Conference on Blended Learning: Ensuring Quality and Cost Effectiveness

Toronto, ON, Canada, October 21-22, 2010

This is the 4^th annual conference on blended learning hosted by COHERE (Collaboration for Online Higher Education and Research) and CSSHE (Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education) at the main campus of York University in Toronto.  The 2010 conference will be of interest to the many individuals in higher education who are concerned with maintaining quality and pedagogical effectiveness as we move toward a blend of online and face-to-face instruction.  It will also be of interest to those who are concerned with ensuring cost effectiveness of blended learning in this era of budgetary restraint.

The conference will feature a number of concurrent sessions, for which we invite proposals related to one or both of the following sub-themes:

1. Techniques for enhancing the pedagogical effectiveness of blended learning

2.  Policies and practices for ensuring that pedagogically effective blended learning is also cost effective

Keynote speakers

An opening keynote address by Norm Vaughan will set the tone for the conference. An educator and researcher with interests in blended learning, faculty development and K-12 schooling, Dr. Vaughan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Education, Faculty of Teaching and Learning, at Mount Royal University. He recently co-authored the book Blended Learning in Higher Education (2008) and has published a series of articles on blended learning and faculty development. He will address the topic “Design and implementation in blended environments: Maintaining high levels of student learning while increasing flexibility.”

A second keynote address by Alan Davis, President of Empire State College and also President of the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education (CSSHE), will kick off the second day of the conference.  Dr. Davis has studied and worked at traditional and open institutions in the UK and Canada, and has played leadership roles at the British Columbia Open University, Athabasca University, Niagara College and Vancouver Community College. He will speak on the topic “Effective blended learning: Juggling costs and quality in higher education.”

Submitting a Proposal

Concurrent presentations will be 40 minutes in length, including time for audience participation. Presenters must register for the conference. To submit a proposal, you can use the online form here or use the headings and email to Dr. Walter Archer at: blended@extn.ualberta.ca.

Deadline for submissions is 11:59 p.m. MDT on September 3, 2010. Those sending proposals will be notified by September 10, 2010 as to acceptance.

Conference registration here.