Education Unbound
Tomorrow night I'm in The Big Smoke for an exciting event, Education Unbound, looking at how social media is shaping the future of learning and how this affects educational publishers and broadcasters.
It's quite a big topic, then, for the panel debate at the Adam Street Private Members' Club (just down from the RSA). I'll be mediated by what seems like me-old-time-panel-buddy Matt Locke from Channel 4 New Media Education, Sarah Gavin, the Global Communications Director at Bebo, Keri Facer, the Director of Research of the Enquiring Minds project at Futurelab and Owen White from Pearson Knowledgebox.
The main ideas I can see us throwing around will be those ingredients that lead to a successful use of social media; I'll be pursuing that notion of the global microbrand, something which, for big publishers and content providers, presents the ugly threat of hugely popular content and relationships with its creators, something with which publishers, in their current form, cannot compete.
I'm also keen to explore the notion of quality control, and whether that actually matters so much now, especially if we can get those media literacy skills right for the next generation. I can tell if a blog I'm reading is authoritative or not, but I'm not sure the vast majority of the population can. We were talking, too, about the notion of the 'Education Advisor' as some sage who could, with his or her years of experience, recommend publications and media for us meagre teachers. I'm not sure that conduit, that gatekeeper stands up anymore, either, and would be interested in exploring who the alternative new gatekeepers, if there are any, might be. Is there a digerati who potentially control markets, or is the sought-after Everyman 2.0 a potential reality of the future?
Many thanks to Online Creative Communications for inviting me down. With 60 or so of the country's biggest publishers and broadcasters sitting in on the private event it's a great opportunity to try and start shifting minds in the way content can be distributed, ideas shared and people connected.
It's quite a big topic, then, for the panel debate at the Adam Street Private Members' Club (just down from the RSA). I'll be mediated by what seems like me-old-time-panel-buddy Matt Locke from Channel 4 New Media Education, Sarah Gavin, the Global Communications Director at Bebo, Keri Facer, the Director of Research of the Enquiring Minds project at Futurelab and Owen White from Pearson Knowledgebox.
The main ideas I can see us throwing around will be those ingredients that lead to a successful use of social media; I'll be pursuing that notion of the global microbrand, something which, for big publishers and content providers, presents the ugly threat of hugely popular content and relationships with its creators, something with which publishers, in their current form, cannot compete.
I'm also keen to explore the notion of quality control, and whether that actually matters so much now, especially if we can get those media literacy skills right for the next generation. I can tell if a blog I'm reading is authoritative or not, but I'm not sure the vast majority of the population can. We were talking, too, about the notion of the 'Education Advisor' as some sage who could, with his or her years of experience, recommend publications and media for us meagre teachers. I'm not sure that conduit, that gatekeeper stands up anymore, either, and would be interested in exploring who the alternative new gatekeepers, if there are any, might be. Is there a digerati who potentially control markets, or is the sought-after Everyman 2.0 a potential reality of the future?
Many thanks to Online Creative Communications for inviting me down. With 60 or so of the country's biggest publishers and broadcasters sitting in on the private event it's a great opportunity to try and start shifting minds in the way content can be distributed, ideas shared and people connected.
Hi Ewan - sounds like a great topic. I'd love to hear more of the outcome/discussion. If you're able, could you post review/reflections (or better still, recordings) of the event?
Take care
George
Posted by: George Siemens | November 26, 2007 at 06:01 PM
I'll blog as much as possible and will take a voice recorder along, but it's up to the guys at Online CC if I can publish it, given the 'closed door' nature of the event. Knowing their style, though, they'll be keen for the discussion to be opened out.
Posted by: Ewan McIntosh | November 26, 2007 at 06:18 PM
I too am looking forward to the outcome of this discussion.
Hopefully you will be able to publish some of those, 'ingredients'!
Kind regards,
Mark Murray.
Posted by: Mark Murray | November 26, 2007 at 11:20 PM
This sounds fantastic. Shame I didnt know about it earlier -- would have loved to be there!
Posted by: Gavin Heaton | November 27, 2007 at 03:36 AM