Program Chair Welcome

A very special welcome to OLC Innovate 2024, “Elevating Pathways: Navigating the Terrain of Future Learning”! This year marks an exciting first for OLC and MERLOT as we place the onsite conference before the virtual conference- but, like always, we will continue to build pathways between the two.  Join us April 10-13 onsite at the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center in picturesque Denver, or streaming online April 23-25.

Whether this is your first time attending Innovate or you’re a seasoned veteran, we can’t wait to collaborate and count down to an amazing conference. This is the perfect opportunity to build up best practices, serve our students better, and advance online learning together. Over the coming months, we’ll continue sharing innovations in digital education as Innovate 2024 develops.

We’re thrilled to reinvent the conference experience and provide flexible participation pathways. From pre-conference summits to hands-on master classes, engage how and where you learn best. We’ve also streamlined presentation tracks, focusing on today’s most relevant online learning themes – we went from 9 down to 5 (cue Dolly and the 9-to-5 theme song)!  We believe the following five presentation tracks encompass the most relevant themes in online learning, while allowing for research, elements of DEIB, and best practices to be woven throughout these themes. We’re excited to share the five presentation tracks with you for OLC Innovate 2024 below.

Track themes for Innovate 2024 include:

• Student Support, Success, and Empowerment
• Artificial Intelligence, Emerging Technologies, and Innovation
• Leadership & Organizational Success Strategies
• Curriculum, Pedagogy, Learning Design, and Open Learning
• Workforce Preparation and Competency Development

OLC presenters go through a rigorous three-stage, double-blind review process upon conference proposal submission. Acceptance to present at OLC Innovate is competitive and is a great accomplishment. Tracks shown above have a limited number of slots available to fill, determined based on the formats available within our presentations for Innovate. Presentation formats for this year’s call for proposals included: 

• Education Session
• Conversation, Not Presentation
• Discovery Session
• Graduate Student Discovery Session
• Innovation Studio Design Thinking Challenge
• Workshop
• Career Forum Roundtable
• Lightning Talks

If you’re presenting at OLC Innovate 2024 this year, it’s never too early to review our Presenter FAQs and other excellent resources from our Presenter Services team. We have built out helpful guides to assist you with developing the best virtual presentation possible.

We truly believe that OLC Innovate is a great chance to share and learn about innovations in research, practice, and technologies, as we continue to blend practices for hybrid and fully online programs. We’re excited to reconnect with you in Denver, Colorado and then virtually for  OLC Innovate 2024!

Kind Regards,

The OLC Innovate 2024 Program Chairs

Drs. Allison Rief and Bryan Aylward