Announcing our first keynote speaker: Professor James Arvanitakis

Prepare to be inspired to improve higher education!

Have you ever heard a keynote speaker who:

  • Causes a harp-like reverberation in your every nerve
  • Makes you want to stand-up and shout-out ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’
  • Gives you hope for humanity and for creating positive futures
  • You just need to personally meet and thank after
  • Inspires you to change, create impact and take positive, practical actions?

I have! Every time I have had the pleasure of hearing Professor James Arvanitakis speak.

I am so excited that James has accepted our invitation to be one of the keynote speakers at ASCILITE 2017.

James has inspired positive change in the university student (and staff) experience through his many contributions. James has

So who is Professor James Arvanitakis? Here are a few highlights from his inspiring career. James is

  • Dean of the Graduate Research School, Western Sydney University
  • Founding Head of The Academy, Western Sydney University
  • Winner of a 2016 Australian Financial Review Higher Education Excellence Award
  • Recipient of the Prime Minister’s University Teacher of the Year Award in 2012
  • Research Fellow of the Australian Indian Institute as of 2017
  • Former economist and free market advocate who left a lucrative finance career to have impact on social justice through higher education
  • Board member of the Public Education Foundation
  • Chair of Diversity Arts Australia
  • Research Fellow at the Centre for Policy Development
  • Regular Guest on ABC News Breakfast

James' keynote promises to confront some of the issues with technology implementation in higher education:

Within the educational setting, the promises of technology rarely live up to what is delivered. Be it a lack of commitment, tools that fail to deliver the flexibility desired, faculty resistance or failure to commit resources, students frequently feel let down and educators are often frustrated. While most of us aim to ensure that the pedagogy trumps technology, it is more likely to that the pedagogy is shaped by the technology we can utilise. In this  presentation, I will draw on a cross cultural project involving Australian and Indian universities to outline how we can better deliver the programs we promise with the technology available, rather than being held hostage by it.

What are you waiting for? Register for ASCILITE 2017 and join me in being inspired by James.

by Shelley Kinash

10 reasons why I am submitting a paper to ASCILITE 2017 (by next Monday 5 June!)

There is just one week to go until the ASCILITE 2017 call for participation closes! To spur you on with making your submission, today Professor Shelley Kinash is sharing ten reasons why she is submitting a paper to ASCILITE 2017.

  1. The ASCILITE acronym stands for ‘Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education’. True to its’ name, the society is about digital solutions that will have high impact on the student learning experience and graduate outcomes.
  2. Past conferences and proceedings have held the key to practical approaches and solutions.
  3. I always have FUN at ASCILITE conferences.
  4. ASCILITE conferences are a great way to reconnect with passionate learning and teaching colleagues from across the world and from multiple tertiary education sectors.
  5. After I present at ASCILTE, colleagues with intersecting research interests contact me to continue the conversation. In my experience, the number of follow-up contacts and conversations exceeds that from any other conference presentation.
  6. My co-authored/co-presented 2010 ASCILITE paper on Padagogy has been cited 52 times.
  7. My co-authored/co-presented ASCILTE paper on mobile learning that was subsequently published (2012) in the associated journal - the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology (AJET) - has been cited 134 times.
  8. Toowoomba is a thriving community and December is a beautiful time to visit. There will be lots to do within and beyond the conference. We've already shared about all the great things there is to do in Toowoomba - and we'll be sharing more in the coming months.
  9. The theme of the conference is Me. Us. IT. There will be cutting-edge, creative presentations and conversations about practical application, inclusiveness, reach and digital futures.
  10. There are many participation options including full paper, concise paper, digital poster, debate, lightning talk, lightning round, open fishbowl, experimental session, and post conference workshop.

For more information on submission formats, check out the call for participation.

by Shelley Kinash