ED-MEDIA 2010 Early Registration

Deadline May 3, 2010

June 29 – July 3, 2010  *  Toronto, Canada
The Westin Harbour Castle

This annual international conference serves as a multi-disciplinary forum for the discussion and exchange of information on the research, development, and applications on all topics related to multimedia, hypermedia and telecommunications/distance education. ED-MEDIA spans all disciplines and levels of education and annually attracts more than 1,500 leaders in the field from over 70 countries.

Is FarmVille Educational?

This blog has followed social gaming juggernaut Zynga’s progress for a couple years now. One of its most popular gaming apps is FarmVille, which runs on Facebook and touts an estimated 70 million players, making it one of, if not the, most popular games ever. Testaments to the game’s popularity abound. On the radio station I listen to on the way to work, the morning guys brought up the game recently. One complained he introduced his mother to Facebook, and now she spends hours playing FarmVille. Another said he avoids Facebook specifically so he won’t get caught up playing games like FarmVille all day.

Many players have noted the “work” in FarmVille seems somewhat educational. This, in fact, is what intrigues educators about video games in general. They are so interactive and require focused attention to progress. So, the thinking goes, if we can have students play with educational elements perhaps they’ll absorb some pedagogical content in ways they can’t through books or television.

Could FarmVille be a tool leveraged for classroom use? In November I was invited to sit on a panel of school district tech directors at a regional technology conference to discuss the educational value of social networking. One fellow tech director indicated her school board suggested the district open their network to Twitter, Facebook, and other social tools to students as well as staff. She described the various issues involved, how teachers treated the new access as a classroom management issue, and ways in which the tools were being incorporated into the school day. Then, she said the high school Ag teacher was investigating ways to bring FarmVille into the classroom.

So, is FarmVille educational? Can it be used effectively in the classroom to teach useful things? I turned to the net to see what the hive has to say and also try to find some academic research on the issue.



Math and Organization Skills
Like many games, there are things you can count in FarmVille, and a modest amount of math skills might prove helpful in the game. An eHow article offers six steps in using FarmVille to teach math. Here’s a sample:

Teach fractions using the Chicken Coop and Dairy Barn. There are 4 windows in each building and each building can hold 20 animals. For every 5 animals a head pops out a window. So you can show them how 4/20 is 1/5 of the animals.

CommonSenseMedia.org, which purports to rate video games for parents and teachers, notes that FarmVille requires “simple math and organizational skills.” Later in the review author Carla Thornton writes:

The game itself is clean, safe, and loads of fun, if not especially educational. In FarmVille players plow, plant, and harvest crops to earn virtual coins, raise animals and improve their farmsteads with fences, windmills, and other objects. The more Facebook friends a player can convince to become FarmVille neighbors, the bigger and more successful the farm will be.

Lisa Russell, writing over at the home schooling section for Suite101.com, shows how players can exert a little more math effort to figure out the fastest way to earn money in the game:

Initially, the only seeds available are strawberries, eggplant, wheat and soybeans. Strawberries cost 10 coins and after 4 hours are harvested for 35 coins, a ROI (return on investment) of 25 coins, or 6.25 coins an hour. Using the same method of calculation, it can be seen that the eggplant is worth only 1.31 coins per hour, the wheat breaks down to only 1.1 coins per hour and finally, the soybeans are worth 2 coins per hour. Clearly, the strawberries are a better investment for the player who has time to return in 4 hours to harvest.

Later, she offers a formula for the calculation:

H=harvest value

C=initial price

T=time (in hours)

ROI=(H-C)/T

Players can use a similar formula for comparing the value of their trees (both purchased and gifted) as well as their animals. … FarmVille may have absolutely nothing to offer on a scientific level. In fact, if an entire generation of humans were to learn farming skills from this game, humans might starve to death. However, for math skills and virtual applications of algebra, as well as estimation and strategic planning, FarmVille is more than just fun and games.

So the general consensus seems to be, FarmVille requires a little math skill and some attention to organizational details, but it was made more for fun than education, as are so many popular games.



Academic Interest
As far as academic consensus, a lot of the research interest in FarmVille has revolved around the game indirectly. It crops up in lists of popular social games in academic papers, for instance, but specific studies focusing on the game itself are rare if not non-existent.

