On Friday, U.S. Distance Learning Association Tackles Issues of Broadband Inequity

October 9, 2020 – The United States Distance Learning Association will be hosting the 2020 Annual Legislative Policy Forum as a virtual event on Friday, October 9, 2020 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET.

The theme for the discussion is “Broadband Inequity.” Registration is free and open to the public. Broadband Breakfast Editor and Publisher Drew Clark is among many speakers who will be participating in the discussion, and will speak to the Broadband Breakfast Live Online series launched in March 2020 on “Broadband and the Coronavirus.”

Other speakers include Dr. Francine Alkisswani, telecommunications policy analyst, Minority Broadband Initiative at the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration; Emilio Gonzalez, executive director of policy and strategic alliances for Verizon; Britney Johnson of Georgia Institute of Technology; Janet Major, chairwoman of USDLA and associate director at the Arizona Telemedicine Program; plus Dr. Ronnie Lowenstein of Lowenstein & Associates; USDLA Chairwoman Dr. Robbie Melton; and Dr. Rhonda Blackburn, president of USDLA.

The association is a non-profit distance learning association founded in 1987 in the United States to support distance learning research, development and praxis across the complete arena of education, training, and communications. Distance learning and training constituencies served include pre-K-12 education, higher and continuing education, home schooling as well as business, corporate, military, government and telehealth markets.

This year unlike another, the pandemic surrounding the coronavirus and COVID-19 continues to impact nearly every country around the world.

With almost 30 million cases confirmed, 20 million recovered, and almost a million deaths.  While countries, including the U.S., are beginning to re-open with some level of uncertainty due to a resurgence of COVID-19 and in some cases closing back down because of it.  No one knows for sure how long this pandemic will last, and it continues put distance learning in the spotlight on a global scale as businesses and institutions of education remain predominantly online until 2021.

Distance learning includes e-learning, texting, social networking, virtual worlds, game-based learning, webinars. It’s the internet. It’s Google. It’s broadband and satellite and cable and wireless. Corporate universities. Virtual universities. Blended learning, mobile learning. It’s using our phones and computers and whatever technology comes next, in new ways.  Distance learning brings education and training to where students or trainees are connecting their world to worldwide learning communities.

The purpose of the Legislative Policy Forum is to maintain USDLA’s leadership in the application and promotion of distance learning with relevant policy issues to serve society. Specifically, the forum will focus on the insights and ideas being circulated by Washington policy makers.

The event aims to give USDLA members and others the opportunity to hear what is most current in government policy and listen to new ideas and thoughts being shared about the distance learning industry.