The theme for this year’s conference was location, location, location. Not the telly show, rather the learning opportunities afforded by augmented reality, mobile technologies, QR codes, and other tools. As financial constraints in the sector throw online conferences into sharper relief, the organiser, Malcolm Murray, turns this on its head. He introduced the conference by celebrating the fact this was a live only event – nothing is recorded, there is no online provision – it’s a one chance only deal. At the time I thought that this approach was quite limiting. However, as I reflect on the aspects that I appreciate about the conference, I recognise that this is a compelling approach. For me, the impact of actual attendance is enhanced by the connections you make with like minded individuals from different institutions, both here and abroad. Also, the opportunities to share ideas, experiences, concerns, gossip, and current issues are invaluable.  Related to this, and perhaps more important is the reality that Durham BBU is about speaking plainly about the bad, as well as the good in technology enhanced learning. Remember last year’s panel on upgrade to 9.0?  I feel this is very important and the recording or live streaming would inhibit this candour and openness.

Luckily, the Learning Technology community are good at recording events like this. For a broader understanding of what happened look at these blog posts from Julie Usher, Andy Turner and Matt Carnock. I have set up an archive of the hash tagged tweets using TwapperKeeper. You can also geek out on stats via Summerizer here

Here are some of my notes from the conference.

The title for the keynote was “Designing augmented spaces to ensure effective information visualisation and critical knowledge Formation”.  I should have guessed that this was not going to be any ordinary presentation. Carl Davis, a fellow History of Art graduate from Glasgow University, now at London Met, proceeded to take us through a tour of his current research interests. Some of these included:

• BMW augmented reality mechanic training
• Brain controlled technologies –  (interesting suggestion that by understanding brain activity more, this could change assessment practices. Suggesting that you could be graded on effort rather than completion.
• Context sensitive learning for Urban Planners
• Face recognition apps – his comment that “privacy as an outdated notion” was worrying, but consistent with the rise of twitter, foursquare, and other location
• 3D modelling of objects and overlaying them with information - using the world and its contents as the interface.

He also shared a video of a future nightmare scenario of augmented reality, once the advertisers get hold of it.

Augmented (hyper)Reality: Domestic Robocop from Keiichi Matsuda on Vimeo.

John Traxler expanded on some of these themes in his fascinating presentation. He shared with us great examples of how location can be an enabling, supportive technology within teaching and learning. For students in the midlands, the introduction of learning via the technology they are familiar with ie the mobile phone,was an important first step in access to further education. The opportunities afforded learning on placements and "in between" times were demonstrated also.  Interestingly, he used the analogy of mobility as being like the ownership of a car. In the past, the idea of car has been a symbol of freedom; go anywhere and do anything. He countered this idea that your freedom becomes compromised by a reality. This reality in London being, congestion – so you are free to travel but only slowly, and will have to deal with parking tickets and congestion charges - which limit you freedom experience. These constraints are also inherent in the mobile device usage. We are free to access the web wherever and whenever we are, yet we become trapped by lack of power supply, data costs and network coverage. He did also highlight some other potentially negative aspects of mobile learning. The notion of the 'absent present' where a person is in a space physically, but their attention is elsewhere. There is evidence of this everywhere we look already, and arguably its been present historically as well. Perhaps it just that mobile technologies allow you to escape elsewhere more effectively?

Finally, he voiced concerns about learning technology research by suggesting that many studies are 'doomed to success'. He called for greater awareness and transparency on the failures of studies, and what happens when the money goes away. Is the project still effective? Is the money and resource the reason for success? Food for thought.

The cumulative effect of both these presentations was, for me, akin to having a third eye opened. What was breathtaking was the bringing together of all these technological realities, and how advanced they appeared when placed next to setting up a blog, or posting a discussion comment in Blackboard. However, it did also stir lots of concerns and questions about this.

I'll make note of some of them here, in the hope that this may generate discussion but also as a memory aid for me!

• As educators, Does this new technology change pedagogy? If so how, and how do we adapt to that change?
• As a staff trainer, how will I be able to help prepare and train staff to these levels of proficiency, and do I need to?
• As a student, Do I want to use my phone, my data rate and my text message allocation? What happens if my phone or mobile device isn't supported?

I mused on some of the accessibility issues when I visited Blackboard Mobile event last year.

Plenty of complex issues to consider!