A great example of FarmVille serving as a framework for a presentation is one loaded onto Slideshare.net by Sidneyeve Matrix over at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. It is titled Pedagogy Inspired by FarmVille, or Seeds of Engagement, From Social Games to the Classroom: Educational Design Inspired by FarmVille.

In it, she highlights three videogame design principals that can be extrapolated for classroom courses. They are derived from a discussion at the recent Social Games Seattle meeting led by Amitt Mahajan, who is part of the core team and lead designer for FarmVille.

First, instructors should design games with broad appeal. FarmVille succeeds because playing farm is something many kids have grown up doing, sometimes using plastic toys provided by companies like PlaySkool. In the classroom or lecture hall, Dr. Matrix suggests this can translate to humanized case studies, current events, and pop cultural references to widen the appeal of the subject matter to apathetic students.

Second, FarmVille uses something Mahajan called “microsociality,” meaning social connections become painless. Players don’t have to go out of their way to keep up with contacts; they’re all easily accessible in the game. This has become “a viable alternative to offline face-to-facetime,” according to Dr. Matrix. So, for classroom incorporation she suggests instructors build or use existing social sites where students can share and divide workloads and resources.

Finally, FarmVille succeeds because it adds “visual pleasure.” There is a certain graphic appeal to the game, common among most successful commercial titles, that enhances player engagement. Instructors should be sure and incorporate visually appealing graphics in lectures and discussions to help focus attention on the subject matter.

Conclusion
All told, FarmVille is a major hit, sure to be popular for years to come. Educators, as well as perhaps classroom students, can certainly learn a thing or two from the game. But, ultimately, it was designed more for fun than for teaching essential knowledge.

Literacy Tools at LoneStar EduBloggerCon

I’m spending a chunk of the week in Austin for TCEA 2010, and today was the day for LoneStar EduBloggerCon. This is the first year for the “unconference” at TCEA. A nifty promotional video is here:

A great session was delivered by Scott Floyd, who is the technology curriculum specialist over at White Oak ISD in east Texas. He is an outspoken advocate on the state level for students and technology, and runs the influential ed tech blog, A Piece of My Mind.

Scott is a former literacy teacher, and technologies that facilitate and encourage student literacy are always fascinating to him. I sat in on a session he delivered on using blogging to encourage reading and writing with students.

The interesting thing about using blogging tools, WordPress in this case, for students in the classroom is the way their use resembles gaming. Students are charged with a task, often collaborating with one another in producing their product, and complete the “quest” together.

But when the product is published, deep concerns arise among teachers and students regarding errors in the text. So, Scott said, what’s a teacher to do? Should she let an error-riddled post go live on the Web, refuse to allow it to go online without student editing, or just edit it herself? Interestingly, the problem seems to resolve itself through the students, and more concern on “getting it right” is displayed by them when they realize everyone in the world can see their work.

Cool stuff. Anything that helps kids read and write more gets a thumbs up in my book. For more neat stuff on technology and student literacy, follow Scott Floyd on Twitter here.

Playing Games on the SMART Table

I’m a big fan of SMART Board’s SMART Technologies, the Canadian company behind one of the leading interactive whiteboards. Warren Buckleitner, the editor of Children’s Technology Review, attended the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s conference, NAEYC 09, where he filmed a nice bit on SMART Technologies’ new SMART Table.

The SMART Table reminds me of the old Ms. PacMan tabletop game of the 1980s, where two players could square off with one another while seated (and yes, I threw far too many quarters down the gullet of one such machine in a College Station eatery way back when).

It also reminds me of Dr. Merrick’s table top computer portrayed in the movie The Island, which was the brain spawn of an MIT consultant for the film.

Various games and activities are included with the SMART Table, including puzzles, mazes, and arithmetic problems embedded in a fun environment. On one, a money game, kids have to slide representations of coins to indicate the cost of an item. Buckleitner asks the SMART rep, jokingly, “So kids could actually gamble and do poker in preschool?” I had to smile since we talked about poker in school earlier today.

