BbWorld Commerce ’08 drew a large contingent of Blackboard clients to Phoenix in March, to share best practices and hear the latest product news from Blackboard, including the release of Blackboard Video Surveillance and the integration of Connect-ED mass messaging.
A highlight of the conference this year was the line-up, in the morning sessions, of arguably the two best keynote presentations we’ve ever had:
- Dr. Mark Milliron of Catalyze Learning, who discussed the newest generation of students and how they prefer to learn
- Dr. Adrian Sannier from Arizona State University, who discussed the evolution of strategic campus technology alliances
Many conference attendees told me how insightful they found both of these speakers and how useful the information provided in their addresses was to them. Several people specifically wanted to share the speeches with their colleagues back on campus.
Well, now you can watch and share videos of the keynote addresses.
Viewing these videos will give anyone who was unable to join us onsite during BbWorld Commerce '08 a sense of what was missed, and I hope the videos also may help spark new dialogue at your institution, on the direction of campus technology.
Three specific points that were discussed in the keynotes:
- The speakers told us about the new generation of learners -- the "We Generation" -- who interact in deeply social online environments.
- We heard about the use of iPods and other mobile devices in higher education.
- We learned how technological advances are rapidly changing the way universities deploy new solutions.
Even if you attended this year's conference, I recommend watching the videos of the keynote addresses because they are filled with valuable information: key data points and trends, recommended reading lists, etc.
And feel free to share the videos with your colleagues. I think you’ll be happy you did.
