An ambitious international conference discussing the future of education will take place both in-person at the iconic Senate House building of the University of London and online on 13-14 March 2024.
Organized by the Centre for Online and Distance Education (CODE), the conference—titled “Empowering and Sustaining Change”—marks the 19th edition of the International Annual Research in Distance Education and e-Learning (RIDE) conference.
All 250 in-person spots for Day 1 have already been booked, with an additional 400 participants registered to attend virtually.
This year’s conference will focus on research and scholarly practices in online, distance, blended, hybrid, and hyflex higher education.
The event aims to provide a platform for scholarly, research-driven, and practice-informed engagement, highlighting people-centered practices and innovations that are sustainable for individuals, organizations, and the planet.
A key feature of the event will be a debate on “Building Engagement and Belonging in Online International Communities”, hosted by the University of London.
Federation members participating in the event include King’s College London, Queen Mary University, University College London, City University, and SOAS. Additional universities contributing to the conference include Leeds, Portsmouth, Glasgow, Abertay, Open University, Coventry, Winchester, Leicester, Exeter, Nottingham University, Nottingham Trent, Oxford, and JISC.
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Abstracts were submitted from 29 countries, with 59 selected for presentation from 17 countries. Colleagues from five Federation members will present across 20 papers, while 10 University of London Worldwide staff members will be presenting, including two keynote speakers. Additionally, six CODE Student Fellows will co-present three papers, with all sessions being chaired by Fellows.
Keynote speakers include Dr. Helen Dexter, Associate Professor of International Politics at the University of Leicester, Professor Mary Stiasny, Professor Emerita at the University of London, OBE, and Dr. Ishan Kolhatkar, Global Client Evangelist at Inspera and education technology leader.
Dr. Linda Amrane-Cooper, Director of Academic Practice in Online and Distance Education, commented: “The unprecedented level of interest in our annual conference, which has grown each year, demonstrates that online, blended, hybrid, and digital education are firmly established in mainstream higher education practice.
As we navigate the challenges and opportunities posed by increased digitalization, our role in ensuring that the curriculum and pedagogy are evidence-based, adapted to the context, and responsive to learners’ needs is more important than ever.
“How do we embed sustainability, foster and maintain strong engagement? How do we support the wellbeing and sense of belonging of both learners and educators? How do we ensure that our practices are inclusive and empowering? These are the questions we will address together.”
Virtual registration is still open and can be made by visiting the Centre for Online and Distance Education website.
The University of London is a global leader in higher education, with 40,000 students across 190 countries.
A pioneer in distance learning, the university has a rich history of promoting access to education, being the first to admit students regardless of gender, race, or religion, and the first UK university to award degrees to women. As a federation of 17 esteemed institutions, collaboration is central to its mission of advancing the humanities and improving access and equality in education
By Joseph Mambili
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