Buckleitner seems a bit concerned about the $8,000 price tag for the SMART Table, but if past success is any indicator SMART Technologies will sell plenty of them. Here’s Buckleitner’s video:

CFP: Global Learn Asia Pacific 2010

ANNOUNCING THE PREMIERE OF….
_______________________________________________________________

Global Learn Asia Pacific 2010–
Global Conference on Learning and Technology

May 17-20, 2010  *  Penang (island), Malaysia

(Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort)

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

http://aace.org/conf/GLearn/call.htm

** Submission Deadline: November 23, 2009 **

Organized by:
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)
(http://AACE.org )

Co-sponsored by:
Education & Information Technology Digital Library
( http://EdITLib.org)

Hosted by:
Open University of Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, and Wawasan Open University
______________________________________________________________

COLOR POSTER­: Global Learn 2010 Asia Pacific  (Available to Print & Distribute)
http://aace.org/conf/glearn/GL10Poster.pdf

>> CONTENTS & LINKS <<

1. Introduction
2. Topics:  http://aace.org/conf/glearn/topics.htm

3. Program Activities & Submission Information, Deadline November 23:
4. Presentation Categories: http://aace.org/conf/glearn/categories.htm

5. Products/Services Showcases & Presentations: http://aace.org/conf/glearn/corporate.htm
6. Proceedings & Paper Awards: http://aace.org/pubs
7. For Budgeting Purposes: http://aace.org/conf/glearn/rates.htm

8. Penang (island), Malaysia:  http://aace.org/conf/cities/penang/
9. Deadlines: http://aace.org/conf/glearn/deadlines.htm

INTRODUCTION:
———————–
Mission: http://aace.org/conf/glearn/mission.htm

Global Learn Asia Pacific is an annual, international conference organized by the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).
The conference will be guided by a respected, international Executive Committee, primarily from countries of the Asia Pacific region.
( http://aace.org/conf/glearn/committeeEC.htm )

This conference serves to further the advancement and innovation in learning and technology. As the educational world becomes increasingly global,
new ways to explore, learn, and share knowledge are needed.

Global Learn is a means to connect and engage creative educators, researchers, consultants, training managers, policy makers, curriculum developers, entrepreneurs, and others in the topics and fields in which they are passionate about. Many individuals are transforming learning environments in local as well as more global ways. Global Learn offers them an opportunity to meet and discuss their ideas, findings, and next steps.

The decision to create and organize this annual conference in Asia and the Pacific Rim is testament to the enormous interest in learning and technology throughout this region of the world and a response to many requests to AACE to undertake this initiative.

Primary aims of Global Learn include but are not restricted to:

* Create learning and professional development opportunities combining the best and latest technologies with educational practices and characterized as interactive, social, and personal experiences.
* Provide opportunities for ongoing exploration of both the diversity and commonality of the uses of educational technology in different regions and cultures.
* Foster a global networking/collaborative community on learning and technology.
* Help visualize and shape the future of learning and teaching.

TOPICS:
———–
The following nine themes exemplify the vision and goals of Global Learn for advancement and innovation in:

1. Advanced Technologies for Learning and Teaching
2. Assessment and Research
3. Educational Reform, Policy, and Innovation
4. Evaluation and Quality Improvement Advances
5. Global Networks, Partnerships, and Exchanges
6. Innovative Approaches to Learning and Learning Environments
7. Open Education
8. Technologies for Socially Responsive Learning
9. Virtual and Distance Education

For specific topics within these themes, see: http://aace.org/conf/glearn/topics.htm
PROGRAM ACTIVITIES & SUBMISSION INFORMATION, Deadline November 23::
—————————————————————————————————————-
* Keynote Speakers & Invited Panels/Speakers
* Papers, Best Practice Sessions & Roundtables
* Research/Technical Showcases & Products/Services Showcases
* Tutorials/Workshops
* Virtual Sessions

All presentation proposals are peer reviewed and selected by a Program Committee, based on merit and the perceived value for attendees.

Call for Presentations: http://aace.org/conf/glearn/call.htm
Submission guidelines: http://aace.org/conf/glearn/submitguide.htm
Presentation and AV Guidelines, see: http://aace.org/conf/glearn/PresenterLounge

PRESENTATION CATEGORIES:
———————————————
http://aace.org/conf/glearn/categories.htm
The Program includes a wide range of interesting and useful
activities designed to facilitate the exchange of ideas and information.

