Support
Please check our frequently asked questions below for the answer you are looking for. If you are unable to find what you need, feel free to contact us via email at customerservice@onlinelearning-c.org
Conferences
Conferences vary in cost and there are discounts available for early registration, OLC members, students, retirees and others. Go to http://www.onlinelearningconsortium.org/attend and click on your conference of choice for more information.
OLC hosts 2 major conferences per year. The OLC conferences include the annual OLC Accelerate conference in the fall, and OLC Innovate in the spring. Learn more about which conference is best for you at https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/which-conference-to-attend/
Conference locations can vary, go to http://www.onlinelearningconsortium.org/attend and click on the desired conference to find out where it will be located next.
OLC Innovate combines our former Emerging Technologies and Blended Learning conferences, but with a twist. Throughout the 2.5 day conference, we will discuss and envision how advancing educational innovation through online learning can break through barriers and support systemic change in higher ed, K-12, and workforce education. OLC Innovate is an energetic and unique conference experience that “blends” emerging trends in technology with innovations in pedagogy and administration. This conference will feature interactive sessions, such as Innovation Studios and Speed Networking Lounges aimed at fostering organic interactions and collaborative cross-disciplinary problem solving. You can read more about OLC Innovate and find a link to the current year’s conference on the Attend page.
Our fall conference is traditionally our largest event with over 500 sessions, workshops and micro-learning environments. Formerly known as the OLC International Conference, it is now known as OLC Accelerate. Here you will find 2.5 days of sessions discussing research in online learning, advancing best practice guidance, and many opportunities to engage with hundreds of online learning experts on topics focused at driving quality online learning. Participants new to online learning frequently tell us this was the top conference they were recommended to attend, while many participants have come back year-after-year for decades.
Both events are geared to a wide array of professionals from higher ed, K-12, and industry with topics appealing to faculty/staff, administration, IT professionals and instructional design.
Experienced professionals and interested newcomers to online learning including higher education, continuing education, business, government, health care, professional associations, and nonprofit organizations; college-level faculty and administrators, faculty members, instructional designers, instructional technology, trainers in public and private sector organizations and media professionals.
No, OLC conferences do not offer CEUs.
OLC offers a limited number of scholarships. Please visit the Awards tab from the OLC home page.
Discounted rates for OLC Conferences include an early bird rate, student rates for degree-seeking students who qualify, and OLC paid members are eligible for conference discounts. Check the conference registration page for more specifics on the event you are interested in.
To register online, go to http://www.onlinelearningconsortium.org/attend and click on your conference of choice for more information.
Each conference sends out a Call for Proposals for presenters to apply. Go to http://www.onlinelearningconsortium.org/attend and click on your conference of choice for more information. Please sign up for Email Alerts within each conference to receive the latest conference news and updates.
Go to http://www.onlinelearningconsortium.org/attend and click on your conference of choice for more information, or contact the conference team directly at conference@onlinelearning-c.org.
Yes, each conference offers sponsorship opportunities. Go to http://www.onlinelearningconsortium.org/attend and click on your conference of choice for more information, or contact the conference team directly at conference@onlinelearning-c.org.
Keynote speakers are leaders in the online learning arena including cutting edge high profile authors, editors, researchers and technological experts.
Please visit the Awards tab on the OLC home page for details.
Some meals are included for attendees. Go to http://www.onlinelearningconsortium.org/attend click on your conference of choice and see the general schedule for which meals are included.
Each conference sends out a Call for Proposals for presenters to apply. Go to http://www.onlinelearningconsortium.org/attend and click on your conference of choice for more information, or, to received email notifications sign up for Conference Updates within each conference site.
All Presenters must register and pay the registration fee for each conference. We encourage you to take advantage of early bird discounted rates as well as any OLC Professional or OLC Institutional Member Discounts. Presenters are required to register no later than the published Early Bird Registration Deadline for their respective event.
No, certificates are not awarded for attended a conference.
OLC is happy to accommodate special needs. Please contact the Conference Team directly at conference@onlinelearning-c.org to discuss.
OLC is a non-profit organization that has full-time staff and event-related expenses for hosting an event. In order to be able to offer these conferences, OLC must charge registration fees to cover its costs.
All presenters should provide their own handouts. Electronic versions of handouts should be upload to their session page in the OLC Conference Management System.
