Future learning spaces: Libraries on edge
A project to engage across our academic community, we ask a simple question: Not whether but HOW future learning spaces engage with technology? In collaboration with libraries, this project engages in futures thinking relating to the future of digital libraries. What are the questions? And what do the students say? If we stop to ask what a book-less library is, how do we foresee the spaces, the functions and the digital-curatorial role of librarians?
•• What are the frontiers of digital libraries?
•• How do we envisage the social spaces of a digital library architecture?
Stage one of the project is a pilot engaging students in a field study of reflecting on libraries in their everyday life as learners. From this basis we seek to build a main project, entailing the set-up of an explorative space for experiementing with low-tech: uses of whiteboards, tactile materials and goo: Generally, perhaps the future classroom contains less technology and more engagement?
oddgeir.tveiten@uia.no
Global teach-a-ton
Courtesy of EdCast in Silicon Valley, Future Learning Lab engages in a “global teach-a-ton” lasting through 2016 and into 2017. It is a simple prospect, at first glance: 1) Upload your video about your teaching&learning, 2) engage in a contest, 3) win a prise or lose, but be happy – you are part of a global community wanting to make the world a better place through education and learning.
Beyond it is a different scenario: Because they can, global providers of learning technology now change the dynamics of education, at all levels. We, as academics, should listen carefully. And this explains why Future Learning Lab engages with EdCast on this global effort. EdCast joined in on our Summit at Stanford in 2015, and from that experience we are now forging a common goal.
More information: Oddgeir Tveiten, PhD … professor of media studies, UiA
oddgeir.tveiten@uia.no
Nordic EdTech Network
Funded by Nordic Innovation Center, Future Learning Lab engages with Silicon Vikings (a connector of Nordic bridge organisations in Silicon Valley) map and facilitate joint Nordic efforts at building joint community: The Nordic countries are small language communities – yet, together the Nordic countries represent a substantial knowledge resource in the global ecosystem of education and technology. In 2013, we did a first an highly successful mapping. In 2016, we are repeating the project with higher ambitions and the stated focus on seeing this Nordic Collaboration come through.
Further information here: http://net.futurelearninglab.org/
World Learning Summit
An annual conference, workshop and summit venue in South Norway, with a focus on building a world community of engaged entrepreneurs and scholars interested in education technology, open education resources, globalised networked education and philosophies of learning in an age of transnational media. Many conference exist, but ours is different – in that we actively pursue a North-South orientation, with a focus on the roles and questions of education to further democracy and participatory societal development. If you want to study the consequences of iPads in your classroom, go elsewhere: If you want to engage in the real issues – come to us. Our summits engage key drivers from Silicon Valley in the forming of a global knowledge ecology. Our philosophy is simple: Critique, but also engage! Summits typically include an academic track, a work-life learning track, and an entrepreneurship EdTech Learning track.
More information here: wls.futurelearninglab.org
Emergent worlds
Funded by a regional capacity-building fund in South Norway, th Emergent Worlds project explores ways and means of applying gamified learning strategies to learning and teaching Sustainable Development. We ask two questions: 1) How can we engage students in upper secondary school to become effective learners in issues relating to climate change and green economy? 2) How can we employ tools and insights from serious games to construct educational resources for teachers training education?
The project is a collaboration with the UNEP-affiliated institution GRID Arendal, the media resource center at UiA and the Institute for global development and planning. A pilot study, the agenda is to seek funds for a major study on the same issue and topic, starting winter of 2017.
EdCast – Future Learning: European MOOCs
Future Learning Lab is collaborating with EdCast – a global MOOCs provider in Silicon Valley – to set up a European research initiative (organised as a virtual think tank), where the focus will be on opportunities and challenges in the European context of learning@scale: MOOCs, various social media-driven micro-learning possibilities. The project is open to a range of collaborating partners, upon request. Principal concern: A scholars´driven collaboratory. Join us to explore the practical concerns of engaging with MOOC platforms in your own research – we host face-2-face workshops, as well as virtual interventions.
Contact: Oddgeir Tveiten, PhD // Professor in media studies, founder Future Learning Lab
oddgeir.tveiten@uia.no
Global Journalism X: MOOC workshop
A project to develop a MOOC on Global Journalism, the project engages a number of educators and practicing journalists to develop a Master Course, potentially also open for non-degree (in the MOOC fashion) participation. Main thrust: To explore narrative means and social interaction modalities in an on-line learning@scale environment.
The project utilises the EdCast MOOC platform, with a focus on researching (a) challenges and opportunities in utilising a MOOC platform, and (b) producer-oriented concerns in an open education resource environment.
Contact: Oddgeir Tveiten, PhD, professor in media studies // founder Future Learning Lab
oddgeir.tveiten@uia.no
New digital learning approaches
Financed by the NorwegianDigital University (a national funding and development agency), this project has developed a website with a series of videos from educators engaging in “flipped classroom” teaching. Based on these videos, the project develops a field study where we investigate two things: (a) reflections on these videos in particular, and (b) reflections more broadly on the prospect of engaging in media-rich learning. Field studies incude inteventions with students in teacher traning programs, accross several Norwegian universities and university cilleges.
Contact: oddgeir.tveiten@uia.no