PRODUCTS/SERVICES SHOWCASES & PRESENTATIONS:
————————————————————————————–
http://aace.org/conf/glearn/corporate.htm
Corporations and other organizations have the opportunity to demonstrate and discuss their learning and technology related
products and services through Products/Services Showcases & Presentations.

PROCEEDINGS & PAPER AWARDS:
—————————————————–
http://aace.org/pubs
Accepted papers will be published by AACE in the Proceedings (hard copy & CD-ROM). Proceedings in this series serve as major resources in the learning
and technology global community, reflecting the current state of the art in the field.  In addition, the Proceedings also are internationally distributed through and
archived in EdITLib–Education and Information Library. http://EdITLib.org/

Selected papers may be invited for publication in may be invited for publication in AACE’s respected journals especially in the
- International Journal on E-Learning (IJEJ),
- Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia (JEMH), or
- Journal of Interactive Learning Research (JILR).

All presented papers will be considered for Outstanding Paper Awards within several categories. Award winning papers may be invited for publication in the AACE journals.

FOR BUDGETING PURPOSES:
——————————————–
Registration: http://aace.org/conf/glearn/rates.htm
Hotel: http://aace.org/conf/glearn/hotel.htm

The conference registration fee for all presenters and participants includes many extras!

Conference registration will be held at the beautiful Shangri La’s Rasa Sayang Resort. All concurrent sessions will be held at both the
Shangri La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Golden Sands Resort. located along the emerald waters of world-famous Batu Feringgi Beach,
with local shopping, dining, and attractions nearby!

Special discount hotel rates have been obtained for Global Learn participants at approx. $127 USD & 89 EUR;
or specifically Ringgit Malaysia (RM) 450 Nett (including 15% tax) (single/double).

Special hotel rates include daily breakfast buffet and complimentary broadband Internet.

PENANG (ISLAND), MALAYSIA:
———————————————
http://aace.org/conf/cities/penang/
Experience the Pearl of the Orient; Culture, Dining, Shopping, Attractions, & Tours!

DEADLINES:
——————
http://aace.org/conf/glearn/deadlines.htm

Submissions Due:          November 23, 2009
Authors Notified:              December 22, 2009
Proceedings File Due:     March 22, 2010
Early Registration:           March 22, 2010
Advanced Registration:   April 26, 2010
Conference:                     May 17-20, 2010

—————————————————————————-
To be added to the mailing list for this conference, link
to http://aace.org/info.htm

Global Learn Community: http://www.aaceconnect.org/group/glearnasiapacific
AACE Blog: http://blogs.aace.org/aace

If you have a question about Global Learn, please send an e-mail to
AACE Conference Services, conf at aace.org

Contact:
AACE–Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education
P.O. Box 1545, Chesapeake, Virginia 23327  USA
Phone: 757-366-5606 * Fax: 703-997-8760
E-mail: conf@aace.org  *  http://AACE.org

David Warlick on Video Games

I had the pleasure of sitting in on a couple sessions led by David Warlick this week at the Fall TECSIG conference. TECSIG is the technology coordinators special interest group for the Texas Computer Education Association. I led a session on educational gaming a couple years back, and was interested in hearing what Warlick was going to say on the topic.

As tech directors around Texas streamed into Austin, my good friend Tim Holt, Director of Instructional Technology for El Paso ISD and current President of TECSIG, joked that the majority were showing up to listen to his presentations. In reality, he continued, many registered for the conference to see David Warlick. In the past we were surveyed as to who we’d like to see as a keynote, and Warlick topped the list.

Warlick’s keynote session over lunch focused on “cracking the digital native experience [so that] we can hack the digital native experience.” He gave several examples how students learn, even hearkening back to his personal experiences during high school industrial arts class. The teacher at that time served as consultant, helping students ask the right questions and come to the right conclusions. But the students did the work, spending class time to create something, whether a bookcase or some other project.

Today, technology should be taught in the same way, Warlick asserted. Students should create something. They learn by asking questions. During the keynote, he played a trailer for Assassin’s Creed 2, and noted the game is not designed to be learned by reading the instructions. Like many games, players start playing to learn how to accomplish goals within the game.

