OLC - Virtual Plenary Speaker

In this plenary panel, we will close the virtual conference week and transition into the onsite conference with a compelling amplification of the voices of our students, gleaning their perspectives and ideas for the future of online learning that centers quality, equity, and care. Weaving together the emergent themes from the conference as well as diverse narratives of the lived-in experiences of our featured students, this panel will leverage the wisdom of our students in collectively charting a path from the pandemic into a new reality where access to quality education within online, blended, and digital learning is open to all learners, anytime and anywhere.

Tanya Joosten, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist, the Director of Digital Learning Research and Development, and advisor to the Provost for innovation projects at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). She is the PI and Director of the National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancements (DETA) and has been recognized for her work as she guides strategic digital learning efforts across the globe.

Currently, Dr. Joosten leads DETA working to support students’ success and access through identifying key research-based practices – learning, instructional, and institutional practices – with particular attention to students who are first generation, poverty affected, racially minoritized, and/or impaired or disabled. Through the development of the DETA Research Toolkit, Tanya advances and supports innovate methodologies and encourages the replication of research across institutions. DETA’s efforts are supported by the U.S. Department of Education, the Spencer Foundation, Online Learning Consortium (OLC), the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies (WCET), and the University of Wisconsin System Administration.

Dr. Joosten has a background in the social sciences hailing from the field of communication. Her notable keynotes include eLearning Asia, ITC eLearning Conference, and SACS COC President’s event, and her ideas have been highlighted on plenary panels at the UW-Madison Annual Distance Teaching and Learning conference and the OLC International Conference for Online Learning. You can find her ideas and work cited in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Forbes, U.S. News World and Report, and more. Recent interviews with Dr. Joosten are available on ResearchInAction and TOPcast available on iTunes. Her book on social media is available from Wiley Publishing, she has authored numerous articles, chapters, and encyclopedia entries on human and social interactions and digital learning, and she often writes invited blog posts and magazine articles for organizations, such as EDUCAUSE, WCET, Inside Higher Ed, and Pearson.

Dr. Joosten previously worked as the Director of the Learning Technology Center leading faculty development and engagement initiatives, pedagogical and technological innovation projects, core learning technology oversight, and blended and online program development.

You can reach her on twitter @tjoosten or at tanyajoosten.com.