G’Day
just returned from an interesting trip to China. Did the Great Wall and of course the Terracotta Warriors; both quite remarkable. China itself was also an eyeopener.It is definitely planing for the future and I was was impressed by their very modern major cities , airports and general infrastructure. Security at internal airports was far greater than that I encountered on International flights!. I also encountered the wall of people and the great firewall of China; can’t use Google over there.
Returned to a jungle in the garden. Everything has gone bonkers. Hi Ho.
Anyway it’s back to the grindstone and helping to make sure SoTEL is a real success. Open to all, by the way.
This edition of the Watch (a bit shorter due to having some R&R) includes links to professional development, digital learning, inclusive teaching, technology enhanced learning guide, living touch screen, the use of etextbooks,OER knowledge cloud,Journal for Students as Partners, accessibility, ESL resources,conferences, NZ Happenings and the odd one out.
Xmas bells are already ringing in my ears, for the next edition.
1.Inclusive teaching: from RMIT University in Australia. I have always been a strong advocate and supporter of inclusivity in teaching and learning. This series of guides from RMIT are very useful and informative.
2.Digital learning. A set of comprehensive resources from the online learning consortium. Part of a wide range of growing resources from practitioners in the field. Worth perusing the pages and gleaning some useful information on a variety of topics. Maybe even become a member and contribute.
https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/read/digital-learning/
Interesting article on mobile learning:
https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/insights-from-the-field-mobility-in-higher-ed/
3. Potential.ly.’Support your students in their professional development and career readiness journey.Smart platform that brings all elements of career readiness and professional development together. Build professional development engagement (CPD) into the student experience the moment students arrive’
4. The York Technology Enhanced Learning Handbook. This is a well constructed ‘guide’ for academics wanting to create opportunities for students to learn with the support of technology.
Extract from the Handbook:
‘The York Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL) Handbook acts as a companion to your teaching practice’
Although the focus is on York University environs, the ideas , suggestions and guides can easily be adopted by your own institutions[remember to acknowledge sources]
5.Exploring the Use of E Textbooks in Higher Education: A Multiyear Study. This is a report from Educause in which the authors identify key takeaways as:
‘A four-year university-wide study of students’ e-textbook practices found that e textbook use has increased, particularly among younger students.
The major barriers , including a student preference for print and unfamiliarity with e textbooks ,sh ow signs of being alleviated.
Other factors related to mobile device access and pedagogically effective e textbooks show little change over the study period.
Instructor practices have improved, but there is still room for growth, with implications for focused professional development.
Read the full comprehensive report and evaluate the statistics in relation to your own experiences.
6. This is the resources page for the presentation’After the Lawyers Leave: How Wichita State is Growing a Culture of Access,’ Why this link? I found it interesting that the resources developed were as a result of a student filing a civil rights case against the University in relation to accessibility. Some useful stuff buried in these pages. Maybe help others to examine and improve the accessibility of their own resources.
7.ESL resources. There are many on the Web and of varying quality. This site provides a wealth of material in a wide range of subjects. All examples are downloadable, printable and as far as I can tell, are FREE. Worth bookmarking and using.
And
for more free resources , peruse the photocopiables:
8. UNESCO/COL OER Knowledge Cloud: A developing resource and work in progress providing free access to a range of learning and teaching materials domiciled in the open educational resources domain.
‘The OER Knowledge Cloud has been established to identify, collect, preserve and disseminate available documents of enduring value to researchers, industry, government, scholars, writers, historians, journalists and informal learners’.
9.A living touch screen made from bacteria and Gold? Is this the way of the future? A team at Dukes University have developed a bacteria made, human enhanced electrical circuit that works like the pressure sensor on our touch screens.
This is a very interesting article signalling the potential for huge changes in technology driven by the use of ‘living’ organisms.
