elearning_label_higher_education
Free Online Open Day webinar on Master in Management from HEC Liege, Belgium
Join this Free Webinar to learn more about the Master in Management from HEC Liege, Belgium. You can join live and ask questions, or register to receive the recording.
The European Commission's Institute for Prospective Technological Studies leads the debate on ICT and Education
The Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has guest-edited the March 2013 special issue of the European Journal of Education on “ICT and Education: taking stock of progress and looking at the future.”
The issue of the European Journal of Education provides a critical review of evidence and opens the discussion on identifying and implementing major changes in education systems to meet the challenges of 21st century learning and society. In-house research by JRC provided 3 of the 7 articles of this special number.
Continuing on this research line, the learning and skills JRC-IPTS research team is working on European Commission's recent Communication on Rethinking Education, and the initiative “Opening-up Education”. Through the Open Educational Resources in Europe project (OEREU), JRC is to provide empirical evidence to policy makers in order to guide policies on the field of Open Education.
The OEREU project is managing a call for visionary papers, several workshops, and an online debate around a dedicated blog, to come up with visions and scenarios on how Open Education in 2030 in Europe might be for Lifelong Learning, School Education, and Higher Education. It is an opportunity for the Educational community to be involved in a European expert network that could have a direct impact on European Policies, especially now when MOOC's (Massive Open Online Courses) have become a hot topic for debate.
ICERI2013 - Call for papers
ICERI2013, the 6th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, will be held in Seville (Spain) from 18 to 20 November 2013.
A platform to discuss the latest developments in the fields of teaching and learning methodologies, educational projects and new technologies applied to Education and Research, ICERI2013 is inviting authors to submit research papers based on a wide array of topics, which they may present in person during the event or virtually. The submission deadline is July 11th.
Two ISBN publications will be produced with all the accepted abstracts and papers, and all accepted contributions will be included in the IATED Digital Library to form part of its database of innovative projects in Education and Technology.
ICERI2013 Publications will be included in Google Scholar and sent to be reviewed for their inclusion in the ISI Conference Proceedings Citation Index.
More than 700 delegates from 75 different countries are expected to attend ICERI2013 in Seville.
Stanford University collaborates with edX to develop a free, open source online learning platform
Stanford University will collaborate with edX, the non-profit online learning enterprise founded by Harvard and MIT, to advance the development of edX's open source learning platform and continue to provide free and open online learning tools for institutions around the world.
By 1 June, 2013 edX will release the source code for its entire online learning platform. In support of that move, Stanford will integrate features of its existing Class2Go open source online learning platform into the edX platform, use the integration as a platform for online coursework for on-campus and distance learners, and work collaboratively with edX and other institutions to further develop the open source platform.
The new open source platform “will help universities experiment with different ways to produce and share content, fostering continued innovation through a vibrant community of contributors", says John Mitchell, vice provost for online learning at Stanford. The university, however, will continue to provide a range of platforms for faculty to choose from in hosting their online coursework, including continued partnerships with Coursera, Venture Lab and other providers.
MIT professor Anant Agarwal, head of edX, said that the resulting open source software will help to promote a "planet-scale democratization of education." edX hopes that an open-source platform will help individual universities develop their own unique "delivery methods," which can vary widely based on unique institutional and cultural factors.
The nww learning platform source code, as well as platform developments from Stanford, edX and other contributors, will be available from June at the edX Platform Repository on Github..
Meeting the Challenge of Video
If video is the new language of learning and YouTube the new classroom, then Windhoek will be the place for African educators to find out how to make the most of this exciting medium. Here is a sneak preview of what will be on offer.
eLearning Africa 2013 in Windhoek will see the launch of a new video strand. We will be hosting a series of sessions aimed at unlocking the secrets of professional film and video for all those involved in learning at any level.
The main driver for the recent boom in video has come from our learners. Watch a young person searching the internet and they are drawn to moving images. Give them a video-enabled mobile phone and they make their own movies. Offer them a text- or a video-based lesson, and see which one they choose.
As educators we need to harness the power of video and learn some of the tricks of the trade from professionals in TV, film and education. The video sessions at eLearning Africa 2013 are aimed squarely at providing this.
On Wednesday May 29th there will be a full day pre-conference workshop on creating educational video. This will be a hands-on practical exercise, taking participants through the various stages of producing a learning video. The session will be led by Eric Hamilton from the USA, Toochukwu Okafor from Nigeria, Simon Katabazi from Uganda, and Joseph Carilus Ogwel from Kenya. All those attending will get the chance to produce their own learning video during the day. The workshop will also cover the use of mobile phones to produce and share video content.
