UDOL Conference Shows How The Future's Bright For Online Learning
1 March 2012
Left to right - Stuart Sutherland,Donald Clark, Julie Stone and Professor Paul Maharg.
As UDOL is beginning to grow we were keen to bring together University staff interested in finding out more about what we offer and how they can get involved
”Julie Stone, Head of UDOL.
An insight into the future of e-learning was given at the 'Shaping The Future Of Online Learning' conference, the first hosted by University of Derby Online (UDOL).
Held at the University's Enterprise Centre in Derby city centre, 100 academic and support staff delegates were treated to a day packed full of thought-provoking guest talks, as well as a series of break-out sessions which were designed to provide time for reflection and debate.
After a formal welcome from Julie Stone, Head of UDOL, and Pro Vice-Chancellor Philip Plowden, delegates were soon transfixed by Donald Clark and his talk - From Gutenberg to Zuckerberg, is pedagogic change now driven by technology?
Formally CEO and one of the original founders of Epic Group plc, which established itself as the leading company in the UK e-learning market before being sold in 2005, Donald was well placed to talk about the impact the internet continues to have on learning.
Interesting points made were that the internet is responsible for there being more pedagogic change in the last ten years than the last 1,000 years, and, unsurprisingly, that social media plays a huge role in a student's life - a large number are on Facebook every 30 minutes.
The afternoon session involved a talk by Professor Paul Maharg, entitled The Future's Already Here which looked at some of the ways in which online learning can be successfully incorporated into teaching practice. Examples Paul showcased included law students learning via the use of video case studies, online simulations and role playing.
A Professor of Legal Education in the School of Law at University of Northumbria, Paul is also author of the book Transforming Legal Education; Learning and Teaching the Law in the Early Twenty-first Century and co-editor of and contributor to Digital Games and Learning.
UDOL's new Senior Development and Delivery Manager, Stuart Sutherland, followed this with a look at the academic perspective and how online learning will benefit both students and the University in the future.
Julie Stone, Head of UDOL, said: "As UDOL is beginning to grow we were keen to bring together University staff interested in finding out more about what we offer and how they can get involved.
"As a University we recognise that the curriculum can be delivered in different ways and so need to embrace the constantly evolving technology available to us. By doing so we can ensure that our students receive the most effective method of teaching, whether that's through the traditional route of lectures and classroom based tutorials, online, or a combination of the two."
For further information on UDOL and the online courses available visit www.derby.ac.uk/online
For more information please contact Deputy Head of Corporate Relations Rosie Marshalsay on 01332 591942 or 07920 235 586, or email R.Marshalsay@derby.ac.uk.
