Conference to discuss future of technology in education and communities
Registrations are now being taken for the (Re)Presenting Community 2007 International Online Conference which will discuss the future of information technology in education and communities.
Conducted completely online, the conference will hear keynote addresses from experts in online learning from across the globe.
Initiated by the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), with support from Stirling University in Scotland and Massey University in New Zealand, the conference is open to the public and is a USQ 40th Anniversary project.
Committee Member Glen Postle said the Conference aims to raise awareness about the potential of information and communications technologies in education.
'The first theme of the conference looks at how technology, and particularly Information Communications Technology (ICT), is influencing teaching and learning in terms of learning communities and bringing people together in groups over educational settings,' Professor Postle said.
'It will look at how things are changing in the way we offer teaching and learning in schools, TAFE and higher education and consider the future of education as we know it.'
The second theme focuses on how ICT might influence the development of learning cities and learning regions.
'At the heart of USQ's Springfield project is the role that ICT might play in facilitating a learning community and represents a working example of what the conference participants will be discussing.
'They are doing a lot of this sort of thing overseas in Scandinavia and the UK. The PASCAL Observatory in particular is doing work in developing learning communities and looking at how ICT can help support such communities.'
PASCAL members will be conducting a round table discussion as part of the conference.
'The learning cities and regions element of the conference discussion would be relevant to those in local government, state government and bureaucracies looking at social capital issues in the development and provision of services.
'Members of the Toowoomba City Council and those involved in the 2050 project may find the discussions about learning cities and learning regions of interest.'
Teachers and those involved in schools, TAFE and universities may be interested in the educational discussions as well he said.
The conference runs until Friday, 2 November 2007. For more information and to take part in the conference visit the website http://rpc2007.usq.edu.au
Registration is free.
Media Contact: Jane Urquhart USQ Media +61 7 4631 2559