Quality assurance conference in Sri Lanka 2019

En route to Sri Lanka for a conference on quality assurance? 

Quality assurance is an important issue in higher education and is becoming even more so in the technology-enhanced society that we are living in. Therefore it is good to attend a conference on this topic. The International Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) will host the 2019 conference on Quality assurance, qualifications and recognition: Fostering trust in a globalised world in Colombo, Sri Lanka from 25 to 28 March. The conference venue is the Bandaranaike memorial international conference hall (BMICH).

Online registration for early bird discount will open soon, but the call of papers is already open. Presenters are invited to present in an interactive manner that would guarantee a high level of participant engagement. The due date for proposals is 30 October 2018. Proposals must be aligned with one of the following sub-themes that will also from the four tracks of the conference: 

  

New technologies, innovation and quality assurance: how to consider QA and its key principles in a world of disruptive technology and change in the Academy.

Thinking and acting globally: the role of QA in qualifications frameworks and student and talent mobility: challenges and opportunities.

Ensuring and promoting trust in a globalized context.

Challenges and solutions to recognition Issues: new opportunities for a QA contribution to recognition within the frame of global developments.

On 25 March pre-conference workshops will take place and on 28 March a conference excursion will allow conference attendees to visit the so-called “Sigiriya eighth wonder of the world”, the ancient palace and fortress complex built by King Kassapa I (477–95). It lies on steep slopes and the summit of a granite peak stands 180m high. The fortress complex includes the remnants of a ruined palace, surrounded by an extensive network of fortifications, vast gardens, ponds, canals, alleys and fountains. A series of galleries and staircases emerging from the mouth of a gigantic lion constructed of bricks and plaster provide access to the site.

Exploring more options for 2019 conferences

Beautiful Dubai, one place we normally book a stayover on our way to or back from a conference, but the IAFOR also uses Dubai as a conference venue.

The International Academic Forum (IAFOR) is a Japan based organisation, established in 2009. The IAFOR do much more than just conferencing and it is worthwhile to visit the web page. The web page states the mission of the organisation as to promote international exchange, to facilitate intercultural awareness, to encourage interdisciplinary discussion and to generate and share new knowledge; all of which are important to academics in general.

 To me, the different locations where conferences take place and the variety of topics, are of importance. Conferences are linked to the following categories: Education and language, Social Sciences and sustainability, Arts, Humanities, Media and Culture.

The conferences take place in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America which means that academics have a huge choice about where they want to go and what they can afford. The Asia conferences are held in Hong Kong and Japan. Within Japan, there are three conference locations: Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe. In Europe, the conference venues are Brighton in England and Barcelona in Spain. The Middle East conferences take place in Dubai and in North America there are also more than one conference venue to choose from: New York, Honolulu in Hawaii and Roanoke in Virginia.

Good news for PHD students and early career academics (who completed their PHDs in the past five years), is that there are also travel and accommodation grants and scholarships available to attend and present at these conferences.

Personally, as yet, I did not attend one of these conferences, but I am looking for new and exciting conferences and conference venues for 2019 (when the IAFOR will be celebrating ten years of providing these and other services to academics worldwide) and the options provided by the IAFOR are inviting. But the question remains: Where do you want to go in 2019 and at what forum do you want to present?

Time to plan for 2019 conference attendance

To me, conferencing means flying and that is half of the fun - going to interesting and beautiful places.

September means it is time to start planning for next year's conference attendance. Important to all of us teaching to first year students, is the First Year Experience (FYE) as we all have to take responsibility to assist students to adapt to higher education systems and to become successful life-long, self-directed students.

  

The South African National resource centre's (SANRC) First-year experience and students in transition conference will take place from 22 tot 24 May 2019. The venue is not yet confirmed, but due dates for the three rounds of abstract submissions are 14 October 2018, 11 February 2019 and 1 April 2019.  Early bird registration will be R4000.00. Abstracts can be submitted in the following sub-themes:

Case studies in good FYE practice

First year transitions in the higher education system

staff as support systems for first year students

engaging the student voice: critical perspectives from students

FYE in the classroom

FYE theory. 