Yes, walk-in registration is always welcome.
All paid attendees have full access to all recorded conference presentations and presentation materials for one year after the event.
Presenters will receive an email with presentation upload instructions. If you do not receive this email or have additional questions, email conference@onlinelearning-c.org.
Yes, you may purchase access to conference recordings after the event. Check each conference from http://www.onlinelearningconsortium.org/attend or email conference@onlinelearning-c.org for further details.
We do not provide “Letters of Invitation” for international attendees to attend our events. Conference participants from other countries must obtain a tourist or student visa on their own merit and not be dependent upon Letters of Invitation from OLC to acknowledge or sponsor their attendance. It is up to the applicant, and the applicant alone, to demonstrate his or her desire and compelling plans to return to their home country after a brief visit in order to qualify for a visa.
Website
Please use the request new password feature on the website, https://my.onlinelearningconsortium.org/s/login/. If the system does not recognize your email address, you will have to set up a new account there.
Suggestions can be sent to marketing@onlinelearning-c.org
Information on the Workshop Pass can be found at https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/learn/workshop-pass.
To access OLC publications go to http://www.onlinelearningconsortium.org/read.
Online Learning articles can be found here https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/read/olc-online-learning-journal/.
Customer Service
Contact Accounting: accounting@onlinelearning-c.org
Contact Member Services: membership@onlinelearning-c.org
Contact the Institute team: workshop@onlinelearning-c.org
Contact Conferences: conference@onlinelearning-c.org
Contact the Institute team: workshop@onlinelearning-c.org
Contact Customer Support: support@onlinelearning-c.org
Contact Customer Support: support@onlinelearning-c.org
See the list of Institutional Members or contact Member Services: membership@onlinelearning-c.org
Contact the OLC Center for Professional Learning: workshop@onlinelearning-c.org
Contact the OLC Center for Professional Learning: certificate@onlinelearning-c.org
Contact the OLC Center for Professional Learning: workshop@onlinelearning-c.org
You can access the recording of the session by returning to the workshop and selecting the ‘Recorded Session’ link.
Contact the OLC Center for Professional Learning: workshop@onlinelearning-c.org
9am – 6pm ET.
OLC is not currently accepting job postings on the website. OLC Institutional Members receive job postings as a member benefit ($500 value). One post per annual membership (listing is repeated in 4 consecutive issues of the OLC Today weekly e-newsletter). Fill out this form if you are an Institutional Member. Not an Institutional Member? Join now.
No, OLC does not sell any membership lists.
Once you log into your account, you can click on the “My Account” link on the right hand side of your screen. If you do not have an account already, please set one up here.
OLC accepts MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express, purchase orders, and checks.
To update your subscription preferences, please visit this page.
General Information about OLC
The Online Learning Consortium (OLC) is a collaborative community of higher education leaders and innovators, dedicated to advancing quality digital teaching and learning experiences designed to reach and engage the modern learner – anyone, anywhere, anytime. OLC inspires innovation and quality through an extensive set of resources, including, best-practice publications, quality benchmarking, leading-edge instruction, community-driven conferences, practitioner-based and empirical research and expert guidance. The growing OLC community includes faculty members, administrators, trainers, instructional designers, and other learning professionals, as well as educational institutions, professional societies and corporate enterprises. Visit http://onlinelearningconsortium.org for more information.
The Online Learning Consortium, Inc. is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization.
Become part of the growing OLC community of educators and supporters who are passionate about online and digital learning – anywhere, anytime. Both individuals and institutions have the opportunity to connect with others involved in advancing online and digital higher education, and expand your knowledge and skills through our OLC Institute workshops and programs, the OLC conferences and events, consulting services, research and publications, our Online Learning journal and more. As a member of OLC, you will have access to all of OLC’s professional development opportunities and conferences at a fraction of the original cost. As an institutional member, your faculty and staff can take advantage of OLC offerings for a fraction of the cost of maintaining an in-house resource.
OLC does not provide grants.
For a profile of current board members, please visit our website:
https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/about/board-directors/
A call for nominations is sent out annually when there are openings. The Online Learning Consortium’s Nomination and Election Committee reviews submissions and provides a slate of candidates to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors votes on the candidates. Board terms begin January 1st.