10.Second issue of the International Journal for Students as Partners (IJSaP). This is a new journal and one that is raising some interesting issues around the paricipation and contribution student can and do make in the education arena. I found the article ‘Partnership in Practice: Implementing Healey’s Conceptual Model’ particularly interesting as it involved a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) project, highly topical at this moment in time as NZ will be hosting a symposium on the subject in February 2018 (see below)
https://mulpress.mcmaster.ca/ijsap/issue/view/318
11. CONFERENCES
11.1 ASCILITE 2017: 34rd International Conference on Innovation, Practice and Research in the Use of Educational Technologies in Tertiary Education.
The ASCILITE 2017 conference will be held at the University of Southern Queensland in Toowoomba from 4 to 6 December 2017.
https://ascilite.org/2017-conference/
11.2 5th International Conference on Educational Technologies 2017,11 to 13 December 2017,
The Educational Technologies 2017 conference (ICEduTech) is the scientific conference addressing the real topics as seen by teachers, students, parents and school leaders. Both scientists, professionals and institutional leaders are invited to be informed by experts, sharpen the understanding what education needs and how to achieve it.
Sydney, Australia
http://www.icedutech-conf.org/
11.3 The 5th Sino-NZ Research Forum will be held in Tianjin, Peoples Republic of China from 27th to 30th November. The forum aims to bring together industry and educational leaders, politicians and government agencies, practitioners and learners in TVET from New Zealand and the Peoples Republic of China to share their experiences in innovation and enterprise education, strengthen collaboration between the two countries and plan the development of model programmes in this field.
The New Zealand Forum Committee are now calling for expressions of interest for the forum.
http://tvet.ac.nz/?page_id=340
12. New Zealand Events.
12.1 SoTEL 2018 Scholarship of Technology Enhanced Learning. A symposium presenting a showcase of student learning supported by technology; from February 15th to 16th, 2018. This exciting event will be presented annually.
We are delighted that the following organisations are sponsoring the event:
Ako Aotearoa, National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence
Catalyst open source technologies
At the Symposium this year the SoTEL Research Cluster will be launched .
We already have a good number of submissions that promise to be stimulating, innovative,exciting and learner focussed
We are really pleased that we have confirmed our key individuals:
Professor Shirley Alexander, Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Vice-President (Education and Students)
University of Technology Sydney, is a key trendsetter along with
Professor John Clayton from Tokorau Institute for Indigenous Innovation: Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi
Associate Professor Matt Bower, from Macquarie University, an international authority on the scholarship of technology enhanced learning, will also be joining us via a video link.
Claire Amos Deputy Principal at Hobsonville Point Secondary School Claire a founding council member of the Education Council of Aotearoa, New Zealand will also be joining us.
A distinguished group of Key trendsetters and a formidable group!
The inaugural event is being organised by the Centre for Learning and Teaching (CfLAT) at the Auckland University of Technology.
The CALL for SUBMISSIONS is OUT and WILL CLOSE ON NOVEMBER 3RD 2017
Registration is available: Early Bird is NZ$275 +GST. MAKE SURE YOU ATTEND!
Full details are available from the Website. Make sure you put the dates on your calendar, get the submission in and be there!
12.2 LEARNfest 2017: Thursday 16th and Friday 17th November 2017, is a new conference organised by the Centre for Tertiary Teaching and Learning at the University of Waikato. It will explore and share effective and innovative practices in higher and tertiary education. The conference will be a mix of presentations, workshops and demonstrations and is interested in all aspects of learning, teaching and assessment practice and in all settings including face-to-face, blended, online and networked situations.
The conference theme is ‘Connected Learners, Connected Teachers’, and it is FREE [need to register for catering purposes]
Waikato is renowned for putting on excellent events , so it’s definitely worth considering SO put the date in your Diary and aim to be there! The Director of Ako Aotearoa, Dr Stanley Frielick is a keynote speaker.
13. The odd one out: The history of Teaching Machines. Maybe not such and odd one out but at least one that is different. Some fascinating insights into the development of devices called teaching machines over time. Some you may recognised and others may be new. Good stuff to while away a few hours and improve your knowledge of what has or did not last. Finishes with the MOOC in 2012, must be more on the way?
http://teachingmachin.es/timeline.html
That’s it until the snow or something else falls.
Richard
Richard Elliott
The Eternal Macademic
Auckland
New Zealand