Leeds Learning and Teaching Conference 2009: Keynote Gráinne Conole

At the Leeds teaching and learning conference today, two of the U&I projects are presenting Reflect and Awesome. But the keynote is by Gráinne Conole, Towards Technology Renaissance. 

Renaissance – revival or renewed interest, repurposing or rethinking. How does this apply to e-learning. What are the technology trends?  Grainne talked about the increased complexity of mediation, making the key link between e-learning and communication (learning and communication). Refering to LeX research. Grainne seems to be advocating the idea of Digital Natives, Net Generation etc. Good point about the next generation being task-orientated coupled with cumulative.

Shift in communications, “we co-evolve with the tools and practice” email is for filing, twitter is for communicating. Learning in 2008/2009 is more about communication.

Learning Design Research. Grainne’s research is focused on tiangulating the visualisation, Sharing and guiding of design as a way of understanding design. I’d like to have seen something along the Downes’ and Siemans’ Participative design in web 2.0 environments. Good point about the fact that Case Studies are not enough to change practice.

Current Issues

  • Transformation – not as great as hoped
  • Echoes of past failures

A technology Renaissance? Can we use to technology to ‘tech-enable’ our current approaches? Is this the right question. Again, given the web 2.0 availability, and the knowledge of new learners (be them 18 or 80 ) what would a curriculum designed by the learner look like?

One comment

  1. “..what would a curriculum designed by the learner look like?” Yes indeed. Great question! If a project I’m currently bidding for is accepted we’ll find out. The project is about curriculum development to meet the forcasted HE challenges over the next 10 to 15 years as identified in the HE Debate initiated by the DUIS and taking seriously Paul Ramsden’s recommendation that students should become “engaged collaborators rather than inferior partners in assessment, teaching, course planning and the improvement of quality”.

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