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Opening Plenary OEB Global 2019

Amidst the emerging contours of the future, we are discovering learning. Learning as we have never known it before. Learning unleashed. Boundless learning. Learning without limits. We have moved beyond exploration to discovery. We see and experience what can happen. We feel the new, the imaginative, the unthinkable within our grasp. At the Opening Plenary of OEB 2019 we will be "discovering learning".

Iyad Rahwan

Founder of the Center for Humans & Machines at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Associate Professor at the MIT Media Lab

Iyad Rahwan is a director at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, where he founded the Center for Humans & Machines. He is also an Associate Professor of Media Arts & Sciences at the MIT Media Lab, where he leads the Scalable Cooperation group. A native of Aleppo, Syria, Rahwan holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne, Australia. He is an affiliate faculty at the MIT Institute of Data, Systems and Society (IDSS), and member of the MIT Taskforce on the Work of the Future.

Wei Cui

Co-founder & Chief Scientist of Squirrel AI Learning

Dr. Wei Cui is a co-founder and Chief Scientist of Squirrel AI Learning by Yixue Group, the leading AI + adaptive education innovator at the forefront of AI revolution. Squirrel AI Learning has established more than 2, 300 learning centres in China within 5 years, and is included in the TOP 20 Chinese AI Unicorn Companies in 2019.

Dr. Cui led the development of Squirrel AI intelligent adaptive learning system, the pioneering AI-powered adaptive learning system for K-12 students in China, which has been proved to achieve a better effect at teaching than expert human-teachers in a series of certified human-vs-AI competitions.

Dr. Cui holds a PhD and was a postdoctoral fellow in artificial intelligence and algorithmic trading. He has published over 20 peer-reviewed academic papers and articles in areas of AI, agent-based modelling, complex adaptive system, quantitative finance and AI education.

Dr. Cui was awarded MIT Technology Review "35 Innovators Under 35 China” in 2018.

Audrey Watters

Freelance Writer, Education writer at Hack Education, independent scholar and author

Audrey Watters is a writer and independent scholar who focuses on education technology – its politics and its pedagogical implications. Although she was two chapters into her Comparative Literature dissertation, she decided to abandon academia, and she now happily fulfills the one job recommended to her by a junior high aptitude test: freelance writer.

She has written for The Baffler, The Atlantic, Vice, Edutopia, Hybrid Pedagogy, Inside Higher Ed, The School Library Journal, and elsewhere across the Web, but she is best known for her work on her own website Hack Education.

Audrey has given keynotes and presentations on education technology around the world and is the author of several books, including The Monsters of Education Technology, The Revenge of the Monsters of Education Technology, The Curse of the Monsters of Education Technology, The Monsters of Education Technology 4, and Claim Your Domain.

She is currently at work on her next book, Teaching Machines, which will be published by MIT Press. Audrey was a recipient of the Spencer Education Journalism Fellowship at Columbia University for the 2017–2018 academic year.

Links

http://www.audreywatters.com/

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Moderator

Donald H. Taylor

Chairman, Chair, Learning Technologies Conference Track

Donald H Taylor is a 25 year veteran of the learning, skills and human capital industries, with experience at every level from design and delivery to chairman of the board. He has been chairman of the Learning and Performance Institute since 2010.

A recognised commentator and organiser in the fields of workplace learning and learning technologies, Donald is passionately committed to helping develop the learning and development profession.

His background ranges from training delivery to director and vice-president positions in software companies. Donald has been a company director and shareholder for three companies through start up, growth and acquisition.

He is an influential writer and speaker in the fields of the professional development of L&D and of technology-supported learning. He was the 2007 recipient of the Colin Corder award for services to training and has chaired the Learning Technologies Conference since 2000. He also chairs the Learning and Skills Group, hosting its bi-weekly webinar programme, and edits Inside Learning Technologies Magazine. He is a graduate of Oxford University and in 2016 was awarded an honorary doctorate by Middlesex University in recognition of his work developing the L&D profession.

