Axio Learning Conference

Educations' labored notion that longer classes and extended academic years equal more learning imprisons faculty and students by the boundaries of clocks, calendars and classrooms. For many, the measurement of student and instructor performance continues in terms of time and space instead of the competencies that promote and enhance student learning. Continuing this time and space debate deflects from the real issue of instructional quality.

Two years ago, Colby College adopted the idea that the answer was not more class time, but less. We posited that an environment where more engagement and learning occurs would liberate faculty and students from those constraints of time and space. Last year we presented the early findings of our specially trained College faculty who had altered the pace and character of instruction by blending the technology of the Learning management platform for more efficient use of time to promote effective learning while shortening the class calendar by 70% - or simply reducing traditional face-to-face seat time by 30%. In today's economic climate these findings become even more relevant as Universities and Colleges consider reducing time toward degree completion, with ideas such as a three-year bachelor degree.

Embracing learning technology and better management of time in the classroom was only the beginning. To create these new frontier-learning environments, we collaborated with professionals in the performing, literary and digital arts to develop our skills. Another year has passed and our continued success and advancement leads us to conclude that Blended Learning is key to the 21st century classroom. When done well, it can improve student engagement, learning and success. Designing, structuring, and implementing a blended course, isn't simply a matter of moving written material onto the class website. The media-enhanced instruction must be carefully choreographed and engaging. It must reflect the instructor's personality and the best of their delivery style regardless of the delivery platform. Blending emerging technology with the creative arts help our faculty create a rich learning environment that combines the strongest features of traditional and online teaching. Once technology is seen as a normal part of the learning process, ed-tech buzzwords lose relevance, our students are simply learning. In this session we will show the pedagogical benefits and practical advantages of Blended learning with the creative and digital arts.

iStep is our revolutionary pedagogy that blends the performing, literary and digital arts with classroom instruction and technology. iStep stands for instructing Students with technology for educational progress. The S is capitalized to emphasize our focus on students and their needs. iStep is not simply moving the Internet to the classroom, it's moving the classroom to the Internet. iStep pedagogy has multiple components beyond the course structure and delivery platform. Its focus is on instructional quality supported by 21st century tools. The impact on student achievement has been dramatic and consistent across disciplines, our students are simply learning.

The cornerstone of iStep is our iProfessor training. Our iProfessors are proficient in the use instructional technology, coupled with knowledge of 21st century instructional design and delivery. Enhanced by comprehensive, innovative and interactive teaching methods, that apply dynamic principles of the performing, literary and digital arts to the mediated classroom, our iProfessors communicate in the language and dynamic style of our 21st century students. Each of these creative approaches has similarities, but is inspiring with its differences as we learn new ways to approach our craft.