By Tom Davis
On March 2nd my colleague and I travelled down to
Birmingham to attend the Digifest conference held in the International
Convention Centre. As this was the first conference I had attended I was not
sure what to expect, and after walking into the main area where the talks were
held I immediately felt I had stepped into the future. Firstly noticing the
giant inflatable igloo looking structures (which were used for holding sessions
across the two days), I then found myself surrounded by moving robots and a
variety of other machines and gadgets on display. After a brief moment there we
then moved across to the hall to attend the first session of the conference,
which was on “The power of digital for change”.
This session explored the general theme of the conference looking into
the use of technology in education, which was then followed by smaller talks
and workshops focusing on more specific components under this area.
Throughout the first day I found it interesting to learn
about the progress of modern technology and the exciting new educational
benefits and opportunities this poses into the near future. The main highlight
from this was getting the chance to look around and inspect the various
machines and gadgets on display. The first thing that caught my eye was the 3D
printer, which I had the opportunity to learn about and observe whilst in
practice. From what could be mistaken for a large microwave from a distance,
with a closer look I was able to witness a data scan being transformed into a
3D plastic model. I was also able to get my hands on some previous models that
had been printed earlier in the day, and seeing the fine detail in the objects
it was hard to believe that they were printed from a machine.
I was also able to experience the virtual reality headsets,
from which I was immersed into a number of different environments, from
rollercoaster rides to seaside villages and mountainous terrains. I was blown
away by how drawn in I was to the seemingly real environments, and by the end I
was left both amazed by the technology that seems to be on the verge of
appearing on the mainstream market, and also left pondering on the impact and
benefits this poses towards future learning and teaching methods, should any of
these technologies be introduced into the educational environment.
The second day began in similar fashion with an opening talk
on “ The power of digital for teaching and learning”. I found this first talk
in particular was a real eye opener into the advancement and expansion of
technology in education and its impact on the modern learning experience. One
specific point made during this talk which I found interesting, was the
exploration of the changing learning spaces from the traditional to the modern learning
environment through digital learning. The speaker looked into the pros and cons
regarding this current change, discussing how the modern learning space is more
open with improved accessibility and freedom, allowing students to work from
home with more flexibility in time and scheduling. The speaker then went on to
debate the issues with this off campus digital learning system, discussing how
this can lead to isolation from peers and tutors, and a loss of a sense of
community within a course, emphasising the necessity for campus libraries and
physical learning environments. The speaker concluded by suggesting some form
of combination between these learning spaces as ideal, drawing upon the
positives identified in both spaces whilst combating the issues that come with
it.
