The Learning and Technology World Forum (LATWF), a major international conference on technology in learning, opened today, Monday January 12th, in central London with a call for greater co-operation between countries to ensure technology is benefiting learners world-wide.

The Forum is designed to assist educational policymakers and leaders from all over the world in the development of strategies and policies that will enable technology to be used more effectively and efficiently in education.

The Forum has attracted over 500 participants – representing over two thirds of the world’s population – who are actively engaged in policy development and implementation of technology in learning, and over the three day period will be the largest gathering of its type in the world. At the event, UK Schools Minister, Jim Knight will welcome ministers, policymakers and practitioners from over 60 countries.

The event is hosted by Becta, the UK government agency driving the effective use of technology within learning. Describing the Forum, Stephen Crowne, Becta’s Chief Executive said: “The Learning and Technology World Forum provides a rare opportunity not just to debate the policy and application of technology in learning, but also to signal that the education community, individuals, commerce and the world at large all stand to benefit from its effective application”.

“The UK has long championed the development of better and more effective use of technology in education. Greater international co-operation will stimulate new ideas and opportunities for us all to learn from each other concerning our own respective national experiences, which ultimately will transform policy into practice and provide real benefits to educators, learners and governments everywhere.”

The event will include addresses by a number of high profile speakers, such as Andreas Schleicher, Head of Indicators and Analysis at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba, Deputy Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, and Richard DeLorenzo, who is renowned for his work in education reform in the USA.

Participants will also have the opportunity to attend workshop sessions which showcase innovative practice and new research. Some examples of the workshops include: “using effective online learning to deliver large scale skills improvement”, “transformation needed – trends in ICT and global economic trends”, and “assessing 21st Century skills, national efforts and issues.”

In addition, participants will be able to elaborate on their participation both during and post the event through engagement with a dedicated online collaboration website which has been designed in conjunction with GetIdeas.org specifically to assist participants in their information exchanges with other participants during and after the event.

LATWF builds on last year’s international seminar “Moving Young Minds”, at which UNESCO launched the international ICT competency standards for teachers. The event is being run in partnership with BESA (British Educational Suppliers Association) and the British Council. It takes place between 12 and 14 January 2009 at The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London, and it is designed to link with BETT, the educational technology show at Olympia (14-17 January). It is being run in partnership with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), and it has support from major sponsors such as Cisco, Intel and Microsoft.

The Learning and Technology World Forum is a global platform for information exchange among key policy makers and practitioners whose primary areas of focus involve the design of policy and implementation of programmes to ensure effective application of technology within education. For 2009, the event theme is “Next Generation Learning” with three sub themes covering 21st century skills, 21st century leadership and an education workforce for the 21st century.

Source: PublicTechnology.Net