Following my earlier circulation in respect of ePIC 2011 ; the 9th International ePortfolio and Identity conference on 11-13 July, at the Savoy Place, London http://savoyplace.theiet.org/ I am now able to confirm that:
· following feedback from potential delegates, the event website has been developed to make the process of access more straightforward, especially for those new to Eifel;
· The Programme Committee, a group of internationally recognised experts and professionals making recommendations on the programme, the review panel and promoting the event within their communities, now includes confirmed representatives from the US, UK, Mainland Europe, Canada and Japan.
· As an alternative to multiple bookings, potential delegates may wish to note that a free exhibition package is provided to any organisation registering speakers and delegates for a total value equal or superior to 2,000€ (equivalent to 2 early-bird delegates + 2 speakers). This is intended to promote greater synergy between exhibitors and the programme itself. Exhibition opportunities are limited to ten, and provide table and chairs, Internet access (wifi), space for a pop-up stand, a leaflet in the delegate bag, and visibility on the conference web site. In the first instance, information about this offer should be addressed to Amy Marsden here at CRA (amy@recordingachievement.org).
The Conference will provide a forum where researchers and practitioners can discuss theoretical aspects, open issues, and innovative approaches and share the latest advances in the state of the art and practices in how far the following are currently supported effectively by ePortfolio tools and technologies, whether provided within or beyond institutions:
· the development of learner and professional identity;
· the (institutional) recognition of informal / life-wide learning;
· accreditation of prior experience and learning (APEL), curriculum design and assessment;
· integrative learning and holistic development (including graduate attributes);
· continuing professional development, lifelong learning and sustainable employability;
· the development of distributed 'communities of practice', community and organisational development.
The event will bring together policy-makers, researchers, academics, teachers, trainers, human resource managers and technologists. It will enable in-depth and broad exploration of the issues - and results in real outcomes. Past events have resulted in the creation of national and international networks, contribution to policies, contribution to standardisation bodies, establishing partnerships with other communities in the field of digital identity and human resource standards, transnational projects and numerous publications.
Key Conference questions may include, (but are not limited to):
· Should everybody have an ePortfolio?
· How do ePortfolios contribute to the identity construction process?
· Why is the ePortfolio landscape so patchy?
· How do ePortfolios support the acquisition of 21st century skills?
· How do ePortfolios support lifelong learning, orientation and employability?
· Why is Accreditation of Prior Experience and Learning (APEL) still underdeveloped? What are the barriers to recognition of informal learning?
· Is the informal recognition of informal learning within communities of practices an alternative to formal recognition (APEL)?
· Why is formal learning still non-integrative and non-holistic? Are 'Integrative learning' programmes a solution to current fragmentation of learning or simply the symptom of the failure of our formal education system to overcome its fragmentation?
· Why is it Facebook and not an ePortfolio platform which is the most visited site after Google and Microsoft? Could have it been otherwise?
· Do current ePortfolio technologies reduce or contribute to the fragmentation of the identity process?
· Why are ePortfolio mostly still non-interoperable?
· Why ePortfolio platform providers are not active participants in the identity, access management and trust technology and standardisation communities?
· How can we make an effective 'business case' to those funding eportfolio provision when resources are restricted?
Important dates:
31 March 2011 – Deadline for the submission of abstracts.
20 April 2011 – Notification of acceptance of presentation to authors
1 May 2011 – Author registration deadline – to be included in the programme
30 June 2011 – Deadline for the submission of the final version of long and short papers
11-13 July 2011 – Conference
30 July 2011 – Publication of conference proceedings
The Conference website is at: http://www.epforum.eu
Online registration is at: www.conftool.net/epic2011
Amy Marsden
Website Administrator
The Centre for Recording Achievement
104-108 Wallgate
Wigan
WN3 4AB
twitter.com/TheCRA
Tel: 01942 826761
Fax: 01942 323337
amy@recordingachievement.org
Registered Company No. 3717882
Registered Charity No. 1088700
A national network organisation, registered educational charity and Associate Partner of the Higher Education Academy.
