Past Distance Workshops
2007 Workshop Highlights
The 2007 Project IDEAL Distance Education workshop brought together a mix of mature distance learning states and states new to distance education. Over 30 participants from 12 member states collaborated on a variety of activities and sessions. Workshop topics included:
- Costs of distance learning programs, from initial pilot programs to distance education as an integrated part of adult ed offerings
- Understanding the new NRS guidelines on reporting distance learners and developing appropriate state policies
- Professional development for both novice and experienced distance teachers
- New technologies for distance education
Participants networked and learned from one another and plans were developed for cross-state collaborations around professional development and curriculum selection and usage. Many states also took advantage of individual consultations and planning sessions with the Project IDEAL Support Center Staff.
2006 Workshop Highlights
Representatives from twelve member states attended the 2006 Workshop. Topics and sessions focused on:
- State data on learner persistence & achievement
- Teacher recommendations from a national survey
- Brainstorming strategies to improve persistence
- Setting enrollment, persistence & achievement goals for 2007
- From pilot program to standard practice
- Centralizing delivery of distance education
- Using monthly indicators to improve program performance
- Innovations in member states: from Nicenet to mentoring
- Curriculum survey results
- Distance Teaching Self Assessment from AdultEd Online
2005 Workshop Highlights
Fifteen member states sent a total of 36 participants to the 2005 Workshop. Topics and sessions focused on:
- Innovations in member states
- Predicting student success
- Using data to monitor and improve distance learning programs
- A continuous improvement model of professional development for distance teachers: virtual support and mentoring models
- Distance delivery models
- State and federal policies to support distance education
- Facilitating Project IDEAL’s professional development courses
- Adjusting states’ distance learning plans
