The learner and the Australian History Association conferences for 2018

Athens, the white city that will host the 25th Learner conference in 2018 

The 25th International conference on learning called The Learner, is on of the popular Common Ground Research network conferences. This conference will be held at the University of Athens in Athens, Greece, on 21 to 23 June 2018 and the next due date for proposals is 21 March 2018. People who attended a previous learner conference can apply for a discounted registration fee. The main theme of the conference is Education in a time of austerity and social turbulence. As usual, there will be 10 themes to choose from: 

• Theme 1: Pedagogy and Curriculum
• Theme 2: Assessment and Evaluation
• Theme 3: Educational Organization and Leadership
• Theme 4: Early Childhood Learning
• Theme 5: Learning in Higher Education
• Theme 6: Adult, Community, and Professional Learning
• Theme 7: Learner Diversity and Identities
• Theme 8: Technologies in Learning
• Theme 9: Literacy Learning
• Theme 10: Science, Mathematics, and Technology Learning

And if you plan to go down under this coming winter, why not check out the invite for abstracts by the Australian Historical Association (AHA) and their partners for the annual conference at the Australia National University in Camberra from 2 to 6 July 2018. The theme of the conference is 'The scale of history'. Three AHA affiliated associations – the Australian and New Zealand Society of the History of Medicine (ANZSHM), the Australian Society for Sports History (ASSH), and the Religious History Association (RHA) – will convene streams during the conference. There will also be formally curated streams on History and the National Cultural Collections (GLAM), environmental history (green stream), economic history, war and society, and ‘1968 – 50 Years On’.

The online call for abstract submissions is open and will close on 28 February 2018.

Where are the digital game based education conferences?

Tallinn

This time of year we are planning for conference attendance next year. This year I am looking for a conference with a workshop or two on digital game based learning, however, this seems to be difficult to find.

There are game-based teaching and learning conferences but that is more face-to-face, board games or gaming elements added to teaching and learning and serious gaming that focus on training through gaming for the workplace. If you are interested in such a scenario (including serious gaming), do check out the Tallinn University summer school program (they also have a winter school but it is really really cold in winter time). The summer school will run from 9 to 27 July 2018 and accommodation is available in the Tallinn University International Student Hostel at reasonable costs. Although the final program is not yet available, do check out the preliminary one and ensure that you open all sub folders because there are real gems under each of the 5 main themes. There are courses in language, creative work, educational science, humanities and social science and inter-disciplinary work.

This summer school also offers the opportunity to participate in weekend excursions and other cultural experiences like a visit to the rural part of Estonia and a visit to St Petersburg in Russia. Tallinn itself is like the pictures form a fairy-tail story just became real before your eyes. The old town is simply beautiful and you can wander for days through it. On weekends, the locals gather in the old town with their beautiful large cars and the market is a feast for the eyes. Do check out the old church and take pictures from the bell tower - perfect for photos of the castle like walls of the old city.

And remember to keep your eyes open for the December international flight specials form the UAE airlines around Christmas.