Parents interested in remote learning may also discover their choices are all or nothing: Either they can pull their child out of their traditional school to enroll for the whole year in an online option or they can remain in a brick-and-mortar building and hope for the best.
Remote learning isn’t the only need. Pandemic pods and learning hubs have shown the power of small, individualized spaces where community organizations—whose staff often have the trust of students and families in their neighborhoods—to help students discover a sense of belonging and connect them to essential services like tutoring or mental-health support.
The EdTech Creator Challenge Creator Challenge is for creators leveraging immersive technology and real-time 3D to make learning and education more accessible to ALL. This includes organizations such as:
Workforce development / Professional Learning
Higher education institutions
EdTech creators (serving the above audiences, in addition to K-12 schools)
Nonprofits
Eligible projects are encouraged to apply by submitting the online applicationform by September 10, 2021 at 11:59pm PST.
APPLICATION TIPS
The application has 25 questions in total. Once you begin, you can save and continue as you go. Check out the tips below and apply by September 10, 2021.
1. SIMPLIFY YOUR DESCRIPTION
When you explain what your organization does in the product section, keep it simple. You should be able to explain your organization in a way that a student would understand.
2. KNOW YOUR PURPOSE
How does your immersive technology support your organization’s mission? One of the factors judges will use to evaluate your application is Purpose. Be prepared to put your mission and impact into words, it’s a key element of the application.
3. EMPHASIZE TEAM STRENGTHS
Several questions on the application allow you to highlight the strengths of your leadership team. This is a great opportunity to demonstrate subject matter expertise, experience, and passion.
4. DON’T DELAY
Early application submissions are highly encouraged as the final deadline quickly approaches. If you have questions about the application this will allow time to review the FAQor reach out for clarification.
AI is being used to monitor students and their work. The most prominent uses of AI in higher education are attached to applications designed to protect or preserve academic integrity through the use of plagiarism-detection software (60%) and proctoring applications (42%) (see figure 1).
The chatbots are coming! A sizable percentage (36%) of respondents reported that chatbots and digital assistants are in use at least somewhat on their campuses, with another 17% reporting that their institutions are in the planning, piloting, and initial stages of use (see figure 2). The use of chatbots in higher education by admissions, student affairs, career services, and other student success and support units is not entirely new, but the pandemic has likely contributed to an increase in their use as they help students get efficient, relevant, and correct answers to their questions without long waits.Footnote10 Chatbots may also liberate staff from repeatedly responding to the same questions and reduce errors by deploying updates immediately and universally.
AI is being used for student success tools such as identifying students who are at-risk academically (22%) and sending early academic warnings (16%); another 14% reported that their institutions are in the stage of planning, piloting, and initial usage of AI for these tasks.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents said that ineffective data management and integration (72%) and insufficient technical expertise (71%) present at least a moderate challenge to AI implementation. Financial concerns (67%) and immature data governance (66%) also pose challenges. Insufficient leadership support (56%) is a foundational challenge that is related to each of the previous listed challenges in this group.
Current use of AI
Chatbots for informational and technical support, HR benefits questions, parking questions, service desk questions, and student tutoring
Research applications, conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and data science research (my italics)
Library services (my italics)
Recruitment of prospective students
Providing individual instructional material pathways, assessment feedback, and adaptive learning software
Proctoring and plagiarism detection
Student engagement support and nudging, monitoring well-being, and predicting likelihood of disengaging the institution
With so many definitions of leadership, each organization needs to have a clear definition of what leadership is and what it means to be a leader within their company. The definition can evolve over time, but having even a basic, agile definition is better than no definition at all.
Leadership filters ensure the company has a consistent definition of leadership and that the people who best represent the culture and values are promoted to leadership positions. A leader focused solely on raising profits and earning more money wouldn’t fare well in a company focused on developing empathetic leaders. Leadership filters help promote the right people and maintain a cohesive work environment.
According to Gallup’s most recent global research only 13% of employees worldwide are engaged at work. One reason for this is, many employees feel like their boss does not respect or appreciate them. The truth is great leaders don’t talk down to their employees or make them feel inferior. They make everyone that they come in contact with, feel like they are the most important person in the room. Great leaders are in the construction not the demolition business.
The Tech & Learning Virtual Leadership Summit is an exclusive, FREE, invitation-only virtual event for top-level executives from school districts around the country with education technology buying responsibilities. Taking the best of Tech & Learning’s in-person Leadership Summits, the Virtual Summit will provide an environment where district leaders can share their successes and challenges in facilitated small group discussions.
