Monday 22 December 2008

Learning to be Professional through a Life-wide Curriculum

Learning to be Professional through a Life-wide Curriculum

Surrey Centre for Excellence in Professional Training and Education (SCEPTrE), University of Surrey, Guildford

Tuesday March 31st & Wednesday April 1st 2009

A life-wide curriculum
maximises opportunity for embracing the most inclusive concept of
learning (whole life learning) and for encouraging and valuing learning
and achievement from the widest range of experiences available to a
learner. In this conference we want to encourage exploration of the
concept in the context of enabling learners to develop the qualities,
skills and personal agency necessary to become a good professional.



Call for Papers

Practitioners and researchers
are invited to submit an abstract of up to 400 words using the template
provided in the Registration Form. Papers must address one and ideally
connect to more than one of the conference themes:


    • Learning to be professional: how
      learners gain insights to and experience of the professional world:
      their journeys and stories of learning to be a professional
    • Qualities, skills and personal
      agency needed to be a good professional and how these are developed
      through modules and programmes that seek to integrate learning from
      academic study, work, volunteering and other life experiences: the idea
      of a life-wide curriculum.
    • Influence of Professional and Statutory Regulatory Bodies in shaping what it means to learn to be professional
    • Value of career development learning in the process of learning to be professional
    • Role of PDP in helping learners develop the skills and habits of reflection that enable them to learn to be professional.
    • Use of technology to facilitate learning to be professional.

Deadline for Abstracts February 20th 2009

Cost £150 with overnight accommodation and entertainment

Further information and registration forms please visit.

http://www.surrey.ac.uk/sceptre/LearningforaComplexWorldConference09.htm

Friday 19 December 2008

Journal of Geography in Higher Education: Call for submissions


Journal of Geography in Higher
Education: Call for submissions


Research issues, methods and
techniques


 


The JGHE Editorial Board invites
proposals for submissions for short articles (up to c2000 words) examining
research issues, methods and techniques in geography in higher
education.


The aim of these articles will be
to support and inform the building of educational research capacity within the
international geography community. 


Submitted articles will be
refereed.  Jointly written articles from geographers and educational
researchers are welcomed.

Symposium: Impact of student experience research on policy

Symposium: Impact of student experience research on policy



ELESIG (http://elesig.ning.com) is now organising its second ‘Impact

Symposium’ in collaboration with colleagues currently undertaking research

into selected areas of the student experience on Thursday, 29th January 2009

at the Knowledge Lab in London, UK.



This ELESIG event will consider the impact of learner experience research on

policy and attempt to identify examples of research that is having real

impact on policy.



There will be contributions from the Higher Education Academy e-Learning

Research Observatory and of course, as usual from ELESIG members.



Places on this event are limited and will be allocated to ELESIG members

only on a first come, first served basis. Membership of ELESIG is free and

available by registering yourself at the ELESIG Community Ning site:

http://elesig.ning.com/

Thursday 11 December 2008

The Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development Spring 2009 course programme

The Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development 
Spring 2009 course programme

Our
range of online courses are between four and six weeks long and have
been designed to give you time and space to think through complex
issues, identify how they impact on your own work, and make plans for
future developments. All the courses are activity-based, supported by
course texts and by specially developed online resources. Each week you
will work through some guided readings, record your thoughts, share
your work with others in your group, discuss your work and that of
other members of your group, and analyse and summarise your findings.


Leading educational change, 19 January - 27 February 2009
Developed for SEDA, for more information go to:

Online Tutoring, 28 January - 27 February 2009
An updated course to learn the skills required to be an online tutor, for more information go to:

Supporting educational change, 2 February - 13 March 2009
Developed for SEDA, for more information go to:

Reflective learning in higher education and professional development, 4 March - 3 April 2009
A broad introduction to this topic, for more information go to:

Internationalising the curriculum, 23 March - 1 May 2009
This
course is designed to introduce teachers in higher education to the
wide-ranging concept of an internationalised curriculum,for more
information go to:

If
you would like more information on these or any of our courses, or to
enquire about a bespoke course for your institution, please go to our
web site: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsld/index.html

4th International Inquiring Pedagogies Conference

iPED 2009, the 4th International Inquiring Pedagogies Conference,
will take place 14 - 15 September 2009 in Coventry, UK . See: www.coventry.ac.uk/iPED2009



 



Contributions are invited from the perspectives of
Leadership, Staff and Students against the over-arching theme of 'Researching
Beyond Boundaries' with particular interest in ‘Academic Communities without
Borders’.



 



The submission system will open in DECEMBER. The DEADLINE
for submissions is 5 APRIL 2009.



 

4th annual e-Learning Symposium, organised by the Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies (LLAS)

Registration is open for the 4th annual e-Learning Symposium, organised
by the Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies (LLAS)



Date: 29 January (pre Symposium workshops) / 30 January 2009 (Symposium)

Venue: University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

Full programme and registration: http://www.llas.ac.uk/events/2985



Topics to be covered will include:



   * the changing role of the teacher and the learner in our new e-environment;

   * an exploration of whether there is need for an e-pedagogy in our teaching and assessment;

   * descriptions and analysis of the use of audio recording software to provide feedback and make podcasts

   * using Camtasia to provide feedback on written work

   * integrating online debating into Spanish content classes

   * innovative uses of eAssessment in languages

   * presentation of a newly-developed digital resource-storehouse with Web 2.0 features

Tuesday 2 December 2008

Guadrian supplement - JISC press realease





Guardian supplement explores 'profound transformation' of education by technology







'Digital Student' highlights support for institutions as they 'respond to present challenges and predict future developments'







2nd December 2008. A Guardian supplement published today looks at the
way technology has transformed education over the last decade.
Sponsored by JISC to launch its 'Student experiences of technology'
campaign, the supplement - 'Digital Student' - explores the
achievements of institutions in this area and some of the future
challenges as universities and colleges look to exploit technology and
place the student experience at the heart of learning and teaching.







