Conferences and Events
Tuesday, February 11 - Thursday, February 13, 2025
Jennifer Mathes, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Online Learning Consortium
In today’s fast-paced academic world, creating and maintaining quality online courses can feel overwhelming. In this session, we’ll explore how to teach smarter, not harder, by focusing on best practices for designing effective online courses that engage learners and achieve results. Learn how to implement a continuous improvement process to keep your courses fresh and relevant, and discover practical approaches to prioritizing improvements and staying current in the ever-evolving landscape of online education. Leave with insights to elevate your online teaching practices.
Jennifer Mathes, Ph.D., is the Chief Executive Officer of the Online Learning Consortium (OLC), where she leads the organization’s strategic initiatives to advance digital learning. With over 25 years of experience in education, which began in Illinois community colleges, Dr. Mathes has served as a faculty member, Chief Academic Officer, and consultant, helping institutions implement best practices in online and digital education. She holds a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, along with degrees in Business Education and Mass Communications from Illinois State University. Dr. Mathes is a recognized author and speaker on online and digital learning and has collaborated with institutions worldwide to promote quality in digital education.
Tuesday, February 11, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Jennifer Mathes, Ph.D.
In today’s fast-paced academic world, creating and maintaining quality online courses can feel overwhelming. In this session, we’ll explore how to teach smarter, not harder, by focusing on best practices for designing effective online courses that engage learners and achieve results. Learn how to implement a continuous improvement process to keep your courses fresh and relevant, and discover practical approaches to prioritizing improvements and staying current in the ever-evolving landscape of online education. Leave with insights to elevate your online teaching practices.
Tuesday, February 11, 2025 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Student Panel
A panel of Illinois community college students will discuss elements in their online courses that helped them engage in the course and be more successful. Topics will include course communication, organization, technologies employed, interaction with faculty and students, resources, and more. Q & A with attendees will occur following a moderated discussion.
Wednesday, February 12, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Stewart Ferrell
Instructor, Physics
Carl Sandburg College
James Hutchings
Professor for Music / Humanities and Fine Arts, Department Chair
Carl Sandburg College
Carl Sandburg College is using a faculty team to create a peer review process to improve and maintain online course standards. Learn how they've used Quality Matters principles and training to support the process.
Wednesday, February 12, 2025 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Ellen Field
Professor of Mathematics Developmental Education
Waubonsee Community College
Patty Saccone
Professor of Health Information Technology
Waubonsee Community College
Join us for an engaging and practical session exploring the development and implementation of HyFlex courses from a faculty perspective. This session will provide valuable insights into what it takes to design and teach in a mixed learning environment, the benefits, and challenges to consider, and actionable strategies to support student success.
Thursday, February 13, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Matt Garrison
Professor for English, Chair of Communication, Humanities, and Social Sciences
John A. Logan College
Karen Kasban
Assistant Professor, Program Coordinator of the Adult Cardiac Diagnostic Medical Sonography
John A. Logan College
Faculty that has served on the John A. Logan College Online Assessment Team and gone through the assessment process for their courses will speak about their experiences. They will share their thoughts on participating as committee members as well as faculty receiving assessments. Additional insight into JALC's Online Assessment Team and Process will be discussed.
Thursday, February 13, 2025 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Kym Blanchard
Executive Director of Online Development & Innovation
Rock Valley College
Joseph Haverly
Professor, Biology
Rock Valley College
Tracy Hazen
Professor, Speech
Rock Valley College
Renee Peterson
Instructional Designer
Rock Valley College
How do you know if your students are learning? How do you know if they are prepared for the test? How can you help ease test anxiety? This information packed session will highlight two professors’ Quality Matters course improvement journey. The session will explain the value of formative assessment and the importance of Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) in online and hybrid courses. It will provide ideas for alternatives to traditional summative assessments and introduce EdTech tools to enhance learning and increase the efficiency of your workload.