Conference Tracks

This year, the program focused on four key tracks described below:

• On the Horizon
• Focus Track: Social Media and Networking
• Best Practices
• Tools and Techniques

On the Horizon

This track features sessions that explore the newest technologies applied to learning, communication, and creative expression, especially ones featured in the NMC Horizon Report. Topics may include, but are not limited to:

• Mobile applications and tools for learning
• Using cloud-based applications in practice
• Geolocation technologies and applications
• Smart object technologies and their potential
• Immersive learning experiences and spaces
• New media applications delivered over high performance networks
• Discipline-specific applications for emerging technologies
• Discussions of challenges and trends related to educational technology
• Projects that use the Horizon Report

all conference tracks

Focus Track: Social Media and Networking

Each year the NMC Summer Conference devotes a track to an emerging technology that is likely to have large implications for NMC member institutions. This year's special-focus track will set the stage for an in-depth exploration of social media, social networks and related tools, with a special spotlight on their applications to learning, to museum education, and to building communities. Topics may include, but are not limited to:

• Social media tools and aggregation techniques
• Uses of Facebook, LinkedIn, Ning, and other social networking sites
• Uses of social media sharing sites (e.g., YouTube, flickr)
• Semantic-aware applications
• Using Personal webs/learning environments/networks
• Using social networks to support communities and projects
• Weaving social networking into institutional websites
• Strategies for incorporating user-generated content in institutional media and web sites
• Challenges related to social networking
• Managing social networks

all conference tracks

Best Practices

This track is an opportunity to highlight successful projects, practices, or responses to emerging challenges and issues. Topics may include, but are not limited to:

• Applications for educational gaming and virtual worlds
• Digital stories: techniques and applications
• Open source and open content projects
• New forms of scholarship and publication
• Supporting the research mission
• Supporting and working with faculty or curatorial staff
• International and multi-institutional projects
• Fair use, intellectual property, and copyright
• Addressing accessibility
• Assessment and evaluation

all conference tracks

Tools and Techniques

This track focuses on how to best use the latest software and tools for teaching and learning, including sneak peeks at the newest tools, tips and tricks for using old favorites. Topics may include, but are not limited to:

• Tools for mobile delivery of educational content
• Social networking tools and techniques
• Cloud-based applications and tools
• Semantic-aware tools
• 3D and animation techniques
• 2D animation and motion graphics
• Digital video production and delivery
• Demonstrations of new software from key NMC corporate partners
• New techniques involving established software

all conference tracks