Links

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The OEB Global Plenary Debate: 'This House Believes That an Obsession with Economics Is Harming Education and Undermining the Skills We Need for the Future'

Education is becoming increasingly focussed on delivering the skills employers need. Is this a good thing? As we struggle to satisfy employers and meet the demands of the market, are we losing sight of what is really important? In our obsession with 'Industry 4.0' and as we try to define '21C skills' in an era of rapid, technological change, are we losing sight of what is really important in education and failing to provide learners with what they are likely to need for their whole lives? Shouldn't we be providing the existential skills that will always be relevant and not just the training for jobs and markets that are likely to be here today but gone tomorrow? Are the short-term needs of industry and an exaggerated emphasis on the importance of economics in planning education policy distorting our priorities? Are the latest models right for what our societies and our planet are likely to need in the future? How can we future-proof learning?

Join us at the OEB Global Plenary Debate for a discussion about the fundamentals of education and an exciting exploration of what learning should mean in the future.

Paul Kirschner

Professor of Psychology, Professor, author and internationally recognised expert on interaction in learning and collaboration for learning

Paul A. Kirschner is university distinguished professor at the Open University of the Netherlands as well as visiting professor of education with a special emphasis on learning and interaction in teacher education at the University of Oulu, Finland.

He is an internationally recognized expert in the fields of educational psychology and instructional design. He is research fellow of the American Educational Research Association (the first European to receive this honour), the International Society of the Learning Sciences, and the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Science. He was president of the International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS) in 2010-2011 and a member of both the ISLS CSCL Board and the Executive Committee of the Society. He is currently a member of the Scientific Technical Council of the Foundation for University Computing Facilities (SURF WTR) in the Netherlands and was a member of the Dutch Educational Council and, as such, was advisor to the Minister of Education (2000-2004).

He is chief editor of the Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, associate editor of Computers in Human Behavior, and has published a number of very successful books including Ten Steps to Complex Learning (now in its third revised edition and translated/published in Korea and China) and Urban Legends about Learning and Education. He also co-edited two other books (Visualizing Argumentation and What We Know about CSCL).

His areas of expertise include interaction in learning, collaboration for learning (computer supported collaborative learning), and regulation of learning.

Links

http://www.ou.nl

Twitter

David Toborek

Head of talent and Head of IT at Metronom GmbH

David is currently responsible for growing the METRONOM Hub in Berlin and has previously worked for numerous companies in Product Management related roles and he additionally actively participates in the area of entrepreneurship.

Being exposed to the various educational systems throughout his life, Germany for his secondary school, Poland for his High-School and Bachelors and Scotland for his Masters, he got first-hand experience on how they differ.

Olivier Crouzet

Head of Pedagogy at "42", a disruptive educational model and coding school

With a scientific background, Olivier Crouzet got a Master degree as an IT engineer. During scholarship, he acted both as a technical assistant and a teaching assistant. After 2 years as system administrator in the 3rd French Internet service provider, he developed during thirteen years a well-known IT school which became a French major institution.

He designed the pedagogical model, and made it evolve. Based on this educational success, a new IT school '42' is created in 2013, along with Nicolas Sadirac, Kwame Yamgnane and Florian Bucher, promoting an even more advanced training methodology, called Peer-Learning. Olivier Crouzet designed this model: 100%-project-based, without any teacher, lecture, nor knowledge transfer. Students debate, exchange ideas, try, fail, try again, to reach the goal, and finally evaluate their peers.

Founded and funded by Xavier Niel, owner of one of the four French telecom company, '42' is totally free for the students. In this spirit of social opening, Olivier Crouzet, while still evolving the pedagogical model of the school, is also promoting evolution in the French education system through various conferences

Edith Hooge

Serves as the Chair of the Education Council of the Netherlands

Edith Hooge serves as the Chair of the Education Council of the Netherlands, the governmental advisory body which provides advice, both solicited and unsolicited, to the Ministers of Education, Culture and Science, to Parliament and to local authorities.

Since hundred years, the Dutch Education Council operates as an independent think tank, providing analyses of current topics and formulating recommendations and solutions on the application of (new) laws and policies.

Prof. dr. Hooge is full Professor on Boards and Governance in Education at TIAS, Tilburg University. Her research and teaching revolve around policy, network governance and management in complex education systems, educational quality and accountability.

