Digital Learning Spaces: Lessons from the MSc in Digital Education at the University of Edinburgh
Digital Learning Spaces:
Lessons from the MSc in Digital Education at the University of Edinburgh
Jen Ross, University of Edinburgh
Monday, April 15
Noon – 1:30 PM
Seattle Pacific University Library Seminar Room
Register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/digitalspaces
Every course design is philosophy and belief in action. This is no less true – indeed it may be truer – in courses with a significant digital dimension. Online courses can be designed to invite particular kinds of participation, to take particular sorts of approaches to knowledge. But, like the physical classroom, they do more than embody the pedagogical values of the teacher – they are also greatly affected by the nature of the environments in which teaching and learning take place. In this talk, Jen will reflect on the experiences of teachers and students on the wholly distance MSc in E-learning programme, exploring issues such as how being at but not in Edinburgh affects students and how the values and educational philosophies of teachers on the programme impact, and are impacted by, the learning spaces they use and create.
Jen is the programme director of the fully online MSc in Digital Education programme at the University of Edinburgh, co-author of the Manifesto for Teaching Online, and co-organiser of the Coursera MOOC “E-learning and Digital Cultures”. Her teaching and research concerns digital education now and in the future, online identity, and how cultural and educational institutions are changing in the digital age. The evolving meaning of space and place is one of the most interesting topics in digital and distance learning at the moment, and Jen’s visit to SPU will focus on these and other issues relating to a broader theme of active learning spaces.
The SCALE-UP Project: Student-Centered Active Learning Environments with Upside-down Pedagogies
You are invited to attend a presentation by:
Robert J. Beichner, Ph.D., North Carolina State University
Thursday, January 31, 1:00 – 2:30 PM, Cremona 102, Seattle Pacific University
Register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/scaleup
How do you promote active learning in a large classroom? Can students practice communication and teamwork skills in a large class? How do you boost the performance of underrepresented groups? Join us as we learn from Dr. Beichner, member of North Carolina State University’s Physics Education R & D Group, and his work on The Student-Centered Active Learning Environment with Upside-down Pedagogies (SCALE-UP) Project. Materials developed by the project are now in use by more than 1/3 of all science, math, and engineering majors nationwide. Physics, chemistry, math, biology, engineering, business, nursing, and even literature classes are being taught this way at more than 150 institutions nationwide. To learn more about Dr. Beichner and the SCALE-UP Project, visit http://go.ncsu.edu/beichner
CFP: Educational Innovations in Countries Around the World
The Center for Global Curriculum Studies of Seattle Pacific University announces its Fifth Biennial Symposium: Educational Innovations in Countries around the World. The Symposium will be held on the campus of Seattle Pacific University and on Whidbey Island, located near Seattle on the Puget Sound. The dates of the Symposium are 1-3 July, 2013. Interested individuals are invited to submit proposals in the form of an abstract of 100-200 words in any of the following categories:
- Curriculum and Instruction
- K-12 Education
- Higher Education
- Educational Policy
- Educational Administration
- Comparative Education
- Global Education
- Educational Technology
- Distance Learning
Abstracts should be submitted electronically and are due no later than March 15, 2013. Submissions should be sent to:
Arthur K. Ellis, Director
Center for Global Curriculum Studies
Seattle Pacific University
aellis@spu.edu
Seattle Pacific University is located on Queen Anne Hill in the City of Seattle, Washington. Access to downtown with it world-famous Pike Place Market and other waterfront attractions is readily available through convenient bus service. Participants are invited to stay either at dormitory accommodations on campus or at any of a number of nearby hotels. Conference registration is $350, which includes dormitory accommodation and most meals. A cultural program is planned which includes a day trip by ferry to Whidbey Island with its pioneer settlements and beautiful ocean beaches.
Google+ as a Tool for Collaborative Learning
Emerging Technology in Online Learning Symposium
Las Vegas, NV. July 26, 2012
Lead Presenter: Karissa Locke (Google, US)
Tess Milligan (Google, US)
Mark Green (Simpson College, US)
David Wicks (Seattle Pacific University, US)
Courtney Step (Seattle Pacific University, US)
Kami Cottrell (Seattle Pacific University, US)
Abstract:
Hear from professors and students pioneering the use of Google+ for collaborative learning, discuss best practices, and leave equipped to enhance your Google experience with Google+.
Original version of video posted on YouTube by Karissa Locke.
Does Space Matter?
Space Matters: The Impact of Active Learning Classrooms
Interactive Lecture wit D. Christopher Brooks, Ph.D.
Tuesday, December 11, Noon – 1:30 PM Cremona 101, Seattle Pacific University
Register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/spacematters
D. Christopher Brooks is a Research Fellow in Educational Technology Services at the University of Minnesota. He earned his doctorate in Political Science with a minor in Russian and East European Studies from Indiana University. He taught Comparative Politics and Political Theory at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, St. Olaf College, and the University of Minnesota-Morris before coming to the University of Minnesota where he now conducts empirical research on the impact of educational technologies on teaching practices and learning outcomes. Since 2008, he has served as co-PI on the University of Minnesota’s Active Learning Classroom (ALC) Research Project delivering nine conference presentations, presenting five posters, and publishing nine peer-reviewed articles on the subject. His research appears in a number of publications including the Journal of Learning Spaces, the British Journal of Educational Technology, the Journal of Faculty Development, The American Biology Teacher, EDUCAUSE Quarterly, the International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Evolution, the Journal of Political Science Education, and Social Science Quarterly. He is co-editor of a forthcoming (2014) volume of New Directions for Teaching and Learning that features research projects on learning spaces.
First EdCamp Seattle Scheduled for November 17, 2012!
Educators are lifelong learners who continually look for ways to improve their craft. National and regional conferences can be good sources for new information but can be expensive and time consuming.
Enter EdCamp, a group of “unconferences” held across the country throughout the year, putting educators in control of their own learning. EdCamps have been held for three years, and the first Seattle EdCamp will be on November 17, 2012.
In an unconference, attendees brainstorm their interests and needs to make a giant Post-It note schedule of the day’s sessions. Speakers may have a presentation prepared, or volunteers facilitate the conversations so learning happens organically.
Seattle’s EdCamp is free to all attendees, but organizers ask that teachers add their name to a Google Form on the EdCamp website. Educators at all levels are welcome to join the conversations at EdCamp Seattle, held on the campus of Seattle Pacific University.
For more information, visit www.edcampseattle.org. Follow us on Twitter as @EdCampSeattle.
About
David Wicks
Educational Technology
I have been active in the instructional technology world for over 20 years. My previous positions include: high school teacher, university lecturer, school district technology facilitator, multimedia author, and project manager for an educational technology company. My current position is Director of Instructional Technology at Seattle Pacific University. As Director, I regularly consults with faculty on effective uses of technology. I have been involved in the development of numerous online and blended courses. In addition, I have taught face-to-face, blended, and online courses in the School of Education for over ten years.
Recent projects include: developing a Web 2.0 electronic portfolio system based on WordPress, creating a feature-comparison matrix for lecture capture solutions, and leading SPU’s iTunes U project. I am an Associate Editor for MERLOT’s Teacher Education Editorial Board. I served as program chair for the 2013 International Symposium for Emerging Technologies in Online Learning, and will be the conference chair for the 2014 conference. Currently, I facilitate faculty learning communities on topics such as learning spaces, active learning, blended learning, and mobile learning.
