Distance Learning Conference - Key Note - Dr. Mark David Milliron

I am here at the Distance Learning Conference in Madison Wisconsin and just attended Dr. Mark David Milliron's key note, titled "My Generation Your Generation We’re All in this Together." Much of what Dr. Milliron spoke about, I have observed or written about on this blog. One thing that really stuck out was how he suggested that online courses and blended courses will be mainstream because they offer value added situations and experience for students. Universities that keep putting online against face to face and in it's own category miss the point. Many students want to take a couple face to face courses and a couple online courses. Students want to be able to flex their schedules, take the courses they want from the teachers they want, and interact online. See my University 2.0 post. Another idea that stands out is that traditional marketing and advertising will be less effective for university's because of the social networking that goes on online. Schools can advertise all they want, but if students want to know about a school they can find out online. See my web 2.0 and higher ed post.

The following are the scratch notes I made during the presentation. These are meant to help me remember key concepts, but if you find them helpful then great.

- Take out all-in one device (trade it with the person next to you). People get nervous since we are becoming more dependent on these devices.
- Changing infrastructure for how we live (virtual)
- Mainstreaming distance education
- Vision, Planning, Fundraising (capital funds, operational funds, maintenance plans), Building
- Hybrid – The middle of the bell curve - the way of the future – They already know it...we do everything online (banking, cars, etc). The action is in the middle
- Get away from what is better (online vs. face to face)
- Believes Itunes-like system will be the learning infrastructure of the future (DRM, labels, etc)
- Example - A student has 2 morning classes 4 hour gap until 3rd class (wants to work online in between courses)
- Mobile lifestyle
- Thinks games will be a big part of the learning economy (I somewhat disagree) –(my observation: people play games to escape reality, not engage reality.)
- (showing youtube videos – Blackberry, teacher throws cell phone, wii) (grandpa bowls with grandson 3 states away on the wii)
- He says the data shows gamers are very active people
- Pepperdine bought real-estate in second life (info for Justin)
- Social Networking – Marketing and ads will do less because people will check you out via networking – students checking email less (IM, texting, facebook)
- Kettering – innovative stick figure animation about the university – connects with students
- Internet2 – holographic lab – the future
- Techno-Cro-Magnon theory “Technology…Good”
- Analytics, diagnostics, and evidence based education. Book recommended “Completing on Analytics” – Risk analytics – Credit Card story about company tracking woman’s habit and called her when it wasn’t her buying pattern. They were correct.
- Though we are connected more than ever before, people can still feel lonely. Integrate the human experience. Book recommendation – Social intelligence by Daniel Golman.