An event where leaders, educators, instructional designers and others mingle, discuss e-learning technology and learn from an audience broader than their own.

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, January 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The United States Distance Learning Association is proud to open registration for its 39th annual global distance learning conference. The event is being held in Cleveland, Ohio and the theme is “Universal Harmony: Exploring the Melodic Chords of Distance and Digital Learning.” The host location will be the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Tower from June 22 – 25th, 2026.

The USDLA National Conference has long been an event where leaders, educators, instructional designers and others mingle, discuss e-learning technology and learn from an audience broader than their own. Past attendees have enjoyed the in-person interactions, hands-on networking and personal relationships made with one another. All registrations include access to the the virtual conference, with sessions being held June 16th-17th, 2026.

The Conference and Events committee is well established and known each year for providing the best experience possible for personalized networking and cutting-edge session tracks. Past attendee feedback plays an instrumental role in planning the details for subsequent events. Universal Harmony: Exploring the Melodic Chords of Distance and Digital Learning focuses on tracks that are in high demand as educators continue to navigate both remote and in-person learning strategies. These tracks include:

– The Digital AI Groove: Exploring Innovative Techniques and Technologies Education
– Backstage Pass to Policy: Navigating Governance and Regulation in Distance Education
– The Headliners: Distance and Digital Leadership on the Higher Education Mainstage
– Open Mic, Open Minds: Ensuring Quality, Flexibility, and Access in Online Learning
– The ID Set List: Curating Best Practices in Instructional Design
– Amplify Every Voice: Ensuring Accessibility and Inclusivity in Online Education
– The K-12 Playground: Curating Best Practices in the K-12 Space

ALL concurrent sessions are end-user led, and share best practices within the world of distance and digital learning. These presentations will be focused “power sessions” that eliminate fluff and get right into the important details on the topic. Offering more than 30 sessions, topics for 2026 include Reframing Bloom’s for the Age of AI, ADA Compliance for Instructional Designers, Leveraging AI to Design Online Course Modules, AI Roleplay in the Classroom, Composing AI Policy for Responsible, Effective Digital Learning, Digital Harmony and more.

There are also several free pre and post-conference workshops with daily complimentary breakfast and lunch, making this a very cost effective event.

***Conference Registration Rates***
Member Early Bird $495 (Valid until 1/31/2026)
Member Standard $550 (Valid 2/1/2026 through 6/21/2026)
Member On-site $595 (after 6/21/2026)
Non-Member Early Bird $595 (Valid until 1/31/2026)
Non-Member Standard $650 (Valid 2/1/2026 through 6/21/2026)
Non-Member On-site $695 (after 6/21/2026)

All USDLA members providing their membership username (email) at time of registration will receive the USDLA Member rate.
Please send any questions to membership@usdla.org

***For-Profit and Not-For-Profit Discount Special (Bundle Savings)***
Purchase 2 registrations, get the 3rd for free ($495 savings)
Purchase 3 registrations, get the 4th and 5th for free ($990 savings)

**Single Day and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame event Rates**
One-Day Pass – $299 (Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday)
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Event – $199 (includes private tour and cocktail hour)

**Presenter Rates**
On-Site Presenter fee $300 (includes full on-site conference pass)
Virtual Presenter fee $100 (if presenting remotely)
Contact Harriet Watkins for presenter registration code at harriet.watkins@iconnect-na.com

Full details can be found at the national conference registration website.

Keynote: Dr. Michael Torrence, President, Motlow State Community College
Dr. Michael Torrence is a nationally recognized strategist, visionary, writer, and thought leader
in higher education who has redefined institutional excellence through innovation, inclusion, and transformative leadership. Since becoming the seventh President of Motlow State Community College in May 2018, he has transformed the institution into an award-winning, cutting-edge model of academic and workforce innovation.

Featured Presenter: Robbie Melton, Associate Vice President – SMART Global Technology Innovation Strategist
Presenting on “The Tools Shaping the World of Artificial Intelligence”, Dr. Melton has published and presented globally on the impact and value of mobile devices for education and the workforce. Her study of the pedagogy and best teaching practices with mobile devices, quality standards for the utilization of mobile apps, and her creation of the Mobile App Education and Workforce Resource Center has resulted in numerous awards.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Event
Join us for an exclusive, private evening of exploring, heavy apps (enough for dinner) and cool beverages. We will kick everything off at 6:30 with shuttles taking attendees to the event from the hotel. Attendees will be given VIP passes (lanyards) with information on what is on each level of the hall. The R&R HOF staff will be our guides for the evening.

Sponsorship Opportunities
If you are tired of large shows with limited attendee engagement, our national conference is an intimate environment where partners are part of the production from the very start, demonstrating their gear as part of the conference production.

The dramatic growth of the distance learning industry makes our market attractive to a variety of technology, content, and service providers. Conference partners proudly support the distance education community and make lifelong contacts in the process.

Full details can be found on the sponsorship opportunities page.

Distance Learning Awards
As the premier organization promoting the use and practice of distance learning, USDLA recognizes “the best of the best” each year with its series of individual and organizational awards. Open to member and non-members alike, nominations are submitted in January, judged by committees of peers, and then awarded as a highlight of USDLA’s National Conference.

A unique aspect of the competition is that the various categories are open on an equal basis to all forms of distance learning platforms, addressing the gamut of distance learning audiences, and from anywhere in the world. That range is illustrated by past awards years where top honors went to a major US university for its innovative design of an online computer science course, “Quantitative Methods for Information Systems” and to a videoconferencing provider in Ghana for expanding the horizons of that country’s K-12 students.

