ASCILITE NEWS
ASCILITE 2016 Conference Program Announced
The ASCILITE2016 conference program has taken shape and we have some very exciting presentations lined up. Ryan Baker (Associate Professor of Cognitive Studies at Teachers College Columbia University) will be Keynote on Monday morning. His research on engagement and robust learning with online and blended learning environments will set the scene for the conference “Show Me the Learning”.
You will find the full program here.
Tuesday brings Professor David Boud (Deakin University) to the keynote table with his plethora of research into assessment and digital learning while after lunch our invited speaker, Peter Goodyear from University of Sydney, supports the conference theme with his work in the area of design for learning. The conference concludes on Wednesday with Professor Belinda Tynan (DVC Education, RMIT).
In addition to these distinguished speakers we have 34 full papers, 51 concise papers, 6 Symposiums, 22 Posters and 4 special presentations (including working with the AJET editors). The final program is now available from the Proceedings link of the website and the final papers will be hyperlinked closer to the conference. Socially we have a busy program for you to be able to network with old and new friends at ASCILITE. This starts on Sunday night with the Welcome function at the base of UniSA’s Jeffrey Smart Building on City West Campus (only 5 minutes walk from accommodation and conference venues).
Monday night will have a Dine Around opportunity where you can book a place at one of our local restaurants offering special deals for ASCILITE delegates. Tuesday, of course, is our Gala Dinner which will be held upstairs in the Convention Centre overlooking the iconic Adelaide Oval. The theme this year is “The Pink Ball”. Details on what this means can be found on the Social Program page of the website. Finally, if you plan on staying in Adelaide on Wednesday night we will have some post conference drinks not far from the venue from 5.00pm with gourmet pizzas if you are hungry.
It's not too late to register.
Executive Committee Elections Poll
If you haven't already done so please caste your vote in the 2016 ASCILITE Executive elections poll. ASCILITE Executive Committee members perform critical volunteer roles that ensure ascilite remains a sustainable, vibrant and relevant tertiary education community so it is important that all members take a few minutes to help elect the best possible committee.
A Call for Nominations for the Executive Committee opened on 27 September and closed 7 October. You are now asked to vote for your preferred nominees. The information below contains the results of the Call for Nominations with instructions on how to place your vote.
- Treasurer: Nominations were called for the position of Treasurer but since the only nomination received was that of the current Treasurer, Allan Christie, no voting is required as per the ASCILITE Constitution By-Laws section 4.1(f). Members will be asked to endorse Allan as Treasurer for a two year term at the Annual General Meeting to be conducted at the 2016 ASCILITE conference.
- Committee Members: Nominations have been called to fill 3 non-officer bearer positions available on the committee in Group 1 as per the constitution. These three positions will be filled for two year terms. Within this group, the three current committee members, Chris Campbell (University of Queensland), Mark Northover (Auckland University of Technology) and Julie Willems (Deakin University) have chosen to stand for re-election and have submitted their nominations. A fourth nomination was received from Mark Shier (Swinburne University of Technology).
Who can Vote
Voting is open only to ASCILITE members who are current members. The voting system prevents duplicate votes so you may only vote once and you cannot return to the poll a second time to edit your vote. If you encounter any issues with casting your vote, please email the Returning Officer.
How to Vote
Please go to this voting link to caste your vote and allow sufficient time to consider who among the nominees you believe will offer the most value to the ASCILITE community as an Executive member.
Ballot Results
Voting will close at midnight AEDT on Monday, 24 October and the results of the ballot will be announced at the ASCILITE AGM on Monday, 28 November held during the 2016 ASCILITE Conference at the University of South Australia, Adelaide. We encourage all members to attend the AGM.
Transforming Assessment (e-Assessment SIG) News: Next Webinar
Time & Date: 2 November 2016, 7am UTC. You will find your local time zone here.
Topic: Writing Analytics to Improve Formative Feedback
Presenters: Simon Buckingham Shum, Simon Knight, Andrew Gibson and Philippa Ryan (University of Technology Sydney).
