MAJOR SYMPOSIUM ADDRESSES TECHNOLOGY ENHANCED TEACHING AND LEARNING IN SASKATCHEWAN

Faculty members, instructional designers, and multimedia and technology specialists are coming together to examine the challenges and share innovative practices in teaching and learning through technology at the third annual Campus Saskatchewan Technology Enhanced Learning Symposium. This year's Symposium, "Riding the Crest of Change: Technology Enhanced Teaching and Learning," is being hosted by the University of Regina on May 3rd-4th, 2004.

Campus Saskatchewan is a partnership of provincial post-secondary institutions, directed and managed by its members with support from Saskatchewan Learning. The partners work together to increase access to and enhance post-secondary education across the province through online learning, televised instruction, and other communication networks.

"Our Government is committed to providing Saskatchewan post secondary students access to the latest technology enhanced learning and teaching opportunities," Learning Minister Andrew Thomson said. "These opportunities are made possible in part because of the government's continued support for high speed internet superstructure through SRNet and CommunityNet broad band deployment."

The Symposium provides an outstanding professional development opportunity for faculty, instructional designers, administrators and others involved with technology in post-secondary teaching and learning. This event is designed primarily for faculty and staff of Campus Saskatchewan member institutions.

The Symposium theme, Teaching and Learning with Technology, will be explored in three streams:

· Research: Keynote speaker, Dr. Terry Anderson, the Research Chair for Distance Learning from Athabasca University, will highlight the latest research findings on teaching effectively through technology;

· Instruction and Design: Keynote speaker, Dr. Zane Berge from the University of Maryland, a world leader in online and distance learning, will share his expertise on designing instruction to reduce barriers to online learning; and

· Practical and Hands-on Applications: Keynote speaker, Dr. Richard Schwier from the University of Saskatchewan will outline the most promising practices emerging among faculty and instructors in Saskatchewan and the world.

Concurrent sessions will address such issues as effective teaching and design strategies and support services for students taking courses online, creating and supporting highly interactive virtual learning environments, Aboriginal content in online learning, and intellectual property. There will also be an Electronic Poster session in the computer lab on both days when participants can view the latest techniques and strategies for online learning and discuss these with the authors and developers.

For more information, visit http://cat.uregina.ca/crestofchange.

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For More Information, Contact:

Philip Cameron Campus Saskatchewan Regina Phone: (306)798-9105	Jacquie McLean Learning Regina Phone: (306)787-5609
Dr. Vi Maeers Symposium Co-Chair University of Regina Phone: (306)337-2402	James McNinch Symposium Co-Chair University of Regina Phone: (306)585-5284