Chief Executive’s Report

A new strategy for ALT

We are currently consulting on a new strategy for ALT for 2014-17. In addition to the recent online consultation open to all members, we have consulted representatives from member organisations and partners at the ALT Policy Board meeting on 7 October and members of ALT’s committees at the strategy meeting on 16 October. The new strategy will have a focus on articulating ALT’s values and strategic aims as well as setting priorities to enable the Association to meet the needs of our community and deliver public benefit. The new strategy will be approved by Trustees and adopted in early 2014.

No way back? A MOOC Special Interest Group event

On 6 November the MOOC SIG #altmoocsig brought together around 50 participants face to face and many more online for its first event, featuring speakers such as Don Nutbeam, Vice-Chancellor, University of Southampton, Simon Nelson, Chief Executive, Futurelearn and Doug Fisher, Director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Digital Learning. Supported by the DigiChamps from the University of Southampton the event generated a really lively conversation trending on Twitter, with a focus on topics such as the impact of MOOCs, experiences of creating them and learning analytics. To get involved see http://go.alt.ac.uk/17EtDy2.

#altc2013 Celebrating 20 years of ALT and 2013 AGM

This year’s annual conference received outstanding feedback from participants and brought together our community to celebrate 20 years of ALT. Opening with a focus on learners and FE, the conference showcased broad ranging research, practice and policy developments in Learning Technology. The new online platform enabled participants for the first time to track conference activity across social media and contribute to a new social ‘conference reader’. The 2013 AGM confirmed the election of Doug Gowan as the new Vice-Chair of ALT and Sarah Sherman as a new Trustee of ALT and thanked outgoing President Martin Oliver. You can find out more about the Trustees of ALT at http://go.alt.ac.uk/1bUEL79.

The ALT community on film

Launched at altc2013 a series of short films featuring ALT members is now available on ALT’s YouTube channel. The films were commissioned to celebrate 20 years of ALT and to help promote the work of ALT and its community in a new way. The films include an “inside view” from ALT Members as well as three Tech Tales, focusing on three examples of Learning Technology in action. The films were produced with the help of many members from across the UK who gave up their time to share their perspective and talk to a new audience about the Association and I would like to thank everyone involved, not least film maker Andrew Wright, for their efforts!

Watch the ALT Community Tech Tales at http://go.alt.ac.uk/1aElFFj.

Maren Deepwell
Chief Executive, ALT
maren.deepwell@alt.ac.uk

If you enjoyed reading this article we invite you join the Association for Learning Technology (ALT) as an individual member, and to encourage your own organisation to join ALT as an organisational or sponsoring member.