Hope on the Horizon. An EDEN Annual Conference 2023 Keynote

I am delighted to be one of the keynotes at EDEN’s 2023 Annual Conference at Dublin City University this year. The conference theme is “Yes we can!” – Digital Education for Better Futures:

This theme focuses on the language of opportunity and challenges participants to dream big! While there are many big and small challenges that we can’t ignore in building a more inclusive digital future, the conference places the spotlight on the “art of the possible” in reimagining teaching, learning and assessment and delivering on the promise of better futures for all. We hope to encapsulate throughout the conference the spirit of hope and optimism through the enabling language of “yes we can”.

My keynote talk (slides) sets out to find inspiration to create our visions of the future, without losing a critical perspective on digital innovation but with a renewed sense of hope and empowerment.

Title: “Hope on the Horizon: Setting out in a New Direction for Digital Education”

Abstract: Over the past five years we have seen digital education scaled up, with fully virtual, blended and hybrid learning expanding to more and more learners. As we move beyond education in crisis response mode, we have a unique opportunity to shape what’s ahead and also a responsibility to apply the lessons learnt in 2020/21.

We saw what’s possible in an emergency, and also what isn’t. I want to acknowledge that we are seeking hope at a time when many are battling burnout, still picking up the pieces in a world in which many are still feeling the lingering impact of the global pandemic.

How do we find optimism, and a vision for a better future? Grounded in new research from ALT, on how professional practice in digital education is changing, and aligned with the Framework for Ethical Learning Technology (FELT), I will explore:

• Who has a say in shaping the future and whom we may be missing?
• What the future will hold for our students moving from hybrid learning to hybrid working?
• What do we need to consider in order to avoid going back as well as moving ahead into a future that doesn’t deliver?

Let’s find inspiration to create our visions of the future, without losing a critical perspective on digital innovation but with a renewed sense of hope and empowerment.

Maren Deepwell is the chief executive of the Association for Learning Technology, the leading professional body for learning technology in the UK with around 3,500 members. She has led the organisation since 2012 including a strategic transition to becoming a virtual team in 2018. Her particular focus is on professional recognition for learning technologists, the development of a new ethical framework for professional practice and the future of technology in education. As a trained sculptor and anthropologist, she brings both her creative and executive expertise to her professional practice as a leader, strategic adviser and coach.

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