Later in the day during his gaming presentation, Warlick noted there are generally two types of presenters on the subject: those in their twenties who are strong hard core players, and those in their fifties who are interested in gaming, feel video games are useful for education, but are not hard core players themselves. He humbly stated he fell in the latter camp. I thought he did a fine job of introducing the crowd to some of the literature and research out there on the topic. He showed off Scratch in his keynote, but during the gaming session he also introduced the crowd to Phunland.com, a “2D physics sandbox.” I noticed at least one in attendance playing on the site on their laptop.

Warlick rounded out the presentation with a brief intro of ARGs, machinima, and serious games. He offered some suggestions for teachers and administrators interested in investigating further, and showed off some student work in the field. He makes this presentation often throughout the country, and you can find his notes on the topic here.

CFP: SITE 2010

______________________________________________________

SITE 2010

Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education
International Conference

March 29 – April 2, 2010  *  San Diego, CA

(Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina)

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

** Submissions Due: Oct. 21, 2009 **

Organized by:
Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE)
http://site.aace.org/
and
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)
http://aace.org/

Co-sponsored by:
Education & Information Technology Digital Library
http://EdITLib.org
______________________________________________________________

AVAILABLE (digital & paper formats):
Research Highlights in Technology and Teacher Education 2009
http://editlib.org/p/31425

** SUBMIT YOUR FULL PAPER FOR THE 2010 BOOK **

SITE 2010 will offer again an alternative Full Paper submission category.
“Full Papers (Book)” are Full Paper submissions submitted in their final by Oct. 21.
These will be reviewed for publication in a book of selected papers as well as a presentation.
http://site.aace.org/conf/categories.htm#FullPapersBook
_____________________________________________________

COLOR POSTER–SITE 2010 CALL FOR PARTICIPATION
Available to Print & Distribute (PDF to print)
http://site.aace.org/conf/pdf/SITE10poster.pdf

>> CONTENTS & LINKS <<

1. Invitation & Call for Papers, Deadline Oct. 21: http://site.aace.org/conf/call.htm

2. Scope & Topics:  http://site.aace.org/conf/topics.htm

4. Presentation Categories: http://site.aace.org/conf/categories.htm
5. Proceedings & Paper Awards: http://site.aace.org/pubs/

6. Corporate Participation: http://site.aace.org/conf/corporate.htm
7. For Budgeting Purposes: http://site.aace.org/conf/rates.htm

8. San Diego, California:  http://site.aace.org/conf/cities/san-diego/
9. Deadlines: http://site.aace.org/conf/deadlines.htm

INVITATION & CALL FOR PAPERS, DUE OCT. 21:
——————————————————————
SITE 2010 is the 21st annual conference of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education. This society represents individual teacher educators and affiliated organizations of teacher educators in all disciplines, who are interested in the creation and dissemination of knowledge about the use of information technology in teacher education and faculty/staff development.

You are invited to participate in this international forum which offers numerous opportunities to explore the research, development, and applications in this important field. All proposals are peer reviewed.

SITE is the premiere international conference in this field and annually attracts more than 1,200 leaders in the field from over 50 countries.

* Keynote Speakers & Invited Panels/Speakers
* Papers (Full & Brief) & Posters/Demonstrations
* Corporate Showcases & Demonstrations
* Tutorials/Workshops
* Roundtables & Symposia

———————–
Submission Guide: http://site.aace.org/conf/submitguide.htm
Presentation and AV Guide: http://site.aace.org/conf/PresenterLounge
Presenter Lounge: http://site.aace.org/conf/PresenterLounge
————————

SCOPE & TOPICS:
————————-
http://site.aace.org/conf/topics.htm

The Conference invites proposals from the introductory through advanced level on all topics related to:

(1) the use of information technology in teacher education, and
(2) instruction about information technology in
* Preservice
* Inservice
* Graduate Teacher Education
* Faculty & Staff Development

Proposals which address the theory, research and applications as well as describe innovative projects are encouraged.