As Stephen Hoare reports in the opening article: 'Technology has
dramatically changed the way students experience university life, and
not just in terms of the number of gadgets they own. It has affected
where and how they study, helped them collaborate with each other and
broken down barriers between students and teachers, social life and
study. It has also given students a bigger voice in they way they
learn.'







Podcasting, wikis, immersive worlds such as Second Life and texting are
just some of the technologies highlighted in the publication,
technologies that have placed technology at the heart of the learner
experience. How such technologies have impacted on assessment, the
management of intellectual property rights, student progression and
retention, the building of new and more flexible learning spaces, is
also a focus of the supplement.







The challenges faced by institutions during this period of change is a
further theme of the supplement. As Stephen Hoare continues, 'All this
presents major challenges for institutions, which are also learning to
cope with a larger, more demanding and more diverse student body.'







The supplement also highlights JISC's and others' work to support
institutions meet these challenges, through innovation projects and
through its support for the take-up and use of new technologies. Among
the JISC projects and services highlighted are 'learner experience'
projects such as LEaD and STROLL; Users and Innovation projects such as
APT Stairs, Sounds Good, Web2Rights; e-portfolio activities; the JISC
TechDis service which supports the use of technology for disabled
students and staff; the Regional Support Centres; market research into
students' expectations of technology, and much more.







The supplement also features an interview with Sir David Melville,
whose Committee of Inquiry is soon to report on the implications for
institutions of students' use of new technologies, and explores a
number of institutional initiatives, such as University College
Plymouth St Mark and St John's decision three years ago to offer a free
laptop to all undergraduates, the University of Leicester's Media Zoo,
and the University of Hertfordshire's scheme in which students mentor
lecturers in their use of technology.







To access the online version, please go to: Digital Student <http://www.guardian.co.uk/digitalstudent>







For more on JISC's 'Student experiences of technology' campaign, please go to: Student experiences <http://www.jisc.ac.uk/studentexperiences>







If you would like to receive print copies of the Guardian supplement, please contact: press@jisc.ac.uk

Thursday 27 November 2008

Third International Personal Tutoring and Academic Advising Conference

Third International
Personal Tutoring and Academic Advising Conference – Registration now
open for UK participants



 



Hosted by Edge Hill University and co-sponsored by the
Higher Education Academy and NACADA, this conference aims to explore the ways
in which personal tutoring, academic advising and other forms of institutional
support contribute to improving student success in higher education.



 



Further information about the conference is available on the
NACADA website:



http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/IntrntlConf/PersTutAvsg/2009UK/index.htm



 



A registration form for UK participants is available to
download from the following page:



http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/IntrntlConf/PersTutAvsg/2009UK/index.htm

Friday 21 November 2008

Third International Personal Tutoring and Academic Advising Conference

Third
International Personal Tutoring and Academic Advising Conference: Improving
student success  -  Holiday Inn, Lime Street, Liverpool,  21 -
22 April 2009



 



Advance
notice of an event co-sponsored by the Academy and NACADA, and being
hosted by Edge Hill University. The conference aim is to explore ways in which
personal tutoring, academic advising and other forms of institutional support
contribute to improving student success in HE.



 



Further
details about the conference, and details of the call for papers, workshops and
posters can be found by following the link below: http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/IntrntlConf/PersTutAvsg/2009UK/conferenceproposals.htm

Wednesday 19 November 2008

Assessment conference - call for papers

Call For Papers –
Please circulate widely to colleagues who may be interested


 



Assessment in Higher Education Conference


 



Cumbria Study of Higher Education Network in collaboration with Northumbria University



Centre for Excellence in Assessment for Learning


 


Wednesday 8th July 2009, University of Cumbria, Carlisle


 


This second
Assessment in Higher Education Conference,
builds on the successful event in 2008 as an opportunity to debate
concerns and increase understanding of assessment practice.  It will
provide the opportunity to share innovations and research with a
particular focus on the voice of the practitioner, working to improve
assessment in their programmes and institutions.  See attached flyer
for an overview of the Conference themes.


 


For further information, please follow the link to our website


http://www.cumbria.ac.uk/Services/CDLT/C-SHEN/Events/ExternalEvents.aspx

Wednesday 12 November 2008

The Fourth Symposium on Social Learning Space: Learning Outside the Square

The Fourth Symposium on Social Learning Space: Learning Outside the Square

Call for Contributions
*
The Reinvention Centre (the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) at Oxford Brookes and Warwick Universities) (www.warwick.ac.uk/go/reinvention)
in conjunction with Assessment Standards Knowledge exchange (ASKe) a
CETL based at Oxford Brookes University Business School, are delighted
to announce the Fourth Symposium on Social Learning Space: Learning
Outside the Square. This one-day event will take place on Monday 6
April 2009
at Oxford Brookes University’s Gipsy Lane Campus in
Headington, Oxford, and will showcase the Reinvention Centre space.

The
keynote speakers will be Nicolette Lee, Academic Co-ordinator,
Experiential Learning at Swinburne University of Technology in
Australia and Emeritus Professor of Urban Design, Ian Bentley, based at
Oxford Brookes University.

The
aim of the Symposium is to explore new and innovative social learning
spaces, and this year’s theme is 'Learning Outside the Square'. The
sub-themes that symposium will address are:

    innovative design: creating new/different teaching and learning opportunities;
    building a learning community (within and beyond the university);
    the relationship between pedagogy and space; and,
    virtual social learning space.

We
are now inviting proposals for 45-minute, interactive workshops.
Workshops may present a social learning space, assess a range of spaces
or explore conceptual aspects of the sub-themes above. Proposals should
be no more than 250 words and should:

    give the title of the workshop;
    explain what the workshop is about, how it fits with the overall symposium theme, and which sub-theme it falls under;
    explain how the workshop will be interactive, i.e. how it will involve the audience; and,
    show a clear link to existing literature.

Proposals should be sent by email to Becky Kiddle at rkiddle@brookes.ac.uk. The deadline for receipt of proposals is Friday 21 November 2008.

