Fall 2024 NEFDC Conference
Innovative Connections for Learning
Keynote Presentation Notes
Full Conference Program
Conference date:
Friday, October 18, 2024
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Conference location:
Hogan Campus Center
College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, MA
Keynote Speaker: Lance Eaton
Lance is a writer, instructional designer, and PhD candidate in Higher Education at UMass Boston. Lance is the Director of Faculty Development and Innovation at College Unbound. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, College Unbound is an innovative model of higher education focused on adult learners who have faced significant barriers to attending college.
We will spend the day grappling with the complex relationship between technology and teaching and learning; specifically, the importance that technology, and most recently AI, plays in our work with learners – be it in classroom spaces or educational development, and the importance of tending to relationships in higher education that have become fragile because of myriad social and political forces, and constant change in higher education.
Since 2020, educators have had to face a steady stream of socio-political, economic, and technological forces that have catalyzed seismic shifts in how faculty teach and their students learn. What has become clear is that these changes have had an impact on the sense of belonging and community that faculty, staff, and students feel at higher education institutions across the US. Faculty often report feeling less connected to their colleagues and students; students may seem more difficult to engage, and because of tense national and geopolitical events, many college campuses are experiencing fractured relationships. As faculty and educational developers, our work is predicated upon building and sustaining relationships that support learning and wellbeing. Within the last year, there has been a necessary focus on the impact of AI on teaching and learning. Although it is incumbent upon us to teach our students to ethically and productively use AI as a skill that will prepare them for real world applications, it cannot replace learning that occurs through deep human connections.
Presenter Resources
Directions to the College of the Holy Cross
- Conference location: Hogan Campus Center
- Address: 1 College Street, Worcester, MA 01610 (Directions > check directions under “Visiting Campus for Other Purposes”)
- Parking: Visitor parking is to the right of the Campus Center.
Information about Hotels near College of the Holy Cross
Refund Policy for All NEFDC Events
Your full participation in our events is important to us and we know that from time to time, your plans may change. Our refund policy reflects our interest in furthering our mission as well as our planning needs and the expenses incurred based on your enrollment. If you are unable to participate, you may request to substitute someone in your place. We do not provide refunds.