{"id":4966,"date":"2016-10-11T09:30:54","date_gmt":"2016-10-11T08:30:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/?p=4966"},"modified":"2016-10-18T10:01:21","modified_gmt":"2016-10-18T09:01:21","slug":"learning-learning-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2016\/10\/11\/learning-learning-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning about Learning Technology"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"learning

flickr photo by cogdogblog<\/a> shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license<\/p><\/div>\n

Learning technology is an exciting and fast moving field.<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re an academic interested in increasing engagement in lectures or a student looking for ways to improve your approach to studying, the development of your digital capabilities will be increasingly instrumental to your success.<\/p>\n

Learning Technology<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What are learning technologies and how do we learn about them?\u00a0I was given pause to reflect on this in a recent interview I gave for our new podcast series Teaching with Tech<\/a>\u00a0when asked how I came to work in this area.<\/p>\n

A once embryonic profession now encapsulates a large and diverse community; a growing membership organisation \u2013 the Association for Learning Technology<\/a> (ALT) \u2013 and a professional accreditation scheme (Certified Membership of the Association for Learning Technology \u2013 CMALT<\/a>) that is increasingly required and valued by employers.\u00a0The relevance of learning technology beyond the activities of Learning Technologists is clear from the definition given by ALT:<\/p>\n

\u201cLearning technology is the broad range of communication, information and related technologies that can be used to support learning, teaching and assessment.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Building your digital capability and maintaining your professional development<\/strong><\/h3>\n

So how do we learn about learning technology?\u00a0 How can we move from a position on the periphery of this dynamic professional community to a more central one?\u00a0 Below are some great ways develop your digital capability and to expose yourself to new ideas involving the use of technology in learning, teaching and assessment.<\/p>\n

Plug-in to Podcasts.\u00a0 <\/strong>While it might still be in its infancy we\u2019ve big plans for our new Teaching<\/p>\n

\"Teaching

Teaching with Tech Podcast<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

with\u00a0Tech podcast series<\/a> which will share examples of good practice when applying technology\u00a0in\u00a0teaching and learning.\u00a0 Platforms such as Soundcloud<\/a> (where we host Teaching with Tech) and iTunes <\/a>are great starting points for searching for podcasts.\u00a0 If you\u2019re in higher or further education Jisc\u2019s podcast series<\/a> is another worth subscribing to.\u00a0 Similarly The Edtech Podcast<\/a> available on iTunes hosted by Sophie Bailey (@soph_bailey<\/a>) is also worth a listen.<\/p>\n

Subscribe to blogs.\u00a0 <\/strong>If you\u2019re reading this post then you\u2019re already well on this path!\u00a0 If you don\u2019t already subscribe to receive our weekly posts straight to your inbox then you can enter your email address in the box on the top right of this page.\u00a0 There are countless other blogs that you might derive inspiration from.\u00a0 The brilliant 1minuteCPD<\/a> provides a daily fix of digital skills training with tasks that can be completed in 1 minute. The ALT-C blog<\/a> (edited by Sussex\u2019s very own @AnneHole<\/a>) is another great source of information, case studies and opinion pieces on topics relating to learning technology.<\/p>\n

Engage in online communities.<\/strong>\u00a0 We talked about the value of active participation in professional spaces in our blog post \u2018Get connected \u2013 engaging with online communities<\/a>\u2019.\u00a0 A great way to develop your knowledge of learning technology is to join networks and progressively engage in discussion with members of these communities. \u00a0One of the simplest and richest routes to achieving this is to subscribe to relevant mailing lists. Jiscmail <\/a>provides access to a huge collection of groups. Many of these lists are closed to non-members but open lists that you might want to join include the ALT-CINFO list<\/a> (mailing list about the Association for Learning Technology Conference), OER-DISCUSS<\/a> if you’re interested in open educational resources and the mailing list for the Staff and Educational Development Association<\/a> (SEDA).\u00a0 If you\u2019re on Twitter you might want to observe the weekly<\/p>\n

\"learning

A diagram depicting interaction within an #lthechat<\/a> hour<\/p><\/div>\n

Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Chat<\/a>\u00a0(#LTHEchat) that takes place from 8-9pm on Wednesday evenings and once you\u2019re familiar with the format get involved in the conversations.<\/p>\n

Connect at conferences.\u00a0 <\/strong>A tried and trusted format, the traditional conference is another great route to learn about learning technology.<\/p>\n

There are many specialist and general events that you might attend (either in person or virtually) but the main ones to look out for include the Spotlight on Digital Capabilities<\/a> conference organised by the Universities and Colleges Information Systems Association (UCISA), the twice yearly SEDA Conferences<\/a> (which often have an edtech twist) and of course the annual ALT Conference<\/a> (ALT-C).\u00a0 ELESIG<\/a>\u00a0(Evaluation of Learner\u2019s Experiences of e-Learning Special Interest Group) are a community of educational practitioners and researchers who are active in a range of digital spaces but also host regional meetings that are well worth getting along to<\/p>\n

Keep up-to-date with latest research.\u00a0<\/strong>The rise of open access publishing means that you now have access to a vast range of high quality peer reviewed publications online. \u00a0Research in Learning Technology<\/a> is the open access journal of the Association for Learning Technology. \u00a0The Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice<\/a> (JPAAP) has a broader scope but includes many contributions relating to the application or evaluation of learning technology in higher education.<\/p>\n

There are many ways for people to learn about learning technology and – for individuals like myself who perhaps unexpectedly found themselves working professionally in this area – many communities and networks that you can connect with which will offer inspiration and support.<\/p>\n

What other ways do you maintain your professional development relating to learning technology?\u00a0 What blogs, podcasts or mailing lists do you subscribe to?\u00a0\u00a0 Please share your comments below.<\/em><\/p>\n

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