Tuesday 11 November 2008

SEDA Research and Development Small Grants 2008-09

SEDA Research and Development Small Grants
2008-09

 

Supporting and Leading
Educational Change

 

SEDA is
currently inviting proposals for Research and Development Small
Grants. For further details and an application form, see:
http://www.seda.ac.uk/about/seda%20awards.htm

 

 

Monday 10 November 2008

‘The changing nature of plagiarism in the digital age’

‘The changing nature of plagiarism in the digital age’



The Learning Lab is pleased to announce that the second seminar in its 2008-

09 seminar series will take place on Wednesday 3rd December 2008, from

10:00-16:00 at the Learning Lab in Telford.



Plagiarism has taken on a whole new dimension in the digital age, with a wide

range of sources of material now available online and easily copied and

pasted. This seminar will look at the evolving nature of academic enquiry and

misconduct.



This one day seminar features three presentations from both educational and

commercial angles, and includes plenty of time for questions and discussion.



As a not-for-profit organisation, the Learning Lab is able to offer this seminar

at just £80 per person, to include lunch and refreshments. To book online, or

to print a fax-back booking form, please go to the Learning Lab Website –

www.learninglab.org.uk. Please note that places are limited to the first 20

bookings to maximise interaction so please book early to secure your place.



Any queries please contact Denise Telford on tel: 01902 322362 or email:

Denise.Telford@wlv.ac.uk

Thursday 6 November 2008

EKSIG 2009: EXPERIENTIAL KNOWLEDGE, METHOD and METHODOLOGY

EKSIG 2009: EXPERIENTIAL KNOWLEDGE, METHOD and METHODOLOGY
International Conference 2009 of the DRS Special Interest Group on Experiential Knowledge

The
EKSIG International Conference 2009 will address the theme of
"Experiential Knowledge, Method and Methodology". It will be convened
by the DRS Special Interest Group on Experiential Knowledge (EKSIG),
and hosted by London Metropolitan University.

Date: Friday 19 June 2009
Organisers: Linden Reilly, Chris Smith, Kristina Niedderer, Seymour Roworth-Stokes
Venue: London Metropolitan University, London, UK


Wednesday 5 November 2008

Engineering teaching guides

The Engineering Subject Centre is pleased to launch a series of handy
Teaching guides.  Aimed at the busy engineering academic, the booklets
provide a starting point in a number of key areas.  The guides also
have companion versions on the web and it is hoped that the online
format will encourage participation and feedback from the community and
that the resources will then develop interactively over time, ensuring
that content is current and relevant.  Please see http://www.engsc.ac.uk/teaching-guides/ for more information.



We would be grateful if you could circulate the links to colleagues as
appropriate.  We also have publicity postcards for each of the guides
and would be happy to send out these and printed copies of the A5
guides if useful to you.



Please also visit the web versions to leave your comments and suggestions, or email me, liz@engsc.ac.uk if you would like to know more about what the resources available from the Engineering Subject Centre.



Best Wishes



Liz Willis

Learning and Teaching Advisor

The Higher Education Academy - Engineering Subject Centre

Loughborough University

01509 227176



Approaches to the Teaching of Design

Andrew McLaren, University of Strathclyde



Enhancing the First Year Experience for Engineering Students

Liz Willis, Engineering Subject Centre





Introduction to Learning and Teaching

Jane Pritchard, University of Bath





Learning and Teaching in Laboratories

Clara Davies, University of Leeds





Personal Tutoring

Elaine M. Smith, Glasgow Caledonian University

Technology Mediated Learning Research Seminar Series

Technology Mediated Learning Research Seminar Series

2008/9

King’s College London

Department of Education & Professional Studies

16.00-17.30
Tea and coffee at 15.45
Room B/6, Franklin-Wilkins Building (WBW)


Thursday 20 November 2008

Supporting online communication and collaboration in blended learning scenarios

Dr Ian Stevenson and Dr Mary Webb

King’s College London

Thursday 4 December 2008

Talking with learners about technology and learning in the home

Dr Chris Davies,

University of Oxford

Tuesday 13 January 2009

e-Assessment: Towards advice for action

Dr Denise Whitelock

Institute of Educational Technology,

The Open University

Wednesday 4 February 2009

Personal Inquiry: supporting inquiry science learning with personal

technologies across formal and informal settings

Professor Mike Sharples

University of Nottingham

2 further seminars will be held on dates to be arranged

To reserve a place at any seminar, please contact Julie Bacon on deps@kcl.ac.uk.

Tuesday 4 November 2008

Can quality resist the market?"

The Institute for Policy Studies in Education invites you to a lecture
by
Professor Roger Brown and chaired by Paul Lister, entitled "Can
quality resist the
market?
"



In this lecture, Professor Roger Brown will warn that unless they are
radically
strengthened, our existing quality assurance arrangements will be
unable to
protect the international reputation of our higher education system. 
Professor
Brown will refer to a number of recent cases which demonstrate some of
the
flaws in our present quality control mechanisms. He will argue that
with the
increasingly strong competitive pressures on institutions, as well as
the long
term squeeze on resourcing, these need to be considerably strengthened
if peer
review is to remain an effective mechanism for regulating quality.
There needs
to be a much sharper focus on standards of student achievement whilst
the
Quality Assurance Agency needs a wider remit, greater independence and
stronger
powers.

The
lecture will take place on Tuesday 11th November, from
4 – 5.30pm in Room SHG-04, Stapleton House, London Metropolitan
University, 277-281
Holloway Road, London, N7 8HN.  The
lecture is free of charge but places are limited.  If
you wish to attend, please contact
ipse@londonmet.ac.uk.  

Podcast on Work Related Learning

Podcast on Work Related Learning


Date: 03/11/2008 ||. The latest JISC podcast focuses on Work-related
learning, featuring examples of the types of support being provided by
JISC and the Higher Education Academy.



