Some recent thoughts about interactive learning

Here is a selection of recent editorials I have written for Interactive Learning Environments – all available online in recent issues (Volume 26 to date).

Methodological choices for research into interactive learning in Issue 2

Stop daydreaming, pay attention in Issue 3

Reframing innovative teaching in Issue 4

Research limitations: the need for honesty and common sense in Issue 5

and in Issue 6 Student disengagement: is technology the problem or the solution?

If the links don’t work, go to the journal page for Interactive Learning Environments.

These are all editorials, my own thoughts and arguments based on my reading of a huge number of submitted papers and linked to the papers in each issue. This is one of the most focussed e-learning journals where papers must be related to interactive learning and must have a technology contribution. If you have something to say in this field, aim for a rigorous literature review and/or a longitudinal study or one which takes account of a broad range of learning situations or learners. We regularly reject single case studies of tutor’s successful personal innovations if they applied in just one case and do not add to the readers’ sense of what contributes to debate in this field.

Oh, and….try reading the author guidelines for the journal – I would love it if everyone did before submitting!!

 

Conference 2012

This academic year,

I have presented at the University of Brighton’s Pedagogy Conference (Feb 2012, Falmer)

and am looking forward to presenting at and atttending:

DIVAI2012 Slovakia 2-4 May 2012

UFHRD 2012 Portugal 23-25 May 2012

ICICTE 2012 Rhodes 5-7 July 2012.

Next academic year I am hoping to attend:

ALT-C 2012 Manchester 11-13 September 2012

ECEL 2012 Netherlands 26-27 October 2012 At this one I am offering a mini-track on Changing Academic Roles. NOTE ABSTRACT DEADLINE 7th APRIL 2012

This Mini Track explores how academic staff are being required to rethink and reframe their learning and teaching roles as e-learning and in particular technology-enhanced learning gains ground in Higher Education. This change is not simply about embracing new technology. This debate strikes at the values of academics and their professional identity as interactive learning environments and learning technologies cause us to redefine what it means to be a teacher in Higher Education. We believe this is a helpful topic for continuing research and would like to stimulate further debate among learning and teaching academics and their subject discipline counterparts.

Topics of interest in this mini track are focused on (but not limited to):

Learning and teaching philosophies – how they encounter online learning Resistance to change and beyond – encouraging the take-up of innovative learning and teaching Role-modelling good learning practice with technology in Higher Education Lifelong learning for teachers – strategies to stay up to date with scholarship and technology Collaborative and action-centred learning in Higher Education – policies and practices which support teacher development The teacher as research practitioner – implications for research and institutional policy as well as teaching.

Would be great to see old friends and new colleagues at any or all of these.