National Distance Learning Week

This session will delve into the power of digital storytelling to build deep instructor-to-student connections, going beyond mere technology use. By prioritizing the 'why' behind digital narratives, you can foster meaningful engagement, enabling your students to authentically share their unique perspectives and help your student develop a sense of belonging and affiliation within the course.

Presenter:

Mallory Plummer
Director of Teaching with Technology
Northwest Vista College

Dual credit programs have become a vital pathway for high school students to earn college credit early, saving time and money while increasing postsecondary attainment. As the demand for college-level coursework grows, distance learning offers a powerful solution to expand access beyond traditional classroom constraints. This presentation explores how distance learning can transform dual credit opportunities for students—particularly those in rural, underserved, or resource-limited communities.

Drawing on current research, best practices, and case examples, we will examine how virtual platforms and online instruction can remove geographic and scheduling barriers, foster equity, and support a diverse student population. Attendees will learn strategies to design and implement effective distance learning dual credit courses, enhance student engagement, and provide the academic and technological support necessary for success.

Presenters:

Dr. Carrie Turner-Gray
Academic Program Coordinator
Northeast Lakeview College

Dr. Tammy Perez
Dean for Academic Success
Northeast Lakeview College

In today’s digital learning environments, accessibility should be more than just compliance; it should be student centered and rooted in inclusion. As facilitators of learning, we play an active role in the learning experiences of all our learners. We must go beyond checking a box to ensure that every student is able to thrive in digital learning spaces. One way is through meaningful descriptive alt text.

Whether you're designing course materials, uploading images to your LMS, or supporting instructional design, this session will introduce you to the fundamentals of descriptive alt text and its potential as a powerful tool for accessible storytelling. Participants will gain a foundational understanding of what alt text is, why it matters in online learning, and how it supports diverse student needs. Through real-world examples, we’ll examine what makes alt text meaningful and inclusive, demonstrating how meaningful practices can transform digital content into equitable narratives. The session will also introduce practical tools and resources to help you create digital content that is both accessible and inclusive.

Presenter:

Back in the 1990s, many educators scoffed at the idea that students could complete classes online. But today, nationwide, there are more college students taking only online courses than the number of college students taking only in-person courses. The industry has changed and it will probably never go back. However, there is now a third-modality on the horizon--and it has the potential to flip our whole industry upside down.

Presenter:

Join Dr. Luke Dowden, Vice Chancellor for Digital Learning and Transformation, for an inside look at the new School of Online Learning—a bold initiative shaping the future of digital education across the Alamo Colleges District. This session will highlight the vision, purpose, and strategic priorities of the School, including its role in expanding access, enhancing quality, and advancing innovation in online learning. Attendees will learn how this districtwide effort will unify online programs, streamline student support, and empower faculty and staff to deliver exceptional learning experiences for all students.

Presenter:

Dr. Luke Dowden
Vice Chanceller for Digital Learning and Transformation

This session equips faculty and staff with the knowledge and tools to apply accessibility principles to their online materials and courses. Building on this foundation, the presentation reframes accessibility as a proactive design strategy rather than a reactive fix. Participants will explore how UDOIT Advantage and AI-powered tools can streamline accessibility checks, provide real-time remediation guidance, and support faculty in embedding inclusive practices from the start of course design. Through practical workflows, examples from implementation, and lessons learned, the session demonstrates how institutions can move beyond compliance toward a sustainable culture of accessibility and equity in online learning. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies and resources to strengthen both their own courses and broader institutional practices.

Presenters:

Amanda Harrison
Academic Program Director
Palo Alto College

Jonathan Barnes
Instructional Designer
Alamo Colleges Online

Employers are requesting that new employees are able to use generative artificial intelligence (also known as AI) ethically for their new positions, but high school and college students feel that they do not know enough to use it well in college and in the workplace. Online students may be especially prone to using AI to complete an assignment when they are unsure of how to complete the assignment. Faculty can provide a pre-existing roadmap to ethically use it and demonstrate ethical uses that will help students successfully secure a position upon graduation. This presentation will talk about an ethical use policy that can be shared with students and implemented in online courses as well as provide strategies to assist students in learning ethical AI use strategies.

Presenters:

Dr. Catherine Phillips
Associate Professor of Psychology
Northwest Vista College

The Alamo Colleges District has developed a comprehensive approach to micro-credentials that supports student success, workforce readiness, and faculty innovation. This session will provide an overview of the district’s micro-credential ecosystem, including how digital badges, professional certificates, and marketable skills pathways are being designed and implemented across multiple colleges and programs. It will also highlight ACD’s Grow with Google initiative, which gives students, alumni, and employees free access to Google Professional Certificates. Presenters will share how faculty and staff are engaged through practitioner training and professional development, and how students are benefiting from flexible skill and competency recognition. The session will highlight lessons learned in building scalable systems, fostering collaboration across stakeholders, and aligning micro-credentials with academic and workforce needs. By the end of the presentation, attendees will gain a broad understanding of how micro-credentials can expand access, increase equity, and create new opportunities for learners.

Presenter:

Dr. Yu Tian
Instructional Designer
Alamo Colleges Online

This session provides practical, easy-to-implement strategies to enhance the inclusivity and accessibility of online education for all learners. Grounded in the POUR principles (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust), participants will explore best practices for accessible content, assessments, navigation, and media. Learn how small design changes can eliminate barriers and boost engagement. Attendees will leave with a clear checklist, tool recommendations, and actionable steps to create courses that serve a diverse range of learners—ensuring no student is left behind.

