Online Learning Consortium Announces 2017 OLC Fellows and Recipients of 2017 OLC Awards and Effective Practice Awards

NEWBURYPORT, Mass., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- The Online Learning Consortium (OLC) today announced the 2017 class of OLC Fellows as well as recipients of the 2017 OLC Awards and the 2017 Effective Practice Awards. Fellows and awardees will be recognized at the upcoming OLC Accelerate (#OLCAccelerate) conference, in Orlando, Florida, Nov. 15-17.

"Members of the OLC community continually strive to develop and deliver quality digital learning experiences," said Kathleen S. Ives, D.M., CEO and executive director, Online Learning Consortium. "This year's class of Fellows and award recipients represent extraordinary examples of the innovation happening in digital teaching and learning today. We thank them for their dedication to quality and congratulate them on their success."

2017 OLC Fellows

Recognition as an OLC Fellow is conferred by the OLC Board of Directors on those who have contributed to advancing quality, effectiveness and breadth in online and blended education in areas represented by the OLC Pillars: learning effectiveness, access, faculty and student satisfaction and scale. Named to the 2017 class of OLC Fellows are:

    --  Vickie Cook, Ph.D., Executive Director for Online Learning, Research and
        Service, University of Illinois Springfield
    --  Laurie Dringus, Ph.D., Professor, Nova Southeastern University
    --  Jill Buban, Ph.D., Senior Director of Research & Innovation, Online
        Learning Consortium

2017 OLC Awards, Recognizing Advances in Digital Learning

The OLC Awards recognize the tremendous advances in digital learning that result from the ideas and initiatives of individuals and colleges and universities around the world. The recipients of the 2017 OLC Awards are:

    --  John R. Bourne Outstanding Online Program: University of Wisconsin,
        Platteville - Childcare Credential Program; and Purdue University - 
        Online MS Communication Program
    --  Excellence and Innovation in Online Teaching: John LaMaster, Senior
        Instructor, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne
    --  Excellence in Faculty Development for Online Teaching: Tracy Fairless,
        Assistant Director for Learning Design Services, University of Central
        Oklahoma; and Sheryl Hathaway, Associate Director of Academic
        Engagement, University of California, Riverside
    --  Online Learning Journal Outstanding Research Award in Online Education:
        Curtis Bonk, Professor, Indiana University; and Jennifer Richardson,
        Professor, Purdue University

2017 Effective Practice Awards, Recognizing Effective Practices in Digital Education

OLC's Effective Practice Awards recognize effective techniques, strategies and practices that are shared by members of the OLC community to advance quality and access to online programs. Two rounds of Effective Practices are awarded annually. The first round is awarded each spring at the OLC Innovate conference. The second and current round of 2017 Effective Practice Awards, to be presented at the OLC Accelerate conference, includes:

    --  "Improving the Online Testing Accommodation Process with Quiz
        Extensions" - John Raible and Matthew Emond, University of Central
        Florida
    --  "3-D Virtual Reality Microscope" - Shannon Riggs, Oregon State
        University Ecampus
    --  "Facilitating Student Success via Emergency Accessibility" - Christine
        Paige, Nathan Whitley-Grassi, Alena Rodick, Jennifer Nettleton, Shaun
        Hoppel, Allison Moreland, Antonia Jokelova, Andrea Piazza-Victor, SUNY
        Empire State College
    --  "Affordability Counts" - Gus Roque, David-John Palmer, Florida
        International University
    --  "Designing Personalized Online Learning" - Jason Rhode, Stephanie
        Richter, Tracy Miller, Northern Illinois University
    --  "Learner Supports When and Where They Are Needed" - Mindy Sloan,
        Bridgepoint Education - Ashford University
    --  "Using Digital Badges as a Framework to Support and Scale an Online
        Teaching and Learning Community" - Alexandra Pickett, Open SUNY Center
        for Online Teaching Excellence
    --  "Academic Advising Group Advising Sessions" - Dawn Coder, Katie Gaines,
        Kate Elias, Andrea Woerman, Jeff Hill, Stephanie Vlajic, The
        Pennsylvania State University, World Campus
    --  "Student Success Center: Supporting Graduate Students in an Online
        Learning Community" - Brian C. Wilson, Christine Yao, University of
        Nebraska-Lincoln

Complete details about the OLC Fellows, OLC Awards and OLC Effective Practice Awards may be found online:

    --  OLC Fellows
    --  OLC Awards
    --  Effective Practice Awards

About Online Learning Consortium

The Online Learning Consortium (OLC) is a collaborative community of higher education leaders and innovators, dedicated to advancing quality digital teaching and learning experiences designed to reach and engage the modern learner - anyone, anywhere, anytime. OLC inspires innovation and quality through an extensive set of resources, including, best-practice publications, quality benchmarking, leading-edge instruction, community-driven conferences, practitioner-based and empirical research and expert guidance. The growing OLC community includes faculty members, administrators, trainers, instructional designers, and other learning professionals, as well as educational institutions, professional societies and corporate enterprises. Visit http://onlinelearningconsortium.org for more information.

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SOURCE Online Learning Consortium