We are pleased to offer three seminars in the first two terms.

Exploring themselves by not being themselves: young people and safe online participation

Diane Levine and Dean West

This seminar explores young people’s online practice. We look at images we have of young people and the assumptions we make about their rights and vulnerabilities. We go on to identify the benefits and challenges that online participation poses and what past research tell us about young people and technology. We discuss our own research in this area and identify some of the methodological challenges of researching young people’s experiences.

This seminar will take place 1.30 - 2.30 on the Westwood Campus (WT104) on 13 February 2013.

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY ENABLED ICT TEACHER DEVELOPMENT

South Africa has an urgent need to focus on the improvement of quality of education in general and teacher education in particular. That includes investment in technology enhanced learning for teachers. A presentation on ICT teacher development in South African schools will be made based on a study conducted in four primary schools.

The study took advantage of the ubiquitous and pervasive mobile phones in South Africa to encourage bottom-up ICT teacher development.

The presentation will be offered by Phumzile Mlambo – Ngcuka a PhD student at University of Warwick.

This will be held Wednesday 28th November 1.30 - 2.30 in the WT1.05 on the Westwood campus - for directions enter WT1.05 on the interactive map.

Learning and collaboration at a distance Mark Childs

Learning, teamworking and co-creation of knowledge have specific needs, barriers and solutions. At this seminar Dr. Mark Childs, who is a freelance academic working with technology-supported learning and an alumnus of the University of Warwick, will present two research projects he conducted earlier in the year that employ different techniques for different types of learners to work together at a distance. The seminar will be an opportunity to explore how distance technologies are having an impact on mainstream education, and the issues and opportunities that arise when distanced collaborations take place.

I Dig Tanzania was a summer programme that took part with 13 to 15 year olds at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. Learners used videoconferencing to talk to palaeontologists doing field research in Tanzania and students in Dar es Salaam and Second Life to conduct discussions and activities, as well as take part in activities located within the physical museum. In the virtual world, learners discussed issues concerning adaptation, ecology and palaeontology and also farmed crops, dug for fossils and built exhibits.

The Learning to Create a Better Built Environment project ran at Coventry University and Ryerson University in Canada. Undergraduate construction engineers at Coventry and architecture students at Ryerson were put into teams and collaborated on the design of a building. In parallel, MA students at Coventry were set the task of conducting some of their group meetings via Skype. The groups were also asked to reflect on the success or otherwise of their collaborations and their engagement with the different technologies they used to mediate their virtual teamworking.

This will be held 5 December 1.30 - 2.30 in the WT1.05 on the Westwood campus. *** Please note the change of room it is WE029 this is in the Institute of Education Building accessed by the side door at top of the 'ramp' leading to the CeNTRE.