Also important for South African scholars (who pay less registration for this conference), is the Transatlantic Roundtable on religion and race (TRRR) that will take place at the Hekima Institute of Peace studies and International Relations (HIPSIR) at the Hekima University College in Nairobi, Kenya from 1 to 5 July 2019. The theme for 2019 is: Old divisions, new social formations: Africa and the diaspora. Abstracts must be submitted by 30 November 2018. Themes that will be discussed include

Political and Religious Authoritarianism: Past, Present and Future

Deconstructing Conflict, Violence and Sovereignty in Africa and Across the Diaspora

Assets, Cooperatives and the Culture of Cooperation 

Patriarchy, Sexism and the Role of Culture in Africa and the Diaspora

Faith-based Responses to the Immigration Crisis

New Formations of African Identity on the Continent and Across the Diaspora

Old Media New Media, Social Media and the Production of Knowledge-based Development

Religion, Race and Morality in the Age of New Social Movements

Global Conference on education, Los Angeles

The pond next to the conference facility at the University of Riverside in southern California

It is dangerous to write about conferences that I did not attend myself, as one can easily promote a conference which is a scam (yes I read about some terrible experiences) or which is not worth the trouble. And trouble it is to get all the forms done, funding arranged and then spending hours on the internet for accommodation and transport and flight arrangements if you are pressed for time. If I do have time to do searches, I love to get lost in the internet however. 

The conference facility of the university of Riverside is situated next to a beautiful pond with awesome wildlife such as tortoises and lots of water birds. Riverside is about two hours’ drive from Los Angeles. The university host international conferences on a regular basis in management, nursing and education. We attended an education conference as an add on to a weekend in Los Angeles and another conference in Seattle. It was a small conference with less than 50 people presenting and attending, which means that there were no concurrent sessions and all get to participate and interact with each other in one conference venue. 

The Global conference on education is less than a month away but for those who will be in the vicinity, there is still time to attend and present at this conference. It will be held on 27 and 28 September. The registration fee for presenters is $500 and for attendees $350. 

And for those of you who are not planning to go to California soon, please remember the upcoming HELTASA conference in Port Elizabeth in November and planning ahead, remember the ICDE in November 2019 in Dublin. Both of these conferences are really worth the effort.   

Postgraduate supervision conference 2019

Spier estate is where the 2019 Postgraduate supervision conference will take place. One of the olive trees on the farm 

The call for abstracts on postgraduate supervision 2019 is open and closes on 3 September 2018. Early registration is open until 25 January 2019 and the final registration date is 4 March 2019. This is one of the conferences that I can only attend every second year when it is hosted by Spier in South Africa. All equal years, the conference is held in Australia. Every unequal year, it is time to pack your bags and make an early booking at Spier to attend this conference. You need to book your accommodation now already as this venue tends to be fully booked months before the event. And Spier is one of the most beautiful places in the Western Cape. But, if you cannot book accommodation at Spier, there are awesome hotels and wineries in the vicinity and in Stellenbosch that is only a few kilometers from the Spier Estate.

In 2019, the seventh Postgraduate Supervision conference will take place from 26 to 29 March and the theme for the conference will be: The global scholar: Implications for postgraduate studies and supervision. Sub-themes include the following topics, but other, relevant issues can also be addressed:

Researcher and supervisor connections, exchanges and joint scholarly work.

The mobility of research candidates and research supervisors.

Supervising / examining across geographical borders, cultures and disciplines.

The relation of local contexts, cultures and knowledge to the global arena.

The implications of global scholarship for language and writing.

The implications for the careers of research candidates and research supervisors.

The implications for fees, fee-structures and the costs of globalised postgraduate research and supervision.

The implications for distance and electronic supervision.

Both theoretical and empirical contributions in any of the following three tracks are welcomed:

Postgraduate supervision theories and policies

Postgraduate supervision practices

Postgraduate supervision trends and trajectories.

Hope to see you all there! 

2019 ISfTE conference at the Niagara falls

The 2019 ISfTE conference will take place next to the Niagara Falls in Canada

I just received an e mail with the most wonderful pictures of the Crowne Plaza hotel's dining room overlooking the Niagara Falls accompanying the invite to submit abstracts and register for the 2019 ISfTE conference.

I immediately recall us standing at the roadside and looking at the hotel and saying to each other that this would be a perfect hotel for a conference; then you don't need to drive from Toronto by bus to see and experience this wonderful site.  And then the email arrives! The international Society for Teacher Education (ISfTE) will host their 2019 conference from 12 to 16 May at this venue and it promises to by great fun and an inspiring experience. 

