ASCILITE NEWS
Issue 30(5) of the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology Published
We are pleased to advise that the fifth issue of the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology for 2014 has recently been published.
The editorial for AJET Issue 30(5) and the articles it contains are available from this link.
Please feel free to circulate this link and promote the new issue of the journal among your networks.
As always we would like to thank our team of Associate Editors, Helen Farley, Michael Henderson, Timothy Teo, Shirley Agostinho, Eva Heinrich and Lina Markauskaite, and our Layout and Copy Editors Kayleen Wood, Antonina Petrolito and Molly McKew.
We would also like to acknowledge the authors for their contributions to AJET and for the support we received from them in preparing papers for this issue.
Gregor Kennedy, Sue Bennett, Barney Dalgarno, Michael Henderson
Lead Editors, Australasian Journal of Educational Technology
ascilite 2014 Conference Update
Conference Programme Released
The programme is out, the speakers are booked, the venue is being prepared and the weather is warming up – ascilite2014 is building up a head of steam!
Check out the full programme on the website here. You can click which sessions you want to attend and keep them marked for later.
Session Not to be Missed
For the new and not so new to academic writing, one session not to be missed is speed editing with the AJET editors. Check the programme for the session you'd like to attend and register your interest by email to bdalgarno@csu.edu.au and 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!
Note to Presenters
Presenters make sure you register to attend the conference here and check our presenter guidelines here.
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
Accommodation
Accommodation is selling out, so don't delay, book now – there are still great places to stay within easy walking distance of the conference.
Win a Smartphone
Win a smartphone controlled robot! Get your thinking caps and goggles on – In 150 words or less describe an educational application for Google cardboard. Further details may be found here on the website.
Follow us on Twitter @ascilite14 and check the website regularly for conference updates!
Steampunk
Rattle your dags, get those presentations polished, chuck your steampunk gear in your suitcase and we'll look forward to giving you a warm Dunedin welcome very soon!
Jenny, Bronwyn and the ascilite2014 Conference Team.
Executive Committee Poll Closing Soon: Please Vote!
This is a reminder that voting for ascilite Executive Committee members closes on 28 October. All ascilite members are encouraged to vote and if you were a current member as of 7 October, you would have received an email with instructions on how to vote, including a personal link to the poll on that date. Look for "2014 Executive Committee Election Poll" in the subject line. If you wish to vote but cannot locate the email, please contact us to re-send your link.
You can view profiles of each nominee who is standing in the election but you will need the email referred to above in order to caste your vote.
ascilite Executive Committee members perform critical volunteer roles that ensure ascilite remains a sustainable, vibrant and relevant tertiary education community. As an ascilite community member, we hope that you will consider your vote carefully to ensure the continuing success of the peak professional body for digital learning and teaching in Australasia.
OTHER NEWS
Peer Review Network Update
Higher Ed Services and the newly established Peer Review Network invite you to share knowledge, participate in a stimulating exchange and network with like minded colleagues at the National External Peer Review Network Forum and the 3rd Annual HECQN Forum. These opportunities offer university and private higher education providers a program of speakers, discussions, updates and networking to support the sector and each other in the delivery of quality education in Australia.
Register for both events or for just one and join your colleagues at a networking dinner to be held on Wednesday 12th November. Registration costs reflect HES's policy which aims to ensure its events are affordable and inclusive and foster collaboration. Any profit generated is injected back into the sector
The events will be held at the Park Royal Hotel, Melbourne Airport and special accommodation rates have been negotiated for delegates.
To find out more, or to register click here.
Registration Fees
National Peer Review of Assessment Forum – $295 (Wednesday November 12)
HECQN Forum only – $295 (Thursday November 13)
Quality Plus Package – $495 (Both days)
Networking Dinner – $ 85 (Wednesday November 12)
OLT National Forum: Curate, Credential and Carry Forward Digital Learning Evidence, 13 November 2014
This Office for Learning and Teaching national forum will showcase examples from the thought leaders in the field in prior learning, credentialing, open badges practice and research, and offer an employer’s perspective. The forum is a national event at Deakin University, Burwood campus with sites for colleagues in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.
Mozilla's Open Badges project has opened up a new way of recognising skills and learning through an open, stackable framework and provided an opportunity to recognise more detailed aspects of learning. For example, whereas achievement of learning may be somewhat invisible in collated marks and grades, open badges enable the warranting of capabilities including those that are difficult to measure (such as team work and intercultural competence). Badging skills, experiences and knowledge can supplement or even replace traditional assessment signals such as marks and grades. Open badges can also enable a more social approach to assessment: badges can be issued or endorsed by designated stakeholders – peers, mentors, industry, associations – both within and outside of an institution and build the learner’s ability to judge their own and others’ performance.
This national forum will showcase examples from the thought leaders in the field in prior learning, credentialing, open badges practice and research, and offer an employer’s perspective.
Presenters
- Dan Hickey, Indiana University; Director of the Open Badges Design Principles Documentation Project
- Nan Travers, SUNY, Director of the Office of Collegewide Academic Review
- David Gibson, Curtin University
- Allyn Radford, CEO, DeakinDigital
- Michael Evans, Neukom Fellow, Dartmouth College
- Joanna Normoyle, Experiential and Digital Media Learning Coordinator; UC Davis
- Janet Strivens, Centre for Lifelong Learning Educational Development Division, The University of Liverpool, Senior Associate Director, The CRA
- Susi Steigler-Peters, Education Industry Executive, Telstra
Visit the website here to register now. Deakin's strategic commissioned project site can be found here.
First European Multilingual MOOCs go live, sign up now!
As of 13 October, learners all over the world can sign up to take part in free Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in a range of different subjects from Blended Learning to Business Organization, from Searching on the Internet to Climate Change. These MOOCs, lasting between 6 and 8 weeks, are all offered by the new European Multiple MOOC Aggregator, called EMMA for short, which brings together leading university partners providing online, easy-to-access learning opportunities that are open to all learners.
This first catalogue of courses are all offered in at least 2 languages including Spanish, English, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch and Catalan and learners are welcome to test out the learning platform in multiple languages as they find the course that best meets their needs and interests.
Teachers and learning providers are also invited to consider adding elements of EMMA MOOCs to their own existing courses to add new perspectives and innovative learning opportunities.
In 2015, the EMMA team will be providing support and help to universities and colleges interested in launching their own MOOC in multiple languages on the EMMA platform as well as expanding the number of available MOOCs on EMMA. EMMA is experimental in nature and so feedback from the wider educational community is welcome to help us to improve the platform.
For more information about individual MOOCS and to register for a MOOC, visit the EMMA website. For more information about EMMA, email the EMMA Press office.
EMMA is a 30 month pilot action supported by the European Union. EMMA showcases excellence in innovative teaching methodologies and learning approaches and offers free, open, online courses in multiple languages from different European universities to help preserve Europe’s rich cultural, educational and linguistic heritage and to promote cross-cultural and multi-lingual learning.
ALT Newsletter: New Articles of Interest
Guidance on policy on storing of data in cloud storage solutions
ALT News Digest 310
Association for Learning Technology Fortnightly News Digest 310 was issued on 24 October 2014. ALT's journal – Research in Learning Technology is open access. Articles from the past 20 years are available here.
