BOOKINGS OPEN FOR ALT-C 2008 CONFERENCE ON RETHINKING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
Bookings are now open for the Association for Learning Technology’s 15th annual conference, to be held at the University of Leeds, England from 9-11 September.
High profile speakers will present papers and workshops on this year’s theme of Rethinking the Digital Divide. Keynote speakers will be David Cavallo, Chief Learning Architect for One Laptop per Child and Head of the Future of Learning Research Group at MIT Media Lab; Dr Itiel Dror, Senior Lecturer in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Southampton; and Hans Rosling, Professor of International Health, at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden and Director of the Gapminder Foundation. http://www.alt.ac.uk/altc2008/
Chief Executive of ALT, Seb Schmoller, explains, “The digital divide tends to be seen as a problem of access whose ‘solution’ will bring a myriad of benefits. The reality may be quite different: technology, once supplied, may fall into disuse; connectivity may be in short supply, or too costly; lack of uptake by users may be a conscious and rational decision. The digital divide is multidimensional, rather than being mainly or only about access. The conference is for anyone involved in the application of technology to teaching and learning, including researchers, practitioners and policy-makers, and this year will explore how under-served groups can make more effective use of learning technology. We’ll do this in a wide range of ways, including workshops, symposia, demonstrations, and short, research paper, and poster sessions.”
Invited speakers include luminaries and leaders from the learning technologies world such as:
- George Auckland – Head Of Innovation, BBC Vision
- Lizbeth Goodman – Professor of Creative Technology Innovation, Founder and Director of the SMARTlab Digital Media Institute
- Jane Hart – Head, Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies
- Denise Kirkpatrick – Pro Vice-Chancellor 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 – Independent Consultant and Chair, eLearning Network
- George Siemens – Associate Director, Research and Development, Learning Technologies Centre, University of Manitoba
Dr Jill Jameson of the University of Greenwich and Dr John Sandars of the University of Leeds are the conference co-chairs.
Around 640 delegates from across the world attended last year’s event. Delegates from higher and further education, schools, government and commercial bodies described the event as “very good, inspirational”, and a “fantastic opportunity to network and share and learn”.
Over 340 submissions were received for the programme, including research papers, workshops and symposia. (See ‘Notes to Editors’ for more information on the programme.)
This year’s major anchor sponsors for ALT-C to date are:
BECTA; Blackboard; Department of Universities, Innovation and Skills; Desire2Learn; Digital 2010; Eduserv; Elluminate; The Higher Education Academy; IMC; The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC); The Learning and Skills Council; MyKnowledgeMap; Positive Internet Company Ltd; Quality Improvement Agency; University of Leeds; WIMBA; and Yorkshire Forward.
Bookings can be made using secure online registration for credit/debit cards or by official purchase order. Earlybird booking deadline: 30 June 2008. Booking deadline: 15 August 2008. http://www.alt.ac.uk/altc2008/registering.html
For further information visit: http://www.alt.ac.uk/altc2008/ or email [email protected].
About ALT
ALT (the Association for Learning Technology) is a professional and scholarly association which brings together all those with an interest in the use of learning technology. There are over 200 organisational members from higher and further education institutions, private and public sector organisations and over 500 individual members. Sponsoring members include Becta, HEFCE, Microsoft, the Scottish Funding Council, Adobe, and the Learning and Skills Council.
Association for Learning Technology, Gipsy Lane, Headington, Oxford, OX3 0BP
Tel: +44 (0)1865 484 125 Fax: +44 (0)1865 484 165 Email:[email protected]
URL: http://www.alt.ac.uk/
Tel: +44 (0)1865 484 125 Fax: +44 (0)1865 484 165 Email:[email protected]
URL: http://www.alt.ac.uk/
ALT is a Registered Charity in the UK, number: 1063519
For media information, more detail on speakers, photographs from ALT-C 2007 or to apply for a press pass, please contact:
Catherine Dhanjal, TheAnswer Ltd
Tel: 01883 650434 or 0794 166 9925
Email: [email protected]
Submissions for ALT-C 2008 covered topics such as:
· Global or local – for example: How can experience in the developing world inform the developed world, and vice-versa?
· Institutional or individual – for example: How can the tensions between personal and institutional networks, and between formal and informal content, be resolved?
· Pedagogy or technology – for example: How do we prevent technology and the enthusiasms of developers from skewing things away from the needs of learners?
· Access or exclusion – for example: How can learning technology enable access rather than cause exclusion?
· Open or proprietary – for example: Can a balance be struck, or will the future be open source (and/or open access)?
· Private or public – for example: What are the respective roles of the private and public sectors in the provision of content and services for learning?
· For the learner or by the learner – for example: How can technology empower learners and help them take ownership of their learning?
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