“You can’t use an old map to explore a new world.” — Albert Einstein
When it comes to conversations about innovation and education, the above quote is one of our favorites. As our world continues to grow and change, old maps or old ideas can be quite useful and innovative. Yet sometimes they can be limiting and overt obstacles to our ability to reimagine or see things anew.
Welcome to Reimagining Teaching and Learning, a series of webinars, cases, and stories showcasing new ways of looking at the practice of teaching and learning.
Each month, we will walk through topics with a variety of subject-matter experts for an in-depth analysis and conversation to be shared via webinars, blog posts, and case studies.
Do you want to collaborate with us on a webinar or blog post? Reach out to highered@d2l.com with your idea!
Related Resources
Dr. Jeff Borden Chief Academic & VP of Academic Affairs, D2L Dr. Borden is currently the Chief Academic Officer at D2L, a Professor of Communication and Education, a Davis Scholar in Residence awarded by the Akilah Institute, and a speaker / consultant / leader across higher education. As a former Chief Innovation Officer, Academic Research Director (“Think Tank”), and lifelong advocate for effective eLearning, Jeff has spoken to educators at every level, from professors to politicians to presidents to principals, in 38 countries and 49 of 50 U.S. states. A passionate teaching and learning expert, Dr. Borden is generating and communicating the best possible ideas, strategies, and philosophies to transform learning at scale. Through award winning “learning ecosystem” creation, brain-based education strategies, large scale alternate reality games for education, and other creative endeavors, Dr. Borden has implemented effective learning techniques for thousands. Having written academic anthology chapters, academic journal articles, editorials, blogs, and given interviews for dozens of academic and popular media, as well as having presented to more than 5,000 audiences in 20 years, Dr. Borden will provide practical, researched, intentional strategies for changing learning. Dr. Tim Renick Executive Director, National Institute for Student Success Timothy Renick is the founding Executive Director of the National Institute for Student Success and Professor of Religious Studies at Georgia State University. Between 2008-2020, he directed the student success efforts of the university, overseeing a 62% improvement in graduation rates and the elimination of all equity gaps based on students' race, ethnicity, or income level. For six consecutive years, Georgia State has graduated more African American students with bachelor’s degrees than any other not-for-profit college or university in the nation. Dr. Renick has testified on strategies for helping university students succeed before the U.S. Senate and has twice been invited to speak at the White House. His work has been covered by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Time, and CNN and cited by former President Barack Obama. He was named one of the Most Innovative People in Higher Education by Washington Monthly and one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders by Fortune magazine. Dr. Renick was the recipient of the Award for National Leadership in Student Success Innovation and was awarded the McGraw Prize in Higher Education. A summa cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College, Dr. Renick holds his M.A. and Ph.D. in Religion from Princeton University. Elizabeth Burns Senior Success Coach, Sinclair Community College Elizabeth graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History from The Ohio State University and completed her Master of Education in Student Affairs in Higher Education – Administration at Wright State University. Elizabeth has worked in various roles at Sinclair over her 6 years with the college, including as the online testing coordinator, online program coordinator, online academic coach and now as a success coach. As a success coach, Elizabeth works closely with students in the FlexPace program (Sinclair’s competency-based education program) as well as the faculty who teach the course and the instructional designers who create and revise the courses. This collaborative partnership has created a unique, wrap-around experience for the students, faculty & staff in the program. Her favorite aspect of being a coach is watching students who didn’t believe they could be successful go on to achieve their academic goals and usually surprise themselves with their resiliency and hard work. She enjoys traveling with her husband & children, playing volleyball, reading and DIY house projects.
Dr. Barry Schwartz, Author of Practical Wisdom and The Paradox of Choice Dr. Jeff Borden, Chief Academic Officer, D2L
Dr. Jeff Borden - Chief Academic & VP of Academic Affairs at D2L
D2L’s own Kenneth Chapman, VP of Market Research sat down with Jessica Scott, director of PowerED™ by Athabasca University, to explore how Athabasca implemented a robust non-credit learning system through the entrepreneurial unit, PowerED™.
Kenneth Chapman - Vice President of Market Research, D2L Jessica Scott - Director of PowerEd, Athabasca University
A deeper look at a discussion between NYU's Clay Shirky and D2L's Ken Chapman on the use of technology in teaching and learning innovation
Trey Arrington—Vice President for Operations, Spartanburg Methodist College Dr. Toni Bennett—Associate Vice Provost for Online Strategy, Spartanburg Methodist College Judy Mirick—Professor of Physics and Physical Science, Spartanburg Methodist College Holly Whitaker, Learning Strategies Consultant, D2L
Kenneth Chapman - Vice President of Market Research, D2L James Wiley - Principal Analyst, Eduventures
Reflecting on the changes seen in Higher Ed this past year and why we are optimistic for the future of student success.
Kenneth Chapman, Vice President of Market Research, D2L Clay Shirky, Vice Provost of Educational Technologies, NYU
Dr. Christopher Sessums, Director of Academic Affairs - D2L Michael Amick, Vice President of Distance Education - Pima Community College Selom Assignon, Director of Instructional Design - City Colleges of Chicago
Host: Dr. Christopher Sessums, Director of Academic Affairs, D2L Presenter: Adam Finkelstein, Associate Director of Learning Environments, McGill University
Host: Dr. Christopher Sessums, Director of Academic Affairs at D2L Guests: Dr. Crystal Fulton, School of Information & Communication Studies at University College Dublin, Dr. James Matthews, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Sports Science at University College Dublin, Dr. Emma O’Neill, School of Veterinary Medicine at University College Dublin
When designing and building an online course, we want to be sure there are accessible learning options and activities readily available.
Assessment drives the curriculum. When I first heard it framed like this, I was thoroughly confused.
Dr. Chris Sessums, D2L Dr. Justin Reich, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dr. Christopher Sessums, Director of Academic Affairs at D2L Dr. Erin Crisp, Associate Vice President of Innovation at Indiana Wesleyan University National & Global
Liberal arts colleges, though small in size and number, have a major impact on our culture
Host: Dr. Christopher Sessums, Director of Academic Affairs – D2L Guests: Dr. Sam Chandrashekar, Accessibility Lead – D2L Dr. John Scott, Product Manager – Blackboard Ally Adam Spencer, President – AbleDocs
Bryan Alexander, PhD, author of Academia Next: The Futures of Higher Education (January 2020). Host: Christopher Sessums, PhD, Director of Academic Affairs at D2L.