ASTD Schedule Builder

Schedule Builder is a feature of the online data system provided by ASTD’s vendor partner for management of conference proposals and sessions. This online tool allows you to sort educational offerings based on a variety of criteria and to create your own personal itinerary for your conference attendance. Once you click on an offering and add it to your personal itinerary and save it, you can update and print it as a plan for your conference attendance.

Please note that using Schedule Builder does not register you for a particular session. With the exception of Certificate Programs and Pre-Conference Workshops, all sessions are first-come, first-served.

ASTD Schedule Builder

Schedule Builder is a feature of the online data system provided by ASTD’s vendor partner for management of conference proposals and sessions. This online tool allows you to sort educational offerings based on a variety of criteria and to create your own personal itinerary for your conference attendance. Once you click on an offering and add it to your personal itinerary and save it, you can update and print it as a plan for your conference attendance.

Please note that using Schedule Builder does not register you for a particular session. With the exception of Certificate Programs and Pre-Conference Workshops, all sessions are first-come, first-served.

 

Preconference Workshops - January 30, 2007

Workshops are full and half-day programs held the day before the conference begins. These workshops offer in-depth coverage of topics as well as hands-on work to build skills.

Learn more about this year's preconference lineup:

Full Day Workshops, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. - Member: $405/Nonmember $505

Workshop 1: Designing and Adapting Virtual Classroom Solutions
to Deliver Business Results
Workshop 2: Engaging Learning: The Learning Simulations/Game Design Workshop
Workshop 3: Getting Started with Flash
Workshop 4: Designing Text, Graphics, and Multimedia for E-Learning:
The Craft of Instructional Message Design

Half-Day Workshops - Member: $200/Nonmember $300

Workshop 5: Keys to Successful E-learning Implementation: Motivating Learners,
Managers, and Organizations (9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.)
Workshop 6: WBT Using PowerPoint (9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.)
Workshop 7: The Learning Eye: Visuals & Graphics in E-Learning (1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.)
Workshop 8: Creating "Flow" in Distance Education (1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.)

Online Workshop – Member: $405/Nonmember $505

Workshop 9: Online Workshop: Learning with Blogs, Wikis, and Web 2.0. (12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. EST, February 6, February 13, and February 20)

Workshop fees are in addition to conference registration fees. Advanced registration is recommended. Past Workshops were a sell-out so register early!

 

General Sessions - January 31 and February 1, 2007

General Sessions will be held on Wednesday and Thursday showcasing keynote speakers with important messages for the e-learning practitioner.

These sessions are an opportunity for all conference participants to come together and hear from the leaders in the profession. Presenters offer insight and inspiration, current thinking and future trends on a range of topics of interest to participants. General Sessions are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday beginning at 8:15 a.m. General Sessions will be followed by extended EXPO time.

Learn More about the General Session Speakers.


 

Tracks & Sessions - January 31 - February 2, 2007

Concurrent Education Sessions take place from Wednesday through Friday and are organized into five Tracks. The overall schedule is designed to provide maximum time for sessions, visiting the Expo, and networking throughout the day. Important changes have also been made to the design and delivery of education sessions to ensure a great learning experience with immediate application of your learning back-on-the-job.

Conference sessions are designed to give you an overview of a topic, updates on trends, best practices and case studies, and new technologies, techniques, and software to help you in your work. Over 70 sessions will be offered Wednesday through Friday. Sessions are developed according to eight Learning Approaches and directed at specific Target Audiences. A new feature, Learning Labs, provides an opportunity for informal learning with peers to anchor the daily learning experience.

 

Track Description and Topics

E-Learning Design


This track is directed toward e-learning designers at all levels of experience. They may have instructional design experience—or not. They may be part of a team or work alone. They may be designers only, or wear multiple hats.

Topics include:

• Instructional design strategies
• Collaboration as a design element
• Designing meaningful practices
• Emotional elements of learning
• Graphics and media development
• 508 Design
• User-interface design
• Writing for the Web
• How-to’s of E-learning selection
• Globalization/localization approaches
• Incorporating and writing assessments

Platforms and Authoring Tools


This track is for training managers, e-learning designers, and implementers who manage enterprise-wide initiatives and are interested in staying current with learning technologies, platforms, and authoring tools. They work for organizations ranging from Fortune 500 corporations to small businesses of less than 10 people.