As we are fast approaching the third decade of this millennium, the 2019 ISfTE conference theme is Teacher Education for the Next Decade: Looking to the Past to Inform the Future. Delegates are invited to consider how globalization, transformative practice, and advancing technologies may inform and change education in the next few years. Although I am not linked to the college of Education at our University, the warmth and welcoming attitude towards academics from other disciplines made the first ISfTE conference we attended in the Kruger National Park, a wonderful experience. 

The due date for proposals is 30 January 2019. The conference proposals should be between 250 and 300 words in length and must include an indication of the strand that best reflects the focus of the intended paper. The following group strands can be considered:  

• Advancements in Curriculum and Pedagogy
• Diversity Issues in Education
• Preparing Teachers for the Challenges of the New Decade
• Educational Psychology
• Adult and Community-Based Educational Approaches
• Global Trends and Transformations in Education
• Research Methodologies and Methods in Educational Research

Early bird registration is open until 15 February 2019 and the registration deadline is 20 March 2019. There are also special fees for accompany partners and delegates from developing countries (that is us!)

Registrations open for the 2018 OEB pre-conference events

Beautiful summer flowers in Germany; but the OER conference will take place in December 2018

Technology and learning goes hand in hand. In ancient times the only tools available to teach knowledge and skills were demonstration and repetition. Education got a boost when language was developed and the next tool added to the educators' toolbox was writing. The printing press was the next revolutionary tool and currently the development of technology is  changing education in the fourth communication revolution. The rapid expanding of technology is causing a challenge to educators who find it hard to keep up with developments and making choices on what to use for the most effective support. One way to stay on top with developments for education, is to attend conferences focused on incorporating technology into education.

The 2018 OEB conference will take place in Berlin from 5 to 7 December and registrations for the conference and pre-conference workshops are open. The theme for this year's conference is Learning to love learning. Sub-themes include instilling curiosity, dynamic learning, training and future-oriented skills, Nascent technologies to change learning, developing learning professionals' skills and implementing complex change and  measurable results and data collection pay-offs.

Here is what you can expect from the conference:
OEB Global includes Learning Technologies Germany  and will focus on learning and technology developments. The cross-sector focus ensure that exchange between the corporate, education and public service sectors takes place when more than 2000 international learning professionals from more than 80 countries meet. The sessions will take place in various formats, including: hands-on workshops, plenaries, interactive breakout sessions, discussions and debates, labs, demos and performances.

Some of the interesting topics of the workshops are:
How to easily create and use videos for teaching and learning
How to create innovative learning spaces
Cultivating lifelong learners
Newcomers guide to OEB
Flipped classroom design through open online sources
Designing a Runkeeper-type app for studying
Getting radically improved data from learner feedback
Some of the workshops are also free of charge.

Conference on Women in higher education leadership and mentoring

The Southern Sun OR Tambo hotel where the Women in higher education leadership and mentoring conference will be held  is right next to the airport

I think our country needs more mentorship and coaching conferences. This conference is, sadly, only focused on women, but I do think mentoring is so important that I like to draw your attention to the Women in higher education leadership and mentoring conference. The conference is, however, open to male academic and support services staff who are interested in women’s progression and equality.

In the spirit of women month, the conference will be held from 16 to 17 August at the Southern Sun Hotel at OR Tambo airport in Kempton park, Gauteng. The theme of the conference is Hidden figures: Interactive exchange of experiences and strategies. There is a discount available for registrations and payments before the end of this week (15 June). The conference programme is already available and looks interesting.

More than 60% of the students enrolled at higher education institutions are female. This does not reflect in management and leadership either inside or outside the academic sector and one can ask if the lack of mentoring and coaching can be blamed? Or can the blame still be sought with the navigation of multiple responsibilities and roles that are required from women? How do women and female leaders in academic roles see themselves?  

 

The conference aims to support women to think strategically and focused in order to strengthen leadership capacities. Other objectives include:

The development (or maintenance) of a leadership portfolio that includes leadership strengths and challenges, goals and values and reflections on leadership.

Learn how successful women negotiate for what they need to be effective leaders, and

Explore the latest policy, information and research relating to women’s participation in leadership roles.

Cape Town in November: The Higher education close up conference

The HECU9 conference in Cape Town will take place at the Vineyard hotel, a short distance from the beautiful botanical gardens.