Links

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Moderator

Harold Elletson

Editor / Senior Fellow, International communications consultant and editor of the eLearning Africa Report

Dr Harold Elletson is an International Communications Consultant and Senior Fellow of the Institute for Statecraft.

He is a founding director of the Africa Forum on Business, Investment and Security, a member of the steering committee of OEB, a member of the Organising Committee of eLearning Africa and a consultant to ICWE GmbH. He is also the editor of The eLearning Africa Report.

Dr Elletson was previously Director of the NATO Forum on Business and Security, which he created with support from the NATO Science Programme.

A former Member of the United Kingdom Parliament (from 1992-1997), he served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in the early stages of the peace process and was also a member of the Select Committee on Environmental affairs. He served as a member of the Lancashire Education Authority (the Education Committee of Lancashire County Council) before being elected to Parliament where he represented the interests of schools and colleges in his constituency in discussions with Ministers and on the floor of the House of Commons. He is a Fellow of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme and of the Industry and Parliament Trust.

As a communications and public affairs specialist, he has advised many leading companies on aspects of their business in challenging markets, including BP in Azerbaijan and Alstom in Siberia. He has written widely on political and historical subjects and his first book, The General Against the Kremlin, that was published by Little Brown. His journalism has been published in a variety of newspapers and magazines. Dr Elletson holds a PhD in Social Sciences from the University of Bradford.

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The Strategic Role of Learning and Development

The work of learning and development often focuses on the tactical – such as producing content and using technology – but this sessions focuses on the strategic. How can we ensure that what we do makes a positive difference to the organisation? How can we fully involve managers in learning? What approach works best for ensuring impact? How do we ensure that training is not a separate function, but part of the business?

Richard Straub

President, Global Peter Drucker Forum, Austria

Richard Straub is Founder and President of the Peter Drucker Society Europe and of the Global Peter Drucker Forum.

He is also Associate Director of the EFMD, a leading network of Business Schools and Corporations with the mission to improve the quality and effectiveness of management education and development. In his 32 years with IBM Dr. Richard Straub has held key international executive positions such as Deputy General Manager for PC Europe and Global Chief Learning Officer. After having retired from IBM end of 2005 he stayed connected to the company as Senior Advisor to it's global Education Industry.

Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-str…

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Joe Pokropski

Managing Director, Learning and Talent Development Executive

Joe Pokropski is a global learning & development executive who is passionate about helping organizations improve performance through innovative training practices.

He has led training organizations at four global firms helping them connect learning with frontline business strategy. He advocates for “learning at the speed of need” by championing performance support solutions that bring education closer to the business workflow.

Joe challenges organizations to embrace new possibilities and technologies noting that, “We consume news, entertainment and education in ways vastly different than we did just five years ago. Today’s customers demand the same immediacy and choice from their learning.”

Heléna Bargiel

Transforming strategy into high performing teams at LEO Pharma A/S

Transform strategy into high performing teams

Highly-engaged professional with a talent for taking innovative projects and teams from concept development on a global and regional level to sustainable business in local markets.

Equipped to support the mission of Commercial Excellence programs and who seamlessly works across all levels of an organisation to uncover cost-efficient and new solutions, meeting customers' needs.

Moderator

Donald H. Taylor

Chairman, Chair, Learning Technologies Conference Track

Donald H Taylor is a 25 year veteran of the learning, skills and human capital industries, with experience at every level from design and delivery to chairman of the board. He has been chairman of the Learning and Performance Institute since 2010.

A recognised commentator and organiser in the fields of workplace learning and learning technologies, Donald is passionately committed to helping develop the learning and development profession.

His background ranges from training delivery to director and vice-president positions in software companies. Donald has been a company director and shareholder for three companies through start up, growth and acquisition.

He is an influential writer and speaker in the fields of the professional development of L&D and of technology-supported learning. He was the 2007 recipient of the Colin Corder award for services to training and has chaired the Learning Technologies Conference since 2000. He also chairs the Learning and Skills Group, hosting its bi-weekly webinar programme, and edits Inside Learning Technologies Magazine. He is a graduate of Oxford University and in 2016 was awarded an honorary doctorate by Middlesex University in recognition of his work developing the L&D profession.

