Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education

ASCILITE NEWS

ascilite 2014 Conference Update

Only 13 more sleeps until ascilite2014 lifts off so make sure you do your own final ‘safety’ check before leaving for the conference!   Accommodation is selling out, so don’t delay, book now – there are still great places to stay within easy walking distance of the conference.

Presenters

Presenters must be registered to attend. If you haven’t registered yet, go here.   Also, be sure to check our presenter guidelines.  They give you all the info you’ll need to deliver a great presentation.   If you have any questions or special requirements for giving your presentation, let us know by email.  Tweet your presentation to @ascilite14 and we’ll retweet it or use #ascilite2014.

Two Session not to be Missed

Speed editing with the AJET editors

Check the programme for the session you’d like to attend and register your interest by email to Barney Dalgarno. Please cc ascilite.submissions@otago.ac.nz with “Book AJET Session” in the subject line. When you attend the session, bring along a maximum one page summary of a paper proposal. A speed editing template for this will be available on the website very soon. There are only 2 speed editing sessions and numbers will be limited so book ahead!

The Google Cardboard Challenge

Win a smartphone controlled robot! Get your thinking caps and goggles on. In 150 words or less describe an educational application for Google cardboard. More details can be found on the website here.

Conference Programme

Check out the full programme on the website. You can click which sessions you want to attend and keep them marked for later. Follow us on Twitter @ascilite14 and check the conference website regularly for updates! And finally, remember to pack your steampunk gear, then sit back, buckle-up and get ready for ascilite2014 – it’s going to be a blast!

Jenny, Bronwyn and the ascilite2014 Conference Team


Call for Papers: Australasian Journal of Educational Technology (AJET) Special Issue 2015

Educational Design Research for Technology-supported Post-secondary Learning

The purpose of this special issue is to advance EDR by showcasing exemplars of high quality design-oriented research in technology-supported post-secondary educational settings. We seek manuscripts that detail EDR projects involving the use and/or development of educational technology in tertiary education (higher and further), lifelong learning, and training. Manuscripts should therefore promote research and scholarship on innovative instructional designs that integrate technology in those settings, promote effective practice, and help inform policy.

Guest editors

Dr. Theodore J. (TJ) Kopcha, Assistant Professor of Learning, Design, and Technology, Department of Career and Information Studies, University of Georgia.

Dr. Matthew Schmidt, Assistant Professor, Department of Learning, Design, and Technology, University of Hawaii.

Dr. Susan McKenney, Associate Professor, Fostering Effective, Efficient and Enjoyable Learning (F3) Group at the Welten Institute || Open University of the Netherlands & Department of Instructional Technology, University of Twente.

Further Details

For full details, view the AJET Call for Papers here.


OTHER NEWS

Higher Education Technology Agenda (THETA) conference

The next Higher Education Technology Agenda conference, previously known as CCA-EDUCAUSE Australasia, is going to be held from Monday 11 May – Wednesday 13 May 2015 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre at Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia.  Several pre-conference workshops will be conducted on the Sunday 10 May.

THETA is run in partnership by CAUDIT, CAUL and ACODE. The THETA 2015 biennial conference aims to advance higher education by promoting the innovative use of information technology. It is the key technological conference in higher education in Australasia, attracting practitioners and senior decision makers from the broad spectrum of information technology, research, teaching and learning, library and knowledge management.

There will be seven streams in THETA 2015 as, for the first time in THETA history, the QUESTnet Conference and the South Pacific User Services Conference (SPUSC) will be included in the THETA 2015 program, each with a dedicated stream within the main conference.

Registrations are now open and a call for proposals is due to close on Monday 17 November so you might like to consider submitting a proposal online. A variety of presentation options are available.

Further information is available from the conference website and anyone can subscribe to the newsletter.


Next Transforming Assessment Webinar

Learning Analytics to Understand Student Learning Strategies & Outcomes: a study involving scientific simulations

This session, to be be presented by Barney Dalgarno of Charles Sturt University, Australia, will report on a study in which initial conclusions about the relative merits of two online learning designs were thrown into question once student learning strategies, visible through learning analytic techniques, were analyzed. The study compared learning outcomes from exploration and manipulation of computer-based scientific simulations with the outcomes from the presentation of simulation output. A key implication of the study is that in order to understand the learning resources and support our students need when undertaking online learning activities we need a deeper understanding of the strategies they adopt.

As well as describing the learning resources, experimental results and findings from this study, the seminar will discuss the broader question of how we can scrutinize student learning strategies in these kinds of online tasks. Various alternative approaches to analyzing student online learning log file data will also be discussed along with the potential for the use of such methods to underpin the provision of dynamic support for students based on an automated characterization of their learning strategies.

For further info and to RSVP go here.

Recording available

A recording of Designing effective assessment for participative learning online held 5 November, presented by Brant Knutzen, University of Hong Kong is now available. View the session recording and obtain slides here.


CAUDIT Enterprise Architecture Symposium

The 2014 CAUDIT Enterprise Architecture Symposium is being hosted by the University of Sydney on the 24 – 26 of November 2014.

The theme for the symposium this year is ‘Connect the World’. As Enterprise Architects, we’re in the best position to facilitate meaningful connections—in every sense of the word. We’re already harnessing developments in cloud services and digital technologies to connect people and organizations in innovative ways. Organizations are looking to strengthen and diversify these connections, improving their capability. When such connections improve the way people work, collaborate and innovate, it’s easy to see why.

This year we’re challenging all Enterprise Architects to examine how their initiatives and solutions help connect organizations, people and things. Demonstrate what innovative technologies you’re using to build these connections, and tell us what kind of new connections you envisage for the future.

We’ve got some exciting presentations and workshops lined up for this year, including Peter Rohan, a senior partner from Ernst & Young who will be talking to us about the future of higher education and Andrew Nelson from Blue Ocean Strategy Australia who will be presenting a workshop on developing blue ocean strategies.

Visit the symposium website or email Rizan Rizvi or Jillian Lum for further information.


Call for Participation: International Mobile Learning Festival 2015

 

Mobile Learning, MOOCs & 21st Century Learning, 22 – 23 May 2015

The International Mobile Learning Festival 2015 (IMLF2015) will be held in Hong Kong SAR China. The IMLF2015 is an exceptional venue for sharing information on contemporary approaches to education from around the World. The festival will feature evidence-based developments surrounding mobile learning, MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) and pedagogies and models for 21st century learning.

Tertiary and secondary school teachers, education policy makers, researchers, research students and developers are encouraged to attend and engage with colleagues at the Festival. Your participation will contribute to the unique discussion and exploration of the most important developments in mobile learning to date.

The Festival speakers, panel members and presenters will provide their unique understanding of human learning and highlight practical solutions to questions of student engagement in learning, as well as enhancement of human agency through the embedding of digital technologies in learning and teaching activities.

Academic Support for the festival is provided by the Mobile Learning Faculty Research Theme Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong.

Important Dates

Abstract/Full Paper Submission Deadline: January 15th 2015
Acceptance Notification: February 5th 2015
Registration Deadline: February 15th 2015

Further details are available on the website or email pc@imlf.mobi


Job Vacancy: eLearning Designer, University of Melbourne

The University of Melbourne is looking for an eLearning Designer to join its team and to contribute to the educational design of the University’s online learning programs.   Details of the position can be found at this link.

Institutional Members