ASCILITE NEWS
ascilite 2014 Conference Update
Submissions
Thanks to all those who made submissions and a huge thanks to our team of reviewers. We have been impressed by the care and attention to detail of so many reviewers. This important work ensures ascilite is a quality venue for the dissemination of research and practice outputs.
Registrations & Accommodation
Earlybird rates close on 3 October so you may wish to register now. If your paper has been accepted, remember at least one author must register and attend ascilite2014 in order for the paper to appear in the published proceedings.
Book your accommodation early – there are a range of great places to stay within easy walking distance of the conference – don’t leave it too late to book your choice – places are filling fast!
Need a visa to enter NZ? Check the new info 4 participants section of the website. We can arrange a letter of invitation when you register if you need one.
Trade Booths
If you would like a booth at ascilite2014 don’t delay! There are still a few places in the trade exhibition. Email Sally Boult for details.
Conference Theme
It’s official! The theme for the ascilite2014 Conference Dinner is ‘Steampunk’ – Get your thinking caps and goggles on and come prepared – see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk for inspiration!
The excitement is building so keep an eye on http://2014conference.ascilite.org or follow us on Twitter – @ascilite14.
The forecast for Dunedin today is fine and Spring has now sprung. The blossom is out and we’re warming up for a great southern welcome in November.
Jenny, Bronwyn and the ascilite2014 Conference Team.
ascilite Past Conference Proceedings Archive
Did you know that on the ascilite website there is a valuable library of all past conference proceedings? You can view and download papers in PDF format from any ascilite conference held between 1995 and 2013. Just go here to browse the library.
OTHER NEWS
e-Assessment Scotland & Transforming Assessment Joint Online Conference
Online from 8 to 19 September 2014.
This year the online conference is featuring a series of e-Exams presentations in line with the conference theme “Final answer? The question of summative assessment”. There will be ten online sessions all at no cost!
You will find session time zone conversion information on the website’s calendar. Look for ‘eAS’ labelled sessions on the website here and please register here for all sessions so that you can receive session joining information.
Victoria University 2014 Learning & Teaching Seminar Series
Fostering Interaction in Online Education: Where did the Teacher go?
The field of educational technology has a longstanding interest in the concept of interaction and interactivity. With every emerging technology comes the promise of new forms of interaction and novel ways of engaging students in the learning process. The attention researchers, teachers and developers of educational technology have given to interaction is well founded.
The educational theories and the teaching and learning frameworks used to guide research and practice in the area of educational technology and online learning have consistently emphasised learning as a social process that involves interaction among people, and between people and artifacts. However, in this presentation Professor Kennedy will argue that educators and technologists have not done a particularly good job in using technology in systemic ways to enhance and support teaching and learning interactions. One result of this, is that we risk sidestepping teachers and the valuable process of teaching when we “go online”.
The seminar will be presented by Professor Gregor Kennedy, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Educational Innovation) at the University of Melbourne. Please visit the website for further information and then RSVP here.
WHEN: Wednesday 10 September 2014, 12:00-1:00pm
WHERE: A315, Footscray Park campus, Victoria University.
Blended Synchronous Learning Handbook available for download
In 2011-13 the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching funded a project aimed at exploring Blended Synchronous Learning, which entails bringing together on-campus and distributed learners to partake in shared, real-time experiences.
The project focused on three technologies — videoconferencing, web-conferencing and 3D virtual worlds — as well as learning designs involving the use of these technologies to simultaneously engage students and teachers in collaborative activities irrespective of their location. A national scoping survey was conducted, and seven case studies were followed and investigated through participatory evaluation.
The Handbook arising from the project can be downloaded for free here.
Higher Ed Services and the National Peer Review of Assessment Network Invitation
Higher Ed Services and the National Peer Review of Assessment Network are inviting you to share knowledge, participate in stimulating exchange and network with like minded colleagues. There are several upcoming events for which you can register.
Wednesday 12 November 2014 – ‘Assuring Grades Across Course Boundaries’
The inaugural Peer Review of Assessment Network Forum will be of keen interest to university and other Higher Education Providers concerned with sharing and disseminating good practice in the peer review of assessment across different contexts. With the new proposed Higher Education Standards Framework, emphasis has been placed on the importance of external referencing in assuring standards across the higher education sector.
Thursday 13 November 2014 – ‘A Brave New World: Navigating Risk, Compliance & Quality in a Deregulated Environment’
The 3rd Annual Higher Education Compliance and Quality Network (HECQN) Forum will explore the current challenges facing Universities and Higher Education Providers in the context of deregulation and what that might mean in regards to managing risk, changes to and the ease of compliance, quality assurance in teaching and support systems, and the brave new world of students as consumers. The final program will be available soon.
You can download a Program update here and obtain further information by visiting websites for the National External Peer Review of Assessment Network Forum and the 3rd Annual Higher Education Compliance and Quality Network Forum. For further details email Sara Booth.
You may register for one or more of these events here and join your colleagues at a networking dinner to be held on the Wednesday night.
The forums will be held at the Park Royal Hotel, Melbourne Airport and special accommodation rates have been negotiated for delegates. To book your accommodation at the Park Royal Melbourne Airport phone +61 (03) 8347 2000 and mention you will be a delegate to the Forums.
ALT Newsletter: Articles of Interest
“RIG Update: M25 Learning Technology Group”, Julie Voce, Leo Havemann, Sonja Grussendorf, Antony Coombs, and Colin Loughlin. Read more.
“Social Media for Every Audience : Student Social Media Showcase and the European Conference on Social Media 2014”, Sandra Huskinson. Read more
ALT News Digest 306
Association for Learning Technology Fortnightly News Digest 306 was issued on 29 August 2014. ALT’s journal – Research in Learning Technology is open access. Articles from the past 20 years are available here.
