Technology confab slated

Meeting the technological challenges of the changing educational landscape is the theme of this year's higher education technology conference, "Creating Futures Through Technology" scheduled for Feb. 19 and 20 in Hattiesburg.

This is the fifth year that the state Board for Community and Junior Colleges and the state Board of Trustees, Institutions of Higher Learning have brought together the best technology and innovations from Mississippi's two-year and four-year institutions.

The conference will be held at the Hattiesburg Convention Center and hosted by the University of Southern Mississippi's Division of Continuing Education.

Registration information for the conference and pre-conference workshops may be accessed online at www.ihl.state.ms.us under the "Creating Futures" logo. Registration is $55 before Feb. 14, and $65 afterward. Pre-conference workshops are $20 each. Hotel information also is available on the web.

Last year, more than 350 faculty from around the state participated in some 25 sessions that ranged from Internet II to web-based courses. A number of technology and distance learning initiatives, including the Mississippi Virtual Community College and the Southern Regional Electronic Campus, will be part of the discussion this year.

This year, a number of pre-conference workshops will be held to accommodate the requests for hands-on training. Subjects include WebCT, Blackboard, PowerPoint, and web design.

Other topics to be covered include new desktop applications, using technology to provide outreach programs, providing services for the distance-learning student, remote-sensing applications, and how students feel about distance education.

The Creating Futures conference is the only statewide conference designated specifically for college and university faculty and administrators.

For more information, telephone Marie Antoon, IHL, at (601)432-6446, or e-mail marie@ihl.state.ms.us; or Becky Cade, state Board for Community and Junior Colleges, (601)432-6684.