GENERAL TOPICS:
* Assessment and E-folios
* Corporate
* Digital Video
* Distance/Flexible Education
* Electronic Playground
* Equity and Social Justice
* Evaluation and Research
* Games and Simulations
* Graduate Education and Faculty Development
* Information Literacy
* Information Technology Diffusion/Integration
* International
* Latino/Spanish Speaking Community
* Leadership
* New Possibilities with Information Technologies
* Web/Learning Communities
* Workforce Education

CONTENT AREA TOPICS:
* Art Education
* Early Childhood Education
* English Education
* Human Languages Education
* Information Technology Education
* Innovative Technology Experiences for Teachers and Students (ITEST)
* Mathematics Education
* Middle School Education
* Science Education
* Social Studies Education
* Special Education/Assistive Technology
* Technological, Pedagogical, And Content Knowledge (TPACK)

PRESENTATION CATEGORIES:
——————————————
http://site.aace.org/conf/categories.htm
The Technical Program includes a wide range of interesting and useful activities designed to facilitate the exchange of ideas and information. These include keynote and invited talks, paper presentations, roundtables, poster/demonstrations, tutorials/workshops, panels, and corporate showcases.

PROCEEDINGS:
———————-
http://EdITLib.org
Accepted papers will be published by AACE in the Technology and Teacher Education Annual proceedings series. Books in this series serve as major source documents indicating the current state of teacher education and information technology. This proceedings will be published as a searchable electronic book on CD-ROM.

The Proceedings are internationally distributed through and archived in the Education and Information Technology Digital Library, http://EdITLib.org.

First and second paper authors are limited to two papers published in the Annual.

PAPER AWARDS:
———————–
http://site.aace.org/pubs/
All presented papers will be considered for Best Paper Awards within several categories.

Award winning papers may be invited for publication in the:
- Journal of Technology and Teacher Education (JTATE) ( http://site.aace.org/pubs/jtate/) or
- Online journal, Contemporary Issues in Technology & Teacher Education (CITE) ( http://www.citejournal.org/),

Highlighted in the:
- Education and Information Technology Digital Library, http://EdITLib.org.

CORPORATE PARTICIPATION:
—————————————–
http://site.aace.org/conf/corporate.htm
A variety of opportunities are available to present research-oriented papers, or to showcase and market your products and services. For information about Corporate Showcases (30 minutes) and Corporate Demonstrations (2-hours, scheduled with the Poster/Demos),
click here.

FOR BUDGETING PURPOSES:
——————————————
http://site.aace.org/conf/rates.htm
http://site.aace.org/conf/hotel.htm
The conference registration fee for all presenters and participants will be approximately $325 (members); $365 (non-members).  Registration includes Proceedings on CD, receptions, and all sessions except tutorials.

The conference hotel, the beautiful Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, is offering SITE a specially discounted guest room rate of $149/169 (single/double).

SAN DIEGO, CA:
———————-
http://site.aace.org/conf/cities/san-diego/

Where blue skies, miles of beaches, and a gentle Mediterranean climate meet!

It’s not just a conference; it can be a vacation! So plan to join us in San Diego for SITE 2010 a great conference in one of America’s greatest destinations.

For more information about San Diego, CA, USA, see: www.sandiego.org

DEADLINES:
—————-
Proposals Due:              Oct. 21, 2009
Authors Notified:             Dec. 2, 2009
Proceedings File Due:    Feb. 10, 2010
Early Registration:          Feb. 10, 2010
Hotel Reservation:          Mar. 1, 2010
Conference:                    Mar. 29 – April 2, 2010

—————————————————————————-
Join the SITE Community: http://www.sitecommunity.org/

To be added to the mailing list for this conference, link
to  http://aace.org/info.htm

If you have a question about SITE, please send an e-mail to
SITE/AACE Conference Services, conf@aace.org

Contact:
SITE–Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education
P.O. Box 1545, Chesapeake, Virginia 23327  USA
Phone: 757-366-5606 * Fax: 703-997-8760
E-mail: conf@aace.org  *  http://site.AACE.org

========================================================

CFP: ED-MEDIA 2010

_______________________________________________________________

ED-MEDIA 2010

World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia & Telecommunications

June 28-July 2, 2010  *  Toronto, Canada

(The Westin Harbour Castle on Lake Ontario)

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

** Submissions Due: Dec. 18, 2009 **

Organized by
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)
http://aace.org

Co-sponsored by:
Education & Information Technology Digital Library
(http://EdITLib.org )
______________________________________________________________

** What are your colleagues saying about ED-MEDIA conferences? **
http://aace.org/conf/edmedia/testimonials.htm

COLOR POSTER–ED-MEDIA 2010 CALL FOR PARTICIPATION
Available to Print & Distribute (PDF to print; 200kb)
http://aace.org/conf/edmedia/ed10poster.pdf

