Excellence in Online Teaching Symposium Success!
Held on December 12,2023, the inaugural Excellence in Online Teaching Symposium featured speakers and attendees from around the globe. Renowned online education expert Flower Darby’s inspirational keynote address advocated a call to action that left participants and speakers energized for an afternoon of meaningful collaboration.
The symposium’s multiple sessions and workshops allowed attendees to learn from 24 experts in a variety of fields including instructional designer, author, and podcaster Dr. Luke Hobson on “Using AI for Designing and Improving Online Learning Experiences.” The Voices of Accessibility panel featured three experts in the Disability, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) space – Rolando Méndez from Teach Access, Christelle Daceus and Sara Shunkwiler, both from the Whiting School of Engineering. The panel was moderated by Dr. Olysha Magruder, Interim Assistant Dean of Learning Design and Innovation within the CLDT. Panelists shared their experiences with teaching accessibly, culturally responsive accessibility practices, and STEM equity through intentional and thoughtful course design.
The international presenters included Jodie Morris, M.Sc., a faculty member from Dublin City University in Ireland who shared inclusive teaching tips using student created videos to build community and engagement. Johns Hopkins was also well represented through both faculty and staff of the Whiting School of Engineering, as Dr. Melissa Rizzuto and Chris Ryder participated along with the DEI panel members. Participant feedback highlighted the connections between workshops and conversations across disciplines as attendees engaged in meaningful conversations and shared tangible examples of excellent design and activities they can include in their own courses.
The busy day culminated with a thoughtful conversation on “Humanizing Online Learning: A Podcast Conversation” from Dr. Jason Johnston and Dr. John Nash from the University of Tennessee and the University of Kentucky, respectively. Learn more about their work in the Inclusive Teaching – Humanizing Online Learning article in this issue!