Oblinger to offer seminars on the Net Generation at UAB

Details

As part of UAB’s ongoing efforts to provide faculty with opportunities to keep current with latest pedagogical developments, Diana G. Oblinger will be visiting the university Thursday, July 27, to conduct two forums on teaching and learning with technology.

Oblinger is vice president of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association of colleges, university and education organizations with the mission to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology.

Faculty, staff and students are invited to attend the two forums, which will be held in room G028 of the School of Nursing Auditorium. The entrance is on University Boulevard.

The first forum will begin at 9 a.m. with “Educating the Net Generation.” The second forum, “Organizing Effective Learning Spaces,” will run from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m.

“I think Dr. Oblinger’s visit will be very enlightening and will address issues related to higher education meshing with the learning styles and expectation of the ‘Net Generation’ of learners (18-22 year olds),” says Dr. Rose Scripa, associate provost for faculty development and faculty affairs.

Oblinger’s recent research has focused on the “Net Generation” and how its members learn. She predicts that learning will become more active and engaged, and that faculty will use more analysis and assessment in areas such as identifying how students learn, which students are at risk, and how teachers can intervene to help them.

Oblinger, who has served as vice president for information resources and chief information officer for the 16-campus University of North Carolina system, also has served as a university faculty member and dean. In addition, she has served as the executive director of higher education at Microsoft and as IBM director of the Institute for Academic Technology. Her degrees are in the area of botany, plant breeding and cytogenetics.

The forums are being sponsored by the Office of the Associate Provost for Faculty Development and Faculty Affairs, the Office of the Vice President for Information Technology and the Office of Planning and Analysis.