Category: Forthcoming Events

32 Amongst Many


As the Association of Learning Technology (ALT) Conference approaches, blogging delegates have been approached for their RSS feeds.  The ALT will then be aggregating these into the ‘mother of all feeds’.  They will publish the URL of the aggregated feed on  ALT-C 2007 web site at http://www.alt.ac.uk/altc2007/ .  To ensure you receive a holistic perspective on the event, I’ll add the feed-squared on the right-hand column of your screen for the duration of September, below the BBC Technology news.  Watch that space!

Custom PC


I’m going to be covering the ALT-C conference in early September for Custom PC magazine.  There will be a fairly quick turn around on this work so expect a sign-post from here in mid-september.

Learning Technology for the Social Network Generation


The Association for Learning Technology are holding their 14th International Conference ‘Beyond Control: Technology for the Social Network Generation’ here in Nottingham at the East Midlands Conference Centre (EMCC) from the 4-6 September 2007.

Registration closes on the 10th of August. Research presentations, symposia, workshops and demonstrations are grouped according to strands of interest including Designing Learning Spaces, Large Scale Implementation, Learning and Internationalism and Learning Technology for the Social Network Generation.  Keynote speeches will be delivered by representatives from Cisco, Futurelab and Dr Peter Norvig, Director of Research at Google.

ITiCSE bitsy


Unfortunately I’m unable to attend the forthcoming 12th Annual Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (ITiCSE) Conference in Dundee later this month.  However, I am a member of a PhD working group focussing on The Impact of Social Networks on Students’ Learning Experience, led by colleagues at the University of Southampton, which will be active before during and after the conference.  This research promises to examine Social Networking and education from a differing standpoint to my ‘usual’, and I’m looking forward to working in a group research situation.  I’ll be in Southampton for most of this week as a result.  Publishing dates to be announced…

Enhancing Learning; virtual worlds, simulations and games based learning


I’m going to a free Becta Seminar: "Enhancing Learning; virtual worlds, simulations and games based learning" on Tuesday 24th April 2007 at the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) in Birmingham.  Places at the seminar are still available, I’ve linked here to the booking information and full programme if you’re interested.

NNDR Poster Abstract


I will be presenting a poster entitled ‘Mapping the experiences of disabled students who use Computer-Mediated-Communication in Higher Education’ to the Nordic Network on Disability Research conference "Participation for all – the front line of disability research" (May 10 – 12, 2007) in Göteborg, Sweden.  This poster is based on MA research completed last year. If you are interested in the topic and would like a copy of my research please email me at: ttxsem@nottingham.ac.uk.  I will post the poster file in accessible formats here, online, after the conference.

Mapping the experiences of disabled students who use Computer-Mediated-Communication in Higher Education.

Participation in UK Higher Education is increasing. Universities are embedding blended-learning across departments. Consequently the drivers for accessible e-learning tools and materials are paramount. However, the implied social dynamics of online text-based constructivist tools also need consideration.

Are forums, discussion groups, Listservs and other Computer-Mediated-Communication (CMC) tools transforming or perpetuating traditional (dis)ability difference?

This qualitative study is based on phenomenographic interviews with 3 Undergraduate and Postgraduate students who considered their own CMC experiences. Activity theory was used to guide contextual questioning.

Results indicate that disabled students experience CMC in ways different to those described by frameworks established according to perceived ‘norms’ of online behaviour and embodiment. For some, the notion of controlled or conscious disclosure facilitates Social Presence and cognitive engagement meaning a purely functional experience of CMC is routinely blurred with higher social usage. This has potentially beneficial educative outcomes. However, results also show that access barriers persist for all participants. Furthermore, CMC has the capacity to actively disable students with print-impairments, who withdraw from participation. In conclusion, CMC is both transforming and perpetuating disability.

Continued research must ensure that the assumptions of research based solely on the actions of enabled student groups are challenged by disabled experience.

New Perspectives on Disability Research


May 23th-25th 2007

International PhD workshop: "New Perspectives in Disability Research: Globalization, Technologies, Governmentality, Performance, Identity, Aesthetics, Culture, Bodies and Gender".

Institute of Sociology and Stein Rokkan Centre for Social Studies at the University of Bergen, Norway.

More to follow…

Participation for all – the front line of disability research


  • Nordic Network on Disability Research (NNDR) conference May 10 – 12, 2007, Göteborg, Sweden. http://www.nndr2007.com/

    ‘The conference theme 2007 "Participation for all – the front line of disability research" provides a broad platform for current and new challenges in disability research. All groups involved with disability research and practice are welcome to participate and the programme includes social events and opportunities for networking and informal discussions.’

The Shock of the Social


  • Thursday March 22nd 2007 Said Business School, University of Oxford http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ltg/events/shock2007/

    "Shock 6 will explore the issues arising from the rise of social networking tools, Web 2.0 software and related collaborative technologies and how best to make use of these innovative tools in teaching, learning and research. "