Abstract: This session introduces the rationale, design and evaluation of writing analytics tools under development based on Natural Language Processing. The session explores the issues of how does one design writing analytics informed by the scholarship underpinning the teaching and learning of writing, and co-designed with literacy and academic subject matter experts. The technology is being piloted with academics and their students engaged in analytical and reflective writing.
Registration: Further information and to register please go here.
Recording released
A video recording of the previous webinar session "A framework for Transforming Assessment in Higher Education" from 5 October is now available for download. This session, which was presented by Dr Sam Elkington (Higher Education Academy, UK) explores how the Higher Education Academy's Framework for transforming assessment in higher education can be adapted to meet the needs of higher education institutions. Drawing on cutting edge research and practice-based examples, the webinar will show how the framework works for a wide range of staff in HE, including those who teach, those tasked with changing assessment policy and practice as well as those responsible for quality assurance or enhancement, centrally or in particular discipline areas. You can download or view the session here.
Next ASCILITE Live! Webinar: Perspectives of the European Instructional Designer
Date & Time: 26 October 2016, at 5pm AEDT. You will find your local time zone here.
Abstract: EDEN is proud to be the European strategic partner of ASCILITE and contribute to the ASCILITE LIVE! webinar series. This webinar focuses on the problems and solutions of a learning designer in the context of open learning. Denes Zarka will explore what "open" stands for in the context of learning resources and present various models for the use and re-use of Open Educational Resources (OERs). Denes will tell the participants why he designs open content and also why others design open content. You will learn about sustainable models for OERs and you can think together with fellow webinar participants and Denes about questions like "is a free course a MOOC already?" or if a free presentation can be considered an OER.
Registration: EDEN will issue open badges to the webinar participants – in order to receive the participant badge (and the link to the recording of the webinar) you are kindly requested to share your e-mail address via the short online registration form.
Technical note: This webinar is hosted by EDEN's Adobe Connect online conferencing tool. To be able to join, you do not need to install any software, simply enter the webinar room as guest. Please, login a few minutes in advance to be able to test your speakers and microphone.
Presenter: Dénes Zarka (1965) – instructional designer, Director of the Centre for Learning Innovation and Adult Learning (OIFK), Budapest University of Technology and Economics. Graduated as electrical engineer (M.Sc) in 1989 at the Budapest University of Technology. Worked as Project Manager at the Budapest Training Technology Centre in 1992-1997, joined as Senior Advisor of OIFK in 1997. Experience with e-learning, ODL and ICT research, managing projects, on-line course development, staff training, corporate relations and market research. Denes is also a Researcher at EDEN.
ASCILITE & EDEN
This webinar is the first collaborative activity to arise from the Memorandum of Understanding between EDEN (European Distance & e-Learning Network) and ASCILITE that was signed in June 2016. The aim of the MOU is to engage in mutually beneficial international activities and initiatives, promote each others undertakings and support each other in facilitating the enhancement of evidence-based research and practice in the use of educational technologies.
EDEN has more than 200 institutional members and over 1200 members in its Network of Academics and Professionals (NAP) across the EU.
OTHER NEWS
Call for Papers:International Conference on Information, Communication Technologies in Education
The seventeenth edition of the International Conference on Information, Communication Technologies in Education, ICICTE 2017, will be held on Rhodes, Greece, between 6 and 8 July, 2017.
This conference has proved itself to be one of the best small conferences of its type. As it has done in its previous fifteen editions, ICICTE 2017 will seek to address the many challenges and new directions presented by technological innovations in educational settings. Also following in the tradition of previous ICICTE conferences, ICICTE 2017 will bring together an international community of scholars and practitioners in a forum setting.
Opportunities for discussion on current thinking and practices in applications of technology to education are enhanced by the limited number of participants. ICICTE invites papers, workshops and posters in a number of general themes, but also suggests a number of specialised themes that can be explored by its participants.
For details of the Call for Papers, please visit the ICICTE website here.