ICS HEA - News - http://www.ics.heacademy.ac.uk/

Call for papers - ISL

17th Improving Student Learning Symposium hosted by
the Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development (OCSLD)

Improving Student Learning for the 21st Century Learner

7-9 September 2009
Imperial College, London, UK

CALL FOR PAPERS

We
hope that the theme for this symposium -  'for the 21st Century
Learner'  - will challenge contributors to consider the rapidly
changing landscape of university education - technology, massification,
increased diversity of students and globalisation etc. 

 Themes

   1. Teaching methods
   2. Assessment methods
   3. Course and programme design
   4. Blended and e-learning
   5. Skills development and lifelong learning
   6. Graduate outcomes
   7. Employability
   8. Diversity and inclusivity
   9. Supporting learners
  10. Faculty development methods and/or strategies

Criteria

The following criteria will be used in accepting papers and seminars:
Research papers

    * New evidence/findings
    * New analysis/interpretation
    * Use of research tools
    * Awareness/use of theory
    * Focus on theme

Conceptual papers

    * New analysis/interpretation
    * Clarity of argument
    * Awareness/use of theory
    * Focus on theme

Seminars

    * Topic interesting for discussion
    * Use of evidence and theory
    * Focus on theme

Please submit your paper proposal online at http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsld/isl/isl2009/callforpapers.html.
The closing date for submissions is 28 February 2009, and authors will
be notified by the end of March whether their paper has been selected
for presentation.

On line book - The Tower and the Cloud

Have just read through this for the first time - an interesting and comprehensive review of the current state of Universities and technology - well worth a look - http://www.educause.edu/thetowerandthecloud/133998

Monday 3 November 2008

The 14th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED 2009)



The 14th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education

(AIED 2009)







July 6th - 10th 2009, Thistle Hotel, Brighton, UK



http://www.aied2009.com







The International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education

(AIED2009) is part of an ongoing series of biennial international

conferences for top quality research in intelligent systems and cognitive

science for educational computing applications. The conference provides

opportunities for the cross-fertilization of techniques from many fields

that make up this interdisciplinary research area, including: artificial

intelligence, computer science, cognitive and learning sciences, education,

 educational technology, psychology, philosophy, sociology, anthropology,

linguistics, and the many domain-specific areas for which AIED systems have

been designed and evaluated.

Saturday 1 November 2008

Disciplinary specificity in university teaching

 Disciplinary
specificity in university teaching:


Moving
from conceptualisation to action


 


08
December 2008 – 12.15 to 15.45


CE102
in the CeAL Building


 


Centre
for Active Learning,


University
of Gloucestershire
,
Francis Close Hall, Swindon
Road,


Cheltenham,
United
Kingdom


 


 


 


Presenters:              
Dr Denis
Berthiaume, Université de
Lausanne, Switzerland


Dr Anna
Jones, University of Melbourne,
Australia and Visiting CeAL
Fellow, University of
Gloucestershire, United
Kingdom


 


Discussant:               
Professor Kerri-Lee Krause


                       
           
Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia


 


Chair:
                        
Professor Kristine Mason O’Connor


                                   
University of
Gloucestershire, United
Kingdom


 


 


Duration                   
3 hours


 


The
purpose of this workshop is to provide an illustration of recent research
developments in the area of disciplinary specificity in university teaching, and
to enable participants develop strategies for inclusion of these findings in
their own practice (i.e. university teaching, academic development and/or higher
education administration).The workshop will comprise two parts. The first will
be a presentation of recent research developments in the area of disciplinary
specificity with regards to university teaching. The second part will allow
participants to reflect on the concepts presented in order to envisage
strategies for their domain of practice.


 


This
workshop is based on two qualitative studies which examined the importance of
disciplinary specificity in teaching. The first study examines ways in which
teaching is part of a complex social system.  The second study examines the importance
of discipline-specific pedagogical knowledge (DPK) by presenting an empirical
model that describes how higher education teachers draw from their knowledge
base for teaching, the specific characteristics of their discipline, and their
personal beliefs about teaching.


 


Cost
including sandwich lunch - £30
(non-University of
Gloucestershire staff).
Cheques payable to University of Gloucestershire or please supply a
purchase order number for an invoice to be raised.


 


To book
your place please contact the CeAL Administrator, Barbara Rainbow – brainbow@glos.ac.uk, tel 01242
714683


 


How to
find FCH Campus - http://resources.glos.ac.uk/directions/travelfchh.cfm


 

Thursday 23 October 2008

Latest Funding Opportunities from the Higher Education Academy

Latest Funding Opportunities from the Higher Education Academy

 

Welcome
to the latest Funding Opportunities newsletter from the Higher
Education Academy. You recently registered to receive our funding
opportunities. Below you will find links to the latest funding from
across the Higher Education Sector which we hope will be of interest to
you.

 

HRD Teaching and Learning - A  Call for Research Proposals - BMAF HRD Special Interest Group and the University Forum for Human Resource Development

 

Language, Linguistics and Areas Studies mini-projects - Subject Centre for Language, Linguistics and Area Studies

-       Pedagogic/Action Research

-       Workshops to go

-       Student study days

 

ESCalate Research Grant Funding - ESCalate Education Subject Centre

 

Academy Scotland travel fund for academic staff - Academy Scotland

 

Study on the use of research content in teaching and learning in Higher Education Institutions - JISC Scholarly Communications Working Group

 

Scholarly communications discipline-based advocacy - JISC Scholarly Communications Working Group

 

Learning and Teaching Innovation Grants - JISC Learning and Teaching Committee

 

Preparation of a recruitment toolkit for JISC digital repositories projects - JISC Integrated Information Environment Committee

 

 

 

Online Services Team

Find out more about the Higher Education Academy by visiting our website

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk

Monday 13 October 2008

14th Online Educa Berlin, December 3 - 5, 2008



14th Online Educa Berlin, December 3 - 5, 2008

ONLINE EDUCA BERLIN is the
largest global e-learning conference for the corporate, education and public
service sectors. The annual event offers a forum for e-learning experts,
experienced users and apprentices from all over the world to exchange ideas and
network. Over 2200 delegates from more than 90 countries attend the conference,
making OEB the most comprehensive annual meeting place for e-learning and
distance education professionals. The accompanying exhibition gives
international providers the opportunity to demonstrate their products, tools and
services. This year’s topics include mobile learning, Generation Y learning,
Open Educational Resources, web 2.0 applications, as well as games and video in
learning.

