Speaker: Marc Boots-Ebenfield

Marc Boots-Ebenfield directs the Center for Teaching Innovation at Salem State University and has been teaching in Higher Ed for over 18 years. He has a Ph.D in Russian Language and Literature from Bryn Mawr College and an MS in instructional design specializing in online learning from NYU. Marc has been working with faculty on online learning since the days when faculty had to code their own HTML. He is a member of the MTA’s Distance Learning Task Force and is on the Executive Board of the New England Faculty Development Consortium. He currently teaches fully online and blended courses in world literature and English composition.

Speaker: George Claffey

George Claffey has been involved in technology and technology education for the past fifteen years. George is currently employed by the Board for State Academic Awards and serves as the Chief Information Officer for Charter Oak State College, Connecticut's largest provider of online learning, and also the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium, a consortia providing ASP based eLearning, ePortfolio, and eTutoring collaborative environments to K-12 and Higher Education entities nationally. He oversees technology operations including the data center that supports over 130 institutions and 100,000 students nationally that use the CTLDC to support their eLearning, ePortfolio, eTutoring, and disaster recovery operations.
 

Speaker: Robin Robinson

Robin Robinson is the Director of Education Technology and Support at Framingham State University (FSU), where she has worked since 2002. Robin and her staff support students, faculty and staff in their use of technology in the teaching and learning environment. Robin is the co-facilitator of the FSU Quality Matters course design initiative, co-chairs a Task Force on Assessment and ePortfolios, and leads the Collaborative Learning and Communication Action Teams within ITS. Robin is the Massachusetts Colleges Online conference chair, is a member of the UMass Online Advisory Council and was recently published in Educause Review Online, along with her colleagues, Dr. Aline Davis and Clair Waterbury for their study of tablets in the classroom. Robin was the Director of Distance Education prior to her promotion in the fall of 2010 to her current position. Robin earned a Master's degree in Technical and Professional Writing from Northeastern University in Boston, and worked in Publishing before coming to the University.
 

Speaker: Amber Vaill

Amber Vaill is the Assistant Dean of Online Instructional Services at Bay Path College. Amber oversees the operations of Center for Online Learning on campus. She helped establish the Center in 2007 as a centralized support organization that provides support for online faculty and students and assists academic staff in ensuring quality in online course development. Amber developed the College’s professional development program to prepare new online instructors, and created the curriculum for the College’s required orientation course for new online students. Amber has nearly a decade of experience in online education, serving in the roles of instructor, administrator and student. Amber holds master’s degrees from Westfield State College (History Education) and Framingham State College (Curriculum and Instructional Technology) and is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Education at Northcentral University finalizing her dissertation entitled “Preparing Online Learners for Success: Orientation Methods and Their Impact on Learner Readiness.”