ASCILITE NEWS

ascilite 2014 Conference Update

Early Bird Registration Closes This Week

Earlybird registration closed on Friday 3 October so don’t miss out on this special early registration rate. 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.

The ascilite2014 programme is taking shape and details will be available soon.

Google Cardboard Challenge

Are you up to the ascilite2014 Google Cardboard Challenge?

In 150 words or less describe an educational application for Google cardboard. That is all there is to it so – get your imagination working.

You don’t have to build the application or demonstrate that it works, you just need to come up with an idea and describe it. Submissions will be judged on the following criteria:

Educational design (How well the use of Google cardboard aligns with intended learning goals),
Innovation in pedagogical approach (What teaching/learning problem does your idea solve or how is your idea new in your teaching context)
Portability to other discipline areas

Email your submission to ascilite.submissions@otago.ac.nz with ‘Google Cardboard Challenge’ in the subject line. Entries close at the start of the conference (23 November) and you must be registered to attend the conference in order to enter.

Find out more about Google Cardboard here.

Accommodation

Don’t leave it too late! Book your accommodation now. There are a range of great places to stay within easy walking distance of the conference.

Dinner Theme

We’re looking forward to seeing you and your steampunk conference dinner outfit in Dunedin very soon!

Watch the conference website and follow us on Twitter @ascilite14 for more on the Google Cardboard Challenge.

Jenny, Bronwyn and the ascilite2014 Conference Team

Speed Editing Session at ascilite Conference

At the upcoming ascilite conference the Lead Editors of AJET have scheduled a series of ‘Speed Editing’ sessions for prospective AJET authors. These short, sharp, meetings will allow prospective authors to discuss with a Lead Editor of AJET an idea for a paper that could be submitted to the journal. Sessions, which will last 15 minutes, can be booked in advance of the conference via email to bdalgarno@csu.edu.au or during the conference through the registration desk at the conference.

Authors need to bring a one page summary of their proposal using the following template:

Proposed title
Background to the problem addressed in the paper (why is the problem significant in educational technology and how does this study contribute to advancing knowledge in educational technology)
Research problem, aim or question this study addresses (be specific to the study)
Methodology, method, and materials (list empirical data and include theoretical framework)
Main results/findings (key points)
Discussion (key points)
Implications (further research, theory, practice and/or policy)
Overall conclusion

For further information, email Barney Dalgarno, AJET Lead Editor.

ascilite Webinar – CMALT Professional Accreditation video available

The ascilite Live webinar presented on 19 September 2014 is now available for viewing on the ascilite website here. This page also contains videos of earlier ascilite webinars that you may find interesting.

If you are interested in professional accreditation within your field, this session may be of interest. The session provided an opportunity for ascilite members and non-members to find out more about ascilite’s CMALT Australasia Professional Accreditation Scheme.

The session was presented by Hennie Yip, from the ALT UK, CMALT Development Group who provided an overview of the scheme and the support available for candidates. Several CMALT Australasia holders shared their experience and tips for success.

The session was facilitated by Dr Janet Buchan from James Cook University.

Call for Nominations on Executive Committee

A Call for Nominations for the ascilite Executive Committee was emailed to members on 16 September. Nominations closed 3 October 2014 and voting is open to current ascilite members from 7 – 28 October.

OTHER NEWS

Australian National Symposium on OER

The Organising Committee of the Tasmanian Institute of Learning and Teaching, University of Tasmania invites ascilite members to participate in the Australian National Symposium on OER on 4 and 5 November 2014, at the University of Tasmania, Hobart.

The aims of this event are to provide and explore opportunities for national and international collaboration and to promote Open Educational Practices in Australia and internationally. Registration closes on 20th October, so please make sure you register soon as places are limited.

Additional information is available here. You can also follow on Twitter #ausoer14.

Webinar: e-Assessment for All, from Rhetoric to Realities

Transforming Assessment Webinar

The next session in the Transforming Assessment webinar series will take place 1 October at 7:00am GMT. Sessions are conducted at no charge.

The session will explore some of the key facets of accessible e-assessment to enable access for learners with print disabilities ranging from dyslexia to visual impairment including those with difficulties handling hard copy print. Examples of formal and informal assessments will be discussed along with some particular issues that relate to making maths and science notation accessible.

The session will be presented by Abi James, Chair British Dyslexia Association, consultant Assistive Learning, UK, Alistair McNaught, Senior advisor, Jisc TechDis, UK and Paul Nisbet, Senior Research Fellow and Joint Coordinator of CALL Scotland.

Further details and to RSVP please go here.

