Welcome from the Conference Convenor Martin Jansen

Welcome to this the 13th Biennial National Conference of the Australian Society for Educational Technology.

This Conference marks the 23rd anniversary of the establishment of the Society in Melbourne in 1975 and twenty-five years since the establishment of the first graduate course of training in Educational Technology- at Toorak State College of Victoria in 1973.

As a graduate of that first course I am particularly pleased and honoured to have been given the opportunity to convene this Conference and I would like to pay tribute to the members of the Educational Technology Group of the Victorian Institute for Educational Research whose report in November 1972 led to the establishment of the Course. In particular I would like to pay tribute to two members of that Group who took a leading role in shaping and conducting that course - Mr Alex Millar and Mr Dennis James.

The "EdTech" Conference, as we have called it for as long as I can remember, was last held in Perth in 1986 and some of the organisers and participants of that Conference are here with us today. I extend a special warm welcome to these and other members of the "old guard". They, like me, know how easy it is to get hooked into educational technology!

A special welcome also to the members of our sister organisations who have supported us in organising and promoting this Conference - IMAGO, AIMIA, ASCILITE and ECAWA. I will leave you to decipher these acronyms as we proceed over the next three days.

Lastly, as a one-time Lecturer in Educational Technology at this institution and at its predecessor for a number of years, I have particular pleasure in expressing, on behalf of the Society and of the Conference, our sincere appreciation to Edith Cowan University for its generosity in hosting this Conference at no cost to the Conference organisation and I would like to especially thank Dr Tony Watson, Pro Vice Chancellor, Teaching, Learning and Technology, without whose staunch support this Conference would not have happened.

I welcome you all.


Martin Jansen
Conference Convener