I struggle with the selection of conference sessions. It shouldn't be so difficult, but the sessions and inspiration or knowledge drawn from these morsels of research and experience make or break a conference. The problem I encounter, as I flip through the myriad of potential themes, is that I am inevitably drawn to sessions on topics I am interested in. Which means I know something about them. I have and share some experiences (likely) with the presenters. Which means, there is a higher probability that the session will be a reinforcement of ideas I already have. And there is a potential, albeit a slim one, that I have more experience and research on the topic than the presenter. So these sessions are a gamble.
On the complete other side of the spectrum are sessions on topics I know nothing about -- there is a whole theme dedicated to Bb Analytics engine -- and while we are proud Angel users, the concept of mining the LMS for data and early intervention intrigues me. But then this is a product we do not have at Kirkwood, so it might also be a gamble.
And then there are sessions that are geared toward IT professionals, which I am not (surprise!), and others geared toward administrators just beginning their journey into online programs and courses. I can skip these I think (sorry presenters).
The sessions I have chosen seem to fall into a couple of categories: support, training, engagement, mobile, and feedback. If you are presenting in one of these topics, I'm looking forward to it. Need to head to the airport in about 30 minutes. Safe travels!