Please visit our website for a complete list of institutional members:
https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/institutional-membership-listing/
The Online Learning Consortium maintains a virtual organization. Mail can be sent to the following address:
The Online Learning Consortium
6 Liberty Square #2309
Boston, MA 02109
No. However, OLC was originally funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. OLC is now a non-profit, self-sustained organization.
The annual call for award nominations occurs in the spring each year. For full details about OLC awards visit https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/about/olc-awards/
The first step is to become a member. You can then take full advantage of OLC resources including publications, online workshops, conferences, and webinars. OLC also has lots of volunteer opportunities. See details here https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/about/get-involved/
To help make quality online education accessible and affordable for anyone, anywhere, at any time, the OLC community shares techniques, strategies, and practices in online education that have worked for them. All effective practices are peer-reviewed to ensure quality and to give submitters some documentation for tenure and promotion files. The effective practices are based on OLC’s quality framework comprised of the following pillars: Learning Effectiveness, Scale, Access, Faculty Satisfaction, and Student Satisfaction. You can read more about effective practices and the OLC quality framework by visiting our website:
https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/about/olc-awards/effective-practices/
No. Current board members vote to elect board members. But, you can nominate people to serve on the board.
A person can make a donation with credit card or check made payable to The Online Learning Consortium. Send to The Online Learning Consortium, 6 Liberty Square #2309, Boston, MA, 02109. A receipt will be issued for tax purposes.
The privacy policy can be found here.
General Information About OLC Staff
617.716.1414
The Online Learning Consortium
6 Liberty Square #2309
Boston, MA 02109
You can browse a current list of staff members by visiting our website at https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/about/our-staff/.
Publications
Our list of publications can be found at https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/read.
You can submit a paper to Online Learning at our online submission site http://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org.
Send an email to publisher@onlinelearning-c.org to request permission.
OLC Today newsletter: Every week
Online Learning Journal: 4 times per year
Survey: Annually
A selection of people involved in an expert in the areas of online education.
You can volunteer and register to become a reviewer at http://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org.
Submission guidelines can be found at https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/read/guide-authors/.
It depends on the publication. For information on our publications, visit https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/read.
No, not technically, but we do encourage membership for our authors and submitters.
Individual articles can be downloaded for free at https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/read/olc-online-learning-journal/.
The publication strategy is spearheaded by the Institute for Professional Development. Contact institute@onlinelearning-c.org.
Upon approval of your publication submission, OLC will promote your publication on social media. (1 post per publication; limit 1 for professional members, 6 for institutional members). Learn more about membership benefits: https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/join/olc-member-resources/
OLC Members receive discounts on publications.
Sorry, but our publishing program does not take book submissions.
While OLC is a non-profit organization, it does need to sustain its operational costs. Not all publications are not free because they require operational funds to produce and distribute. In order to continue to provide our publications resources, we need to ask you to pay for some of them.
Online Learning (OLC Journal)
Online Learning is the official journal of the Online Learning Consortium, which promotes the development and dissemination of new knowledge at the intersection of pedagogy, emerging technology, policy and practice in online environments.
With the advent of our organization’s name change, we’ve renamed our signature journal, Online Learning a journal of the Online Learning Consortium. Although our name has changed, our aim and mission have not, which is to provide scholars, practitioners, administrators, and policymakers in online education with knowledge about the very best research in online learning.
Papers building on and/or developing theory and supported by rigorous methods are the norm. Occasionally, papers reviewing broad areas are published, including critical reviews of thematic areas. Online Learning is published 4 times a year, and entire issues are published from time-to-time around a single topic or disciplinary areas. Calls for papers for special issues include specific due dates, but general submissions are accepted year-round. The journal adheres to traditional standards of double-blind peer review, and authors are asked to provide systematic data in support of claims.
General inquiries may be emailed to the Publications department at olj@onlinelearning-c.org
We invite high quality manuscripts for blind peer-review on a wide variety of topics including but not limited to those that investigate how online environments amplify, shape and constrain teaching and learning. We welcome submissions that systematically investigate questions around online interaction, collaboration, individualized instruction, multimedia, adaptive environments, blended learning, issues of learning at scale (in both MOOCs and “traditional” online learning environments); emerging technologies; analysis of large data sets in understanding online educational processes; and effective approaches and interventions that promote online student engagement, persistence, improvement and success. We also solicit cutting edge research on how new technologies and the practices they enable urge us to reconsider policy and practice in educational settings.
