I just returned from the UPCEA Annual Conference in Orlando, FL which brought together thought leaders and practitioners in the field of professional, continuing, and online education. This is the first conference I’ve attended live post-pandemic lockdown; it felt so great to be back in person with an intentional learning community. It was great to hug people I hadn’t seen in years, and connect with new peers through serendipitous encounters, which evolved into shared meals, new learnings, and now, relationships.
As I’ve settled back into my work-from-home routine, processing the keynotes, sessions, and networking conversations, one phrase continues to resonate loudly in my mind: flexibility with the community. Paul LeBlanc, President at Southern New Hampshire University, said (and I am paraphrasing), “Students want to be in an intentional learning community. They also want flexibility in how they access their learning. We’re never going to see ‘the classroom’ on a list of ‘high impact interventions’ …” The reason this resonates with me is that we shouldn’t unnecessarily couple community and flexibility in limiting ways.
Similar to the (concurrent) “Let’s Not Reomantize 2019 for Online Learning” conversation Phil Hill and Joe Moreau had at OLC Innovate 2022 I found that while there are a few institutions looking back with rose-colored glasses, aiming to “go back to normal, and the way it was,” most sessions were full of caring professionals all asking variations of the same questions: How do we support our (tired) faculty in not just reacting to the situation, but evolving through what we’ve learned? How do we create an evolving learning environment to meet our students where they are, and where they will be?
I’d like to think it’s an easy solve, but I know it’s not. What follows are the top three needs I took away from conversations last week, towards the goal of designing an agile, flexible learning experience both instructors and learners deserve.
Thank you to the entire UPCEA community for a week of learning and connection. I’m excited to build the future with you; one in which learners learn with and through their peers, with flexibility and inclusivity for schedule, geography, and changing personal needs.