From a Distance...: Volume 1, Issue 3

Volume 1, Issue 3	June 2009
From a Distance... Online Newsletter for Arkansas Distance Learning

Website Review: Top Tools for Learning by Kate Burkes I often browse the Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies. Its Top Tools for Learning page is a great place to find free technology resources and is an excellent source of teaching and learning strategy ideas for incorporation into your own distance learning professional development. Conference Review: ArBUG by Terry Patterson The Arkansas Blackboard Users Group, also known as ArBUG, held its inaugural conference at UALR in March. Over 100 attendees from 19 colleges and universities from around the state participated in the two day conference. We didn’t expect so many institutions our first year! ArBUG also announced the Diamond Award for Excellence in Online Education which will be given out at its 2010 conference. The award will be given to online courses that use Blackboard products while spotlighting the great work Arkansasans are doing in this field. A committee has been developed to review the courses and will use the Blackboard Exemplary Courses Program as a guideline. Survey Results: Impact of Blackboard's Purchase of Angel by Karen Powers Liebhaber Fifteen people responded to the survey. Six of them use Blackboard, five of them use Moodle, two of them use Angel, and the other two use other systems. Ten respondents represented 2-year institutions, four were from K-12, and one was from a 4-year institution. From the ARDLA President... by Valerie Wilson I would like to thank the Association for allowing me to attend the United States Distance Learning Association Conference that was held in St. Louis last month. It was an exceptional conference and I am considering adding it as an annual trip that I take for my college. I was certainly pleased to see award recipients from Arkansas. From the Editor... by Karen Liebhaber Welcome to the third issue of “From a Distance…”! When Chris Boyett first approached me about this newsletter, he expressed an interest in making the “From a Distance…” a forum for finding out and expressing what is important to distance education in Arkansas. As I thought out the Summer issue, I realized that I have been focusing on reporting on what is happening instead of researching information or getting your opinions. I began trying to think of what to survey you about. That’s about the time Blackboard bought Angel and I thought it was the perfect topic to start with.	Member Profile Kristy Carter Kristy Carter is the Marketing Coordinator for the Division of Academic Outreach at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. 2009 ARDLA Conference The 2009 ARDLA Conference will be held September 22-24 at the Clarion Inn in Hot Springs. The theme is Global Connections: Arkansas Without Boundaries. Look for the ARCLA Call for Proposals on the newly designed website on April 1! Upcoming Events 25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning August 4-7, 2009 Madison, Wisconsin ARDLA Annual Conference September 22-24, 2009 The Clarion Hotel Hot Springs, Arkansas ARDLA Administration President Valerie Wilson Vice-President Cathi Swann Treasurer Chris Robbins Secretary Karen Powers Liebhaber Immediate Past President Max Kolstad Chair Emeritus Bob Donaldson Webmaster Ralph Malone Newsletter Editor Karen Powers Liebhaber
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