Learn more about the conference at
http://www.online-educa.com

Friday 3 October 2008

The Fourth Symposium on Social Learning Space: Learning Outside the Square

The Fourth Symposium on Social Learning Space: Learning Outside the Square



Call for Contributions



The Reinvention Centre (the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and

Learning at Oxford Brookes and Warwick Universities

(www.warwick.ac.uk/go/reinvention) are delighted to announce the Fourth

Symposium on Social Learning Space: Learning Outside the Square. This

one-day event will take place on Monday 6 April 2009 at Oxford Brookes

University’s Gipsy Lane Campus in Headington, Oxford, and will showcase

the Reinvention Centre space.



The keynote speakers will be Nicolette Lee, Academic Co-ordinator,

Experiential Learning at Swinburne University of Technology in Australia

and Emeritus Professor of Urban Design,

Ian Bentley, based at Oxford Brookes University.



The aim of the Symposium is to explore new and innovative social

learning spaces, and this year’s theme is 'Learning Outside the Square'.

The sub-themes that symposium will address are:



• innovative design: creating new/different teaching and learning

opportunities;

• building a learning community (within and beyond the university);

• the relationship between pedagogy and space; and,

• virtual social learning space.



We are now inviting proposals for 45-minute, interactive workshops.

Workshops may present a social learning space, assess a range of spaces

or explore conceptual aspects of the sub-themes above. Proposals should

be no more than 250 words and should:



• give the title of the workshop;

• explain what the workshop is about, how it fits with the overall

symposium theme, and which sub-theme it falls under;

• explain how the workshop will be interactive, i.e. how it will involve

the audience; and,

• show a clear link to existing literature.



Proposals should be sent by email to Becky Kiddle at

rkiddle@brookes.ac.uk. The deadline for receipt of proposals is Friday

21 November 2008

Programme: Innovating e-Learning online conference 2008

Tuesday 30 September 2008

Engaging students: what's the problem? 2 and 3 December 2008, Chancellors Co...



 
 

Sent to you by DavidAndrew via Google Reader:

 
 


Problem solving skills are highly valued by academics and employers. Unfortunately, research supervisors and industrialists frequently indicate that many of our graduates have very poor problem solving abilities. This workshop is designed to address these issues. Invited participants, from a range of bioscience disciplines, will have the opportunity to share practice and influence current and future Centre activity in this area. They will also be asked to co-author a hardcopy report that will summarise the outcomes of the event.

 
 

Things you can do from here:

 
 

Friday 26 September 2008

Learning and Skills Research Network Conference

Learning and Skills Research Network
Conference



 



Practitioner
Research in the learning and skills sector
:



Developing
professional identity and practice



London, Thursday 4 December 2008, 9:45am
– 4:15pm



For more information: www.niace.org.uk/conferences



 



Summary



This annual LSRN conference will provide participants with
the opportunity to explore and debate the notion of professionalism, including
questions around where, how and whether professionalism exists or is being
eroded or developed (or not) for staff and students in the sector.



 



Background:



The Learning and Skills Research
Network (LSRN) was set up in 1997 and works collaboratively with multiple
partner organisations. It is a network based in the regions of England with links to partners in Scotland, Wales
and Northern Ireland.
It brings together people involved in producing and making use of research in
the learning and skills sector and higher education.



 



The theme of this year’s conference, professional
identity and practice is of huge importance to colleagues working across the
sector. The nature of professionalism and professional identity in its current
contexts continues to be problematic, contested, and debated.



 



Aims



This conference will:



·       
help participants engage with research and
development in the learning and skills sector



·       
disseminate and debate research findings relating to
professional identity and practice.



 



Audience



This event will be of particular interest to
practitioners in:



·       
Adult and Community Learning



·       
Further and Higher Education



·       
Learning and Skills Councils



·       
Lifelong Learning Networks



·       
Prisons



·       
Private Training Providers



·       
Probation Services



·       
Trade Unions



·       
Voluntary and Community Sector



·       
Work-based learning providers.



 



Event Information



Delegate Fee: £150 (includes lunch, tea/coffee)



Enquiries to
NIACE Conferences Team - Tel: 0116 204 2833 /



E-mail: gurjit.kaur@niace.org.uk



 

Tuesday 16 September 2008

browser

I seem to be changing from firefox - using lots of tabs and extensions to google chrome using igoogle as a portal - interesting and not something I was expecting at all!  Missing scribefire and gtd inbox that's all I am keeping fireox open for.

Wednesday 10 September 2008

Online Teaching & Learning Conference



Jossey-Bass is hosting
their second annual Online Teaching & Learning Conference, which is
a completely online event. The conference will be October 7 & 8,
with a special pre conference on social presence hosted by Fielding
Graduate University, on October 6.




Conference attendees will learn practical hands-on techniques for how
to effectively teach an online class coupled with a focus on adult
learning. In addition each conference attendee can create an instant
library by choosing three books from the Jossey-Bass Online Teaching
& Learning series.








