Herkimer College’s Bill Pelz to Present at World Conference on Online Learning

Herkimer County Community College Professor William Pelz, also the instructional designer for online learning, will present on the design and implementation of student-determined learning activities and assessments at the World Conference on Online Learning. This conference will take place October 16-19 in Toronto, Canada. Delegates from all over the world will be in attendance and will have the opportunity to learn new modes of teaching, learning, course delivery, and assessment in higher education and to network with other educators.

Pelz is responsible for the creation and implementation of Herkimer College’s Internet Academy which was established in 1999 and now offers 20 degree and four certification programs, as well as student support services, entirely online. The Internet Academy accounts for more than one quarter of the College’s total enrollment.

Pelz has served as a trainer for instructors throughout the SUNY system. He has received many awards in recognition of his achievements and leadership in the field of online education, and has been invited by universities in Chile and South Africa to visit their campuses and advise them on development of their online programs.

In his presentation, Pelz will engage the audience in designing a variety of learner-directed learning activities, including discussion forums, written assignments, and assessment of student learning objectives. The benefits of replacing traditional textbooks with open educational resources (OER) will also be discussed.