Information literacies (media literacy, Research Literacy, digital literacy, visual literacy, financial literacy, health literacy, cyber wellness, infographics, information behavior, trans-literacy, post-literacy)
Information Literacy and academic libraries
Information Literacy and adult education
Information Literacy and blended learning
Information Literacy and distance learning
Information Literacy and mobile devices
Information Literacy and Gamification
Information Literacy and public libraries
Information Literacy in Primary and Secondary Schools
Information Literacy and the Knowledge Economy
Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning
Information Literacy and the Information Society
Information Literacy and the Multimedia Society
Information Literacy and the Digital Society
Information Literacy in the modern world (e.g trends, emerging technologies and innovation, growth of digital resources, digital reference tools, reference services).
The future of Information Literacy
Workplace Information Literacy
Librarians as support to the lifelong learning process
Digital literacy, Digital Citizenship
Digital pedagogy and Information Literacy
Information Literacy Needs in the Electronic Resource Environment
Integrating Information Literacy into the curriculum
Putting Information Literacy theory into practice
Information Literacy training and instruction
Instructional design and performance for Information Literacy (e.g. teaching practice, session design, lesson plans)
Information Literacy and online learning (e.g. self-paced IL modules, online courses, Library Guides)
Information Literacy and Virtual Learning Environments
Supporting users need through library 2.0 and beyond
Digital empowerment and reference work
Information Literacy across the disciplines
Information Literacy and digital preservation
Innovative IL approaches
Student engagement with Information Literacy
Action Literacy
Information Literacy, Copyright and Intellectual Property
Information Literacy and Academic Writing
Media and Information Literacy – theoretical approaches (standards, assessment, collaboration, etc.)
The Digital Competence Framework 2.0
Information Literacy theory (models, standards, indicators, Moscow Declaration etc.)
Information Literacy and Artificial intelligence
Information Literacy and information behavior
Information Literacy and reference services: cyber reference services, virtual reference services, mobile reference services
Information Literacy cultural and contextual approaches
Information Literacy and Threshold concepts
Information Literacy evaluation and assessment
Information Literacy in different cultures and countries including national studies
Information Literacy project management
Measuring in Information Literacy instruction assessment
New aspects of education/strategic planning, policy, and advocacy for Information Literacy in a digital age
Information Literacy and the Digital Divide
Policy and Planning for Information Literacy
Branding, promotion and marketing for Information Literacy
Cross –sectorial; and interdisciplinary collaboration and partnerships for Information Literacy
Leadership and Governance for Information Literacy
Strategic planning for IL
Strategies in e-learning to promote self-directed and sustainable learning in the area of Information Literacy skills.
In TEACHERS AND STUDENTS: Teachers and Staff training and education; Educational quality and standards; Curriculum and Pedagogy; Vocational education and Counselling; Ubiquitous and lifelong learning; Training programmes and professional guidance; Teaching and learning relationship; Student affairs (learning, experiences and diversity; Extra-curricular activities; Assessment and measurements in Education.
• In PROJECTS AND TRENDS: Pedagogic innovations; Challenges and transformations in Education; Technology in teaching and learning; Distance Education and eLearning; Global and sustainable developments for Education; New learning and teaching models; Multicultural and (inter)cultural communications; Inclusive and Special Education; Rural and indigenous Education; Educational projects.
• In TEACHING AND LEARNING: Critical Thinking; Educational foundations; Research and development methodologies; Early childhood and Primary Education; Secondary Education; Higher Education; Science and technology Education; Literacy, languages and Linguistics (TESL/TEFL); Health Education; Religious Education; Sports Education.
• In ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES: Educational policy and leadership; Human Resources development; Educational environment; Business, Administration, and Management in Education; Economics in Education; Institutional accreditations and rankings; International Education and Exchange programmes; Equity, social justice and social change; Ethics and values; Organizational learning and change; Corporate Education.
= Types of Contributions =
All submissions are subjected to a blind-review refereeing process and are divided in these categories:
– Oral Presentations
– Posters
– Workshops
– Virtual presentations
– Company Presentation
Corporates can also showcase their products or services in the conference exhibitions area by contacting the secretariat or publicity email (provided below).
= Conference Date and Location =
END 2020 will be held in Zagreb, Croatia (Hotel Dubrovnik) and will occur from 27 to 29 of June, 2020.