JISC

Venue Online conference
Date 4-7 November 2008

JISC’s Innovating eLearning 2008 online conference generated vigorous discussion and an impressive number of posts from its almost 400 UK and international delegates. The combination of a real-time keynote in Elluminate, presentations via audio and e-portfolio, links to innovative online resources and a virtual social area presented delegates with a dazzling digital conference experience.

Conference Theme 1: 'Embracing the future now'

‘I am getting a great deal more out of this experience than I would expect to from an equivalent physical event. I’m very glad that this area will be open for reading after the conference itself has closed.'
Shri Footring, JISC Regional Support Centre EasternCoinciding with the American presidential election, day one of this Innovating eLearning conference proved equally enthralling. Set in a context of increased eLearning maturity yet where the full potential of such technologies is still to be realised, delegates considered the following points:

• What restricts the potential for established and emerging technologies, to enhance the learning experience?
• How can educators ensure the best possible e-enhancement of learning and teaching?  
• What might the future hold?

Keynote speaker Gilly Salmon quoted Ervin Laszlo in her presentation ‘Future learning – Desire or fate?’ noting that ‘What we do today will decide the shape of things to come. Technology-enhanced learning lies at a crossroads, poised between the drivers of student expectations, eLearning strategies and policies to enhance learning and teaching, and the equally potent constraints of time, skills deficiencies and institutionally owned and focused tools and systems.'

The conference blog from James Clay, Gloucestershire College, gave encouragement to delegates caught up in a blizzard of ideas and opportunities: ‘If you are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of stuff happening, remember that this is normal for a conference of this size. Pick a presentation that you have read and focus on that. Even just pick a thread!’ he advised, yet was himself demonstrating how to blog waiting for a train and even attending a meeting in London, proving that the future of technology is nothing if not mobile.

‘One thing is certain - I am getting a great deal more out of this experience than I would expect to from an equivalent physical event. And as I said before, I’m very glad that this area will be open for reading after the conference itself has closed. Lovely. Really enjoying it.’ Shri Footring, JISC Regional Support Centre Eastern.

Conference Theme 2: 'Going boldly into the dark'

Theme Two took delegates on a voyage of discovery, challenging perceptions of the role of technology in learning. The programme included debates on:

• The impact of mobile technologies
• Pros and cons of using multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) in learning and teaching
• Achieving transformational change

Experiences were rich and varied and included further live sessions in Elluminate, avatar creation (see image to right) and a social event and fashion show in Second Life, courtesy of the JISC Emerge team.

The keynote, delivered by Rose Luckin of the London Knowledge Lab, explored a fundamental question. Who will drive the learning process in years to come? Luckin proposed that ‘we need to understand more about the learner context’ and put forward a model of the factors influencing the learner experience for wider debate.

Andrew Williams, of Kingston College, summed up the dilemma posed by the adoption of new technologies in learning: ‘All meaningful educational initiatives will be disruptive. Challenging and re-forming any practice will involve a certain amount of disruption, dislocation and even dismay...I doubt we can move forward in any area without disruption.’

‘There is no real contest between real and digital worlds – we want to live powerfully in both, but move between our worlds with ease. Our skills in doing so will improve over time’.

John Davitt, keynote speaker

Virtual worlds posed tougher conundrums. Should they be viewed as ‘the new social spaces’ in which learners can develop an understanding of their own and others’ behaviour, even acquire professional competences – or do they still pose too many unanswered questions to be adopted as educational tools? Adherents and critics took up their positions, with the timely publication of JISC's Serious Virtual Worlds report offering support to the undecided. 

John Davitt, in his innovatively collaborative closing keynote in Elluminate, offered some key advice for those looking forward to the future. He told delegates ‘There is no real contest between real and digital worlds – we want to live powerfully in both, but move between our worlds with ease. Our skills in doing so will improve over time’. 
 
Read more about JISC's online conference Innovating eLearning 2008 which prompted 1690 postings in session discussions. The conference remains open for two weeks after the closing date for reading and downloading content. Summaries of conference proceedings will be available in due course.