NEWS RELEASE

SCHEV and NCAT Host Course Redesign Conference

—Learning By Design Conference Will Help
Virginia Higher Education Professionals Improve Learning, Reduce Cost—

RICHMOND — The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and the National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT) will host a day-long conference on course redesign for teams of faculty and administrators from Virginia colleges and universities. The Learning By Design Conference will take place on Friday, November 9, 2007 from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Richmond Marriott at 500 East Broad Street.

Course redesign is a dramatically new way of thinking about learning and technology. The goals of course redesign include improving student learning, increasing efficiency, and reducing the cost of instruction.

The conference will feature keynote speaker Carol A. Twigg, President and CEO of NCAT and an internationally recognized expert in using information technology to transform teaching and learning in higher education. There will also be several breakout sessions to help participants learn about successful practices in discipline-specific course redesign, as well as corporate and state perspectives of redesign initiatives.

To foster the development of course redesign plans, the Electronic Campus of Virginia (ECVA) is sponsoring course redesign planning grants open to higher education institutions. To view the grant application or for more information about the Learning By Design conference, visit http://www.schev.edu/lbd/.

“We at SCHEV are excited about this opportunity to expose interested faculty and administrators at Virginia higher education institutions to the concepts of course redesign,” says Daniel J. LaVista, SCHEV’s Executive Director. “Helping colleges and universities discover ways to increase learning outcomes while reducing costs is a natural extension of the Council’s role as an advocate for higher education in the Commonwealth.”

“Through its partnership with SCHEV, NCAT can provide valuable advice and support to postsecondary institutions seeking proven methods for providing greater numbers of students with the education they need to prosper in today’s economy,” says Carol A. Twigg, President and CEO of NCAT. “Coupled with the grants supported by ECVA, we hope the Learning By Design conference will serve as a catalyst for the course redesign philosophy throughout Virginia.”

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) is the Commonwealth’s coordinating body for Virginia’s system of higher education. The agency provides policy guidance and budget recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly, and is a resource for information on Virginia colleges and universities. For more information about Virginia higher education, please visit the SCHEV web site at www.schev.edu.   

The National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT) is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to the effective use of information technology to improve student learning outcomes and reduce the cost of higher education. For more information about course redesign, visit NCAT’s web site at www.theNCAT.org.       

The Electronic Campus of Virginia (ECVA) is a cooperative instructional technology initiative among the state’s public and private colleges and universities. Please visit http://www.vacec.bev.net/ for more information.

For more information, contact Kirsten Nelson, Director of Government Relations and Communications, at KirstenNelson@schev.edu or (804)225-2627.