By Pete Sparkes, Learning Technologist liaison for the Business School

Each year, the Library and Technology Enhanced Learning coordinate ‘Digital Discovery Week’, a programme of events themed around innovation and technology. The week provides opportunity to discuss, learn and explore the different contexts, practices and effects associated with emerging technologies and how we engage with them as researchers, teachers and students.

The week kicks off on Monday 5th November with a roundtable discussion about an ambitious new strategy to position the university as a globally recognised leader in the use of digital technologies; chaired by Prof. Rorden Wilkinson, Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor for Education and Innovation. During the week, there will be over twenty scheduled events taking place which are free to attend, and open to all staff and students. The events consist of a mix of seminars, presentations, panel discussions and creative workshops. The week will cover a range of topics from augmented reality, learning technologies, blockchain, wellbeing, makerspaces, digital design, open data and more.

So why is this relevant to our teaching practice? Technology continues to evolve and play an important role in education, whether we are using it to extend learning opportunities and help manage large classes; facilitate novel and exciting learning activities or to develop our students digital literacies. Digital Discovery Week provides lots of fantastic opportunities to experiment, broaden horizons as well as develop ideas and skills with technology which we can use in our teaching practice. As learning technologies liaison for the Business School, I look forward to working with staff in these areas and will be in attendance at several of the events during the week.

The full programme including details and booking information for the events are available on the Digital Discovery Week webpage.