Topics include:

• Automating evaluation
• Ways to produce games and simulations
• Selecting and using authoring tools
• Standards/Accessibility
• Evaluating, choosing, and implementing LMS, LCMS, collaboration systems
• Virtual classrooms/Web conferencing

Virtual Delivery & Facilitation


This track is for those who are involved with teaching or facilitating e-learning offerings—or they manage those who are. Some may currently be teaching in the classroom and want to move into teaching in the virtual (online) classroom—they need to adapt their teaching techniques to the new medium.

Topics include:

• How to moderate discussion forums
• Methods to design and structure group activities
• Ways to motivate distant learners
• Skills and strategies for effective synchronous learning events
• Strengths and limitations of online meeting and collaboration tools

Implementation & Management Strategies


This track is for training managers and implementers who manage enterprise-wide initiatives and must ensure the successful implementation of their learning initiatives. They may work for organizations ranging from Fortune 500 corporations to small businesses of less than 10 people.

Topics include:

• Building and implementing an e-learning strategy
• The ROI of e-learning
• Marketing e-learning to the organization
• Selecting and managing e-learning providers
• Working with the IT department
• Outsourcing and off-shoring
• How to build a new e-learning department

Emerging Technologies & Methods


This track focuses on the next big thing within e-learning, providing insights into new technologies, methodologies, and ways of thinking about solving learning needs. It is for training managers, designers, and anyone evaluating new alternatives to solving current challenges.

Topics include:

• Content models/single sourcing
• Informal learning
• Managing organizational knowledge
• Mobile learning
• Social Networking

 

Advanced Programming - February 2, 2007

On Friday, the final day of the conference, the focus is on intensive education offered by some of the best and brightest in today’s technology arena. ASTD brings back the Tech Intensives and adds more Creation Stations.

Skill-building Creation Stations will be offered followed by nine Tech Intensives on topics requiring a greater depth of focus and interaction for an outstanding finish to the conference.

 

Creation Stations

Remember labs from your school days, how much more you learned in the hands-on environment? Creation Stations are tech labs for adult learners. Each class is limited in size and seated on a first-come, first-served basis. Computers are provided for in-depth learning.

Each Creation Station topic is repeated to allow maximum participation. A new feature for 2007 is a progression from basic to advanced sessions on the same topic. The program will enable you to progress from a basic level on day one of the conference to an advanced level on day three of the conference in the same topic, such as Flash, Dreamweaver, PowerPoint, or Captivate. Or build on existing skills by attending intermediate or advanced sessions.

Creation Stations on Friday will be advanced sessions for those who meet specific pre-requisites for software knowledge.

 

FACE-TIME

This feature is designed to give you focused time with experts in the e-learning field to discuss your particular issue or question. Each consultation is 20 minutes long. Experts will be available from 12:30-1:30 pm and 5:30-6:30 pm on Wednesday and 12:20-1:40 pm and 5:30-6:30 pm on Thursday. You will find a flyer in your tote bag describing each consultant's expertise. A sign-up sheet will be available onsite. Please be on time for your consultation and ready to end at the closing time to allow the next person to begin. If you can’t keep an appointment, please amend the sign-up sheet or send an email to kdols@astd.org.

Please limit your appointments to one per person to allow others to have an opportunity.

 

Learning Labs

The Learning Lab is a new feature designed to provide an informal learning opportunity for you to gather with peers and discuss and anchor your learning experience. These facilitated discussions will be organized around key e-learning job functions and skill sets.

Each Lab will be led by a facilitator to provide an underlying structure and will be focused by e-learning job functions such as developer, instructional designer, manager, etc. Labs will take place over lunch and in the evening over dinner.

Each Lab will also have a Wiki assigned which will be moderated by the facilitator. The Wiki will be available prior to the conference to launch ideas and discussions and may be continued after the conference.

Learn More about the Learning Lab Wikis.

 

Tech Intensives

These highly-interactive sessions are 2 1⁄2 hours long to allow for a greater depth of content development and advanced skill-building. Five of the sessions will be computer-based, hands-on learning.