Electric Dreams
For ascilite’s 30th anniversary in 2013, conference hosts Macquarie University hope to cast our minds towards the future through the conference theme, ‘Electric Dreams’.
A dream can be a vision, a prediction, an aspiration - but it can also be a reflection, a pastiche of thoughts, or a different form of consciousness. Our aim is to inspire new and creative ways of thinking about the use of computers in education - to dream while we’re awake.
The occasion of our 30th anniversary also offers delegates the opportunity to reflect on where we’ve come from, and how that might inform where we’re going.
We look forward to all the digital dreamers (and cyber somnambulists!) joining us at the 30th ascilite Conference 2013 at Macquarie University, Sydney!
1: Learning from the Past
“Only things the dreamers make live on. They are the eternal conquerors.” - Herbert Kaufman
Over the space of three decades developments in computing have been transformative, revolu- tionising communications and access to knowledge. In tertiary education, these developments have challenged traditional ideas about curriculum, learning spaces, resources, delivery, evalu- ation and beyond. We invite you to reflect on these changes - how they transpired, and what lessons we can take from them.
2: Understanding our Present
“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.” - John Lennon
With the fast-paced churn of new technologies and platforms, is tertiary education keeping
up? Are we realising our dreams of connected, innovative and interactive learning experiences and environments, or do they remain a mirage? We invite you to examine the use of comput- ers in tertiary education today, share examples of best practice in the ‘classroom’ (wherever or whatever that might be), and/or consider the challenges we face in unlocking their pedagogical potential.
3: Imagining the Future
“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.”
- Gloria Steinem
Quite simply, what comes next? Whether short or medium term (or for the truly brave, the long term,) what opportunities and challenges await us? ascilite has been asking this question for the past 30 years, so in that tradition we invite you to start dreaming about the next three decades!
