Warrington teams up with AACSB to share hybrid, online learning best practices
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida Warrington College of Business is proud to share its expertise in online and hybrid learning with other business school professionals as part of a conference hosted with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) October 14-15, 2021.
The conference, “Hybrid and Online Learning Conference: Best Practices in Design and Delivery,” will be hosted virtually in a two-day, interactive event with information sessions to inspire course design and production methods that build engagement among learners and beyond.
“Online degree programs have long been a critical part of Warrington’s vision to provide a high-quality, yet flexible business education option,” said Dean Saby Mitra. “In our 20-plus years of educating MBA students online, Warrington has gained expertise that we’re proud to now share with other business school professionals as we all face a future where online education is essential for changing learner needs and growth opportunities for schools.”
Deans, associate and assistant deans, program directors, department chairs, and faculty involved in building or teaching in online and hybrid programs are encouraged to attend the conference to learn from Warrington’s experienced professionals as well as faculty and administrative staff from the University of Illinois Gies College of Business, Indiana University Kelley School of Business, Vanderbilt University and more.
Conference topics will include best practices on:
- Course design, from case-based learning to team-based learning
- Hybrid and hyflex courses
- Accessibility and technological requirements for an optimal learning experience
- Building a sense of community online
- Keeping students engaged inside and out of the classroom
- Engaging faculty and staff
- Creating an inclusive classroom
- Assessing online and hybrid learning
- Building infrastructure, budget models and incentives
- Combating Zoom fatigue and addressing faculty and learners’ agility
The full list of scheduled sessions is available on the conference website.
The Warrington College of Business has long been a pioneer in online learning, with its Online MBA program debuting in 1999. In its 20-plus years, the UF MBA Online program has been consistently named among the best programs in the world. In 2021, for the ninth consecutive year, UF MBA Online was named among the top 5 public universities on U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of the best online MBA programs in the nation.
The Warrington College of Business also expanded its online education offerings, pre-pandemic, to its undergraduate and specialized master’s degree students. Both of Warrington’s bachelor’s degree programs as well as its Master of International Business, Master of Science in Management and Thomas S. Johnson Master of Science in Entrepreneurship are available online.
Beyond Warrington’s strong online program rankings and offerings, the college has a dedicated staff in its Teaching & Learning Center who are focused on supporting and enhancing the quality of the college’s courses and degree programs. Warrington’s faculty receive critical support in teaching and technology innovation, best practices in adapting to changing technology, workshops in effective online teaching and support in developing and integrating technological and non-technological instructional materials and teaching practices from the only college-dedicated teaching and learning center on UF’s campus.
“The Teaching & Learning Center has long supported the College’s faculty in delivering online and hybrid courses that meet and exceed the needs of its learners,” said Megan Leroy, Director of Warrington’s Teaching & Learning Center. “Online learning is constantly changing, and the Center helps support instructors on how to best adapt their teaching strategy to new audiences and technologies and offers a permanent brainstorming partner for faculty who want to engage in innovative design. The challenges created by the pandemic have enabled us to deepen and expand the College’s commitment to providing targeted yet flexible learning experiences. We look forward to sharing what we’ve learned (and are still discovering) about online teaching with AACSB members.”
