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Digital Dialogues
Fostering Collaboration and Conversation in Education
24-25 March 2004, The Showroom and Workstation, Sheffield
Programme Day 1 |
Starts: 9:55 (registration from 9:00)
Ends: 17:30 (evening social event 18:30 - 21:30)
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
A dialogue on dialogue: the roots of interactive learning
Jay Lemke, Professor of Education, University of Michigan (via video-conference)
Neil Mercer, Researcher, Educational Dialogue Research Unit, Open University
Jay's research interests span applications of discourse and multimedia analysis to culturally diverse modes of education, including computer games. Neil researches the ways in which children use language as a social mode of thinking and a medium for their education. These two leading researchers debate how learners gain understanding and make meaning through language and other means.
Covering all the bases: bringing together schools, science centres and the media for science education
Kathy Sykes, Professor of Public Understanding of Science, University of Bristol
When we think about education, we often focus on schools, but children today are likely to be learning about science in a range of different ways, by discussions with people, in informal education centres like science centres or festivals, and from the media. Kathy discusses the opportunities offered by these sectors to people learning about science, and explores how these different sectors might work together better to support children's learning.
Beyond 'user testing' to designing with users
Steve Benford, Director, and Claire O'Malley, Deputy Director, Mixed Reality Lab, Nottingham
Dialogues between designers of technology and their end users are often restricted to 'user testing' at the end of a project. These widely respected presenters from the fields of psychology and media development debate new approaches to involving users in the design process. They explore how users can be included in the design process in a way that radically improves the design of digital resources.
Promoting technologies of self esteem in the development of collaborative content creation
Kevin Carey, Director and Founder, HumanITy
Kevin is a NESTA Fellow, OfCom Content Board member and Hon Fellow at City in HCI Design. He advises the UE and UK Governments on accessibility and is chair of the Cybrarian Stakeholder Group. He is a columnist for Managing Information and Ability Magazine and Vice Chair of RNIB. His talk focuses on collaboration, education and technology.
A new learning system?
Tom Bentley, DEMOS
Digital technologies make it possible to develop and model new forms of learning because of the forms of interaction they make possible. But can we imagine a public education system which maximised the creative and learning value of these exchanges. How would its infrastructures be designed? What roles would professionals and leaners occupy? What principles should its organisation follow? How would the boundary between formal and informal learning be bridged?
CASE STUDIES
VMULE - Games for collaboration
Jim Turner, New Media Producer, International Centre for Digital Content
Mary Ulicsak, Learning Researcher, Futurelab
This case study describes a groundbreaking project developed between ICDC and Futurelab that exploits the motivational and social aspects of multi-player computer games for learning. The game encourages children to work together to solve scientific problems in order to save their friends after an asteroid has damaged their space academy. Jim and Mary describe the development of the idea and explore the results of recent trials in schools.
Supporting collaborative and creative partnerships using new technologies
Keith Johnson, Head Teacher, Luckwell Primary School
Nathan Hughes, I am the Mighty Jungulator
Teresa Dillon, Learning Researcher, Futurelab
Keith, Teresa and Nathan describe a unique, collaborative, digital animation project held at Futurelab with young children for an online advent calendar. The project used a prototype 3D animating program called 'Virtual Puppeteers' alongside the 'Mighty Jungulator', a self-generative music manipulation tool. Working with designers and musicians, the children created five short animations with audio, each 21 seconds long, for the 21st December slot on the Electric December calendar.
A creative mix - bringing technology, education and media together
Marc Jacobs, Executive Producer, BBC
Richard Hull, Senior Researcher, Hewlett-Packard
Jo Morrison, Creative Director, Futurelab
This presentation explores how a multi-disciplinary team came together to create a mobile game for learning that saw 11 year-olds playing, thinking and acting as lions in a digital Savannah. It describes the challenges of working across the educational, technology and creative sectors, and the opportunities for creating innovative approaches to the design of educational technology.
Listening to the learner
Heather Sim, Space Unlimited
Michelle Selinger, Cisco Systems
Young people from secondary schools in Glasgow are running a 'mini-experience' that includes designing and setting up a first prototype of a flexible learning centre, creation of an e-magazine, a piece of participative theatre and the design and modelling of a new environment for learning. This session shares their perspective and shows how their views differ from those of older generations. A chance to listen to learners and involve them in the creation of the education system of the future.
Researching children researching the world
Viki Bennett, 5x5x5 Learning Triangles, Bristol City Council
Viki describes the project that involves five early years settings, five artists and five cultural centres working in partnership to support young children (3-6 years) in their exploration, communication and expression of creative ideas. The research project has been inspired by the approach in early years settings in Reggio Emilia in Northern Italy. The project is funded by NESTA, Arts Council South West, Bath and North East Somerset Council, Bristol LEA and Creative Partnerships.
International dialogue
David Macquart, Global Nomads Group
David talks about the origins and programmes of this not-for-profit organisation that 'fosters dialogue and understanding among the world's youth'. This includes an exploration of how curriculum and storyboards enhance a video-conference, and the power of video-conferencing enhanced with remote broadcasting. The objective is to show the importance of international dialogue amongst students around the world including a recent programme connecting students in Iraq and the US both before and after the war.
ADDITIONAL LUNCHTIME SESSION
Radiowaves: an online radio network for schools
Pat Cochrane, CAPE UK
Tim Riches, Synergy
This award-winning online radio network enables children and young people to publish on the web and join an international 'digital dialogue'. Pat and Tim talk about how CAPE UK and Synergy collaborated to develop the Radiowaves project, and discuss the impact it has had on young people, based on research conducted by Bradford University in ten high schools in Leeds.
EVENING SOCIAL EVENT
A chance to unwind and make new contacts in the Millennium Galleries and Winter Gardens where delegates have the chance to experience multi-part sound installations by Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller. |
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