Overview

The meeting will take place at the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) Annual Meeting in Anaheim, CA on February 9, 2015 from 8am to 11am in the Huntington Room.

This meeting is hosted by UW-Milwaukee’s National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancement (DETA) in collaboration with our partner, ELI.

Since our goal is to host a robust brainstorming session about the next steps for distance education and technological advancements, our list of potential invitees is selective. You are one of the select few being invited to this event. We believe your expertise and attendance will add a substantive contribution to the event.

DETA Research Center Background
The DETA Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education and seeks to foster student access and success through evidence-based, cross-institutional online learning practices and technologies. Specifically, DETA looks to identify and evaluate effective course and institutional practices in online learning, including competency-based education, for underrepresented populations.

The center’s purpose is threefold: 1) understand and determine distance education outcomes; 2) identify practices (instructional and institutional) that influence those outcomes; and 3) conduct rigorous, interdisciplinary, and standardized research to identify outcomes and key factors for all students, including those with disabilities. In order to accomplish our first goal, the center recognizes the importance of developing a research model for online learning in collaboration with national and international experts in the field.

DETA Meeting Objectives
The initial step in developing the research model for online learning is to organize a meeting with key partners and distance education experts, including those who specialize in CBE, accessibility, and support strategies. This is where your contribution is greatly needed! The main objectives for this meeting are:

• Gather key partners and research experts to generate of ideas
• Brainstorm crucial issues in conducting research and developing coherency in the field of distance education
• Discuss ideas relating to competency-based education, accessibility, and distance education support

Successful outcomes of the meeting will include prioritization of desired outcomes, research questions, variables, measures, and a framework of inquiry for distance education research.

We believe the successful establishment of the DETA Research Center hinges upon the willingness of experts in the field to participate in the collaborative problem-solving meeting we are hosting. The team members of the Center are very excited to host such an event.

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