Citation
Anderson, D.G.S. (2014), "Guest editorial", Campus-Wide Information Systems, Vol. 31 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/CWIS-05-2014-0012
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Guest editorial
Article Type: Guest editorial From: Campus-Wide Information Systems, Volume 31, Issue 4
Introductory note
Educational practices are often steeped in tradition with an emphasis on lecture-based delivery of content. However, new technologies offer many new and innovative methods of content delivery, bounded primarily by the capabilities of the individual lecturer themselves and the decision of “what technology to use, for what purpose?” The topic of appropriate use of technology in education is debated widely and across many fora. This special issue entitled “Digital Uptake in Higher Education” features papers from one such fora, the International Conference on Information and Communications Technology in Education (ICICTE). The annual conference (icicte.org) seeks to address the many challenges and new directions presented by technological innovations in educational settings. Following in the tradition of previous ICICTE conferences, ICICTE 2013, hosted on the Island of Crete, brought together an international community of scholars and practitioners in a collegial setting with much discussion on current thinking and practices in applications of technology to education.
The hallmarks of the conference are traditionally the diversity of papers presented, institutions and countries represented, and the Grecian hospitality and culture that helps foster a unique environment in which the exchange of information is facilitated. Our gathering on Crete in 2013 allowed participants to exchange ideas, making public unique findings and revelations while building our international community of practice. The program at the conference included workshops with open dialogue, keynote addresses, plenary sessions and a symposia presenting exceptional graduate student work. The collection of wisdom and new realities collected in the papers presented here from ICICTE 2013 provide a snapshot of what was discussed.
The diversity of papers presented, like previous years, is varied in content and geography, and includes PhD candidates and seasoned veterans. Geographically, papers span Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Australia. Topic wise, topics range from change management, a conceptual framework for developing computer-based simulations, issues with converting courses to a digital environment, to virtual office hours and the use of social media. The Student paper prize winner is also highlighted in this issue, exploring the landscape of open educational resource uptake and use in China. To capture the lively discussion around MOOCs, this issue begins with a summary of the workshop held (move over for MOOCs) on the topic.
Reflecting the diversity of discussion at the conference, it is our hope that the reader will appreciate how these papers add to the current dialogue around the use of information communication technologies in education globally and their impact on educational outcomes.
Dr Gregory S. Anderson
Justice Institute of British Columbia, New Westminster, Canada