Here's the schedule at a glance:

October 6 - Pre-Conference

*  Social Presence in the Online Classroom

*  Transforming a Learning Program Through a Community-Based Model of Instruction

*  Teaching and Learning in Virtual Worlds

October 7

*  Keynote with Cynthia Calongne: Learning in Virtual Worlds

*  Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn

*  Assessing the Online Learner

*  Exploring the Digital Library

*  Gender, Digital Technology, Games and Learning

October 8

*  Keynote with Stephen Brookfield: Developing Critical Thinkers

*  Engaging the Online Learner

*  Learning in Real Time

*  Collaborating Online

*  Conquering the Content



To find out more about the conference, and to register, go to www.onlineteachingandlearning.com

Tuesday 2 September 2008

Inclusive policy and practice

from the HEA -


Inclusive policy and practice: Research Seminar Series





You are cordially invited to attend the next seminar in our series:



Beyond compliance: Aligning disability issues with learning, teaching and assessment approaches





Facilitated by



Mike Adams

Visiting Professor, Leeds Metropolitan University and

Chief Executive Officer, Essex Coalition of Disabled People



Wednesday 1st October 2008



Leeds Metropolitan University

Headingley Stadium, Carnegie Stand Room 201



10am – 1pm, followed by refreshments





The aim of the seminar is to explore the key challenges facing higher education institutions, which will include how pedagogic research in this area can be stimulated. Through short inputs, case studies and discussions with participants the seminar will aim to develop a framework for institutions to work through solutions.







There are 50 free-of-charge places available for this seminar, and these will be allocated on a strictly first-come-first served basis. You should await confirmation of a place before attending.



To reserve your place, please email K.L.Maw@leedsmet.ac.uk by 12.00pm Wednesday 24th September 2008. Please indicate if you have any accessibility or dietary requirements at the time of booking.

Sunday 24 August 2008

ELEARNING SYMPOSIUM



ELEARNING SYMPOSIUM

Tuesday 9th September 2008, University of Bristol, 10.30am - 4.30pm

This event will introduce a range of established and upcoming eLearning technologies and consider how they might be used to support Economics teaching and research.

Technologies will include Virtual Learning Environments; Personal Response Systems, Blogging, Podcasting and various social networking applications such as Delicious and Facebook.

An important feature of the event will be for delegates to acquire hands-on experience of using some of these applications. There is no charge for this event, so long as you are a staff member at a UK Higher Education institution.

Further details including a provisional programme and booking form are available at: http://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/events/elearn0908.htm

Tuesday 5 August 2008

The Learning Lab seminars



The Learning Lab is pleased to announce dates and topics for it’s 2008-09

seminar series. Outline details of forthcoming seminars are listed below,

additional information appears on the Learning Lab website at

www.learninglab.org.uk.



The seminars

6th November 2008: Personal response systems: learning

through ‘asking the audience’

3rd December 2008: The changing nature of plagiarism in the digital

age

21st January 2009: Assistivity: empowering diverse students with

technology

11th February 2009: Context aware and situated mobile learning

4th March 2009: Learning with Web 2.0 technologies

25th March 2009: Ethics and evaluation: doing the right thing with technology



Run in collaboration with The Learning Technology and Pedagogic Research

Cluster (LTPR) at the University of Wolverhampton, the one-day seminars are

small events (maximum 20 delegates) based around a key topic with built-in

opportunities for questions, discussion and networking. Seminars typically

consist of 3 or 4 speakers who will usually be drawn from a range of

backgrounds, e.g. a researcher, a developer and a practitioner, in order to

give a variety of viewpoints on the same subject. Some seminars will also

include hands-on sessions where delegates can test out relevant technologies.



Location, timings and cost

All seminars take place at the Learning Lab which is located at the Telford

Campus of the University of Wolverhampton, a few minutes from main rail and

motorway networks. Full directions are available on the Learning Lab website

and will be sent out to all delegates with their booking confirmation.



Each seminar is one day in length and will commence at 10:00 and run through

to 16:00. An agenda will be sent out to delegates in advance of each seminar.



Seminars are offered at a cost of £80 per person per day (except where

stated otherwise). The cost is inclusive of refreshments and lunch.



How to book



To book please visit the Learning Lab website to either print out a fax-back

form or to book online. Alternatively, you can contact Denise Telford

(Denise.Telford@wlv.ac.uk) on 01902 322362 or Liz Fleetham

(Liz@learninglab.org.uk) on 01902 323932.

Saturday 2 August 2008

Text messaging tool

Have started using sendible for sending text messages and reminders to myself - a very useful tool - www.sendible.com

Friday 1 August 2008

ALT-C 2008: Rethinking the digital divide

ALT-C 2008: Rethinking the digital divide

9-11 September 2008, Leeds, UK

*Bookings close Friday, 15th August 2008 - book soon to confirm your

place!*



This conference will explore and extend the debate over the digital

divide, providing an opportunity to develop both thinking and practice.

The premise to be explored in the conference is that the digital divide

is multidimensional, rather than just being a problem of access, and

that the divide is, in different ways, prevalent in many settings, and

is not limited to the divide between first world and lesser developed

countries. In addition, several forms of the digital divide manifest

themselves in everyday situations encountered by many in the learning

technology domain.



Full details of the conference programme can be found at:

http://www.alt.ac.uk/altc2008/timetable.html



There will be major keynotes from:

* *David Cavallo*, Chief Learning Architect for One Laptop Per Child.

David's keynote will stress how solutions to the digital divide should

support the development of collective agency that gives users power over

their own lives.

* *Itiel Dror*, Senior Lecturer, University of Southampton. Itiel brings

a unique perspective on learning and its fit with cognitive systems, and

the bridge between cognition and learning technology.

* *Hans Rosling*, Professor of International Health, Karolinska

Institute, Han's Gapminder Foundation invented the Trendalyzer data

visualisation tool. Hans will use this to analyse the economic, social

and environmental divisions that exist in the world, and while pointing

to the severity of the situation note that there are some reasons for

optimism.



Alongside our keynote speakers, the programme will be interspersed with

sessions addressed by eight invited speakers: *George Auckland* (Head of

Innovation, BBC Vision); *Lisbeth Goodman* (Professor of Creative

Technology Innovation, Founder and Director of the SMARTlab Digital

Media Institute); *Jane Hart* (Centre for Learning and Performance

Technologies, and creator of the Top 100 Tools for Learning list);

*Denise Kirkpatrick* (Pro Vice-Chancellor for Learning and Teaching, The

Open University); *Richard Noss* (Professor of Mathematics Education at

the Institute of Education, Co-Director London Knowledge lab, TLRP

Associate Director for Technology Enhanced Learning); *Gilly Salmon*

(Professor of e-Learning and Learning Technologies, University of

Leicester); *Clive Shepherd* (Chair of the eLearning Network); and

*George Siemens* (Associate Director, Research and Development, Learning

Technologies Centre, University of Manitoba).

