What: OEB: Shaping the Future of Learning: The global, cross-sector conference on technology supported learning and training (formerly Online Educa). OEB is organised by ICWE GmbH, an international events and communications company.
- Jane Bozarth, North Carolina, USA
- Marcia Conner, Consultant, USA
- Stephen Downes, NRC, Canada
- Nina Huntemann, edX, USA
- Andrew Keen, author, USA
- Diana Knodel, appCamps, Germany
- Jeff Kortenbosch, AkzoNobel, Netherlands
- Diana Laurillard, London Knowledge Lab, UK
- Nadia Magnenat Thalmann, NTU, Singapore
- Roger Schrank, Socratic Arts, USA
- Andreas Schleicher, OECD
- Toby Shapshak, Stuff Magazine, South Africa
- Eric Sheninger, International Center for Educational Leadership, USA
- Clive Shepherd, The More than Blended learning Company, UK
- Jeff Staes, EOI Academy, Belgium
- Mark Surman, Mozilla Foundation, USA
- Monika Weber-Fahr, SE4All, Austria
Conference themes:
Main theme: Owning learning: Tomorrow’s learning is about ownership. We will own our learning. We will control what, where, when and how we learn. We will access, link, combine, interpret and interact with knowledge. We will be empowered as never before. We will make learning work for us.
- learning and ownership
- learning without limits
- learning and investment
- learning and design
- learning and connecting
- learning and the future
- new learning and new work
- learning the new literacy
Pre-conferenceworkshops
There are 15 pre-conference workshops
The OEB plenary debate
Motion: This House believes artificial intelligence (AI) could, should and will replace teachers
Exhibition
Official conference news platform: OEB News
Comment
OEB is almost the exact opposite of the EDEN Research Workshop, and no better or worse for that. OEB’s strength is that it covers formal education, corporate training and the business of educational technology. It is a huge conference, extremely wide-ranging in topics, audiences, and quality of presentations, from the very best to the truly awful. You will come across a lot of blowhards forecasting the doom of formal education, and a lot of thoughtful contributions about the future of online learning and education. It will have over 2,000 participants, so finding your way round the program can be a problem. However, as a result you might end up attending something you would never have deliberately chosen, yet find it is one of the most interesting sessions. You will also meet people you would otherwise never meet, and may learn something really interesting from them. Let serendipity rule (if you can afford it – the conference fee alone is about US$1,000. Rooms at the Intercontinental start at around US$150 a night).
Dr. Tony Bates is the author of eleven books in the field of online learning and distance education. He has provided consulting services specializing in training in the planning and management of online learning and distance education, working with over 40 organizations in 25 countries. Tony is a Research Associate with Contact North | Contact Nord, Ontario’s Distance Education & Training Network.
