ePortfolio 2006

This came through my email today and might interest some members…

“This is the key international event for the growing community of professionals interested in, and working with, ePortfolios. It brings together policy-makers, researchers, teachers, trainers, human resource managers and technologists. As a thematic event devoted to one domain, it allows an in-depth and broad exploration of the issues – and results in real outcomes. Past events have resulted in the creation of national and international networks, contribution to ePortfolio policy, the launch of the ePortfolio for All campaign, progress in ePortfolio interoperability through the Plugfest, transnational projects and numerous publications. The aims of this year’s conference are to build on this work and focus in particular on the role of the ePortfolio in the development and implementation of eStrategies.”
http://form.eife-l.org/ep2006/registration-ep2006.htm

Blackboard and patents

If you haven’t caught up with the news about Bb trying to grad loads of eLearning patents yet Stephen Down’s recent blog is a good place to start.

Creating a Successful Learning Culture: Connecting Learners, Communities, and Information

Call for Proposals
ELI 2007 Annual Meeting
“Creating a Successful Learning Culture: Connecting Learners, Communities, and Information”
January 22–24, Atlanta, Georgia

EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative 2007 Annual Meeting, January 22–24 in Atlanta, Georgia. The meeting offers a setting for interactive, hands-on learning and networking, with a variety of presentations, discussions, and workshops.

Supporting the meeting’s theme, “Creating a Successful Learning Culture: Connecting Learners, Communities, and Information,” we are seeking proposals for presentation sessions, innovation demonstrations, and poster sessions.

Online Information Literacy Project

e-CDF 423 Information Literacy e-Learning Modules project

OIL – online information literacy project can be found at: http://oil.otago.ac.nz
There are now five modules available on the website for teachers to trial – either as stand alone or as flexible learning resources integrated into courses. You are advised to direct students to the website at present rather than trying to download the modules. The modules will be available for customisation and import into Blackboard in approximately two weeks in September once the online editing tool is launched officially.

If you use any of the modules with students or have time to review them please send feedback to Bronwyn Hegarty (chair Analysis and Evaluation Group) – we’d love to hear from you as the evaluation process is ongoing bronwynh@tekotago.ac.nz or 479 3600.

The five modules are:
1. Essay writing
2. Annotated Bibliography
3. Business report writing – still to be checked by team
4. Scientific report
5. NZ Information Sources

The essay writing module has been piloted as part of a research evaluation project and will be the first module to be available for customisation. Detailed information about the project including evaluations is available on the website.

A further six modules on IL will be developed over the second year of the project – intro to IL, searching, evaluating, digital IL, Maori and Pacific Island information, ethics. Watch this Space!

Massey awarded tertiary teaching centre contract

MEDIA STATEMENT: 16 August 2006 Minister for Tertiary Education Hon Dr Michael Cullen

A Massey University-led consortium has won the contract to establish the new National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence, the Minister for Tertiary Education Michael Cullen announced today.

The government will spend $4m a year on the centre which will be hosted by Massey University in collaboration with Auckland University of Technology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch College of Education, Universal College of Learning and Manukau Institute of Technology.

The centre will be based at Massey’s Wellington campus with regional hubs in Auckland, Christchurch and Palmerston North.

More…
http://www.tec.govt.nz/about_tec/mediareleases/release113.htm

The Future of Learning in a Networked World

Otago Polytechnic has initiated a traveling open space conference called The Future of Learning in a Networked World. International speakers will come to Dunedin on September 18 and travel to participating institutions in Dunedin, Christchurch, Northland, Auckland and Wellington to discuss this topic with local audiences.

For further details see their blog.

EAC2006 – final submission reminder

A final submission reminder for the ATN Evaluations and Assessment
Conference 2006 “Enhancing Student Learning”.

Thursday 30 November – Friday 1 December 2006
http://lsn.curtin.edu.au/eac2006/
Curtin University of Technology
Perth, Australia

The Conference program is filling fast so if you are planning to submit
a presentation abstract or a paper don’t forget that the deadline is 15
August 2006. Please visit our website
http://lsn.curtin.edu.au/eac2006/contribute.html to view the submission
guidelines.

