| Tom March gives his keynote address at the Emerging Technologies Conf... Tom March gives his keynote address at the Emerging Technologies Conference | 
| Anu Bissoonauth-Bedford discusses her poster with conference guests Anu Bissoonauth-Bedford discusses her poster with conference guests | 
| Professor Ron Oliver presents his address on mobile learning. Professor Ron Oliver presents his address on mobile learning. |
Conference explores emerging technology
18 Jun 2008 | Kate McIlwain
iPhones, blogging and video-conferencing could soon be an everyday part of classrooms in high schools and universities. A three-day Emerging Technologies Conference at UOW explored how these new technologies will work in an educational context.
The conference is hosted by the Centre for Educational Development and Interactive Resources (CEDIR) and the Research Centre for Interactive Learning Environments (RILE/TITR) and features speakers, presentations and workshops about new technologies.
Tom March, an educator who co-developed the idea of ‘WebQuests’ and other online learning tools, gave a keynote address to open proceedings.
March’s presentation looked at how new technologies like iPhones have already been integrated into university study in America and spoke about trends we may see emerging in the future.
March moved to Australia from San Diego in 1998 and believes exploring the combination of technology and education is vital because we are entering an era where it is possible for a self-motivated student with broadband to learn more than they could in school.
Another highlight of the program was a poster expo, where academics and staff members presented posters about innovative teaching practices at UOW. Some of these innovations included the development of ePortfolios for Education students and the use of bilingual blogging to help students learn French.
Professor Ron Oliver, the Pro-Vice Chancellor Teaching and Learning from Edith Cowan University also presented a keynote speech exploring the idea of mobile learning. Professor
Farzad Safaei closed the conference with an address on the future directions of immersive learning environments.
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