There was the typical keynote sessions and break-out sessions formula that conferences follow. There was food, coffee, tea, and drink tickets – standard. But what really stood out to me was the community. There is a palpable unifying bond each of the attendees, presenters, facilitators, and reviewers share. It kind of felt more like a Mensa Meeting than a conference.
In Baltimore, the Renaissance Hotel was full of some seriously passionate people about learning, new standards, and sharing best practices. This is a seriously devoted crowd, just being around theses educators makes you want to shake up online higher ed. We certainly fit in! I loved being around innovative disrupters, the kinds of folks with a healthy dissatisfaction for complacency and basic expectations. I would highly recommend checking out Quality Matters to anyone who needs to unsettle their stagnant online education pedagogy.
In related news, they fed us incredibly well in Baltimore. Check out our Twitter Feed for some pictures and commentary.