Moderated by Valerie Kelly, Executive Dir., Kent State Online
    • Using Asynchronous Video for Student Interaction in Discussion Forums
      • Shawn Golden, PhD, Assistant Professor, Computer Technology, East Liverpool Campus
        Shawn Golden Presentation (PDF)
        Shawn Golden Takeaway (PDF)
    • Infusing Interactive Pedagogical Methods into a Core Graduate Nursing Course
      • Dana Hansen, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor, Nursing, Kent Campus
      • Denice Sheehan, PhD, RN, Associate Professor, Nursing, Kent Campus
      • Pamela Stephenson, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor, Nursing, Kent Campus
        Pamela Stephenson Presentation (PDF)
        Pamela Stephenson Takeaway (PDF)
    • Quick and Easy Ways to Increase Instructor Presence and Student Engagement in the Online Classroom
      • Shelley Marshall, MT, Lecturer, Computer Technology, Ashtabula Campus
        Shelley Marshall Presentation (PDF)
    • Diversity in Online Teaching: An Interdisciplinary Approach
      • Molly Merryman, PhD, Associate Professor, Sociology, Kent Campus
        Molly Merryman Takeaway (PDF)          

General Session

• Building Community with Kent State Online
  • Valerie Kelly, Executive Director, Kent State Online
  • Bethany Simunich, PhD, Director, Online Pedagogy and Research
    Bethany Simunich General Presentation (PDF)