Professional organizations
You can improve your online teaching by participating in professional organizations. Portland Community College is a member of the following organizations:
- Online Learning Consortium (OLC)
OLC offers numerous workshops that are available to PCC faculty for professional development. Here is the link to create an account to access OLC services. - Oregon Community College Distance Learning Association (OCCDLA) is a group of online educators from the 17 community colleges in Oregon.
- The Instructional Technology Council (ITC) is a nationwide group of educators – mostly from community colleges – who are involved with the use of technology in education.
- NW eLearn is comprised of educational institutions in the Northwest. It’s mission is to promote a community to share ideas and provide support in the use of technology for the advancement of teaching and learning. Many PCC faculty have participated in the NW eLearn annual conference.
- The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) is comprised of member institutions large and small, two-year and four-year, primarily in the western United States.
- The WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies (WCET) was founded by WICHE to meet a growing need to integrate distance learning and educational technology into the academic services of higher education institutions in the western region.
- Northwest Managers of Educational Technology (NWMET) is a regional group focused on the use and support of technology in higher education.
- The National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) promotes excellence in teaching, learning, and leadership at community and technical colleges. PCC is a member.
In addition to these, there’s an alphabet soup of other professional organizations out there, e.g., AECT, ATD (formerly ASTD), The e-Learning Guild, and others.