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.