Links

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Pushing the Technological Boundaries

This Plenary will bring you valuable and actionable takeaways with concrete, best practice applications of innovative developments for learning in Higher Education and Schools.

Laura Czerniewicz

Director, Director at the Centre for Learning and Teaching (CILT) and Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED) at the University of Cape Town

Professor Laura Czerniewicz is the Director of the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching (CILT), at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.

She has worked in education in numerous roles including strategist, researcher, educator and publisher. Her research interests include the changing nature of higher education in a digitally-mediated society, changing technological practices and digital inequality. She has also played a key strategic and scholarly role in the areas of blended and online education as well as open education.

An NRF-rated researcher, Laura has published widely, both formally and informally. Her research output can be found at http://uct.academia.edu/LauraCzerniewicz and many of her presentations at https://www.slideshare.net/laura_Cz.

She can be followed on Twitter at @czernie. For a recent interview with Laura Czerniewicz listen to her podcast at http://onlinelearninglegends.com/podcast/007-professor-laura-czerniewicz/.

Links

http://www.cilt.uct.ac.za/cilt/about/la…

Twitter

Bryan Alexander

Founder and Principal, Futurist, researcher, writer and teacher at Georgetown University / Bryan Alexander Consulting

Bryan Alexander is an internationally known futurist, researcher, writer, speaker, consultant, and teacher, working in the field of how technology transforms education.

He completed his English language and literature PhD at the University of Michigan in 1997, with a dissertation on doppelgangers in Romantic-era fiction and poetry.

Then Bryan taught literature, writing, multimedia, and information technology studies at Centenary College of Louisiana. There he also pioneered multi-campus interdisciplinary classes, while organizing an information literacy initiative.

From 2002 to 2014 Bryan worked with the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education (NITLE), a non-profit working to help small colleges and universities best integrate digital technologies. With NITLE he held several roles, including co-director of a regional education and technology center, director of emerging technologies, and senior fellow. Over those years Bryan helped develop and support the nonprofit, grew peer networks, consulted, and conducted a sustained research agenda.

In 2013 Bryan launched a business, Bryan Alexander Consulting, LLC. Through BAC he consults throughout higher education in the United States and abroad. Bryan also speaks widely and publishes frequently, with articles appearing in venues including The Atlantic Monthly, Inside Higher Ed. He has been interviewed by and featured in the Washington Post, MSNBC, US News and World Report, National Public Radio, the Chronicle of Higher Education, the National Association of College and University Business Officers, Pew Research, Campus Technology, and the Connected Learning Alliance.

He recently finished Academia Next: The Futures of Higher Education for Johns Hopkins University Press (forthcoming fall 2019). His two most recent books are Gearing Up For Learning Beyond K-12 and The New Digital Storytelling (second edition) .

Links

https://bryanalexanderconsulting.com/

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Shirley Alexander

Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Education and Students) University of Technology Sydney

Shirley Alexander is Professor of Learning Technologies at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) where she is Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Vice President (Education and Students).

She has been a member of three successive national government committees advising on improvements to higher education teaching and learning and chaired a national committee advising the Minister for Education on the best uses of technology in K-12 education.

Shirley has led the learning.futures strategy at UTS (https://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/learning-and-teaching/learningfutures/how-our-students-learn). At this time, UTS has almost completed a major campus redevelopment and building program at a cost of approximately $1.5 billion and Shirley has led the initiatives to ensure the new learning spaces are designed for the future of education.

Links

http://www.uts.edu.au/staff/shirley.ale…

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Moderator

Gilly Salmon

Academic Director, Professor, Learning Innovator, Leading Thinker in Digital and Blended learning and Academic Director at OES

Professor Gilly Salmon, PhD, PFHEA, NTF. is CEO & Principal Consultant. She has 30 years’ experience at senior levels, in universities in the UK and Australia. She has initiated, strategized, implemented & completed significant institutional change. Her experience & background includes the UK Open University as well as Associate Dean (Online) & Pro Vice-Chancellor roles in research-intensive and in vocational institutions.

She recently spent two years as academic director at an Online Programme Management company. Gilly Salmon is now an Adjunct Professor at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, & Visiting Professor at Edge Hill University, close to Liverpool, UK.

See her web site www.gillysalmon.com

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Friday Plenaries 2019

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