ASCILITE NEWS

Call Out for Proposals to Host the ascilite2016 Conference

ascilite is seeking expressions of interest from potential conference organizing committees to host the 2016 annual conference.

ascilite conferences are a central aspect of ascilite and provide opportunities for delegates to meet with international and national peers to exchange ideas, research and practice in educational technology.

Conferences provide a forum for the presentation of refereed papers, short concise papers, symposiums, posters and workshops. The conference also provides memorable opportunities for social interaction and networking.

There are a number of expectations of conference organizing committees including:

Justification for the conference location and a brief explanation as to why the venue chosen would attract delegates.
Identification of strategies for marketing and attracting 400 – 450 delegates to the conference.
Liaison and collaboration with the ascilite Treasurer throughout the organization of the conference particularly in relation to the budget.
Ongoing communication and collaboration with the ascilite Executive.
The inclusion of an ascilite Executive member on the conference organizing committee.

The deadline for ascilite 2016 conference proposal submissions is Monday 14 September 2015.

As a first step a potential conference organizing committee should obtain a copy of the Conference Handbook and discuss this with an ascilite Executive. A copy of the Handbook is available by emailing the ascilite Secretariat. Since the geographical location of the conference is an important consideration, you may view past conference locations on the ascilite website here

Reminder: AJET Call for Lead Editor

As you may know, the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology (AJET) is the official journal of ascilite. Since 1985, AJET has continued to publish peer reviewed scholarly research related to the educational use of technologies in the tertiary education sector. It now enjoys the reputation of being a highly regarded, influential, open access, online journal with an international standing and reach.

AJET is led by a small team of Lead Editors, namely Professor Barney Dalgarno, Charles Sturt University, Professor Sue Bennett, University of Wollongong and Dr Michael Henderson, Faculty of Education, Monash University. The Lead Editors are supported by a team of Associate Editors, an Editorial Board and a Management Committee. All editors act in a volunteer capacity to support the work of the journal.

In December 2015, Professor Sue Bennett will complete her term as a Lead Editor. As a result ascilite now invites applications for a new Lead Editor to join the existing editorial team.

Ascilite is committed to active succession planning for this important role and Professor Bennett and the AJET team will be providing support to the successful applicant to ensure a smooth transition into the role.

If you are interested in applying for this important position, you will find full details on the ascilite website here. Applications close 30 June 2015.

Associate Professor Caroline Steel
ascilite President
AJET Management Committee

OTHER NEWS

UNSW to launch 2nd Offering of the Learning to Teach Online (LTTO) MOOC, 6 July 2015

UNSW is launching the second iteration of its Learning to Teach Online MOOC on July 6. Enrol now online here.

The MOOC offers practical strategies and advice to help educators develop or improve an online teaching strategy they can then apply to their own teaching. The free six-week course offers a personalised approach, which allows participant to determine their pathway through the MOOC based on their own learning goals. Participants can complete the course at pass level as fast as they desire, or can obtain a distinction by completing two additional peer reviewed assignments over the six weeks.

The first iteration of LTTO was well received around the world. It is the only Australian MOOC chosen for inclusion in US President Barack Obama's national program of continuing education accreditation. In addition, the Trinidad and Tobago government’s Knowledge TT program sponsored LTTO Verified Certificates for its population to enhance local learning opportunities.

The MOOC is valuable for educators in any discipline or sector who want to improve their understanding and application of various technologies to meet the needs of contemporary teaching practices.

Call for Papers: Tenth International Conference on Networked Learning in Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Professional Development

We are pleased to announce the Call for Papers for the Tenth International Conference on Networked Learning in Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Professional Development.

The conference is hosted by Lancaster University at the Lancaster House Hotel in Lancaster, on the 9 – 11 May 2016.

Keynote Speakers are Professor Caroline Haythornthwaite, iSchool at The University of British Columbia and Lawrence Liang, Lawyer and writer of Bangalore.

This conference is considered a major event in the international 'technology enhanced learning' conference circuit, and provides a friendly, supportive context for meeting researchers and practitioners in networked learning.

All submissions are peer reviewed and accepted papers are published in the conference proceedings.

Full Conference details may be found here and a PDF of the Call for Papers is located here.

Job Vacancy: Educational Designer, Radical Learning Team, La Trobe University

Fixed Term position- 31 December 2015
Location: Melbourne (Bundoora Campus)
$74,115- 81,831 p.a. plus up to 17% Superannuation
Create new subjects and explore the application of new and emerging technologies

The role

The Radical Learning team supports the implementation of the Digital Learning Strategy through the leadership, design and development of innovative, blended and online learning and teaching, curriculum, assessments and learning environments. The team also plays a key role in developing online courses and maintaining strong partnerships with existing external partners.

This position provides specialist advice in educational design to develop innovative blended and online learning designs, teaching resources and student experiences.

You will be working on innovation grants and exploring the potential and application of new and emerging technologies. You will partner with academics and other key stakeholder's to re-imagine the possibilities of learning in a digital world with a focus on the student experience.

The candidate

To succeed, you will possess:

Undergraduate degree with subsequent relevant experience; or extensive experience and expertise in educational design.
Proven experience in applying e-learning pedagogy, educational design, and appropriate technologies to create innovative and engaging online learning and teaching approaches, experiences and environments.
Ability to creatively apply theoretical knowledge in curriculum and learning design to bring together diverse and sometimes conflicting information to solve educational design problems.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple stakeholders and projects concurrently to achieve agreed outcomes.
Excellent interpersonal skills, especially the capacity to work collaboratively and cooperatively.
Project management experience, including the demonstrated capacity to manage multiple educational design projects, ensuring each project is delivered to specification, quality standards, time and budget.

Position Enquiries may be emailed to Associate Professor Caroline Steel, Director Digital Learning at c.steel@latrobe.edu.au.

For further information including an application form, visit the La Trobe website.

The closing date for applications is 31 May 11:55pm AEST.