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Top Fall 2013 learning opportunites for #highered web professionals

Karine Joly

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.

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:

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:

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.

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:

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!