Durham Blackboard

We asked 2013 delegates “what does attending this conference mean to you”:

I prefer this conference to ALT-C because of how easily the approaches and lessons learnt transfer to ‘on the ground’ practice by TEL support teams. The focus is on practical advice from experience, not bogged down in the theoretical detail, hence DurBbU is essential in helping small projects make a wider impact beyond their institution.

I’ve always felt that the Durham conference offers the same quality as the Bb European conference but much better value and retaining all the virtues.

It allows me and colleagues within the team to attend a highly relevant user led conference within our existing budget. It’s inspirational to see what can be achieved by other e-learning teams and makes us want to raise our games.

It is definitely the best opportunity of the year for networking, keeping up-to-date with the latest developments and ideas within the Blackboard community, and renewing the enthusiasm and ideas after Christmas, ready for the new term!

It’s the only viable opportunity for us to meet with colleagues from other institutions and represents excellent value for money for participating institutions. The User presentations have improved year on year.

Keeps me up to date with elearning developments, provides an opportunity to catch up with people I know and to meet new people.  It’s interesting to find out who is doing what and with what degree of success.  Extremely useful when considering changes and if needing to speak to someone who can offer an insight.

To gain a good understanding of what we as educators face when trying to implement TEL and hearing that I am not alone when facing these issues.

Really pleased with how the conference went this year … am compiling all the information into the 13th Durham Conf page.  If you haven’t already please send us a link to your presentation or email it for it to be added.

If you have posted a blog posting about the conference please also let us know so we can add the link.  I’ve moved the link to the page to the Previous Conferences section so I can start planning conference number 14!  :0)

Also interested to see any photographs that were taken by you.

Many thanks to all our fantastic sponsors who helped make this event happen and to you for attending and those who joined in via twitter.

Although we have now passed the closing date for registrations (20 December 2012) and we have 125 delegates registered for our 13th Durham Blackboard Users’ Conference, I have decided to leave open registration during the Christmas period.  I am only able to offer Registrations with payment by credit card as it is too late to deal with Purchase Orders. 

So if you’ve read the fantastic programme we have on offer during the Christmas break and decide to join us in the New Year, then please register using the link from the menu above. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

I’ve just uploaded the full Conference Programme – barring any minor changes this will be going to the printers early on Monday, but thought you might want to start having a look at it over the Christmas holidays.

2013ConferenceBooklet_Final

Remember we have some great pre-conference workshops available on the Monday afternoon if you have the time - you need to register please!

Our opening keynote will be Professor Allison Littlejohn from Glasgow Caledonian University. On day two we will hear from Jeremy Knox from the University of Edinburgh.

Find out more about the keynote speakers.

On Monday, 7th January 2013 at 2pm, we will be hosting an optional pre-conference Blackboard Mobile User Group meeting, at the request of Peter Rayment from Cardiff University. Please visit this page to register your intention to join the session.

THE CALL FOR PAPERS IS NOW CLOSED !

This year we are offering a range of time slots from a 25 minute short session (15 minutes presentation time, 10 minutes discussion/questions) to a 60 minute panel discussion. Full details and the application form are available on this page.

We are happy to consider any proposal that links in some way to the conference theme. As ever we want you to be inspired rather than constrained by it! All proposals will be anonymously peer reviewed. The primary author of every accepted paper will have their name entered into a prize draw, to be made at the conference. The first name drawn from the hat will win an iPad mini!

We are delighted to announce that Kaltura will be running a free hands-on workshop where you can try their video and audio streaming solutions the day before the main conference. For more information please open the booking form.

Video management and publishing is becoming a core part of the modern day educational institution – from teaching and learning, video assignments and management of lecture capture content to digital libraries, public communications, recruitment and live events. Kaltura is the world’s first Open Source Online Video Platform, providing both enterprise level commercial software and services, fully supported and maintained by Kaltura, as well as free open-source community supported solutions, for video publishing, management, syndication and monetization. Kaltura offer flexible options to jumpstart a next generation video experience on a campus and establish essential multimedia infrastructure for a campus media repository.