ODU to Host Online Faculty Conference
By Amanda Brown
On January 31, a conference that will be hosted at Old Dominion University is designed to help attendees start on the "write" foot.
The Global Society of Online Literacy Educators (GSOLE) conference will help empower an audience of professors and educators that teach literacy online, as well as students and alumni that have propositions and ideas of how to teach reading and writing online more effectively. The overall goal of this conference is to not only analyze ways of teaching reading and writing online, but to also make it more accessible to those with visual and auditory impairments.
For the third year in a row, the GSOLE Conference will broadcast peer reviewed research and information through Q & A sessions, presentation panels and are also anticipating a virtual lobby for those watching the conference online. Participants will have the opportunity to collaborate and create more efficient ways to teach literacy online internationally. GSOLE is dedicated to diversity as well as inclusivity, and recognizes that as global connectivity and digital media continue to grow, the opportunities and challenges with online education will continue to grow as well.
The ultimate goal of this conference and the organization itself is for online literacy instructors to have more knowledge on ways to better educate their students on a digital platform globally. This is especially important for students who may have physical, mental or emotional limitations, as well as for international students who may not have easy access to a school campus. It is important for all students, all around the world, to have the same access to literacy education whether that be in a physical classroom or an online class.
"The GSOLE conference is a great opportunity for any faculty assigning written projects in their online classes to think about the strategies they use to prepare students for these assignments," said Dr. Kevin DePew, a professor at ODU and the local Social Chair for this conference.
Information about attending the conference can be found on the GSOLE website under the events tab. Anyone is welcome to attend, and it is highly encouraged for those with a future in education.
Amanda Brown is a senior communications major from Chesapeake, Virginia. This article was written as part of a public relations class to give students real-world experience in interviewing, writing and publishing news releases.