UW Conference Promotes Technology to Enhance Teaching and Learning

The eighth annual e-Volution conference for educators to share “best practice” examples of innovative teaching is Monday, Oct. 3, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the University of Wyoming.

All sessions are free and open to campus and the public. A complete schedule of programs, registration details, live streaming opportunities and other information can be found at www.wyoforum.org. Most sessions will take place in Coe Library, with the final session in the Shell 3-D Visualization Center, located in the Energy Innovation Center.

“The e-Volution Conference provides a free forum in which educators share ‘best practice’ examples of technology use at university, community college, K-12 and other learning environments,” says Christi Boggs, conference coordinator. “The aim of e-Volution is to facilitate dialogue about the effective use of existing and emerging technologies in learning environments.”

This will be accomplished through sessions ranging from discussions about best practices in teaching to hands-on workshops as faculty share their experiences with lessons learned and exciting innovations in both virtual and on-campus arenas, she says.

The conference starts Monday at 9 a.m. with a panel of experts sharing their experiences leading and facilitating transformative learning experiences. Panelists will provide insights into such areas as online programs, a statewide digital learning plan, student engagement strategies and tools to connect with students.

Michelle Miller, director of the First Year Learning Initiative and professor of psychological sciences and President’s Distinguished Teaching Fellow at Northern Arizona University, is the keynote speaker. She will discuss “Getting into the Minds of Learners to Promote Rich Learning” Monday at noon in Room 506 of Coe Library.

Other topics include building and sustaining program community in online programs; increasing professional capacity through the sharing of best practices; a 2017-2021 statewide digital learning plan; virtual reality in the classroom; using UW visualization center technologies for teaching; space or outer space; and student engagement strategies for postsecondary, self-paced, online learning.

The UW Outreach School, Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning, UW Libraries, Laramie County Community College, the Wyoming School-University Partnership, the UW Science Initiative and the Wyoming Department of Education are the conference sponsors.