Following the success of the InnovateELT events that we co-organise with Oxford TEFL in Barcelona, ELTjam are thrilled to announce a new Innovate event in London this autumn, the Innovate EdTech Conference 2017. The theme of the event is The Rise of Learner Experience and it will be held in East London on Saturday 11th November 2017. Early bird tickets are available at half the standard price during July and you can get yours here.
Why EdTech?
We felt that London was in need of an EdTech conference that puts the learner and the teacher at the centre, one that practicing educators can benefit from and relate to. We wanted to bring the energy, community and enthusiasm of the InnovateELT event to a wider audience of people in all areas of the education space, and the idea for InnovateEdTech was born!
Most importantly this is not a conference only for techies! We don’t see technology as a solution in and of itself; there’s no silver bullet. Technology should be seen as a tool for learners, teachers and educators. This conference is about exploring and celebrating ways that technology can play a part in all areas of education and how, if it is to be a useful tool, it should have the needs and desires of learners and teachers at its core.
Format and Theme
Innovate EdTech 2017 is a one-day event made up of hands on workshops focused on solving real problems for learners, talks from a range of speakers that can inspire your practice and impact your teaching, demo lessons with learners, the opportunity to share experiences with others and a chance to connect with the wider education community. The event aims to inspire, motivate and challenge in a collaborative and fun setting.
The theme for this year, The Rise of Learner Experience, looks at the importance of a learner-centred approach to the design and use of educational technologies and the learning experiences they facilitate.
What is Learner Experience Design and why is important for me?
Learner Experience Design involves approaching things like a designer would. Designers seek to deeply understand who will be using their product or service, and the problems that person has. They then experiment with solutions and iterate towards the best solution by getting quick feedback from the people they’re trying to help. LXD is a process and toolkit that puts learners at the centre of decisions we make in order to make their learning more effective and delightful.
If you’re an enthusiastic teacher, it’s highly probable that you’re already designing and delivering learner experiences without necessarily giving them such a tag. If you understand your learners deeply, iterate and experiment in your lessons, get feedback, and focus on your own experience too, you are definitely practising LXD in your classroom.
We believe that whatever role we play in education, we should be aiming to make the experience of learning both more effective and more enjoyable. That is what Learner Experience Design helps us do and that’s why we believe it’s an important theme for the Innovate EdTech conference.
Who’s Speaking?
On the lineup for the event we already have three amazing speakers doing innovative work in the world of education.
Dr. Doug Belshaw is an ‘Open Educational Thinkerer’ working at the intersection of education, technology, and productivity. He’s had a varied career, working both in formal education and the world of tech. Doug is best known for his work around digital literacies and Open Badges, a form of digital credentialing.
Rose Luckin is Professor of Learner Centred Design at UCL Knowledge Lab. Rose’s research involves the design and evaluation of educational technology using theories from the learning sciences and techniques from artificial intelligence. She works closely with the education technology industry, in particular Start-ups and SMEs, to enable them to integrate research evidence and methods into their products.
Katherine Weber is Partnership Manager at FutureLearn, the MOOC provider, where she work with universities and specialist organisations to create great online courses. Katherine has a background in teaching and has also worked in online academic publishing, academic research and university-level course design.
Keep an eye on the website, facebook and twitter to keep up to date on new speakers added to the lineup. Expect to see speakers from all areas of the education and technology space.
I am a teacher. Why should I come to Innovate EdTech?
As a teacher, the conference is a great professional development opportunity, allowing you to hear voices from different corners of the education industry and get fresh ideas and practical tips that you can implement in your classroom. The conference aims to raise awareness of the benefits of a learner-centred approach, helping you to motivate and inspire learners as well as differentiate and personalise lessons and courses. Innovate EdTech aims to be priced affordably for teachers in order to facilitate participation and celebrate the hard work being done by teachers all across the industry.
I am not a teacher. Why should I attend?
As an instructional designer, editor, publisher, materials writer, UX designer or EdTech startup employee, Innovate EdTech is a great place to connect with teachers and other learner experience designers like you. You’ll be able to hear voices from different corners of the EdTech industry, learn about the most important developments in tech and how they could be integrated into teaching and learning, find out more about teachers’ pain points, share your experiences and connect with others.
Why should I buy a ticket now?
Limited Super Early Birds are on at 50% of the standard price! If you already feel excited about Innovate EdTech, grab your ticket here!
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Hi. Really interested in your event but I work in the UAE. Will any of your sessions be recorded or live streamed? Best of luck with the event. Jon