This month my coworker April Macadangdang and I attended the BbWorld Conference held in Austin, Texas. The conference focuses on innovations in education and professional development for attendees in higher education, K-12, as well as business and government. The main appeal of BbWorld for us is the ability to explore latest trends and technologies and exchange information with industry professionals. For us, the workshops were our jungle gyms and the conference itself our playground.
We were given the opportunity to present in a Design Thinking workshop, where we were able to showcase how educators, instructional designers, and content authors can use interactive technology to foster student engagement and promote deep learning. The tool we focused on was H5P. H5P is a free and open-source collaborative tool that allows users to create, share, and reuse interactive content.
During out workshop our participants created their own content and they were encouraged to share their work with peers to spark ideas and new interactions. Participants were enthralled with the content and were intent on bringing it back to their universities and institutions to show their teams the benefits of meaningful interactivity in online courses. This was our goal, we were able to educate attendees and inspire them to put what had been taught into practice immediately.
The rest of our experience at the BbWorld Conference can be summed up as innovative, engaging, and revolutionary. Crowds of education professionals eager to learn bounced between breakout rooms. It was easy to feel overwhelmed, but the excitement was contagious. The first workshop we attended was about three hours long and centered on design thinking skills. The seating was put out in a way to promote conversation and to help form connections between participants. The presenters made sure everyone actively participated, which ensured each participant was able to engage with the content fully as well as one another. This inspired us to ensure our own workshop was as interactive as possible.
You can click the following links to access our hands-on workshop, Engaging Learners in Deeper Learning Through Intuitive and Interactive EdTech Tools, as well as our lightning talk, The Power of Interactive Learning.
My team at the University of Miami's Distance Learning Institute and I can help you improve your online courses, or develop your curriculum for distance learners using tools like H5P. You can learn more about us and the Instructional Design & Technology program online, or give us a call at 305-284-4000.
About the University of Miami Division of Continuing and International Education
The Division of Continuing and International Education at the University of Miami aims to empower people to reach their full potential through lifelong and lifewide learning. With more than 70 credit and non-credit programs, the Division focuses on creating continuous learning experiences that transform individuals, organizations, and entire communities. For more information, please visit dcie.miami.edu or call (305) 284-4000 and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
