Media Room

The 15th annual Colorado Learning and Teaching with Technology Conference (COLTT) in Boulder, Colo. will feature two University of the Rockies team members.

Linda Hiemer, vice president of academic affairs, will present “Getting it Write! The Scalable Online Writing Center” on August 2, 2012. Hiemer will discuss the management, efficiency and scalability of a virtual writing center and writing coaches for a diverse population of online and campus learners. University of the Rockies has implemented a virtual coaching model to help improve student outcomes by building self-editing and critical proofreading skills.

“Writing support is critically important to our students’ achievement, particularly for our adult students who have been outside of the academic world for some time,” explains Hiemer. “We find that they need writing assistance, and well before they approach the task of successfully writing a dissertation. Based on our experience, the virtual coaching model has complemented the lifestyle needs of our students while still providing the specialized support they require – and in a model that we can grow with.”  

Also on August 2, Dr. Chad Harris, director of curriculum development, will co-present with educational publishing consultant Margaret Carruthers. Together, Harris and Carruthers will discuss “Innovative Applications: Open Education Resource (OER) Content and Mobile Technology.”

“Lowering the cost of textbook materials is of paramount importance to the nation’s colleges and universities,” says Harris. “We will share our experience of quickly developing dynamic content for multiple mobile devices.”

University of the Rockies created SMARTLab, a statistics “primer” for graduate students. In less than six months, the University developed course materials that included textbooks, audio and video programs, interactive exercise and supplements – all organized to support the learning process. Students are able to access the materials on their computers or mobile devices, such as iPhone, Kindle and iPad.

About University of the Rockies

University of the Rockies is an advanced graduate institution for tomorrow’s thought leaders. The University provides an intimate and dynamic learning environment, offering highly specialized master’s and doctoral degree programs in the social and behavioral sciences, access to industry experts, campus clinical programs for practical experience, and research and publishing opportunities. University of the Rockies is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association (www.ncahlc.org). Small by design, University of the Rockies classes are presented in a progressive online format and at its Colorado Springs, Colorado, campus. For more information, please visit www.rockies.edu or call Shari Rodriguez, associate vice president of Public Relations, at 866.621.0124 x2513.