Here’s a shout out to USDLA member James Hodges at Utah Education and Telehealth Network. He was featured on the Why Distance Learning podcast co-hosted by Seth Fleischauer, Tami Moehring, and Allyson Mitchell.
About this podcast: James joins the crew to discuss his dynamic role as the Interactive Video Conferencing Department Administrator for the Utah Education and Telehealth Network, known as UETN IVC and housed at the Eccles Broadcast Center on the beautiful University of Utah’s campus. Along with giving some great tips about how to jump into Utah living, James explains the unique history and infrastructure that supports the cutting edge UETN Video Operations Center for Utah’s state of the art live, synchronous Distance Education system that is used by thousands of educators and teachers in Utah daily. After describing the impact of Utah’s distance learning model, James also gives insights into his work on the board of the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) and its upcoming conference.
About our USDLA Board Member: James Hodges is the Video Operations Center (VOC) manager for the state of the art UETN Operations Center housed at the Eccles Broadcast Center on the University of Utah campus. James and the VOC team provide daily oversight and management of the technical support and assistance group for the Utah Education and Telehealth Network’s Interactive Video Conferencing (IVC) system. UETN-IVC utilizes cutting edge distance learning technologies for statewide higher and public education live, interactive distance education programs. James has “seen some things” over his past 24-years in the industry and has been honored to be a part of the innovative UETN IVC system used by all facets of educators in Utah today. James grew up bouncing between Utah and Colorado (depending on where the best snow was), and has a passion for technology, the arts, skiing and the outdoors in general. His recent adventure hobby is the magical world of scuba diving. Learn more here!
USDLA Presentation: Triggering Learner Stimuli with Aesthetics through Bitmoji Classrooms
Presenter: Roberta Ergle, Senior Lecturer, and Marni Kay, Associate Instructor, University of Central Florida
Session: Aesthetics, an important instructional design element for online learning, is largely ignored by e-learning platforms. Research supporting the deliberate use of aesthetics to increase learner outcomes is encouraging educators to implement aesthetics in online learning to increase learner outcomes. This hands-on workshop is for educators and trainers who want to take their online classroom to the next level in their visual appeal, personalization, and interactive nature. By creating a Bitmoji classroom that fits the age and content area of the students, teachers will have endless possibilities to use this platform as a springboard for lectures, centers, libraries, and more. Let us walk you through the steps of creation and save you time by bypassing common mistakes. Attendees should have their computer, wifi access or hot spot, and a Google account. Bitmoji classrooms are an effective way to visually engage learners in teaching, organize and manage resources, and increase learner outcomes.