By Scott Farrow, Head of Digital Learning at Edge Hill University, Diane Bennett, Teaching and Learning Manager (Distance Learning) at The University of Manchester
It doesn’t feel like almost eight months ago we were dusting off our 80’s disco moves ready to celebrate at the ALT Award dinner at University of Warwick…but it was and now we’re into full swing with planning for the ALT Conference 2024 in Manchester.
So, what does 2024 have in store for the ALT Conference and how are plans progressing?
The ALT events team has been busy behind the scenes preparing for the event in Manchester this year. Diane and I are excited to be working with a strong team of committee members and we both feel really privileged to be able to co-chair an event which has been a huge part of our working lives for a number of years. Collaboration, empowerment and supporting improvement are all values we both share in our day-to-day work and something we hope to bring to the conference through the themes and via the work alongside the committee. Keep an eye open for future blog posts from others within the committee. If you’d like to meet them and find out more about them, visit the conference website.
This year’s themes were proposed with an eye on both the values we share as co-chairs and what’s current within Learning Technology across both further and higher education. You’ll see that the themes below link to some of the key priorities and areas of focus emerging from the ALT Annual Survey 2024.
This year’s conference will focus on:
- Cultivating collaboration,
- Reviewing, reflecting, re-imagining,
- Inviting improvement,
- Emerging research.
What will you be contributing?
One of the key findings from the annual survey this year was collaboration and the use of collaborative tools which was rated 2nd on the list of priorities for 2024. Another of the findings from this survey was dedicated time being the biggest challenge for digital transformation within organisations who responded. Additionally, within the Professional Development in Learning Technology survey findings, the importance of professional recognition continues to increase year on year and more professionals are seeking to change jobs.
Last week, we held our first committee meeting which included some thought-provoking discussion – including conversations about keynote speakers who have resonated previously and reflection on formats we feel have and have not worked at various conferences we’ve attended. We hope we can bring some keynotes and key sessions which will help challenge our thinking, leaving us to return to our workplaces inspired.
The committee will bring you further updates and news in the lead up to September, so keep your eyes peeled for those. If you’re missing your ALT-C fix, don’t forget the ALT YouTube channel has session recordings from previous years, including this playlist from the 2023 programme in Warwick.
We hope to see you in Manchester!
This year, #ALTC24 is heading back to Manchester on 3-5 September 2024 and we are looking forward to once again convening the Learning Technology community at this unmissable event. Learn more and register here – altc.alt.ac.uk/2024.