Just before the HELTASA conference in Port Elizabeth in November 2018, Cape Town will host the Higher Education Close-Up conference. Why not combine the two conferences and spend the weekend either in Cape Town or Port Elizabeth? Unfortunately, such an excursion will not come cheap, but looking at the call for papers from both these events, it will surely be worth every cent.

The Close-Up conference will take place at the four-star Vineyard Hotel from 15 to 16 November. The theme for HECU9 is Contemporary higher education: Close-up research in times of change. Keynote speakers are: Prof Penny Jane Burke, Dr Tristan McCowan and Prof Aslam Fataar. The call for papers is open until 2 July 2018 and the conference fee (early bird until middle August) is a stiff R5 600. Proposals should answer one of six questions:

·        Diversity, equity and social justice: what forms does diversity take, and how should our thinking change in order to promote equity and conditions for social justice in higher education?

·        The changing purposes of higher education: a right or privilege? A public or private good? Employability as the mission? Bundling or un-bundling?

·        Policy, access and success: what is the role of close-up research in informing policy making around access to university, more inclusive curricula and finding new ways to help students succeed in higher education?

·        Critical citizenship and critical thinking: in a “post-truth” world of misinformation, disinformation and ‘fake news’, how should pedagogy adapt to support students in becoming more critically aware, engaged, and thoughtful? How can close-up research lead a response to the growing anti-intellectualism characterised by a conflation of expertise and elitism?

·        Literacy: how do new forms of technology, knowledge-making and writing challenge being literate in the 21st century?

·        Imagining the future: more change - what promises and possibilities, constraints and enablings do current close-up research reveal?

The call for papers for the Learner Conference 2019 is already open

In 2019, Common Ground's Learner conference will take place in Belfast at Queen's University.  

Do you plan to go to the United Kingdom next year to enjoy the summer? If so, here is some good news: you can submit your proposal for the twenty-sixth International Conference on Learning now and start planning the trip. Advanced registration is  also open until 24 October 2018 for $500. The cost will increase to $650 after 24 July 2019.  Returning members and students also get a discounted registration rate. Paying in dollars will ease the pain a little as the South African Rand is weaker against the British pound.

The Learner conference forms part of the Common Ground Research Network group that offers a large range of conferences all over the world in several disciplines. The 2019 Learner Conference will take place at Queen's University in Belfast, northern Ireland, from 24 to 26 July 2019. Queen's University is next to the large botanical garden and near the River Lagan.

The first due date for proposals is by the end of May 2018, but proposals will be accepted throughout the year. The review process of proposal submissions takes between 2 to 4 weeks.

One of the advantages of attending this kind of conference is the exposure to how other disciplines see and conduct teaching, focus on students and develop new strategies to address current challenges and problems. Ten tracks provide a large range of possibilities for delivery of focused research results on the one hand and provide delegates opportunities to expand their knowledge in other fields of  interest. The themes for the 2019 conference are:

•  Pedagogy and Curriculum
• Assessment and Evaluation
• Educational Organization and Leadership
•  Early Childhood Learning
• Learning in Higher Education
• Adult, Community, and Professional Learning
• Learner Diversity and Identities
• Technologies in Learning
• Literacy Learning
• Science, Mathematics, and Technology Learning
  
  

HELTASA conference call for papers open

Flying to port Elizabeth for the HELTASA 2018 conference and  to Cape Town for Learning LandsCAPE conference

First, the HELTASA conference that will take place in Port Elizabeth from 20-23 November this year recently opened the call for papers and it is all about change. Higher education must change and it is obvious that the traditional, linear, slow way of chancing education is no longer acceptable. The call is therefore for out-of-the-box, fresh approaches to bring about positive, radical change. Abstracts must be submitted by 15 June 2018 and early bird registration closes on 30 June 2018. Information on accommodation and the venue will be posted on the conference web page soon.   

Listed below are the 6 brought themes for the conference:
Responsive Curricula, and Curriculum and Career Pathways
Relevant Pedagogies and Assessment approaches
Student Access and Success
Learning Analytics to inform transformative teaching, learning and support
Leadership to respond to complexity and uncertainty in novel ways
Transformative teaching development across the academic career trajectory

Also, remember the e/merge2018 festival of e-Learning in Africa that will take place from 9 to 20 July. 

Second, here is also a reminder of this years Learning LandsCAPE conference on the theme: Perfecting the blend! Motivation and blended learning. Dates are 8-10 May 2018 at the Belmont square conference centre in Cape Town. And as usual, added to the conference is the Gamification @ work day that should not be missed. 

