So, they are finally back, right?
Now that move-in days and orientation weeks are behind you, it’s time for you to think about what YOU are going to learn this fall.
Why learn something new this fall?
Working in technology and higher education, you know how important it is to keep learning. If you’re reading this blog and others, you are already doing your best to keep up with the latest news, best practices and upcoming trends in our ever-changing sector.
So, I won’t bother you with a long argument on the importance of learning as much as you can – all the time.
- It’s important for your soul.
- It’s important for your job, your career and your future.
- And, dare I say it’s also important for your sanity – to step away for a minute, a day or more from the daily routine and grow.
Different opportunities for different needs and learning styles
I’ve spent the past 6 years trying to create the best learning opportunities possible for people working in higher ed web, marketing and communication. Our online courses and conferences are always designed with great care and a good deal of research.
This research often leads me to discover great learning opportunities offered by other organizations. These conferences and MOOCs might fit different needs, learning styles and sometimes budgets (especially in the case of free MOOCs for those who don’t have any budget).
I’ve always said that the mission of Higher Ed Experts is to help you learn and grow in your higher ed career no matter how you do it (however, we do need some of you to do it with us to sustain our operations ;-). So, let’s get started!
Want to get a good overview of the latest trends in higher ed?
If keeping up with the latest trends is your goal and you have the time and budget to travel, go attend a conference this fall!
Here are my 3 picks if your total budget is within the $1500-$2500 range:
- The Ultimate Conference:
High Ed Web 2013 Conference in Buffalo, NY (Oct 6-9, 2013)
Budget: $850 + hotel & travel expenses - The Content Strategy Conference:
Confab Higher Ed in Atanta, GA (Nov 11-12, 2013)
Budget: $999 + hotel & travel expenses - The Marketing Conference:
The AMA Symposium for The Marketing of Higher Education in Boston, MA (Nov 10-12, 2013)
Budget: $950 + hotel & travel expenses
Want to learn critical skills for your job in higher ed?
If mastering a professional skill is your goal, you need to practice what you learn. Like it or not, but it definitely takes more time to learn a skill.
Here are my 4 suggestions if you have a budget between $800 and $1000 and want to learn:
- Leadership Skills for Higher Ed Web Professionals:
Leadership Academy (Oct 5-6, 2013)
Budget: $400 + hotel & travel expenses - Writing for the Web and Social in Higher Ed:
4-week online course (Sep 30 – Oct 27, 2013) taught by Julie Campbell for Higher Ed Experts
Budget: $800 - Responsive Web Design for Higher Ed:
4-week online course (Sep 30 – Oct 27, 2013) taught by Stewart Foss for Higher Ed Experts
Budget: $800 - Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for Higher Ed:
4-week online course (Sep 30 – Oct 27, 2013) taught by Joshua Dodson for Higher Ed Experts
Budget: $800
Want to train your team on a shoe string?
That’s the goal of our online summits and conferences designed for higher ed teams. Whether they are live or on-demand they are a great way to provide professional development (not skill training though as I explained above) to all your team members in a very cost-effective way.
- Web Project Management for Higher Ed:
3-day LIVE online summit (Oct 22-24, 2013)
Budget: $350 - Higher Ed Responsive Websites:
3-hour ON-DEMAND online summit
Budget: $350 - Content Strategy for Academic Progam Pages:
3-hour ON-DEMAND online summit
Budget: $350 - Higher Ed Analytics
11 ON-DEMAND sessions recorded at the 2013 Higher Ed Analytics Conference
Budget: $400
Want to learn something in a new way?
If you haven’t taken a MOOC yet, well, it’s about time and you have no excuses because they are 100% free. While these online courses are targeted to a general audience as opposed to the online courses offered by Higher Ed Experts, you can’t (and we won’t ;0) beat their price.
I’ve taken a few MOOCs – and completed 2 (they are always easier to sign up for, start and… drop). I really think everybody working in higher education should take at least one as they are a great way to learn something new and experience with learning online. All the online courses are not designed the way MOOCs are though: ours are limited to 10 students to nurture class discussions and utlimately learning.
Here is my selection of interesting MOOCs for digital professionals working in higher education.
Please note that I haven’t taken THESE courses but have reviewed all the syllabi and found them somehow relevant:
- Surviving Disruptive Technologies:
7-week MOOC starting Sep 30, 2013 and offered by Coursera & The University of Maryland
Budget: $0 - Behavioural Economics in Action:
6-week MOOC starting Oct 14, 2013 and offered by Edx & the University of Toronto
Budget: $0 - An Introduction to Marketing:
9-week MOOC starting Oct 14, 2013 and offered by Coursera & The Wharton School of Business at The University of Pennsylvania
Budget: $0
Last but not least, you can also sign up and catch up with the twitbootcamp, a 28-day email course started 4 days ago, to learn how to use twitter to its fullest – for free.
Hope you find this review useful and you keep learning this fall!