>> CONTENTS & LINKS  (details below) <<

1. Call for Papers and Submission & Presenter Guidelines, Deadline Dec. 18th:
http://aace.org/conf/edmedia/call.htm
http://aace.org/conf/edmedia/submitguide.htm
http://aace.org/conf/edmedia/PresenterLounge

2. Major Topics:  http://aace.org/conf/edmedia/topics.htm
3. Presentation Categories: http://aace.org/conf/edmedia/categories.htm

4. Corporate Showcases & Demonstrations: http://aace.org/conf/edmedia/corporate.htm
5. Proceedings & Paper Awards: http://aace.org/pubs
6. For Budgeting Purposes: http://aace.org/conf/edmedia/rates.htm

7. Toronto, Canada http://aace.org/conf/Cities/Toronto
8. Deadlines: http://aace.org/conf/edmedia/deadlines.htm

INVITATION:
ED-MEDIA 2010–World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia &
Telecommunications is an international conference, sponsored by the
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). This
annual conference serves as a multi-disciplinary forum for the discussion
and exchange of information on the research, development, and applications
on all topics related to multimedia, hypermedia and
telecommunications/distance education.

ED-MEDIA, the premiere international conference in the field, spans all
disciplines and levels of education and attracts more than 1,500 attendees
from over 60 countries. We invite you to attend ED-MEDIA and submit
proposals for presentations.

All presentation proposals are peer reviewed and selected by three reviewers on the
respected international Program Committee for inclusion in the
conference program, proceedings book, and CD-ROM proceedings.

For Call for Presentations, connect to:
http://aace.org/conf/edmedia/call.htm

All authors MUST follow the submission guidelines and complete the Web form at:
http://aace.org/conf/edmedia/submitguide.htm

For Presentation and AV Guidelines, see:
http://aace.org/conf/edmedia/PresenterLounge

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES:
* Keynote Speakers
* Invited Panels/Speakers
* Papers
* Panels
* Demonstrations/Posters
* Corporate Showcases & Demonstrations
* Tutorials/Workshops
* Roundtables

TOPICS:
http://aace.org/conf/edmedia/topics.htm

The scope of the conference includes, but is not limited to, the following
major topics as they relate to the educational and developmental aspects of
multimedia/hypermedia and telecommunications:

1. Infrastructure: (in the large)
- Architectures for Educational Technology Systems
- Design of Distance Learning Systems
- Distributed Learning Environments
- Methodologies for system design
- Multimedia/Hypermedia Systems
- WWW-based course-support systems

2. Tools & Content-oriented Applications:
- Agents
- Authoring tools
- Evaluation of impact
- Interactive Learning Environments
- Groupware tools
- Multimedia/Hypermedia Applications
- Research perspectives
- Virtual Reality
- WWW-based course sites
- WWW-based learning resources
- WWW-based tools

3. New Roles of the Instructor & Learner:
- Constructivist perspectives
- Cooperative/collaborative learning
- Implementation experiences
- Improving Classroom Teaching
- Instructor networking
- Instructor training and support
- Pedagogical Issues
- Teaching/Learning Strategies

4. Human-computer Interaction (HCI/CHI):
- Computer-Mediated Communication
- Design principles
- Usability/user studies
- User interface design

5. Cases & Projects:
- Country-Specific Developments
- Exemplary projects
- Institution-specific cases
- Virtual universities

6. Special Strand:  ** Universal Web Accessibility  **

PRESENTATION CATEGORIES:
http://aace.org/conf/edmedia/categories.htm
The Technical Program includes a wide range of interesting and useful activities
designed to facilitate the exchange of ideas and information.

CORPORATE SHOWCASES & DEMONSTRATIONS:
http://aace.org/conf/edmedia/corporate.htm

Companies have the opportunity to demonstrate and discuss their educational
technology products and services in through Corporate Showcases and Demonstrations/Literature.

PROCEEDINGS & PAPER AWARDS:
http://aace.org/pubs
Accepted papers will be published by AACE in the Proceedings Book and on CD-ROM.
Proceedings in this series serve as major resources in the multimedia/
hypermedia/telecommunications community, reflecting the current state of
the art in the discipline.

