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March 10 - Virtual Symposium

Metanomics explored the 2010 Virtual Symposium – Education for Everyone: Expanding Access Through Technology conference on March 10, with two key members of the symposium on the show.

Metanomics host Robert Bloomfield interviewed Dr. Rebecca Clothey and Dr. Kristen Betts on Wednesday, March 10 at 12pm PST and discussed the virtual symposium, it’s creation and goals. They also attempted to address the same questions the symposium will ask, such as how has technology increased or decreased equality in education in your community? What initiatives and technologies have been used successfully to enable access to previously underserved students? What role can government policies and public/private partnerships play in creating a success?

From their site:

Hosted by Drexel University in Philadelphia, Wainhouse Research and the World Bank’s Global Development Learning Network in Beijing, this virtual symposium will bring practitioners and scholars around the globe together online to share successes and challenges in utilizing technology to enable better access to K-12, Higher, and continuing education.

With over 70 million children in the world not able to attend school due to financial, social, or physical challenges, the symposium hopes advances in technology, access and collaboration will bring about a revolution in education.

Guest Biographies

Rebecca Clothey

Dr. Rebecca Clothey is currently the Director of Drexel University’s Higher Education and Global and International Education programs, and an Associate Clinical Professor in the School of Education. Prior to this, she was the Director of Curriculum Development for CET Academic Programs based at Capital Normal University in Beijing, China. CET is a study abroad organization that offers international programs for American undergraduate and graduate students in Europe and Asia. She also previously served as the Director of CET’s Chinese Language Program, based at Capital Normal University and the Beijing Institute of Education.

Dr. Clothey lived in China for five years and speaks Mandarin Chinese. She also previously conducted elections training for the U.S. State Department in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Dr. Clothey presents internationally on the topics of higher education policy, technology in education, and equality of access to higher education. Her most recent project has involved co-organizing (with Stacy Austin-Li of Wainhouse Research) an entirely virtual symposium which brings together scholars and professionals from around the world, speaking on the topic of expanding educational access through technology.

Kristen Betts

Dr. Kristen Betts is an Associate Clinical Professor in the School of Education’s Higher Education Program at Drexel University. Dr. Betts’ expertise is online and blended education with a research focus on the recruitment, engagement, and retention of students and faculty. She was the founding director of the Master of Science in Higher Education (MSHE) Program at Drexel University. In 2009, Dr. Betts was named as one of Drexel University’s award recipients for Outstanding Online Instructor. Dr. Betts publishes and presents nationally and internationally on online and blended education, Online Human Touch, communication, learning simulation, cooperative education/work integrated learning, community development, multigenerational learners, branding, and faculty training and development. She serves on the Distance Education Advising Commission for the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) and the Board of Advisors for the Educational Policy Institute. Dr. Betts also serves as a reviewer for several national online education journals.

Prior to coming to Drexel University, Dr. Betts was the principal of an educational research company that worked with corporations, government agencies, and educational institutions to maximize administrative operations through data driven decision-making and strategic planning. Dr. Betts assisted clients with capacity building through e-learning and customized research including market analysis, surveys, focus groups, and environmental scans. A representative sample of clients include: District of Columbia Department of Health, Whitman-Walker Clinic, Fisk University, The George Washington University, Kyonggi University (Seoul, Korea), Incoming Calls Management Institute, Jeju Island Government (South Korea), South Korean Ministry of Education, U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), U.S. Export-Import Bank, and U.S. Army.