EduTECH Africa conference in Sandton

Santon Convention center where the 2018 EduTech Africa conference will be held, is linked to OR Tambo international airport via the Guatrain. 

Human communications developed over thousands of years and four remarkable evolutions or revolutions brought huge advances for education and training. In ancient times, humans used demonstration and repetition to teach but as soon as they developed speech, this communication tool was used effectively to teach and train. The development of writing and the printing press brought new technology to the educator's tool box. Currently, in the fourth revolution world, educators are focusing on adding another tool to their tool box - that of digital technology in all its forms. It is important that educators not only take note of the latest developments in this sector, but also to be involved in the development of new technology that can be used to enhance education and training. Keep in mind that these tools (language, writing, printing or digital media) do not replace learning, they can enhance and support learning and make learning opportunities available to more people. 

This year, the EduTech Africa conference will be held on 9 and 10 October at the Sandton Convention Center in Johannesburg, South Africa. Sandton is part of the economic power hub of South Africa and the Convention center is conveniently situated adjacent to top shopping malls, entertainment complexes, great hotels and also linked to the OR Tambo international airport via the Gautrain.   

Pre-event workshops will be held on Monday 8 October and topics include 'The business of private education in Africa', 'Learn to code in a day', 'Virtual reality' and 'Cyber bullying'.  

There are six conference streams, 3500 attendees and  more than 150 speakers at this event.  The six streams are K-12 Leaders, K-12 IT, K-12 Business Management, Special educational needs, Tertiary Education and Vocational education. In the tertiary education stream, topics include 'The campus of the future', 'Adaptive learning technologies', 'Teacher training', 'Assessment and Evaluation' and 'Africa stories'.

Early bird registration ends 20 July and the costs is R3 825. There is also discount for groups of 3 and more people attending the conference. 

Dancing on the waves of change HELTASA conference

Dancing on the waves of change in higher education: the HELTASA conference 2018

The first call for abstracts is announced for the 2018 Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA) conference that will be held at the South campus on Summerstrand at the Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth from 21 to 23 November. Pre-conference workshops will take place on 20 November. 

Although the web page for this years' conference is not fully functional yet (accommodation and maps and keynote speakers, etc. will be added soon hopefully), I am very excited about the awesome theme: Dancing on the waves of Change in Africa! Indeed, higher education is experiencing radical changes due to the 4 fourth revolutions that are shaping our society (and just in case you forgot them, they are the fourth communication revolution, the fourth industrial revolution, the fourth human identity revolution and the fourth Christian faith revolution - this last one is only slowly awakening). So, for a conference in the beautiful seaside city of Port Elizabeth, and in this changing higher education environment, what can be more fitting and challenging than to host a conference on how to stay on top of these changes and use them to our advantage?  I am sure we all will enjoy the opportunity to learn from each other and share our successes (and also maybe our failures in this uncertain and fast changing environment). 

Although the conference will host the usual presentations such as workshops, oral presentations, poster presentations, flipped paper sessions and critical dialogues, the organizers also encourages alternative and creative presentations such as music, dance, poetry, visual arts, drama and much more. The organizers also promise a range of social and cultural events for delegates to participate in and use and networking opportunities. 

The first call for abstracts will open 16 April and the due date is 16 June. 19 July is set as the closing date for early bird registration. So save the dates and ensure that you do not miss out on this promising conference.

Critical thinking conference

The 38th critical thinking conference will be held in California in July 2018

In a previous blog I already spoke about the venue and format of the next conference on critical thinking in July 2018 in the USA. The early bird registration is still open. 

Dr Linda Elder reminded us in a recent e mail about the crucial importance of the ability to really think about issues and the perceptions regarding technology: "We are reminded daily that there are many pressing problems facing humans. One of these is that technological advancement has given rise to the pedestrian belief that technology is the answer to all human ills. Technology seems now to be something akin to a holy grail we humans collectively worship, without entirely knowing why. For many, technology is treated as the whole, or nearly the whole, of human life. Digital reality has replaced actual reality, so that humans now frequently have difficulty differentiating the two. In the meantime, we are losing sense of family, of community, of connection to one another as human beings and sentient creatures. This can only lead us away from the principles embodied in fair-minded critical societies.

