The purpose of this research project was to investigate the types of technology University of Hawai‘i undergraduate and graduate students were using in the library and for their academic research. Results show that students use many library provided technologies, but also bring there own devices and use their own technologies for research. While analysis is still in its early stages data collected will help the library administration understand how the library should adapt to the needs of students towards emerging digital and mobile technologies. It may also further understanding about what technology engages students, and how resources should be allotted to enhance the learning process.

The options for designing and developing online courses and programs are changing as new technologies, tools, applications, and delivery modes emerge. What skills are required of today’s instructional designers in higher education? Whether working as part of an academic department, centralized online education group, or faculty development office, the role is increasingly complex and varied to meet the needs of different faculty members, courses, programs, students, and administrators.

This session will address setting realistic expectations for the current work of instructional designers in higher education, and offer a look at how these jobs are being advertised. The presenters recently conducted a review of entry level, instructional design job vacancy announcements from colleges and universities. This study revealed a list of common components, as well as a list of unusual requirements and emerging needs.

Objectives of this session include:

1. Presentation of the job vacancy review results.
2. Introduction of a basic template for instructional design job announcements, which includes: work tasks and functions, technology skills, administrative skills, and expectations for experience and education.
3. Tips for hiring managers: What are the emerging needs of the instructional design field?
4. Tips for students planning instructional design careers: What are higher education employers looking for? How can you prepare?

The presenters have professional backgrounds that range from directing large-scale online education and curriculum development projects to freelance instructional design and online teaching. They will share their experiences both hiring and working in this field, and ask for feedback from attendees.

Do you struggle with keeping up-to-date with the latest educational technologies? Are you still searching for a systemic answer to reduce new technology-anxiety, increase faculty integration of valuable learning innovations, and make learning a fun experience again? This panel will present the Technology Infusion Plan (TIP) that enabled a graduate program to address the constant disruption of new technology for online learning. During this panel session all TIP components will be demonstrated, including: (a) a walk-through of the Criteria for Technology Selection Checklist and Timeline, (b) real life technology examples showing faculty phase-in options, and (c) the development process of learning modules for faculty adoption from an instructional designer perspective. Additional resources will be highlighted to ensure that this session provides a valuable addition to the university instructor’s teaching tool-kit.

During this interactive session, panel members will provide and discuss multiple examples of TIP strategies and processes from current courses. Session participants will follow a step-by-step process that allows for an interactive dialogue throughout the discussion. All panelists will share actual artifacts using video/audio segments when possible. Audience questions and participation will be integrated throughout the presentation as panel members explain and demonstrate the suggested use of these learning technologies.

This session will focus on a systemic approach to faculty on-boarding, training and development employed by the Center for Teaching and Learning at Kaplan University. Presenters will describe Kaplan’s centralized, holistic approach to faculty training and development, including the development offered, systems and tools employed, and outcomes achieved.

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) was developed in 2005 when faculty training moved from individual departments to a University-centered approach for large-scale faculty training and development. The mission of the CTL is as follows: The CTL is committed to helping novice and veteran teachers to create a collaborative, student-centered learning experience. The Center provides training, resources, and services designed to enrich both the teaching and learning process, foster practices of adult education, promote faculty scholarship, and provide a forum for discussions about teaching and learning among all members of the community of educators.

Over the past nine years, the CTL has grown and evolved annually. What started as a department that only offered required faculty trainings has become one now that still includes these required trainings, but also over 30 asynchronous workshops, two annual conferences, 3-4 weekly live events, a website that is revised daily, a weekly newsletter focused on technology tips, and a variety of learning objects and tools that are highlighted throughout Kaplan University.
In the spring of 2014, the Center for Teaching and Learning conducted a University-wide faculty survey, with a nearly 20 percent response rate, to gauge the impact of their offerings; the anonymous survey results revealed that, of the respondents, 95% had participated in CTL events and had a positive experience with these/that the faculty believed the trainings helped them to
become a better faculty member.

Online discussions as learning spaces: Active learning, community-building, and engagement. They provide new spaces to engage students, share information, acquire content knowledge, and develop valuable skills. This innovation presents challenges for faculty in designing, using, and managing relevant and meaningful educational experiences appropriate for students. This session will describe and discuss how to design better online discussions to support learning of new knowledge and skills for specific content areas, specifically in graduate education. It will discuss how the use of these communication technologies can empower students to achieve their academic goals. The presentation will appeal to individuals with professional interest in using specific online communication and collaboration tools, and faculty members who are thinking of using communication technologies as primary or complementary tools in their teaching. Anyone working with graduate students or anyone engaged in distance learning and teaching will also find the ideas presented in this session useful.