ISPI Utah

Successful Online Learning: Best Practices in Learner Engagement

Presenter: Jenn Thompson, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, The American Academy
July 30th 2010, 12:00-1:00 p.m. (arrive early for networking @ 11:45)

Online learning can present a cost effective and time efficient opportunity for ongoing professional learning, but the old cliché, “If you build it, they will come” is simply not the case.  Encouraging learners to engage in online material is a challenge for even the most experienced developers.

In her presentation, Jenn will discuss strategies for developing successful online learning communities.  She will present TAA’s successes in engaging young learners with significant socio-economic challenges and professional learners with varying degrees of experience as well as strategies for accommodating disabilities in an online environment.  She will provide insight into developing a supportive learning environment that functions over time and distance, and strategies for engaging learners in a relationship of learning rather than a transaction of knowledge.

Jenn Thompson is the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at The American Academy and an Adjunct Instructor at Weber State University.  Since 2002, Jenn has been developing online, hybrid and traditional curriculum for use in self guided and instructor led environments.  Her work spans general secondary curriculum, post-secondary writing curriculum, and professional learning opportunities for educators.  She has presented at a number of educational conferences and will be co-presenting on best practices in online professional learning at iNacol’s Virtual School Symposium this November.