The Call for Proposals for the 2005 NMC Summer Conference, one of higher educationšs most unique technology-focused events, was completed Janurary 31, 2005, with a record number of proposals received.

This year, the program focuses on four key tracks:

• Best Practices, Challenges & Issues
• Emerging Technologies
• Technological Leadership and Management Effectiveness.
• Tools and Techniques

Track One: Best Practices, Challenges and Issues

This track is an opportunity to explore the challenges currently faced in using technology effectively for teaching and learning. Topics included in this track are:

• Supporting and working with faculty
• Building learning communities
• Assuring accessibility
• Online learning and hybrid courses
• Extended learning
• Ubiquitous wireless projects and applications
• Integrating pedagogy and technology
• Evaluating the impact of technology on learning
• Creating and sharing learning objects
• Internet 2 projects and applications
• Open Knowledge projects and applications
• International developments in instructional technology
• New Media as an academic discipline or as an interdisciplinary degree program
• Using new media for creative expression

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Track Two: Emerging Technologies

This track features sessions that explore the boundaries of learning, communication, and creative expression by creatively applying new tools in new contexts. This year we continue the focus begun last year on learning objects and learning object repositories, but sessions about other emerging technologies (e.g. streaming, 3-D rendering, wireless, VR, etc.) are especially encouraged. Topics may include:

• Gaming and engagement theory
• Designing immersive experiences
• Social networks & knowledge webs
• Augmented reality/context aware computing
• Intelligent searching tools and technologies
• Wireless applications
• Virtual sculpture
• Haptics and simualtion technologies
• Rapid prototyping (3-D printing) applications
• Collaborative spaces/environments
• Authoring and using learning objects
• Integrating learning objects with courseware and other applications
• Wireless technologies & mobile computing
• Multilingual translation tools
• LMS developments/projects
• Peer-to-peer technologies
• 3-D visualization
• Adaptive technologies specialized for learning
• Electronic portfolios/personal learning portfolios
• Innovative applications of technology in the Arts
• Evaluating products in the marketplace and choosing appropriate solutions

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Track Three: Technological Leadership and Management Effectiveness

This track explores the management issues and techniques involved in using technology for teaching, learning, and creative expression:

• Budgeting: making the case for new media and instructional technology
• Attracting, training, and retaining excellent staff
• Center Management 101
• Grantwriting tips for NMCs
• Structuring and managing effective collaborations
• Project management
• Organizational structure: how to work with it -- and around it
• Lab management
• Marketing the NMC on campus
• New roles for library and IT staff
• Planning and funding technology initiatives
• Managing student assistants

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Track Four: Tools and Techniques

This track focuses on learning how to best use new media software and tools for teaching and learning. Included are hands-on and demo sessions covering specific software products. Additional sessions will provide opportunities for members to share nifty tricks and techniques for using these tools in an academic environment. Tools covered may include:

• Studio MX 2004
• Dreamweaver MX 2004
• Flash MX 2004
• Breeze
• Captivate
• Robo Demo
• Contribute
• Premiere
• Creative Suite
• Photoshop CS
• Acrobat 7.0
• Acid Pro
• Vegas Video
• Final Cut Pro
• Production Suite
• iTools
• Garage Band
• Helix
• Home-grown solutions

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Five Minutes of Fame

The NMC's signature event is back in its original format! Demo your project in five minutes 'cause when the gong sounds, your Five Minutes of Fame are up!

Technology blasts by fast and furious in this fun-filled and entertaining event. Short as it sounds, in five minutes you'll have time to talk about your project's significance; the choices you made in choosing the tools you used; challenges you faced in bringing it to fruition; and how it has been used and might be replicated and/or scaled -- but remember that the clock is ticking!

Projects can include web-based courseware or learning objects; techniques for creating, managing and distributing content; and other creative applications of new media. Faculty proejcts are especially encouraged. As many as 10 projects will be featured, so add yours to the mix!

Watch the video of the 2004 Five Minutes of Fame presentations...

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