Students today are the first truly digital citizens, taking advantage of new learning tools that encompass social media, e-commerce, and gamification. This session will explore the best tools and methods for engaging today’s students (both children and adults) as they become tomorrow’sinnovators.
Presentation 1: Digital Resources for Youth Engagement, Brent Bawel, Caitlin Walton
Educators today are increasingly focused on delivering inquiry-based instruction that creates opportunity for differentiation. Meeting and engaging students not only at a level that is appropriate for them but also with content that is relevant to their day-to-day lives is critical. In this session, explore how digital resources (online games, videos, and interactives) can support differentiated instruction and set the stage for learners across a wide range of grades and abilities.
MindFuel’s Wonderville program creates such engaging STEM-based resources that promote science learning at any age, but focuses specifically on K-12 classrooms and supporting curriculum delivery.
Take Aways for attendees:
- Understanding how digital media can be used as an effective educational tool
- How technology supports differentiated instruction
- How to engage in the online educational community
Presentation 2: From the Traditional to the Virtual – The Journey of Work-Based Learning, Suzanne Winterflood
The CEW is a not-for-profit organization based in Winnipeg, Manitoba that designs and delivers digital learning solutions to support workforce skills development. This presentation will share CEW's experiences in combining traditional learning theory with emerging technologies to develop innovative resources.
Hear more about the journey of designing adaptive and mobile learning solutions, including 3D Virtual Reality environments for training in the trades.
Take Aways for attendees:
- An improved understanding of the complexities of blended learning
- Greater appreciation of the life cycle of designing and developing learning technologies
- Lessons learned
Presentation 3: The Future of EdTech, Brian Stewart
Educational Technology is becoming increasingly important in the higher education sector as innovative educators are using technology to improve pedagogy and student learning. This is not limited to academic institutions as corporate trainers also seek to leverage their people development resources to improve the operating performance of their organizations.
As a result the field of EdTech has been growing rapidly over the past decade as entrepreneurs see the opportunities to use technology to improve the speed and depth of learning. The drive ultimately stems from the transition to a knowledge economy where information is the vital fuel and improved learning can provide breakthrough insights that have substantial public or private value.
This presentation will look at the trends impacting and being impacted by EdTech, student and faculty perceptions, economics, adoption success, factors, investment patterns and the major technologies that are being used in higher educational institutions.