Occasionally, papers reviewing broad areas are published, including critical reviews of thematic areas. Papers useful to administrators are welcome. Online Learning is published 4 times a year and entire issues are published from time-to-time around a single topic or disciplinary areas. Calls for papers for special issues include specific due dates, but general submissions are accepted year-round. The journal adheres to traditional standards of double-blind peer review, and authors are encouraged to provide data in support of claims.
To ensure the integrity of the blind peer-review for submission to this journal, every effort should be made to prevent the identities of the authors and reviewers from being known to each other. This involves the authors, editors and reviewers (who upload documents as part of their review) checking to see if the following steps have been taken with regard to the text and the file properties:
- The authors of the document have deleted their names from the text, with ‘Author’ and year used in the references and footnotes, instead of the authors’ name, article title, etc.
- With Microsoft Office documents, author identification should also be removed from the properties for the file (see under File in Word), by clicking on the following, beginning with File on the main menu of the Microsoft application: File > Save As > Tools (or Options with a Mac) > Security > Remove personal information from file properties on save > Save.
- With PDFs, the authors’ names should also be removed from Document Properties found under File on Adobe Acrobat’s main menu.
Currently, the acceptance rate is approximately 25%.
Online Learning uses general APA Style 6th Edition Style guidelines for its publications except where otherwise indicated.
For the basics of APA style, go to: http://flash1r.apa.org/apastyle/basics/index.htm.
For detailed assistance with APA style, refer to Purdue Online Writing Lab: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
Papers are single-spaced, usually 10-20 pages in length.
We use the Open Journal System to receive and manage submissions for Online Learning. To register or log in, visit: http://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org/index.php/jaln/user. If you are already registered and logged in you may go directly to the submission page at: http://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org/index.php/jaln/author/submit/1.
You may register to be a reviewer at: http://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org/index.php/jaln/login. Please be sure to check the ‘reviewer’ box in your user profile and list your reviewing interests.
Please evaluate and comment on the manuscript in terms of each of the questions below, beginning with a short summary of the manuscript. For each question, please advise the author how to improve the manuscript. Your critique—rather than a yes/no answer— matters to authors and editors and influences the quality of the journal.
- Is the topic of interest to the readership of our journal, “Online Learning”? (Online Learning is abbreviated as OLJ in subsequent questions). Is the manuscript original, supported by empirical research and backed by data? For originality and interest to OLJ readers, you may wish to consult the OLJ bibliography.
- 2. Is the manuscript’s organization clear and does it include all the necessary components? (Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Review of Literature, Methods, Results, Discussion/Recommendations, References, and Acknowledgments section, if applicable.)
- 3. Are the research strategies and methods appropriate and are the choices for these strategies explained with analyses of strengths, weaknesses, limitations?
- 4. Is information provided on the research design, participants, and variables sufficient to allow others to replicate the study?
- 5. Is the manuscript correct in grammar, punctuation, and does it follow APA style?
- 6. What other improvements do you recommend to the author(s)? Please be specific.
The latest issue of Online Learning can be found on the Online Learning Consortium’s website at: https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/read/online-learning-journal/ or on the Open Journal System’s home page at: http://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org/index.php/jaln/index.
Yes, printed copies and subscriptions are available at https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/read/olc-online-learning-journal/.
Yes, for recent issues at https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/read/olc-online-learning-journal/.
Online Learning’s back-issue archives can be found on the Online Learning Consortium’s “Find an Issue” page at: https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/read/olc-online-learning-journal/ or on the Open Journal System’s “Archive” Page at: http://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org/index.php/jaln/issue/archive.
JALN’s back-issue archives can be found on the Online Learning Consortium’s “Find an Issue” page at: https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/read/olc-online-learning-journal/ or on the Open Journal System’s “Archive” Page at: http://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org/index.php/jaln/issue/archive.
Articles may be searched by author name or keywords on the Online Learning Consortium website at: https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/read/olc-online-learning-journal/. Please scroll to the bottom of the page and select the “Article Search” tab. Individual articles are also available on the Open Journal System’s Archive page at: http://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org/index.php/jaln/issue/archive and you can also use the search feature to find articles: http://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org/index.php/jaln/search.