Presenter:

Diana McCurtain-Talbert
Instructional Designer
Alamo Colleges Online

Video is more than just a lecture capture, it’s a powerful tool for transforming the way students connect, engage, and succeed in online learning environments. This session will explore how Panopto can be leveraged to support accessible, inclusive, and student-centered course design. Participants will learn strategies for creating interactive video content, integrating quizzes for real-time assessment, generating captions and transcripts to support accessibility and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and analyzing viewing data to drive student success. Practical demonstrations and best practices will be shared to show how Panopto can expand access, foster collaboration, and enhance academic achievement across disciplines. Whether you’re an instructor, instructional designer, or technologist, this session will equip you with actionable ideas to unlock the full potential of Panopto in advancing distance education without limits.

Presenter:

Cesar Hernandez
Enterprise Instructional Technology Specialist
ACCESS

What if your online students could be coached by a political consultant and a data strategist—both powered by AI? This session explores how AI-driven personas—like veteran political consultant Mike Castillo and his analytical counterpart Alicia Reyes—bring mentorship, narrative, and humor into a 5-week Federal Government course. Drawing on course engagement data, the session highlights how these personas frame campaign simulations and policy dilemmas through storytelling and contextual guidance while boosting interaction and retention in accelerated distance learning.

Presenter:

Scott D'Amico
Faculty Development Program Lead
ACCESS

This session highlights how Alamo Colleges partners from the College IIC/TLC Teams, Institutional Technology Team, Alamo Colleges Online Instructional Design Team, Faculty Development Team, and EWD Team, are collaboratively implementing the UDOIT accessibility scorecard—not as a standalone compliance tool, but as a shared strategy to advance accessibility in faculty development, course design, and cross-functional alignment. Together, these partners are embedding accessibility into the broader quality assurance framework that supports the upcoming DOJ accessibility requirements.

Presenters:

Kori Schneider
Instructional Technology Manager
ACCESS

Rudy Lopez
Director of Online Learning
Alamo Colleges Online

This session introduces Alamo Online Communities as an innovative space where faculty can intentionally build connections, foster engagement, and create belonging beyond the online course environment. Participants will explore practical strategies to integrate community-based interactions and opportunities to increase Regular and Substantive Interaction, enhancing presence, feedback, and meaningful collaboration in online learning.

Presenter:

Oral communication is an essential, high-demand skill, yet online learners often lack the opportunity for frequent, low-stakes rehearsal and immediate, qualitative feedback needed for true mastery. This gap often results in high student anxiety and inconsistent performance during high-stakes deliveries.

Pitch Vantage is a web-based, AI-driven tool designed to bridge this gap by functioning as a virtual graduate assistant for faculty. It allows distance learners to rehearse and deliver presentations privately, receiving immediate, non-judgmental feedback on two critical dimensions: vocal delivery and content structure.

The system meticulously analyzes vocal elements, including pitch variability, pace, volume variability, and the appropriate use of pauses, flagging excessive pauses or delivery inconsistencies. Concurrently, the AI evaluates content structure, providing immediate insights into the clarity of the introduction and objectives, the support of key points in the speech body, the efficacy of the conclusion, the organization via transitional words, and the conciseness and effectiveness of the language used.

This instant, comprehensive analysis encourages students to practice iteratively, with documented instances of students rehearsing a single speech up to 30 times. By utilizing this non-threatening environment, students are able to reduce anxiety, build confidence, and significantly improve their oral communication proficiency before facing a live audience or high-stakes assessment.

This presentation will share practical examples of Pitch Vantage implementation in dedicated Speech Communication online classes, demonstrating how the technology effectively develops the critical, employer-sought communication skills essential for future interviews and professional collaboration.

Presenter:

This presentation will highlight the strategic enhancements made to Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) at Alamo Colleges, showcasing how CPL supports distance learners, adult students, and military-connected individuals. The session will explore CPL as a strategic enrollment tool, emphasizing district-wide process improvements, digital resources, and future innovations.

Presenter:

This cutting-edge session introduces the groundbreaking concept of "AI as Assistive Intelligence" - a paradigm shift from viewing AI as a replacement tool to understanding it as cognitive enhancement technology that reduces cognitive load and accelerates learning comprehension. Drawing from the latest 2025 research from Stanford HAI, Microsoft Education, and CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology), participants will explore five revolutionary best practices that are transforming accessibility in distance learning:

1. Co-Design from the Start: Moving beyond retrofitting to proactive inclusive design using AI-UDL integration

2. Multimodal AI Accessibility: Leveraging breakthrough speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and visual content generation for universal access

3. Predictive Accessibility Analytics: Using AI to identify and prevent learning barriers before they occur

4. Assistive Intelligence Frameworks: Implementing AI that functions as cognitive support rather than replacement

5. Equity-Centered AI Implementation: Ensuring AI tools eliminate rather than perpetuate accessibility gaps

Participants will leave with immediately implementable strategies, access to a curated toolkit of 2025's most innovative AI accessibility tools, and a framework for evaluating AI solutions through an equity lens. This session addresses the critical gap between AI adoption (86% of education organizations now use generative AI) and accessibility-focused implementation, providing practical solutions that haven't been widely presented in educational conferences.

Presenter:

This hands-on session demonstrates two practical workflows using tools available at Alamo Colleges: OneDrive (Stream) for closed captions and transcripts, and Panopto for manual chapters (to chunk content) and quick in-video quizzes (to prompt attention and retrieval).

Presenter:

Discover how the Alamo Colleges District became the first in the nation to earn the Quality Matters Endorsement for Online Learning Excellence. The Director of Online Learning will share how this districtwide achievement reflects our collective dedication to high-quality, student-centered course design. The session will also highlight how faculty can take the next step in this journey by earning the QM Foundational Design mark for their own online courses—advancing both quality assurance and the student experience in online course design across our colleges.

Presenter:

Rudy Lopez
Director of Online Learning
Alamo Colleges Online