Due to anticipated demand booking is essential for the workshop and can be done here.
On Friday 31st May, we will be holding the eLearning Africa Video Masterclass. Through a mixture of film clips and discussion, international TV executive Adam Salkeld will reveal some of the techniques that great film-makers use to add impact to their work. The Masterclass will take a critical look at camerawork, editing, storytelling, the use of sound, and how directors combine them to create compelling work on screen. If you feel that you would like to add some style and polish to your educational videos then come along and join the Masterclass: it is open to all.
eLearning Africa 2013 is also pleased to announce that we will be holding Video Clinics at the conference. Adam Salkeld will be available to answer your questions about video and view your work, offering tips on how you can give it more impact. The Video Clinics will be free to all eLearning Africa delegates. The time and place of the Clinics will be advertised at the conference.
eLearning Africa 2013 programme revealed
Sharing the best practices of sustainable classroom computing: join experts from Zambia, Lesotho and the UK in the eLearning Africa interactive session chaired by Dell's David Angwin http://bit.ly/10kBPJj.
To know the whole programme, please visit the following address: http://www.elearning-africa.com/programme_table.php
Notes for editors
eLearning Africa, 8th International Conference on ICT for Development, Education and Training
May 29 - 31, 2013
Safari Conference Centre, Windhoek, Namibia
Organisers: ICWE GmbH (www.icwe.net), Government of the Republic of Namibia
Contact
ICWE GmbH, Ms Rebecca Stromeyer
info@elearning-africa.com, www.eLearning-africa.com, Tel.: +49 (0)30 310 18 18-0
The eLearning Africa Team
eLearning Africa 2013 - Innovation or Sustainability: the Choice for African Education
Four controversial experts will take part in "a bare-knuckle fight" about priorities for African education at this year's eLearning Africa Debate. Outspoken Scottish entrepreneur and blogger Donald Clark and Namibian teacher and eLearning expert Maggy Beukes-Amiss will square up to "mobile technology crusader" Adele Botha and Angelo Gitonga of the ICT for Education Unit of Kenya's Ministry for Education at the annual war of words. They'll be arguing about whether too much attention has been paid to innovation in education and not enough to sustainability.
"It's a big issue and there'll be a bare-knuckle fight," says Harold Elletson, who will chair the debate alongside Honourable Silvia Makgone, Deputy Minister of Education, Namibia. According to Dr Elletson, "Some people think that the focus on innovation and technology has just persuaded governments and consumers to invest in equipment that soon becomes redundant. They say that the priority should be to support projects that are sustainable. Other people argue that innovation is vital to Africa's competitiveness and future economic growth. They say that it should be at the heart of the education system."
The eLearning Africa Debate has become the highlight of the eLearning Africa conference, an annual gathering of experts and decision-makers from all over Africa and beyond. Traditionally one of the liveliest and best attended events at the conference, this year's debate is likely to stir up real controversy.
"It's an issue which affects everyone and on which everyone has an opinion," says Dr Elletson. "The debate is an opportunity for conference participants to say what they think about one of the most important issues for the future of education in Africa."
The motion for debate, which will be put to a vote, is "This house believes that sustainability is more important than innovation for education in Africa". The debate will be held at the Safari Conference Centre in Windhoek, Namibia. All conference participants are welcome to attend and to take part in what promises to be a tense and exciting climax to a fascinating conference.
Information on the debate can be found at http://www.elearning-africa.com/programme_debate.php, and the full conference programme can be found at http://www.elearning-africa.com/programme_table.php%20.
Notes for editors
eLearning Africa, 8th International Conference on ICT for Development, Education and Training
May 29 - 31, 2013
Safari Conference Centre, Windhoek, Namibia
Organisers: ICWE GmbH (www.icwe.net), Government of the Republic of Namibia
Contact
ICWE GmbH, Ms Rebecca Stromeyer
info@elearning-africa.com, www.eLearning-africa.com, Tel.: +49 (0)30 310 18 18-0
8 out of 10 underline benefits of European projects for innovation in the classroom
More than 8 in 10 people involved in an EU-funded initiative aimed at encouraging innovative teaching methods and improved learning materials for children say the scheme had a positive and lasting impact on them. The same proportion also states that it would have been impossible to achieve the same results without European support, according to a new study released by the European Commission.
