ASCILITE NEWS

Closing date for ASCILITE 2018 Conference Submissions Extended

The Call for Participation for the ASCILITE 2018 Conference at Deakin University has been extended by two weeks to 27 July 2018.

All submissions must be made online via EasyChair and full guidelines for submissions is available on the conference website here.

The Annual ASCILITE Spring into Excellence Research School

EOIs are now invited to attend the annual ASCILITE Spring into Excellence Research School which will be held 17 – 19 October 2018 at Griffith University, Southbank, Queensland. This event, which will be hosted by Learning Futures, Griffith University, will feature guest speakers and presenters including Professor Barney Dalgarno, Associate Professor Dominique Parrish, Associate Professor Sue Gregory and Emeritus Professor Margaret Lloyd.

The aim of the ASCILITE Spring into Excellence Research School is to:

Provide support and guidance to participants in developing and progressing Technology Enhanced Learning research initiatives including but not limited to:
– Formulating a relevant and effective TEL research project.
– Collecting appropriate TEL research data.
– Identifying what data is most appropriate for TEL research.
Assist participants to identify and plan a contemporary TEL research project.
Enable opportunities for participants to link with like-minded collaborators from other universities and potentially to establish viable cross-institutional research collaborations.
Guide participants in developing a grant application or research plan for a TEL research project. This would include both projects that have already been conceptualized as well as new projects that have not yet been conceived.

At the end of the ASCILITE Spring into Excellence Research School participants will:

Have gained a sound understanding of current topical areas and methodologies for TEL research
Have broadened their professional networks
Have a well-developed and comprehensive plan for a TEL research project
Appreciate how to be successful in publishing manuscripts in journals
Be able to confidently review a manuscript and provide constructive feedback;
Have a strategy for identifying potential funding opportunities and developing funding applications

The ASCILITE Spring into Excellence Research School is most suited to:

Early to mid-career researchers
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) enthusiasts
Teaching intensive academics
ASCILITE mentors and mentees
Anyone interested in applying for a TEL research grant
Anyone interested in TEL research collaborations and cross-institutional research projects
Academics seeking to incorporate research into their TEL practice and approach
PhD supervisors

This 3-day ASCILITE Spring into Excellence Research School, which includes lunches, morning and afternoon teas and 2 nights accommodation (17 & 18 October 2018), is $750 for ASCILITE members and $950 for non-members (less $290 if accommodation is not required).

Expressions of interest to attend the 2018 ASCILITE Research School are due by 6 August 2018. Please note that there are limited places available so don’t be disappointed, register today.

EOI outcome notifications will be sent by 13 August 2018 and successful applicants will be provided with registration and payment options at that time.

If you have any further questions, please email Dr Chris Campbell at Griffith University.

Accreditation Framework Feedback Survey

Over the past 18 months, ASCILITE has been working on conceptualising an internationally benchmarked online learning accreditation scheme that will assess, certify and recognise the quality of online learning.

To date the process of conceptualising this scheme has been facilitated through several phases including 9 sector workshops held across Australasia and a National Summit with senior higher education leaders in online learning.

Further information about this initiative is available on the ASCILITE website here.

The next phase of implementation is a series of consultative workshops with Educational Technology practitioners designed to finalise the Accreditation Framework, identify measures of performance suitable for each of the criteria in the framework and ascertain the quality indicators that would inform the assessment of performance. Members were invited to submit an EOI for these workshops on 29 June.

We are also inviting members to participate in the stakeholder consultation process by providing feedback on the Accreditation Framework which you can do by viewing the Accreditation Framework here (PDF) and completing this online survey to provide your feedback here.

LA-SIG Next Webinar: Data Storytelling and Learning Analytics in Physical Spaces

Date & Time: 25 July 2018, 11am (AEST), 1pm (NZ). You will find other time zones for the session here.

