ASCILITE NEWS

Reminder: Early Bird Rates Now Available for ascilite2015

The Early Bird rate is now available for conference registrations. Rates for the conference, workshops and so forth will be found on page 3 of the registration system which can be found here.

OTHER NEWS

Blended Learning 2015

Being able to provide a blended learning environment is crucial for universities if they want to attract, engage and retain students. At a time of reduced public funding, faculties need to use existing resources more efficiently and align learning design with student outcomes.

With that in mind, Blended Learning 2015 has been designed to share best practice examples of how some of Australia's leading universities are achieving results in this area. The conference will be held in Sydney, 27 – 28 October at the Fraser Suites.

Blended Learning 2015 is an ascilite endorsed event.

How 4 universities are taking blended learning to the next level (eBook)

Ahead of Blended Learning 2015, specialists from Monash University, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the University of Sydney have shared exclusive insight into how they are using blended learning strategies to improve student engagement and achievement.

You can read about their findings in a complimentary eBook which you can download here. In the eBook you'll learn more about:

Monash University’s Better Teaching, Better Learning Agenda: focusing on the pedagogy behind the desired change and how technology can enable it
UTS’s course curation and learning design: embracing technology to move forward strategically and considering the longer term picture
Learning analytics at the University of Sydney: designing and adopting pedagogical strategies that increase student achievement
UNSW’s flipped learning space ‘The Place’: transforming the traditional model of teaching to provide an interactive learning space

Blended Learning 2015 brings together educators and learning design specialists to present in-depth case studies, outlining what they have achieved and how they have enhanced the student experience. You can download the full conference program here and you can view the speakers here.

Early Bird Rate Ends 21 August

The last opportunity to secure an early bird ticket and save yourself $1,100 off the cost of attending ends 21 August 2015. Book online now to secure your place at this discounted rate.

You can register here or to obtain further information or you can email us.

Ako Victoria Unconference 2015

Talk, Teach, Make and Play. 21st Century Learning and Teaching ideas at Victoria University, New Zealand.

Time & Place: 4 September 2015, 9am – 4:30pm at Karori Campus, Victoria University of Wellington.

Victoria's Centre for Academic Development is pleased to announce the addition of ascilite as a sponsor and we are very grateful for their support in making the Unconference a success.

Come and engage with other tertiary educators interested in exploring learning and teaching practice. Talk about the burning pedagogical issues you are facing, explore exciting new ways of learning and teaching, experiment with new technologies in hands-on making sessions.

Best of all – its completely free!

You can register on the Unconference website where you will also find details about the day and information on how you can contribute to sessions. Register early – places will fill fast, we’re already nearly at half capacity for the day! If you’ve already registered, now is the time to start proposing sessions for the day:

The 2015 Unconference is sponsored by Ako Aotearoa (National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence), ascilite, DEANZ and the Centre for Academic Development, Victoria University of Wellington.

Call for papers: E-learning and Digital Media Special Issue on Twitter in Education

Guest Editors Drs Noeline Wright and Dianne Forbes have announced a Call For Papers for an upcoming special issue of E-Learning and Digital Media, now published by Sage. They invite you to:

Submit an article for publication in the special issue
Assist with disseminating the call to interested colleagues
Volunteer your services as a reviewer for this special issue
Look out for the special issue when it appears – to read, respond and share

The due date for submissions is 26 February 2016.

Introduction

Twitter in education: Microblogging is now an accepted part of the social media landscape. But what does it look like in educational settings for educational purposes? What is it used for, what impact does it have, and who for?

This call for papers for E-Learning and Digital Media aims to collect articles that directly focus on how and why Twitter is used educationally. Explorations that dig deeply into its affordances for learning as well as examples of practice across sectors (from compulsory schooling to various tertiary and informal learning contexts) are welcome. A range of methodological approaches are also welcome.

Objective

This issue on Twitter in education will bring together examples of practice and thinking that help us understand how these social media tools are appropriated for specific educational purposes and the extent to which they address issues of impact, which must be defined in relation to the context under scrutiny. In addition to practice-based submissions, we welcome literature reviews and theoretical considerations of Twitter use in education.

Submission Procedure

Authors are invited to submit papers for this special issue on Twitter in education on or before 26 February 2016. All submissions must be original and may not be under review by another publication. Interested authors should consult the journal’s guidelines for manuscript submissions.

All submitted papers will be reviewed on a double-blind, peer review basis. Papers must adhere to the Sage Harvard reference style for citations.

You can download a PDF of this Call for Papers here.

All submissions and inquiries should be directed to the attention of Dr Dianne Forbes at diforbes@waikato.ac.nz. Please write ‘Elea Twitter in Education Special Issue’ in the subject line of all correspondence.

Job Vacancy: eLearning Technologist, University of Waikato, Hamilton New Zealand

The role of the eLearning Technologist is to provide technical support for eLearning systems across the university. In collaboration with WCEL, ITS, and other staff, the eLearning Technologist will maintain, develop, and enhance eLearning systems and technologies, including Moodle.

For more information and to apply, please refer to the job advertisement and job description on the University of Waikato website.

Applications close 28 August 2015.

Job Vacancy: Head of Technology Enhanced Learning, University of Wollongong

UOW has just endorsed a new Technology Enhanced Learning Strategy to support their whole of institution Curriculum Transformation Project. We are now looking for a dynamic, strategic thinking Head of TEL to help operationalise our vision.

Further details can be found on the UOW website.

Job Vacancy: Online Learning Designer, Otago Polytechnic

Otago Polytechnic is a leader in educational performance and is setting big targets for the future. The OP Online team at Otago Polytechnic supports the goals of the institution by working with subject matter experts to design and deliver a range of innovative online and blended programmes and courses that promote the highest quality learning experiences for all our learners. We are seeking an experienced educational developer to join our team on a permanent basis on a full-time, permanent basis.

Team members have a range of complementary skills, including learning design and instructional design, which we use to develop high quality blended and online courses. The ideal candidate will hold a tertiary teaching qualification and be an experienced educational developer able to design online resources in conjunction with teaching staff across the Polytechnic. Team members are good communicators, are flexible, proactive, problem-solvers, and are future focussed. They have excellent knowledge of educational technology and open educational resources, and they know how to incorporate student-centred pedagogy and instructional design into the development of online learning resources.

The OP Online Team operates as a high performing and self-managing team. It draws on the strengths of individual members to manage work collectively and has a strong culture of self-responsibility. If you want to be part of a value-driven, learner-focused institution, if you thrive in an environment that balances independence with team culture, if you like to be challenged and work at the forefront of educational development, and if you have a positive and enthusiastic attitude – we would like to meet you!

Applications close 4 September 2015.

To find out more and to apply please visit the jobs website.

17-08-15 Bulletin