Category Archives: Events

Connected Higher Education in Crisis Contexts Webinar (July)

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How do we reach learners in environments with limited connectivity?

We are pleased to invite you to our monthly Connected Higher Education in Crisis contexts series, taking place online on Wednesday 20th July 2022, from 14:00 to 15:00 BST. The events are held by the Open University UK in collaboration with the Connected Learning in Crisis Consortium and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

Topic:
How do we reach learners in environments with limited connectivity?

Bios:
Dr Kris Stutchbury, Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Languages (WELS), The Open University
Dr Mark Gaved, Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University

For more information about this series of events please get in touch with Dr Koula Charitonos, Institute of Educational Technology, Open University at koula.charitonos at open.ac.uk or Francis Randle, Division of Resilience and Solutions, UNHCR at RANDLE at UNHCR.org.

If you would like to be sent a meeting request for these events please contact Kristiina at openTEL at open.ac.uk

Connected Higher Education in Crisis Contexts Webinar (June)

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Connected Higher Education in Crisis Contexts Webinar
What is the impact of connected higher education programmes on refugee learners?
Wednesday 1st June (14:00 – 15:00 BST)
Link to Recording

We are pleased to invite you to our monthly Connected Higher Education in Crisis contexts series, taking place online on Wednesday 1st June 2022, from 14:00 to 15:00 BST. The events are held by the Open University UK in collaboration with the Connected Learning in Crisis Consortium and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

Borderless Higher Education for Refugees (BHER) Longitudinal Impact Study: Preliminary Findings and Research Reflections
HaEun Kim and Mohamed Duale – Borderless Higher Education for Refugees, York University, Canada

This presentation will introduce the preliminary findings of a collaborative research project mapping the holistic impact of blended tertiary programs through the Borderless Higher Education for Refugees (BHER) Project for refugee and locals in Northeast Kenya. Findings from this study will demonstrate the scope of impact of connected learning programs in areas of employment, continued learning, as well as individual and communal attitudes towards education from students who have engaged with BHER programs between 2014 and present. Reflections on the cross-continental research collaborations between a Kenyan iNGO, refugee-led CBO, and Canadian university will also be shared.

For more information about this series of events please get in touch with Dr Koula Charitonos, Institute of Educational Technology, Open University at koula.charitonos at open.ac.uk or Francis Randle, Division of Resilience and Solutions, UNHCR at RANDLE at UNHCR.org.

If you would like to be sent a meeting request for these events please contact openTEL.

open & Inclusive SIG: Positive Digital Practices

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logoopen & Inclusive Special Interest Group
Tuesday 28th June (14:00 – 15:30 BST)
Open & Inclusive Special Interest Group: Positive Digital Practices, Kate Lister
Link to Recording

Join us online for the next open & Inclusive SIG meeting where Kate Lister will be presenting on Positive Digital Practices. Please contact openTEL for an invite. All are welcome!

Abstract
Mental wellbeing, of both students and staff, is a significant issue in further and higher education. Increasing numbers of students are experiencing mental health difficulties, and staff are increasingly under pressure. Technology-enhanced learning is uniquely positioned to make a change for good in the sector, support hard-to-reach students and make positive changes to practice. Funded by Office for Students, the Positive Digital Practices project is scaling up positive practices in technology-enhanced learning in three key areas: Continue reading →

Open & Inclusive SIG: Digital Inclusion

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Join us for the next open & inclusive Special Interest Group on Tuesday 17th May 2022 (13.00 – 15.00) to hear Professor Jane Seale’s talk on digital inclusion followed by a hosted discussion around the links between openness and inclusion. All are welcome!

How can ‘openness’ enhance the digital inclusion of people with learning disabilities?

Professor Jane Seale, WELS

Over the past thirty years there has been much talk and excitement about the potential of technology to improve the lives of people with learning disabilities. And yet, in 2020 when the pandemic struck and life for many of us moved online, many people with learning disabilities were not able to use technology to keep connected and stay well. They were digitally excluded. Research conducted by Jane Seale revealed that a main reason for this exclusion was a lack of support. Many people who provide formal or informal support to people with disabilities did not have the skills or resources to facilitate access to technology. Why might this be? After thirty years of ‘talk’ why has the community not developed or sustained a practice that is capable of supporting the digital inclusion of adults with learning disabilities? In this presentation, Jane will review past and current support practices, focusing in particular on the potential role that open resources and open practices might play and the challenges around the development of open resources and open practices in the learning disability community.

Biography
Jane graduated from Plymouth Polytechnic in 1987 with a degree in psychology. She then went on to join the Computer Applications to Special Education Research Unit at Keele University where she completed her PhD focusing on the management of special needs technology in adult special education. Continue reading →

Webinar Series: Connected Higher Education in Crisis contexts (May)

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We are pleased to invite you to our monthly Connected Higher Education in Crisis contexts series, taking place online on Wednesday 4th May 2022, from 14:00 to 15:00 BST. The events are held by the Open University UK in collaboration with the Connected Learning in Crisis Consortium and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

Topic: How can we design for Connected Higher Education in refugee settings? Online – MS Teams
Link to Recording

Presentations from:
IDEL group  – Instructional Design for e-Learning, CLCC
Learning Design Team, Open University

Bios

Cindy Bonfini-Hotlosz
 Cindy Bonfini-Hotlosz is the Chief Executive Officer of Centreity and the co-lead for the Instructional Design for E-Learning (IDEL) working group of the Connected Learning in Crisis Consortium (CLCC). Continue reading →