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DIVERSE Conference at DCU
The Helix, DCU was transformed into an open creative space from June 28th-30th with the arrival of the 11th International DIVERSE conference. The theme of the 2011 conference was 'Creativity: Enhancing our Vision of the Future' and presentations focused on the development and innovative use of visual educational resources for students everywhere. Keynote speakers included Michael Wesch, Kansas State University, Jack Whitehead, Liverpool Hope University, Roy Pea and Brigid Barron from Stanford University, Cliff Dasco from Abramson Center for the Future of Health, Houston, Texas and Ricky Goldman, New York State University. The centre piece in the Helix was transformed into a garden of knowledge as the DIVERSE film crew transmitted the live broadcasts at the end of each day. Students from DCU's MSc. in Education and Training Management (eLearning) and MSc. in Multimedia were part of the broadcast team and the experience gained was invaluable at a personal and professional level.
The 2011 DIVERSE Conference Director Yvonne Crotty said that this year's conference was a great success and added "I personally loved working with so many people from all the Faculties in the University and the expertise in DCU was showcased to a global audience. We are so lucky to have such fantastic talent on campus and also have a fantastic venue like the Helix". The international delegates were delighted with what Dublin City University had to offer. This ranged from the warmth of the Irish people, to musical entertainment and catering, to an excellent schedule of presentations , Yvonne added.
A Professional Development ('Be ConnectED') day for Principals around Ireland took place as part of the DIVERSE conference. On the morning of June 29th post primary teachers from the Masters in Education and Training Management (elearning Strand) presented practical examples of how they had successfully integrated technologies into educational practice in order to transform teaching and learning. In the afternoon, Principals joined conference delegates for Dr. Michael Wesch's presentation 'The Case for Creative Video Literacy: What's at stake?' Dr. Wesch is a Cultural Anthropologist at Kansas State University and is internationally known for his video work "Web 2.0: The Machine is Using Us" and was invited for a special screening at the prestigious 2007 TED conference. The feedback from the Principals on the event was extremely positive.
Highlights from the event can be seen on www.diverseireland.com