Effectiveness of Collaboration for Innovation Online Survey

ascilite members are invited to participate in a research project conducted by Dr Graciela Corral de Zubielqui, Entrepreneurship, Commercialisation and Innovation Centre (ECIC) at the University of Adelaide.

This project will investigate the role of collaboration/knowledge transfer between business and institutions, and their effectiveness in the innovation process. The survey is of a statistically relevant sample of Australian businesses. This study will enable us to benchmark how well Australian businesses and other institutions are doing in improving innovation activities at local, state and national level and how they can further develop to become more competitive through the innovation process.

The analysis of data that you and others provide for the study, and the recommendations flowing from it, will be critical to sustaining the international competitiveness of Australia’s firms operating in what has become a global marketplace for all businesses.

We would greatly appreciate if you could complete the brief online questionnaire by 1 October. The questionnaire will take approximately 15 minutes of your time and you will have access to detailed reports and papers as outcomes from this innovation survey.

Participation in this project is completely voluntary. If you agree to participate, you can withdraw from the study at any time.

What will happen to my information?

The researcher will take care to remove any identifying material from responses as early as possible. Likewise, individuals’ responses will be kept confidential by the researcher and not be identified in the reporting of the research. The data will be stored on a CDROM, at the ECIC, Faculty of Professions, Adelaide University, in a secure location, for 5 years.

Here is a link to the online survey. Take the Survey. If you have further questions about the project, contact Dr Graciela Corral de Zubielqui by email.

Call for Papers: Learning Technology Innovation in Higher Education and Beyond, ALT (UK)

The call for papers for a Special Issue of Research in Learning Technology, the Journal of the Association for Learning Technology has now been issued.

All accepted papers will be published as a Special Issue of Research in Learning Technology, “Learning Technology innovation in Higher Education and beyond: Sharing global perspectives on research, practice and policy?”

The Special Issue focuses on the latest innovations in digital technologies for teaching and learning in Higher Education and beyond internationally.

The Special Issue will provide a snapshot/summary of current research – will identify what digital technology innovations are being implemented in higher education and beyond, how they are being researched, and what are the implications for practice and policy.

For further information visit the link above.

Job Vacancy: Project Manager (eLearning), University of Melbourne

The Project Manager (eLearning) will be responsible for managing the successful delivery of academic aspects of graduate-level eLearning projects, including scoping, scheduling, production and implementation. The role involves extensive consultation with academics, eLearning designers and content developers to ensure the development and management of timelines, and coordination of academic and marketing outputs in line with timing, budget and quality objectives.

The role will require the incumbent to foster positive professional relationships with a great variety of internal professional and academic stakeholders, develop organizational frameworks for content and communication management, and a demonstrate a thorough understanding of the University’s policy and operational frameworks. The Project Manager (eLearning) will work as part of a growing eLearning production team and report to the Director, Online Education Business.

The successful applicant will have an appropriate qualification and/or extensive experience in project management, educational technologies, rich media production or higher education. The incumbent will have demonstrated capacity to lead projects in complex contexts, excellent interpersonal and organizational skills, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

The role is available as a one year, full time appointment at HEW 7 level, with the potential for a longer term arrangement thereafter. See University of Melbourne salary scales here.

Please email Jacqui Williams for more details.

Job Vacancy: eLearning Designer, University of Melbourne

The eLearning Designer will focus on leading the design, development and adoption of innovative solutions for the University’s development of a graduate-level eLearning portfolio, using a range of contemporary technologies in online learning environments. The position will use sound instructional principles and methodologies oriented to best practice learning and teaching pedagogies, and be guided by the University’s eLearning Strategy.

The eLearning Designer will ensure high quality learning experiences for students by providing professional development and best practice exemplars to academic staff, and in assisting academics in the strategic and pedagogically-driven implementation of educational technologies in their teaching practices. The eLearning Designer will work as part of a growing eLearning production team and report to the Director, Online Education Business.

The successful applicant will have an appropriate postgraduate qualification or training with extensive experience in eLearning design. An ability to create and implement effective educational design frameworks to facilitate the development of high quality online resources and experiences is essential. The incumbent will have exceptional interpersonal and organizational skills, a strong work ethic and a sound knowledge of educational ICT.

The role is available as a one year, full time appointment at HEW 8 level, with the potential for a longer term arrangement thereafter. See University of Melbourne salary scales here.

Please email Jacqui Williams for more details.

ALT News Digest 308

Association for Learning Technology Fortnightly News Digest 308 was issued on 26 September 2014. ALT’s journal – Research in Learning Technology is open access. Articles from the past 20 years are available here.