| EdTech 2008 - Breaking the Barriers |
| ILTA, The Irish Learning Technology Association, organised EdTech 2008, the Ninth Annual Irish Educational Technology Users' Conference. The conference theme of Breaking the Barriers investigated how changes in pedagogy, technology and publishing are collapsing the boundaries between students and teachers, content creators and users and educators and technologists. The theme breaks into three strands: |
|
| View a YouTube video of the conference. See abstracts and slides for the research, practitioner and postgraduate presentations. |
| Keynote Speakers | |
Jane Hughes - People at the Centre: Computer-Mediated Communication and Learning |
|
| Dr. Jane Hughes is a lecturer based in the Centre for the Advancement of Learning & Teaching (CALT) University College London (UCL) . She has a broad interest in interactions between people and technology, and particularly in e-learning and computer-mediated communication. Her research, teaching and educational development work are linked and her research often involves collaboration across disciplines, institutions and education sectors. Current research and development projects include: evaluating innovative approaches to bioscience teaching; exploring the role of technology in classroom-based language learning; investigating staff experiences and perceptions of blended learning. She teaches on the UCL Postgraduate Certificate in Learning & Teaching in HE (CLTHE) and leads the learning technology components of UCL’s MA Education. | |
 |
Larry McNutt - An exploration of the habitus of educational technologists: What does the research tell us? |
| Larry McNutt is Head of School of Informatics and Engineering at the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown. Prior to joining ITB, Larry was Senior Lecturer in IT Tallaght and has lectured in Southern Cross University Australia, Letterkenny IT, DCU and Capella University. A Fellow of the Irish Computer Society, his research interests and publications include distance education, educational technology, and instructional design. He is currently completing his Doctorate in Education at NUI Maynooth where the works of Bourdieu, Freire and Foucault have provided a lens with which to view current developments in education, innovation and technology. He is currently involved in a number of HEA SIF1, IT Investment and EU Leonardo and EQUAL funded projects addressing a range of issues from problem based learning to learning styles. | |
 |
Sudhir Giri - Enabling Learning |
| Sudhir Giri is Head of Learning Operations & Technologies, Google EMEA. He joined Google last year to help establish an operational infrastructure for learning especially by leveraging Google technologies. Prior to Google, Sudhir managed learning programs for Accenture and Deloitte Consulting for nine years. His work included delivering an e-learning program to Kenyan nurses to increase school capacity to meet health care demands. With an biomedical engineering background, he spent four years at NASA developing and testing biomedical flight hardware for the Space Shuttle program which included astronaut training. Sudhir holds an MBA from the University of Texas and a bachelor's degree in bioengineering from Texas A&M University. | |
 |
|