In addition, the Proceedings also are internationally distributed through and archived in the Education and Information Technology Digital Library, http://EdITLib.org Do You Subscribe?

Papers with high review scores will be invited for publication consideration by AACE’s respected journals, especially for:
- Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia (JEMH),
- International Journal on E-Learning (IJEJ), or
- Journal of Interactive Learning Research (JILR).

All presented papers will be considered for Best Paper Awards within several categories.
Award winning papers may be invited for publication in the AACE journals.

FOR BUDGETING PURPOSES:
http://aace.org/conf/edmedia/rates.htm

The conference registration fee for all presenters and participants will be
approximately $395 U.S. (AACE members), $450 U.S. (non-members).
Registration includes proceedings on CD, receptions, and all sessions
except tutorials.

All conference sessions will be held at The Westin Harbour Castle on Lake Ontario ( http://aace.org/conf/edmedia/hotel.htm) located on the scenic Lake Ontario and in walking distance to the city’s shopping, dining, and theatre districts.  Special discount hotel have been obtained for ED-MEDIA participants!

TORONTO, CANADA
http://aace.org/conf/cities/toronto/

Toronto is a city built with and for the limitless imaginations of the people who come here to live and those who come to visit. It’s a centre of rare openness, energy and style an intimate metropolis showcasing world-class dining, shopping, creativity, architecture and entertainment. Its skyline includes the CN Tower, one of the Modern Wonders of the World; miles of waterfront, boardwalks and trails; and distinct neighbourhoods with inspiring surprises from artisans’ exhibits to cool cafés around every corner.

For further Toronto Ontario Canada information see: http://www.torontotourism.com/.

Local Attractions with distances from The Westin: http://aace.org/conf/cities/toronto/toronto-attractions.htm

DEADLINES:
http://aace.org/conf/edmedia/deadlines.htm

Submissions Due:          December 18, 2009
Authors Notified:             February 9, 2010
Proceedings File Due:    May 3, 2010
Early Registration:          May 3, 2010
Hotel Reservations:        May 27, 2010
Conference:                   June 28-July 2, 2010

—————————————————————————-
To be added to the mailing list for this conference, link
to  http://www.aace.org/info.htm

If you have a question about ED-MEDIA, please send an e-mail to
AACE Conference Services, conf@aace.org

Contact:
AACE–Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education
P.O. Box 1545
Chesapeake, Virginia 23327  USA
Phone: 757-366-5606 * Fax: 703-997-8760
E-mail: conf@aace.org  *  http://www.AACE.org
***************************************************************

RFP: CELDA 2009 Deadline for Submissions Extended

Dr. Dirk Ifenthaler indicated the deadline for submissions to IADIS CELDA 2009 has been extended to Sept. 7. Click here for the CFP. David Jonassen will be one of the keynote speakers at what is promising to be a great conference in Rome this November.

SIGGRAPH Announces Game Competition

SIGGRAPH 09 will have an on the spot videogame competition. Here are the relevant bits from their press release:

SIGGRAPH announces the launch of GameJam!, a new international videogame competition to be held at SIGGRAPH 2009, the 36th International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques.

Teams of three people will compete for 24-consecutive hours to create, design, and implement their best effort at a comprehensive videogame in the allotted timeframe. Each team must contain at least one Programmer, Artist, and Sound Designer. Individuals and teams are welcome to apply. Contestants will be provided with a pre-designated theme as well as the necessary tools and software to complete the challenge. All work must take place on site within the 24-hour period.

Videogames will be judged by a panel of industry experts with prizes awarded in several categories including Best Game Play, Best Sound Design, Best Appearance, Best of Show, Crowd Favorite and Epic Failure. GameJam! will be produced in conjunction with The Sandbox, an area at SIGGRAPH 2009 focused specifically on the gaming industry.

SIGGRAPH 2009 will bring an anticipated 20,000 computer graphics and interactive technology professionals from six continents to New Orleans, Louisiana, USA for the industry’s most respected technical and creative programs focusing on research, science, art, animation, music, gaming, interactivity, education, and the web from Monday, 3 August through Friday, 7 August 2009 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. SIGGRAPH 2009 includes a three-day exhibition of products and services from the computer graphics and interactive marketplace from 4-6 August 2009. More than 200 international exhibiting companies are expected. More details are available at www.siggraph.org/s2009.