Early Bird Registration is now open and offers a very affordable
opportunity to be involved in an absorbing two-day program with three
wonderful keynote speakers:

Professor Sally Brown, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Higher
Education Diversity in Learning and Teaching at Leeds Metropolitan
University, with responsibility for Assessment, Learning and Teaching
strategy and policy and cultural partnerships.

Professor Richard James, Director of the Centre for the Study of Higher
Education at the University of Melbourne and Associate Dean of the
School of Graduate Studies. His research program involves both
theoretical and practical investigations into contemporary higher
education issues.

Professor Phil Race, ALT (Assessment, Learning and Teaching) Visiting
Professor, Leeds Metropolitan University. Research interests include the
design of assessment instruments and processes and the role of
assessment and feedback in playing a positive and motivating role in
student learning.

We look forward to seeing you in Perth in November 2006.
 
Bruce Shortland-Jones
Conference Chair
Director – Learning Support Network
Curtin University of Technology

COL guide and wiki and TALO wiki

This came through my mail box from Wayne Mackintosh at COL, and may be of interest to members…

Turning the digital divide into digital dividends

The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) has recently published the 2nd revised edition of E-Learning. A guidebook of Principles, Procedures and Practices. COL has also agreed to release a wiki version of this guide under a free content license which will enable you to use this resource in your own insitution. However, we need assistance in converting this material into wiki format and hope that you will be able to assist us. If we spread this load across the Commonwealth – we can make rapid progress. So I’m hoping that there are colleagues in New Zealand who could donate a few hours of their time. Ultimately this project will be for the benefit of all. You will be free to use these materials for professional development at your own organisation.

Here is the homepage for this free content guide: http://www.wikieducator.org/WikiEdProfessional_eLearning_Guidebook#We_need_your_help

Please consult the planning page: http://www.wikieducator.org/WikiEdProfessional_eLearning_Guidebook/Planning

Working together we can achieve so much more.  Please forward this email to colleagues who may be able to assist.

With kind regards
Wayne

____________________________ Wayne Mackintosh Education Specialist, eLearning and ICT Policy Commonwealth of Learning 1055 West Hastings Street, Suite 1200 Vancouver, BC V6E 2E9 Canada www.col.org www.wikieducator.org Tel: +1 604 775 8261 Mobile: +1 604 715 7027 Fax: +1 604 775 8210 email: wmackintosh@col.org

ISSOTL 07 conference invitation

I am pleased to send you the attached formal announcement for the 4th Annual Conference of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (www.issotl.org) to be held at the University of New South Wales in Sydney from July 2 – 5, 2007.  The theme of the conference is: “Locating Learning: Integrative Dimensions of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.”

The conference will bring together academics from all disciplines in higher education, senior administrators, professional staff and postgraduate students to explore research findings in the scholarship of teaching and learning and the impact of this research in higher education.

The keynote speakers for 2007 are: 

• Professor Alan Luke (Queensland University of Technology). Professor Luke is Professor of Education at QUT. His research interests include literacy and language, accountability and assessment, and comparative pedagogies. He was formerly Dean of Education at Univ of Queensland, Deputy Director General of Education in Queensland and Chief Educational Advisor to the Minister. From 2002-2005, Professor Luke was the Foundation Dean of the Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice in Singapore.
• Dr. Andrée Sursock (Deputy Secretary General, European University Association). Andree Sursock has played a key role in the Bologna Process. She oversees the EUA Institutional Evaluation Programme, the Management Seminar and the Quality Culture Project, and is involved in the development of EUA’s policy position for European and international quality assurance.
• Professor Carl Wieman (Univ of Colorado-Boulder).  Carl Wieman is the 2001 Physics Nobel Laureate and 2004 Council for Advancement and Support of Education and Carnegie Foundation National Professor of the Year. Wieman contributed $250,000 of his Nobel Prize award to launch the creation of the Physics Education Technology project (PhET) which provides interactive physics instruction on the World Wide Web.

We expect an attendance of 600+ delegates from Australia, New Zealand, UK, US, Canada, Europe, Japan, South Asia, China, India, South America and South Africa.  This is the first time the conference will be held in this part of the world. 

The call for abstracts and registration information will be available in October.  Please feel free to contact me should you require any further information.

I hope you will be able to join us at this event and look forward to welcoming you.

With best wishes,
Kathy Takayama
ISSOTL Regional Vice President (Australasia) Chair, 2007 ISSOTL Conference www.issotl.org