session overview

Wednesday 27th January 2010
14:00 - 15:00 Track 1 Session 2

New technologies

The momentum of new learning technology shows no signs of letting up. In this session we examine two of the most potent new technologies likely to impact learning in 2010: cloud computing and smart devices. The idea of cloud computing has been around for years, but the success of online applications hosted by the likes of Google and Zoho have now made it a commonplace reality. And the way augmented reality is entering our lives with smart portable devices is something every learning professional will need to know about.

P1: What cloud computing means for learning

Stuart Lauchlan, Freelance Journalist

After a lot of hype and plenty of false starts, cloud computing is finally coming. With widely available broadband and web 2.0 applications, the cloud will hit headlines in 2010. The promise: 'virtualising' IT so that company data and applications are accessed via the internet. That's good news for executives who want IT as a utility, not a costly in-house function. What will the impact be on the Learning and Development department?

  • The implications - for better and for worse
  • Who will be the winners in learning provision?
  • How secure is your data - and your applications - on the cloud?
  • Isn't this just SaaS/ASP 2.0?
  • Some cloud success stories

P2: The new smart devices for learning

Steve Wheeler, Senior Lecturer in Education and ICT, University of Plymouth

Smart phones are now proving themselves for learning, but what happens next with smart devices? Join Steve Wheeler as he explores how existing technologies such as GPS, cameras, light-weight projection and bar code scanning can be combined with new software to extraordinary effect. In the next few years, individual's interactions with the world, and how they learn in it, may be transformed. Steve will explore:

  • Augmented reality: the short-cut to information
  • The power of smart devices combined with semantic search
  • Wearable learning devices - pipe dream or practical reality?
  • Devices already altering how people learn: from Kindle to the TouchTable
  • The challenge for L&D: adopt and understand now, or play catch up later