At this point in history, technology is treated in much the same way as early science and math were treated by the majority of Greek intellectuals more than 2,400 years ago - as the most important subjects to study for the advancement of human civilization. But neither math, nor science, nor any individual field or sub-specialty can be the whole of human thought or life. Each of these is merely a part of human experience. And it is clear that we do not always benefit from technological inventions and "improvements."

A rich conception of critical reasoning has seemingly little room in today's conversations; people are too buried in their cell phones (or other technology) to notice. The open exploration of ideas is not something most people feel comfortable with, because they have little experience with it."

She then conclude that the foundation of critical thinking is dedicated to advance human thought and understanding.  This conference is an opportunity to develop this crucial skill and is open to all levels of the community and academic world. 

SBL conference in Denver for theologians

The sun is setting and we are on our way to the next academic conference with SAA

The Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), in partnership with the American Academy of Religion (AAR), will co-host their 2018 annual conference from 17 to 20 November in Denver, Colorado, USA. This huge conference, large exhibition of books and other resources and gathering of theologians on global scale is not to be missed. The call for papers is open until the end of June and the large selection of topics make this a conference that will spark the interest of all theologians and lay enthusiasts.  

The three main segments of this conference are sections, seminars and consultations. The Sections category offers more than one hundred topics to link papers for presentation. Seminars have limited membership and papers are discussed, not read. The seminars are structured around twenty pre-defined topics and projects. Consultations are exploratory program units focused on new areas of interest. The five current focus areas that are, according to the SBL, ‘new’ are: Animal studies and the Bible; Biblical exegesis from Eastern Orthodox perspectives; the book of Samuel: narrative, theology and interpretation; Racism, pedagogy and Biblical studies and the Historical Paul. Just wondering are these really 'new'?

The SBL as a society that is devoted to the critical investigation of the Bible was established in 1880. The AAR is a society and association of teachers and research scholars that has about 9000 members. 

The conference fee is $200 and the venue is not yet announced. Both associations have options on their web pages to keep you updated and informed, if needed. 

Unfortunately I cannot speak from personal experience as this is one of the conferences that is always on my wish-list but the date at the end of November is again during the exam marking time for our universities in South Africa, but a large number of my colleagues do manage to go annually and they say that this conference in definitely not to be missed. 

A South African History conference on miracles and mirages

The Historical Association of South Africa's 2018 conference will be held in Thaba Nchu

The call is open for abstracts to present at the biennial conference of the Historical Association of South Africa (HASA). This conference is not to be missed, even if you are not a full-blooded historian. The conference theme of Miracles and Mirages: 'The fall of the oldest and rise of the newest South Africa... and beyond' should spark interest from all South Africans and even people beyond our borders. And if this is not enough, look at the list of sub themes that the conference participants will address during cold winter days of 20-22 June at the Black Mountain Leisure & Conference hotel in Thaba Nchu. Although it is summer now and South Africa is sizzling, this part of the country can get extremely cold in winter time - just what is asked for to keep all indoors and glued to their seats while listening to these:

Themes  for this years' conference include:
Free falling education on the South African education systems;
The bang-bang club on defence, security and crime;
In all fairness on identity, equality, reconciliation;
Law, order and anarchy on Justice and ethics;
Talking (none)cents on economics and industry;
Drizzles, deserts and diamonds on water, ecology, poaching, pollution and preservation;
In a heartbeat on healthcare;
Food for thought on agriculture and farming;
Count your words on freedom of speech, media and communication;
From a different angle on art music, sport, literature and social history;
Politics and other tricks on just that;
Preserving history on museums, statues, parks and places, heritage tourism and the 'platteland'; Scripture, saints and sinners on religion, theology and belief systems;
Just a though on methodology, philosophy, oral history and mind-shifts.

Documentary films will also be accepted as presentations at the conference. The final date for abstracts (including those on films) is 22 February 2018.  Early bird conference fee is R2800 and the University of the Free State will be hosting this years' event.

International conference on Critical thinking

We love Hilton and we enjoy Double Tree because we are addicted to the cookies! This is the Double Tree in Seattle. 

All academics need to be critical thinkers. We also try to develop critical thinking skills in our students, build it in to our courses and assessment tasks and for me the most difficult part, to incorporate critical and active thinking into my daily life in order to counter emotional or instinctive reactions to life. 

