Free Range Learning

Tomorrow, we, along with some folks from Computer Services and the Library are headed to Northfield for the annual GusDay conference. GusDay is an event designed for the technology staff from the Minnesota Private Colleges and other like-minded institutions to gather and share successes, challenges, strategies, and friendships. Representatives from Gustavus, Macalester, St. Thomas, Bethel, Carleton, St. Olaf, Augsburg, and many more will be in attendance.

It's a nice little conference on many levels:

• It's close (last year it was at Augsburg- closer yet)
• It's very inexpensive
• It's short - just one day
• It's a great way to build and maintain local networking
• It's refreshing to be around institutions that share similar goals and missions

Last year, I was somewhat surprised to learn that there weren't that many institutions offering online courses, at least not with any sort of regularity. I suspect it has something to do with the mostly undergraduate representation at the conference. And offering online courses at the college level contains a whole host of other challenges than offering them at the graduate level.

Since the seminary has offered online courses regularly for ten years or more, LDT thought it would be helpful and a good opportunity to present at the conference and offer our insights and experiences about online teaching and learning.

Our presentation, "Creating Engaging Online Courses," will allow us to share with our neighbors and colleagues lessons we have learned in creating online courses - the good and the not so good. We're excited by the opportunity to be able to showcase the many wonderful online courses that have been taught throughout the years.