Panel EPD76
We’re Putting the Teacher at the Centre
Date Friday, Dec 7 Time – RoomLincke
Designing learning experiences that foster students’ love of learning is the name of the game. Although it’s played by teachers all over the world it’s a game with few concrete rules, influenced by the incessant introduction of further innovations.
Fortunately, some institutions provide significant support for their teaching and expert staffs. Their efforts range from the basic issue of incorporating technology into teaching practice to the development of toolkits for pattern-based learning design that speed up and clarify the creation of learning experiences. Even top-level experts receive assistance in becoming true facilitators of learning rather than mere information dispensers. In this Panel, people with hands-on experience will share what they’ve learned.
Miriam Boer
Director of Education, NKI (Netherlands Cancer Institute), The Netherlands
Let Your Experts Shine!
Christian Glahn
Director Blended Learning Center, HTW Chur, Switzerland
Learning Design for Teachers in a Hurry
Christian Glahn is the director of the Blended Learning Center and professor for educational technologies at the HTW Chur, Switzerland. He actively contributes to technology enhanced learning for many years. His work is centered on bridging future technologies into todays’ higher education practice. Dr. Glahn co-developed and operationalized the concept of micro learning. He is experienced in bridging innovative personalized and context-aware technologies to formal training, non-formal learning, and performance support in universities, public services, and industries. His research focusses on integrating smart technologies into existing technology-enhanced learning environments and practices in higher education institutions and organizations.
Links
Jody Joubert
Lecturer, Training Manager, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Designing an Interactive, Future-oriented Computer Integrated Education Course: Teaching Towards Loving Learning
Jody is a technology enthusiast, and educator. He works at the Living Laboratory for Innovative Teaching University of Pretoria (LLITUP). The LLITUP Research unit aims at doing collaborative research in the use of technology in education in various setting with a multitude of stakeholders. Jody was a part of the development of a space, called the LLITUP Collaboratorium, which houses, tests and uses technology for innovation in education of all levels. When he is not playing with the devices in the Collaboratorium, Jody lectures ICT modules in the Faculty of education. The aim is to inject a new teacher who can educate learners of the 21st century in an interactive learner-centred way.
Links
Moderator
Herman van der Merwe
Executive Dean, North West University, South Africa
Prof Herman van der Merwe calls himself a “recycled Geneticist”, but his previous Vice-Chancellor renamed him “e-Man” to capture his fascination for the use and management of technology in education!
Prof Herman is currently Deputy Dean of the Faculty Economic and Management Sciences at the North-West University, responsible for Teaching and Learning across all three campuses of the NWU.
He is also the CEO of an expert centre called CUTE (Centre for the Utilisation of Technology in Education).
Besides his recognised international expertise on the utilisation and management of technology in education, Prof Herman also serves on various national and international workgroups that do research in his field. He has a keen interest in the manner in which technology can enhance the teaching and learning experience of both lecturers and students, and has read and published several papers, nationally and internationally, on this topic. As chairman and CEO of CUTE, he organises and presents workshops and conferences to promote the empowerment of academic staff, actively.
Prof Herman’s current research focus is more on mobile and handheld devices, open source software (Android for the mobile platform), social networks and the effective use of that in specifically higher education and everyday life.
He acted as co-chairperson of the mLearn 2005 and 2015 conferences and is a founder member and one of the directors of the International Association for Mobile Learning (IAmLearn) and chairperson of the SABS’s[1] SC71N subcommittee in IT, developing SA standards for IT in e-education.
The Serious Games Institute, AppFactory and a community of practise in innovative teaching and learning with technology (iTLT) support his research initiatives and the empowerment initiatives of staff and students in a creative environment.
As a true Entrepreneur at heart he stimulates entrepreneurship on Campus in the bhive Enterprise Development Centre as well as locally in a Faculty supported research entity on Local Economic Development. In 2015 the North-West University recognised his contribution to innovation with an “Innovation Evangelist” award.
He is a keen nature lover and to recharge his batteries he will do something in nature to listen to what the wind and the birds want to share with him.
“As a teacher, researcher, policy advocate, manager and leader, he is a visionary leader whose fascination with technology has been informed by his commitment to serving the highest ideals of people and education.” Prof Reggie Ncobo
[1] South African Bureau of Standards