November 9, 2010. More than 200 Columbia faculty, librarians, and staff explored current and emerging applications of new media and technology in the classroom at the New Media in Education (NME) Conference hosted by the Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning (CCNMTL) on October 22, 2010 held in the Faculty House at Columbia University.

Now in its fifth iteration, the mission of the NME 2010 Conference was to stimulate a dialogue on pedagogical best practices and the future of classroom technologies at Columbia. The daylong event consisted of eight sessions led by CCNMTL educational technologists and faculty partners who shared their expertise on topics ranging from educational podcasting to effective digital presentations to digital health interventions.

In the session, “Digital Natives vs Digital Immigrants: Implications for the Classroom,” educational technologist Tucker Harding led an engaging talk that explored whether students who have grown up with the internet require educators to think differently about teaching and learning approaches. Dan Beeby, associate director of services, gave an overview of new, low-cost learning management tools that can be used to supplement CourseWorks, the University’s longtime course management system, in “Breaking Away from CourseWorks: Alternatives to Learning Management Systems.”

A number of CCNMTL projects developed in collaboration with Columbia faculty members were also demonstrated, giving attendees an inside look at how online modules, digital analysis tools, and case studies are opening up new avenues for immersive learning experiences. Frank Moretti, executive director of CCNMTL, and educational technologist Michael Preston demonstrated how close analysis of video footage from Project Rebirth, a new documentary film chronicling the recovery of five individuals after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, creates opportunities for students and professionals to learn about grief, trauma, and recovery.

“The NME Conference is the perfect venue to showcase the possibilities for enhancing the teaching and learning process through the thoughtful use of new media. We hope it is a valuable source of inspiration to faculty who are both 'power users' as well as those just getting started with new media,” said Dr. Moretti.

Recently launched CCNMTL projects were also introduced during the conference, including the official release of MediaThread, CCNMTL’s new online annotation and collaboration tool, and Lanretam, an online case study in which public health students play the role of experts assessing the health system of a fictional developing country and advise the government on strategies to reduce maternal mortality. Video recordings of all NME sessions will be posted shortly on the NME website at https://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/nme2010.