Abstract: The aim of this talk is to discuss the potential of a new metaphor for bringing Learning Analytics into blended/hybrid learning spaces that we call Classroom Translucence. A translucent classroom or learning space would be that where activity traces of online and in-the-classroom learning can enhance awareness of teaching and learning practices. Similar to how translucent surfaces are used in architecture, a translucent system would facilitate awareness while ensuring privacy and restricting the use of data for particular situations.

This presentation will showcase a series of current and past developments aimed at making teamwork and classroom activity more visible based on this metaphor. We have been rolling out multimodal learning analytics solutions into physical learning spaces to capture traces of activity that can potentially serve as evidence for reflection or for learners and educators to take immediate actions. It is time to connect the best of both worlds in learning analytics: 1) the more developed analytics on computer-mediated student data and 2) emerging physical analytics technologies.

Presenter: Dr Roberto Martinez-Maldonado is a full-time researcher at the Connected Intelligence Centre (CIC) and data visualisation lecturer at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS). He has a background in Computing Engineering. His areas of research include Human-Computer Interaction (HCI, CSCW), Learning Analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AIED, EDM) and Collaborative Learning (CSCL).

In the past years, his research has focused on applying data mining techniques to help understand how people learn and collaborate in co-present environments, empowering people with emerging technologies such as interactive surfaces, combining available technologies for capturing traces of collaboration and helping teachers to orchestrate their classroom through the use of interactive devices and learning analytics innovations. He is program co-chair of the research and industry track program of the International Conference of Artificial Intelligence in Education 2018, held in conjunction with the Festival of Learning in London in June.

Registration: To register for this session, please go here and be sure to mark your calendar!

OTHER NEWS

Job Vacancy: Learning Designer, University of Melbourne

Melbourne School of Professional and Continuing Education (MSPACE), Faculty of Business and Economics.

Employment Type: Full-time fixed term.

Salary: AUD $88,171 – $95,444 p.a. plus 9.5% superannuation.

This role will focus on leading the design, development and adoption of innovative solutions for the University’s suite of online courses including the MOOCs initiative, using a range of contemporary technologies, online platforms and collaborative learning environments. You will use sound instructional principles and methodologies oriented to best practice learning and teaching pedagogies, and will be guided by the University’s eLearning Strategy.

Reporting to the Learning Design Manager, you will have an understanding of pedagogy and experience in the application of this knowledge to eLearning resources. Learning Designers within the team are also guided and mentored by Senior Learning Designers.

For enquiries only contact Ian Smissen on +61 3 8344 1039 or email Ian. (Please do not send applications to Ian).

For position information and to apply online go here. The closing date for applications is 22 July 2018.

Leading Millennials Global Study

Are you a Millennial or do you know someone who is a Millennia born 1978 – 1998? Millennial feedback on what leadership strategies and practices are preferential in current work environments is currently being sought through an online survey.

This survey, which is available at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LeadMillennials is completely anonymous and participants’ responses will not identifiable.

Call for Participation in Networked eLearning Capacity Development Study

Thank you to those who responded to my initial call for participation in December. If you are teaching with technologies or involved in learning design or professional development in the area, then please take a moment to share your opinion/experience of networking via an anonymous questionnaire (~10 mins) and/or volunteering for an interview. The research is University of Auckland, New Zealand ethics approved (Reference Number 018812) and the results will be disseminated widely through publications and forums like this. More details can be found in the participant information sheet which you will find in the link above.

Please feel free to circulate the call and get in touch if you have any questions.

Kind regards,
Ashwini Lal
Centre for Learning and Research in Higher Education
University of Auckland

Reminder: Call for Submissions for Special Issue on Implementing Online Learning in Australia

This special themed issue 2019 of the Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice (JUTLP) seeks to showcase innovative and progressive features of contemporary university online learning and teaching through illustrative case studies. Authors are invited to submit expressions of interest in the special issue in the form of extended abstracts of 350-400 words. See the full call for submissions here.