The 38th annual International Conference on Critical thinking will take place between 16 and 20 July 2018 at the Double Tree Hotel in Rohnert Park, California, USA. The conference theme is Critical thinking throughout education and across the professions - in every classroom, every boardroom, every business, every government, in every country around the world. The call for proposals is open until 26 February and early registration discount is available until 16 June 2018.  There are four types of conference sessions available: focus sessions, plenary sessions, concurrent sessions and round-table discussions.  The focal session presenters include well known critical thinkers Linda Elder, Gerald Nosich, Brian Barnes and Paul Bankes. 

The conference venue is northern California, in the Sonoma wine district, home to more than 400 wineries. The hotel situated between two golf courses  and within easy reach of a night out to a musical performance at the Green Music Center. You can also see the Redwoods from a zip line or visit the rugged Bodega Coastline. Or you can go hiking, biking or boating. And for those of us from outside the USA, other local attractions include the Golden Gate Bridge and the Sonoma State University.  So do make sure that your booking includes a few extra days before or after the conference. 

Although accommodation is not included in the registration fee, the block is good and available until 15 June. I always like to stay in the conference hotel where the buzz is and you can network over a cup of coffee or dinner or in the garden.  

Conference in Durban about the first-year experience

Durban will host the 2018 conference about the first-year experience

The South African National Resource Centre for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition (SANRC) is hosting the 4^th Annual SANRC FYE (first year experience) Conference  on 23 to 25 May 2018. Registration is already open on the website. The early bird is open until 27 February.

The call for papers is also open until 15 March. The following are themes: 

Teaching for first-year success 

Innovative first-year support initiatives 

Measurement and accountability in first-year support services: Are we getting it right?

Orientation programmes as a key element of student support 

Engaging the student voice: Critical Perspectives from students 

International models of first-year support 

Theorising academic support 

The challenge of decolonisation in first-year support.

We know that high school does not really prepare learners to become students in South Africa. Therefore, the first year experience raises lots of questions for which we urgently need answers:

Do we know and understand the multi-faceted needs of first-year students? 

How can we address gaps in our knowledge with an authentic understanding of the first-year as it is experienced by students? 

Do lecturers have the capabilities to meet the needs of these students? 

Can new learning models and technologies create a different learning environment for students? 

To what extent are we evaluating the various academic support programmes offered at South Africa’s universities? 

This conference is designed to thoughtfully consider whether we are giving our students the kinds of meaningful educational experiences which will help them thrive academically and transition successfully through the higher education system.  

This year, the conference will be held at the Garden Court Marine Parade hotel in Durban on the beautiful east coast of South Africa. Durban has numerous awesome beachfront hotels to choose from. And while in Durban, do NOT miss out on a visit to the bird park (see photo above of some of the birds sharing the paths with humans to get around the park). It is really an awesome attraction with much more than just birds, and really not expensive, not even for South Africans.  

Summer school in Estonia as an alternative to conferencing?

The Tallinn University summer or winter school is a great alternative for a traditional conference. 

Yes, we are used to attend conferences, but don't you think we also sometimes need to step out of this routine and do something else like learning a new skill or completing a course which can add points towards another qualification? 

Tallinn, the beautiful old capital city of Estonia is offering both summer schools and winter schools with very interesting programmes, not so expensive registration fees (about 250 Euros) and even affordable student accommodation (188 Euros for 3 weeks) and optional excursions over weekends between classes.  The courses and classes are scheduled from Monday to Friday, over a period of three weeks, starting on 9 July 2018 until 27 July 2018. 

You can choose from the following main streams: Language courses, Creative courses, Educational Sciences, Humanities and Social sciences and interdisciplinary courses. The creative courses had me nailed: Creative Psychotherapy, Creative writing, Design of serious games and a gamification workshop, short film, storytelling, comics and illustrations, Photo story, animation and tv news! How about one of these? 
The Educational Sciences stream include a course on education through place and space: recreational activities as experiential learning. 
The Humanities and social sciences stream includes courses on Estonian food, self knowledge, social enterprises:  Using your creativity and sensitivity as well as an information and knowledge management in the digital environment. 

Tallinn is a fairy tale town with friendly people, within easy travel distance to other Baltic countries, including also visits to St Petersburg in Russia. The first weekend trip includes a visit to the Estonian Mining museum in Kohtla-Nomme, the Narva Castle, the Lasemaa National park. The second weekend trip includes a visit to the second largest city in Estonia called Tartu and the Setomaa settlement as well as the Piusa caves.