Getting tenure

Time for Twenty-Four Terrific Tenure Tips for New Faculty Members: Ideas For Fostering Freedom

My
department hired two new faculty members who have now both arrived on
campus. Both are great! They sat down with me on Monday and asked my
advice on getting tenure here. Since we did not finish the
conversation, I created a list of ideas. It is below. Perhaps it will
help you as well. Not all of it will apply.

You might skip them
all since I was originally denied tenure and had to fight for it. I may
not be the best role model. Once tenured, however, my productivity took
off. This happened, in part, since I no longer had to sit through the
endless and quite boring teacher education reform committees which
never interested me (I was an corporate controller and CPA--interested
in nontraditional learning, open, and flexible learning; anything but
traditional learning and traditional schools and traditional teacher
education). I found myself in distance education.

Give me
anything that is not eyeball to eyeball or ear-pan to ear-pan and I am
happy as a clam. With my research on distance learning taking off since
tenure back in 1997, I now have 210 publications and have give over 850
talks. I think I had maybe 20 publications and 100 talks prior to
1997--you do the math since then. Same person I was when I was denied
tenure. Same skin. Same smile. Same concern for students and heavy
involvement in student mentoring.

The difference has been
freedom. Freedom to explore. Freedom to say no to ideas and people that
do not fit mine. Freedom to help people who need it. Freedom to suggest
things to others to help they succeed when they do not see something
that I think is quite obvious. Freedom to create unique partnerships
and collaborations. Freedom to send to a journal you are not sure
about. Freedom to write a book or an e-book. Etc. But why do we contort
our bodies for a decade to get through graduate school and then get
tenure for such freedom? If personal freedom to learn, live, and grow
is that goal, do not delay! Go for it right now!

Anyway, once
tenured, you reassume control over your life which perhaps you did not
have for 4 years in graduate school and the six years of the tenure
process. Do people realize how much of their lives they are giving up?
That is a bloody decade and for many people it is two decades. How can
one get out of this cycle of paying homage to everyone else? If you use
some of the ideas below, I think you will be assuming more control and
personal self-directedness over your life.

Many of these points
below relate to time. Life is time. Time is life. Why do we go through
routines that the media, our colleagues, our students, our family, and
our friends expect of us? We should try to take control over our time.
It is our own personal time. Once you do that, you enter a state of
flow and your productivity will skyrocket. There is a ton of time for
you to do whatever you want. Trust me.

Two dozen things to do on path to tenure and give you more control over your time amd personal freedom:
1. Teach in Bulk:
I mean, if you can, teach back-to-back courses or one day a week
courses. Free up days to write, rewrite, and reflect. Or perhaps teach
some courses online and some face-to-face. I once taught 2 sections of
undergrad educational psychology courses on Tuesdays and Thursdays
back-to-back. I also once taught a graduate course at 4-6:45 pm on
Wednesdays and another from 7-10 pm that same day. My two course load
was all completed on Wednesdays, thereby giving me 5 days per week to
write (1 day was spent prepping my 2 courses). I work every day if you
cannot tell.

2. Avoid Summer Teaching or Teach Summer Intensive Courses:
Do not teach all summer and avoid any summer teaching if you can. Save
summer for writing and some vacationing. Three week summer classes are
the best. Or even 1 week or no weeks. If you teach all summer your
first six years as a new professor, your odds for getting tenure are
significantly reduced. Simply put, look around you; chances are that
your competition is not.

3. Get Vita Line Items:
Say yes to many things that are low time that add to vita. Short time,
high payoff items are best, especially those involving fun.

4. Avoid Big Things: Say
no to most things that are long in nature and only add 1-2 lines to
your vita. Unless you are principle investigator or it is your main
interest area. If you are in charge, then sure.

5. Service Protection:
Get protection from chair from too many service committees. Find out
what are the norms and expectations and ask your chair if how many you
need to be on. If you are on 2 or 3 service committees and that is the
expectation, you can say that your chair told you to say no to anymore.
This limits feelings of guilt.

6. Doctoral Committee Commitments:
Once you are on the average number of dissertations, post a note on
your door number of doctoral committees you are on and that you are not
taking anymore. That way, if a student sends you an email to request
you to be on a doctoral committee, you can say, well, if you read my
door, you can see that I an not taking anymore. It is not you saying
no, but the note on your door. This also limits guilt and you are
telling the truth--you are not taking anymore (or at least not this
day).

7. Schedule Student Meetings Back-to-Back: Have
student meetings back to back. If you have 1 meeting, make others
wrapped around it. Sometimes I double book appointments so as to speed
everything up (not that often--perhaps 1-2 times a year when things get
crazy). When another student is waiting, the one in my office gets to
the point faster. (Actually, as bad as this sounds, I am the one who
likes to dilly dally and socialize, so this keeps me on task too.)

8. Teach at Off Peak Times: I
like to teach late at night at 4 or 7 pm or on early mornings or
weekends. I love teaching Saturday mornings. You get access to all
equipment and resources in the building and it is quiet and informal.
It is also a chance to do whatever you want to do. The building is
yours! It is like that built the place just for you and your class. It
is quite uplifting. Makes your soul come alive! You also avoid
disruptions and meetings that were not previously planned for.

9. Publication Goal Chart: Have
a goal chart and reflect on progress. Have specific things to do on
that chart and mark them off as you accomplish them. This is the most
important point of my list of 24 items. Have goals and project into the
future. And revise and monitor them as needed! You should have at a
minimum the kernel of 4 or 5 articles on this goal chart. It should
like at least a 2 year plan or looking out 24 months. I would actually
recommend thinking 3-5 years into the future.

