NEWS

Louisiana Tech University’s Dr. Don Schillinger, College of Education Dean, and Dr. Lindsey Keith-Vincent, Associate Dean for Research, Outreach, and Innovation, recently presented on unique learning initiatives, including credentialing and certification opportunities, during the Online Learning Consortium conference.

Schillinger and Keith-Vincent partnered with Coursera representatives JP Moran, head of Coursera for Campus in the Americas, and Nathan Lippe, director of business development, to discuss creating productive partnerships that benefit high school and university students. Other conference presentations ranged from neuroscience discoveries in the learning sciences, to generation of hologram faculty instructional methodology to reach students during the pandemic, to micro-credentials and certifications being built into academic degree programs to ensure graduates are employable and equipped with certifications and content knowledge to be successful upon graduation.

“Having the opportunity to share and discuss current best practices, innovative trends, and glimpses into the future of learning was personally and professionally rewarding,” Schillinger said. “In addition, I am grateful to Louisiana GEAR UP and Coursera for collaborating with the College of Education to embrace and lead multiple elements of the future of learning, especially the use of those elements to meet the academic and workforce needs of our campus community and the people of Louisiana.”

Through grant support from the LA GEAR UP program, faculty and staff at Louisiana Tech University have had the opportunity to create courses and projects to be distributed to high school partners through Coursera.

“Our partnership with Coursera provides access to world-class learning experiences and allows the unique opportunity for our faculty to co-construct and distribute content that is customized to meet the needs of our learners and our regional job markets,” Keith-Vincent said. “Leaders in our College of Education want to be part of creating the future of learning, not just watching it emerge and reacting to it.”

“Faculty and staff in Louisiana Tech’s College of Education are progressive, innovative, and student-focused,” Moran said. “This partnership allows them to customize content for their stakeholders and leverage our credentialling and certification assets. It also allows us to learn how to integrate educational research, the learning sciences, and pedagogical supports to reach students at all levels.”

A partnership with the STEM Collective for Innovative Louisiana Stakeholders that is funded through the Louisiana Board of Regents will provide a credentialing specific event for high school students and caregivers in November at Louisiana Delta Community College. The event, titled You+Me= Employee, will allow completers to leave with credentials to be contact tracers by the day’s end.

Lisa Dick, who serves as Hub Coordinator in the department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership, has also designed a project to create modules and evaluate the impact of professional development content on the Coursera platform. The project is scheduled to begin this fall.

To learn more, email scitec@latech.edu.