Dear readers, replacing the Conference Calendar, we would like to introduce the “Professional Almanac of Distance Learning and Educational Technology.” This will be updated in each issue to highlight organizations and resources related to distance learning and educational technology that we hope will be useful to you. Many of the featured organizations hold annual conferences. We invite you to visit their websites for further information. If you have a suggestion for an addition to this professional almanac, please contact Dr. Vanaja Nethi (nethi@nova.edu) or Alexander Martinie (am3980@mynsu.nova.edu).
Association for Educational Communications & Technology
Website: https://www.aect.org/
About: The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is a professional association of instructional designers, educators and professionals who provide leadership and advise policy makers to sustain a continuous effort to enrich teaching and learning. Seizing opportunities to raise awareness and leverage technology, our members may be found around the world in colleges and universities, in the Armed Forces and industry, in museums, libraries, and hospitals, and in the many places where educational change is underway. Our research and scholarly activity contribute to the knowledge base in the field of Learning. We are on the cutting edge of new developments and innovations in research and application.
Aurora Institute
Website: https://aurora–institute.org/
Mission statement: The mission of the Aurora Institute is to drive the transforma–tion of education systems and accelerate the advancement of breakthrough policies and practices to ensure high–quality learn–ing for all.
EDUCAUSE
Website: https://www.educause.edu/
About: EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit associa–tion whose mission is to advance higher education through the use of information technology. We equip our community with the knowledge, resources, and community–building opportunities needed to help shape strategic IT decisions at every level in higher education. We welcome diversity— in viewpoints and experience—and believe in inspiring the transformation of higher education in service to a greater good.
Flexible Learning Association of New Zealand
Website: https://flanz.org.nz/home/
About: We work to enhance flexible learn–ing practices across all sectors of education in New Zealand, advance current thinking and contribute to research and scholarship, in open, distance and flexible learning. The FLANZ conference is a key event for FLANZ to support its members, and an important means of advancing thinking, research, and practice in the field of open, distance and flexible learning. The confer–ence attracts participants from within New Zealand, the Pacific Rim and beyond, and provides memorable opportunities for exchanging ideas, social interaction, and networking.
International Societyfor Technology in Education
Website: https://www.iste.org/
About: Welcome to the International Soci–ety for Technology in Education (ISTE), home to a passionate community of global educators who believe in the power of technology to transform teaching and learning, accelerate innovation, and solve tough problems in education. ISTE inspires the creation of solutions and connections that improve opportunities for all learners by
delivering practical guidance, evidence–based professional learning, virtual net–works, thought–provoking events and the ISTE Standards.
Nebraska Educational Technology Association
Website: https://netasite.org/
About: The Nebraska Educational Technology Association is a grassroots organization open to everyone interested in sharing information about using technology in the educational process. NETA has over 7,500 members.
Online Educa Berlin (OEB)
Website: https://oeb.global/
About: Online Educa Berlin (OEB) is the annual global, cross–sector conference and exhibition on digital learning and training. The event has a unique focus, bringing you to the forefront of developments in learning technology. Since 1995, insights gained at OEB have pointed the way towards the future of learning.
Online Learning Consortium
Website: https://onlinelearningconsortium .org/
Mission statement: OLC is a collaborative community of higher education leaders and innovators, dedicated to advancing quality digital teaching and learning experiences designed to reach and engage the modern learner—anyone, anywhere, anytime. From our institutional offerings to our advisory services, our focus is on driving best practices for quality online learning. Our platform is based on the five pillars of quality online education—learning effectiveness, faculty satisfaction, student satisfaction, scale, and access—essentially building blocks providing the support for successful online learning.
Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia
Website: https://odlaa.org/
About: The Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia (ODLAA) is an international professional association of educators, educational researchers, learning designers, instructional designers, con–sultants, administrators and educational institutions who are dedicated to the advancement of research, practice, and support of education across time and space.
ODLAA was founded in 1973 has a long and distinguished history connecting pro–fessionals to share experiences and dissem–inate information relating to open and distance learning, with the aims of:
Advancing the research, practice and support education across time and space;
Continuously engaging, supporting, and developing the learning commu–nity involved in education across time and space; and
Becoming the learning community’s association of choice for those involved in education across time and space.
Reimagine Education
Website: https://www.reimagine–education .com/
Mission statement: Our mission is to high–light innovative approaches enhancing learning outcomes and employability for a billion future learners. Our framework revolves around the future of work, univer–sities, and learning, viewed through the lenses of sustainability and values. Westrive to create a transformative impact on the education landscape globally.
United States Distance Learning Association
Website: https://usdla.org/
About: United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) is the premier pro–fessional membership organization designed to Advocate and Support the needs of Distance Education leaders. USDLA’s resources support the Distance Education Professional Community who serve education, business, health, and gov–ernment. USDLA was the first nonprofit distance learning association in the United States to advocate for and support distance learning research, development and praxis across the complete arena of education, business, health, and government. Founded in 1987, its vision and mission to advocate, research, and share best practices in the utilization of distance learning modalities in education, business, health, and government nationally and internationally continues today.
UPCEA
Website: https://upcea.edu/
About: UPCEA is the only organization in North America focusing on the profes–sional, continuing, and online education enterprise. For more than 100 years, UPCEA has served most of the leading public and private colleges and universities in North America. Based in Washington, DC, UPCEA also builds greater awareness of the vital link between contemporary learners and public policy issues.