OLC Membership
Go to https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/join and purchase the desired membership type.
There are varying costs for each level of membership. Please browse our membership page for more information.
We accept Visa and MasterCard as well as a check or PO.
OLC currently offers Community (Free), Professional, Institutional, Institutional Community College, Institutional HBCU, and Corporate levels of membership.
Benefits include online workshop, conference, and publications discounts as well as access to member resources on the website. Specifics for each membership can be found on our membership page.
Membership in the Online Learning Consortium provides knowledge, practice, community, and direction for educators. Our online workshops, conferences, and resources help educators stay up to date in this ever-changing field.
OLC offers Corporate Membership; you can find the details for this program on our Institutional Membership page.
Yes, OLC offers a free Community Membership as well as a paid Professional Membership.
OLC offers a free Community Membership which grants access to limited information on the OLC website including document abstracts, newsletters, announcements and selected videos and publications.
Paying memberships offer benefits and discounts of monetary value and therefore cannot be free.
Our members come from all around the world. We have educators, institutions, corporations, educational organizations, and government agencies among our members.
Please check the membership list, https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/institutional-membership-listing/. If you have any questions about membership, please contact membership@onlinelearning-c.org.
Membership provides access to website resources as well as discounts for workshops, conferences, and publications. The Workshop Pass is a professional development package that bundles seats in the OLC workshops for one low price. Depending on your organization’s needs, you might purchase membership or the Workshop Pass, or both.
Yes, members of the Online Learning Consortium come from around all around the world. We welcome international organizations and individuals to join the Online Learning Consortium community.
Anyone that is interested in online learning should become an OLC member. We count higher education and K-12 institutions, for-profit institutions, corporations, non-profits, faculty, administrators, instructional designers, and students among our members.
No, currently you do not have to be an OLC member to submit a paper/proposal for any of our conferences.
No, you do not have to be an OLC member to attend any of our conferences. We welcome anyone interested in joining and participating to attend our events.
No, you do not have to be an OLC member to sign up for any of our workshops. We welcome anyone interested in joining and participating to attend our events.
To take advantage of website benefits, please set up your ‘New Account for an Institutional Member Affiliate’ under your institution, https://my.onlinelearningconsortium.org/s/login/. Once you associate your account with your institution, you will be able to access all the resources on the website. You can also find all the member resources on the members page, https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/olc-member-resources/.
Please check the membership list (institutional members and corporate affiliates), https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/institutional-membership-listing/. If you have any questions about membership, please contact membership@onlinelearning-c.org.
As soon as we receive payment, your welcome email along with your coupon codes will be sent to the email address provided.
To take advantage of website benefits, please set up your account under your institution here, https://my.onlinelearningconsortium.org/s/login/. Once you associate your account with your institution, you will be able to access all the resources on the website according to the membership level of your institution.
Please use the request new password feature on the website, https://my.onlinelearningconsortium.org/s/login/.
Virtual Events
OLC offers virtual events related to our conferences as well as webinars.
The cost varies from event to event.
Most webinars are single events. To see the sessions available for virtual conferences, please visit the individual conference pages from https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/attend.
One registration or “seat” may only be used by one person. You may not invite others to attend with you, they will need to register separately. For large groups in our virtual conferences, consider purchasing a Virtual Institutional Package.
Typically yes. Most streamed sessions will be available on demand for up to one year.
Yes. We strongly encourage this activity and feel it is an essential component of a virtual event.
Proposals for presentation at virtual conferences must follow the conference Call for Papers system and deadlines. You can find those by clicking on the specific conference at https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/attend.
You will be notified upon registration how to gain access to the various virtual components.
The virtual presentations will be clearly identified on our event websites. Visit https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/attend.
Absolutely, webinar attendees can ask questions by voice or chat. Conference virtual attendees may ask questions by chat, which will be brought to the presenter by an in-person representative.
Yes. All events are scheduled whether they are part of an on-ground event or exclusively virtual. On demand recordings are usually made available for one year post-event.
Yes. We typically identify a Twitter hashtag to use, as well as other social networking activities. We also like to encourage people to provide us feedback and encourage “ground-swell” sorts of activities…this is how we learn and can evolve our activities in this space!
There are costs associated with producing our virtual events. Each session is streamed, registrations need to be collected and managed, the program is produced, etc., so fees are collected to cover costs.