Learn more at the distance learning awards page.

Pat Cassella
United States Distance Learning Association
+1 203-980-6928
email us here
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Learn about our national conference

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Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (6-10, 1-4 OVC) at Western Illinois Leathernecks (4-12, 0-5 OVC)

Macomb, Illinois; Saturday, 4:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Tennessee Tech faces Western Illinois in OVC action Saturday.

The Leathernecks have gone 3-4 at home. Western Illinois is 3-8 in games decided by 10 or more points.

The Golden Eagles have gone 1-4 against OVC opponents. Tennessee Tech has a 3-8 record against teams over .500.

Western Illinois is shooting 41.2% from the field this season, 2.7 percentage points lower than the 43.9% Tennessee Tech allows to opponents. Tennessee Tech has shot at a 45.6% clip from the field this season, 0.8 percentage points fewer than the 46.4% shooting opponents of Western Illinois have averaged.

The Leathernecks and Golden Eagles match up Saturday for the first time in OVC play this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Lucas Lorenzen is averaging 14.9 points for the Leathernecks. Isaiah Griffin is averaging 1.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Mekhi Cameron is scoring 11.3 points per game with 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists for the Golden Eagles. Dani Pounds is averaging 10.7 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 49.3% over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Leathernecks: 3-7, averaging 67.7 points, 32.5 rebounds, 9.4 assists, 6.4 steals and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 40.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 76.0 points per game.

Golden Eagles: 3-7, averaging 74.5 points, 30.5 rebounds, 13.3 assists, 7.0 steals and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 43.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 83.4 points.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

The College Football Playoff national semifinal at the Peach Bowl marks a rematch of No. 1 seed Indiana’s 30-20 win against No. 5 Oregon in October, the first of several results this year that have left the Hoosiers knocking on the door of a historic and unbeaten season.

With two more wins, Indiana would become the first 16-0 national champion since Yale in 1894. But in order to make history, the Hoosiers will need to reverse some recent history.

Since the 1996 season, there have been seven regular-season rematches in the College Football Playoff and in national championship games played under the two previous postseason formats, the Bowl Championship Series and the Bowl Alliance. Four of these pairings have occurred since the playoff expanded last season.

Surprisingly, all but one of these games have seen the loser from the regular season rebound to win the rematch. This could be a coincidence. At a minimum, though, this trend shows the difficulties in defeating an elite opponent twice in under a four-month span.

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The Hoosiers look to buck that recent history. Here’s a look back at these rematches and what they might suggest about the Peach Bowl:

Ole Miss vs. Georgia, 2025

Results: Georgia 43-35, Ole Miss 39-34.

Ole Miss led Georgia in the second half when the two met in October but coughed up a lead for its one and only loss on the year. The two SEC rivals met again in the Sugar Bowl earlier this month, with the Rebels pulling out the win on a late field goal. Unlike during the regular season, Ole Miss landed a big game from Trinidad Chambliss and did much better running the ball, indicating how teams can strategize by looking back and evaluating the previous matchup.

Ole Miss vs. Tulane, 2025

Results: Ole Miss 45-10, Ole Miss 41-10.

Here’s the one outlier. The Rebels stampeded over Tulane at home in September and then did the same in the opening round. The one difference: Lane Kiffin was the head coach for the first game and Pete Golding for the second. In this case, a significant edge in talent was the biggest factor in helping Ole Miss defy recent history.

Oklahoma vs. Alabama, 2025

Results: Oklahoma 23-21, Alabama 34-24.

Again, an SEC rematch that reversed the regular-season result. Oklahoma’s win in November sparked its run to the playoff. That seemed to carry over to the opening round, when the Sooners stormed out to a 17-0 lead. But the Tide crawled back to tie for the biggest comeback in playoff history.

Oregon vs. Ohio State, 2024

Results: Oregon 32-31, Ohio State 41-21.

Oregon narrowly pulled out the win in Autzen Stadium and then went on to post a perfect regular season, earning the top seed in the debut of the expanded playoff. But in the Rose Bowl the Ducks ran into a buzzsaw in the Buckeyes, who stormed out to a 34-0 late in the second quarter and won going away. A year later, Oregon hopes to follow Ohio State’s blueprint and score the upset against the unbeaten Big Ten champs.

Alabama vs. Georgia, 2021

Results: Alabama 42-24, Georgia 33-18.

The Tide knocked off then-unbeaten Georgia in the SEC championship game behind 421 yards and three touchdowns from quarterback Bryce Young. That landed Alabama in the four-team playoff as the No. 1 seed, while Georgia slotted in at No. 3. The pair met in the championship game after beating Cincinnati and Michigan, respectively, and the Bulldogs would hold Young to 6.5 yards per throw and make two picks to take the first of back-to-back titles.

LSU vs. Alabama, 2011

Results: LSU 9-6, Alabama 21-0

The Tigers’ overtime win during the regular season was about as ugly as the score suggests with five field goals being the only scores. The rematch in the title game about two months later wasn’t any better. Alabama’s defense barely allowed LSU to cross midfield in this second meeting to win the second of Nick Saban’s six titles in Tuscaloosa.

Results: Florida State 24-21, Florida 52-20.

No other rematch has come within such a short time frame. FSU topped Florida on Nov. 30 to end the regular season and drew the immediate rematch in the Sugar Bowl, which was designated as the championship game in the Bowl Alliance format, because then-No. 2 Arizona State was obligated to face No. 4 Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. This time, Steve Spurrier’s Gators bombarded the Seminoles to capture the first national title in program history with the Sun Devils falling to the Buckeyes.