The “Study of the Impact of Comenius Centralised Actions: Comenius Multilateral Projects and Comenius Multilateral Networks” was conducted for the European Commission by the Greek educational organisation Ellinogermaniki Agogi from December 2010-December 2012. It conducted a survey among participants in 145 projects and networks.
The projects were funded through the EU's Comenius scheme, which supports a range of activities, from school partnerships to teacher training and the eTwinning school network. Part of the Lifelong Learning Programme, which will be succeeded by Erasmus for All from January 2014, Comenius allocates around €13 million a year to support the development of new teaching methods and materials.
The study found that the most positive impact was on individuals directly involved in projects, who said that it broadened their views, increased access to best practice and innovation, and improved their professional skills in ICT, languages and management.
The benefits highlighted most by organisations included the opportunity to develop new links and synergies, both within the institution and with others. Systemic impact through the projects and networks is less strongly felt, but most respondents say it exists, for instance where teacher training modules and content developed within a project or network are integrated into established courses.
"Our aim is to help schools to provide pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to reach their full potential,” said Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth. “The added value of this European initiative is that it exposes teachers and schools to different approaches and expertise, which results in more innovative solutions in the classroom.”
Open call for papers for GUIDE - Can online education contribute to overcome the crisis?
This is one of the main questions that the VI International GUIDE Conference 2013, to be held in Athens (Greece) on October 3-4, 2013, will tackle, while providing a comparative analysis of the effects of governmental policies on new training and research strategies.
“The Global Economic Crisis and its consequences on the national educational systems: Can online education contribute to overcome the crisis?”. This is the main question that the VI International GUIDE Conference 2013, to be held in Athens (Greece) on October 3-4, 2013, will try to answer.
Abstract submission through the Call for Papers form by May 31.
Organized under the patronage of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport of Greece, the event will provide a comparative analysis of the effects of governmental policies on new training and research strategies in response to the economic crisis. In particular, the Conference will highlight the role of digital technologies in providing cost-effective equal learning opportunities, while maintaining a high quality university education.
In order to do so, the Conference will be opened by several high-profile keynote speakers, who will give a extremely valuable insight on these questions:
- Welcome address, by Prof. Alessandra Briganti (Marconi University, Italy)
- The Impact of the Crisis on the Structure of Higher Education Systems, by Prof. Andrea Gentile (Marconi University, Italy)
- Surviving Economic Crises through Education, by David R. Cole (University of Western Sydney, Australia)
- Distance Learning and Labor Market Flexibilty, by Christodoulos Stefanidis (University of Pireus, Greece)
- Global knowledge, information technology and the humanities: can intellect exist? A historian's view, by Dr. William Mallinson (Ionian University, Greece)
- OER and MOOCs in a Time of Economic Crisis, by Sir John Daniel and Stamenka Uvalic-Trumbic (Academic Partnerships, USA)
- Economic crisis and online education, by Panagiotis E. Petrakis (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece)
- MOOCS: Disruptive Force or Disorienting Distraction?, by Dr. Arthur F. Kirk Jr. (St. Leo University, USA)
Besides, many experts coming from across the world will discuss new trends and developments in technology-enhanced learning, such as:
- Distance learning as a Strategy for National Development: Blended Education that serves the Mission, Muhammed el Sadanni (MISR University for Science & Technology, Egypt)
- On the Effectiveness of Virtual Labs in Universities - Case studies from an Indian National Mission Project, by Shyam Diwakar (Amrita University, India)
- Distance learning impact on the public agenda setting, by Krzysztof Gurba (Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow)
- The elearning as a response to social challenges: Portrait of a situation, by Maria de Fátima Goulão (Universidade Aberta, Portugal)
- MOOCs and Global Distance Learning: Compatibility or Conflict?, by Paul Edelson (Stony Brook University/SUNY, USA)
- The civil society and the complexity of crisis: cooperation for educational change towards an open system of learning, by Antonis Lionarakis (Hellenic Open University)
- Improving the efficiency of educational process by immersion in virtual reality, by Mikhail Lavrentyev (Novosibirsk State University, Russia)
- Online Learning for All. Accessiblity in Distance Education, by Pilar Orero (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain)
- Building Better Online Education Programs Using a Formal Quality Model, by Robert W. Robertson (Argosy University, USA)
You can check the working list of confirmed speakers here.
Please visit the official website of the conference for more information and updates.
What will schools be like in 2030?
Major changes will take place by 2030 if school education is based on the active participation of the students themselves; the enthusiasm and engagement of digital natives constitute the new milestone for our educative systems.