10. Goal Chart Mentoring: Discuss
physical goal chart with a mentor. This will help keep you on task. It
will also give you someone to share your successes and rejections with.
Mentors are very important in getting to tenure and in life.

11. Clear Schedule in Bulk: Clear days or weeks from schedule to write and only write. And then write and write and write. Smile.

12. Writing Tips: Read the writing tips in my blog. I have 4 such blog posts.

a. Ten Quick Writing Tips: http://travelinedman.blogspot.com/2008/01/10-quick-writing-tips-in-academic-world.html
b. 20-30 Writing Tips: http://travelinedman.blogspot.com/2007/01/quick-20-academic-writing-tips.html
c. 3 P's of Professorship: http://travelinedman.blogspot.com/2007/08/3-ps-of-publishing-professorship-keep.html
d. 3 P's of Professional Writing: http://travelinedman.blogspot.com/2007/08/3-ps-of-professional-writers-purpose.html

13. Avoid Raising Hand or Volunteering to Chair a Committee: Do
not volunteer to be a chair on a committee ever. When asked, just say
when you signed up for this committee, it was with the agreement that
you would not chair it. Do not go looking for more work that is not
recognized prior to tenure.

14. Department Service: At
the department level, work on service committees that matter—search
committees, new student entrance committees, etc. These types of
committees provide the people who you will work with in the future.
Hence, they are extremely important ones to your own success. Travel or
awards committees can also be fun and worthwhile without killing you.

15. School/College Level Service: At
the college or school level, sign up for committees that usually have
modest time requirements like student appeals or ethics committee,
invited speaker or lectures and seminars committee (limited meetings
and you meet cool and important people), and outstanding dissertation
or awards committee. Committee on teaching are also worth the time
investments. Avoid faculty council committees (political and a sure
waste of time and effort--keep in mind that this is my opinion; many
faculty love this one)> Also avoid promotion and tenure committees
(political) and budget committees (boring! I know, I am an accountant.
Higher education accountants, however, take boring to the extreme).

16. University Service: One
word--avoid. Unless you like the topic a lot and it is great exposure
for you, just say no. Of course, you might sign up for one to get to
meet faculty from other departments and units or to work with your
favorite friends. Just do not go overboard. If a form comes and you can
sign not to be included in the annual voting for a particular faculty
committee, then sign away. Why have your enemies vote you on silly
committees that waste your time?

17. Grants of Other People: Do
not get on another person’s grant (unless small role with high payoff;
need to get your role specified in writing—-never just an oral
agreement, though I an a hypocrite here…smile). This is one area that I
have always seen problems. Weigh summer money and release time from
grants of other people against commitments and time away from personal
publishing.

18. Writing Environment or Setting: Find a place to write that you like. This is a no brainer and everyone will tell you this.

19. Signage for Visitors:
If bothered too much, place a sign on your door about your
availability. I have an open door policy at my office so I work for
home a lot where I can get much done. Other people prefer their work
offices. If you do, try to close the door at times. At home, I have a
wondrous view of the woods and a creek at the bottom. Deer walking
behind when I work on my deck. I can write a ton. Find your setting
(see pt #19 above).

20. Get Help and Thank Help: You
cannot do everything by yourself. Get people to give feedback on papers
and thank them in acknowledgements. Have a couple of friends who are
good editors will go a long way in your success. I just found 2 people
here in Bloomington who are currently helping me with a book. Find
those people, but be sure to pay them and thank them as well as help
them out when they need it.

21. Journal Selection Process:
Look for journals to publish in. Target your papers. Think or plan
ahead. If you are in educational technology, see my technology journal
list at: http://www.trainingshare.com/resources/distance_ed_journals_and_online_learning_books.htm

22. Conference Jumping: Do
not go from conference to conference. Try to publish your papers prior
to going (after accepted) or right after the conference. If you go from
conference to conference, you will never get many things published. I
am speaking from experience. Friends need you at conferences, but each
conference equates to 2-3 weeks—one week to get ready, one week to be
there, and a week to recover. Keep this 3 week rule in mind every time
you consider a conference. It is more like 3 weeks of time for an
assistant professor. For tenured professors like me, it is more like 1
week since I no longer have to write papers for each conference and can
come and go as needed. That being said, I still do conference papers. I
do not want to sound like a slug.

23. Annual Publishing Goals or Quotas: Publish
on average 3 good articles per year. That is the goal. If you get 2
much of the time and 3 the rest, be happy. My personal quotas are much
higher but you need to set yours somewhere and simply get started.

24. Research Strands: Create
2-4 strands of your research. Do not just have 1 strand to your
research as some might advise you to do. One strand may never be
accepted for publication and so then what do you do? Diversify somewhat.

These
are just 24 of my ideas. I could give you 24 more if needed. Get ideas
for 4-5 people and synthesize across them. Ok, remember this is about
YOUR time. Below is a joke about the time commitments prior to tenure.

Ten Simple Steps to Tenure (this is meant as a joke--smile):
Step #1: Avoid department meetings;
Step #2: Avoid school or college meetings;
Step #3: Avoid university functions and meetings;
Step #4: Avoid mandated meetings;
Step #5:
Avoid book publishers, book buyers (though sometimes getting cash for
books is nice), and avoid anyone stopping by just to chat.
Step #6: Avoid retreats and other such silliness;
Step #7: Avoid committee meetings;
Step #8: Avoid students;
Step #9: Avoid life;
Step #10: Review other 9 steps each week.

Much of this I say in jest. Still, it is just a way to remind yourself that your time matters and is costly.

What
about friends and family? Never forget them. They are the most
important. Meet them during conferences or take with you. My kids have
been with me to conferences and presentations in Finland, Australia,
and Hawaii. That was fun! In addition, my friends meet me at almost all
of my conferences. That is also great!

So now you have two dozen
ideas to help you get tenure (should you want it). If all else fails,
here is a job posting list I recently created (smile this is meant as a
joke):
http://www.trainingshare.com/resources/Job-search-Educational-Technology-and-Instructional-Technology.htm

Good luck.