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Networking and Events

Throughout the four days of the forum, there will be a variety of formal and informal networking opportunities in addition to a number of pre-planned special and social events. These include:

• Post-Forum Workshops: Eight half-day Workshops which are typically very practical sessions offering participants the opportunity to gain knowledge, skills and insight from leading experts in particular areas of e-Learning are delivered through the Center of e-Learning Excellence on the 29^th of January. The fee for each workshop is 500 AED.
  
  
• Forum Lunch with Keynote Speakers: The forum registration fee for the 3 days includes the lunch with the keynotes speakers on the 26^th, 27 ^th and 28^th of January. For those who will register for one day, the lunch of the particular day for which the registration is made will be included.
  
  
• The Forum Gala Dinner : Hosted by the e-TQM College and will take place on the 27^th of January, 2009 at 21:00 hrs. During the Gala Dinner a number of activities will take place among which is the acknowledgment of the forum partners and sponsors and the announcement of the winners of the best paper and presentation award. The Gala Dinner fee is not included within the Forum fee. Forum participants may however register for the Gala Dinner at the rate of 150 AED per person.
  
  
• Refreshment and Networking Opportunities : Throughout the event, several refreshment and networking opportunities will be available for participants to get to know each other. Participants will include researchers, e-learning specialist, academicians and teachers, etc.
  
  
• The e-Learning Middle East Market : The e-Learning Market on the last 2 days of the forum will allow participants to explore and use a whole variety of different kinds of tools and services.
  
  
• Focus Group Discussion Panel This panel would include discussions on ‘specific topics’ on e-learning. These activities would be 2 hours long and will be moderated by a panel consisting of 3 moderators including a chair (selected among our presenters/speakers and college staff members). The members of the panel would present their own views and opinions, for 40-50mins, on a particular topic/theme which we will agree upon (aligned with the forum structure and theme), then will give the audience the opportunity to discuss presented views and arguments and present their viewpoints as well. The audience-interactive discussion is expected to take around 40- 50mins as well, followed by a 20min wrap up and conclusion session. The panel apart from presenting their views and arguments, shall guide the audience in their discussions and Q&As.
  
  Topics proposed for theses discussion include: Intellectual property and copyright, teaching and learning theories in online education, assessment, etc.
  
  
• Debate
  How is it that a video game keeps a player engaged for over 2 hours, while students in a classroom typically lose interest within 20 minutes? How is it that a suit-wearing corporate citizen who operates from a glass & steel tower, loves going out on an out-bound training program and participates excitedly in difficult group tasks? Is it the “fun” element that makes the learner participate with interest? Or is there something more to games and education. Whether you like it or not, games are invading the hallowed halls of universities and the clinical walls of the Corporate sector with increasing vigour.
  
  The eLExForum believes that every controversial topic has two sides to the coin. Most educators are neither game players nor game developers and so tend to be sceptical and think that games are “play” and thus the opposite of “work”. Others, who are among its proponents, are constrained by limited budgets and not enough instances of successful implementations. This session aspires to contrast the opposing views, in an interesting format presented by experts. What’s more, you will get to record your views too, at the end of the session!
  Session Outcomes Expected:
  1. Make the audience aware about the relevance and utility of using games in education and training, offline and online;
  2. Expose the audience to world-class thinking in a contrasting format about the utility of games contrasted with risks and problems associated;
  3. Capture audience feedback about serious games as a useful component of an educator / trainer’s repertory, thereby also allowing for audience participation


• e-Learning Implementation Best Practices Showcase Session
  What is impactful e-learning? Is it to do with the colours? The layout? The interactivities? The quality of the voice-over? Is this all about just engaging the learners? Or does it go beyond, into other factors?...Factors that precede the packaging?
  The eLExForum believes that the best way to understand impactful e-learning is by learning from the best. After all, adults do learn from one another far better than any other mode. This session will feature the best 5 amongst the submissions made to the eLExForum. A technical panel made of eminent e-learning experts will shortlist five entries for a formal presentation. A panel of Judges will evaluate these on select parameters and what’s more, you will get to judge these too!
  These showcase sessions are intended as an opportunity to highlight excellent examples of eLearning courseware design, development and implementation.
  
  Session Outcomes Expected:
  • Make the audience aware about practices used in developing impactful e-learning
  • Expose the audience to a variety of excellent e-learning courses that are evaluated in a transparent model that one can learn from
  • Capture audience feedback about select parameters that they believe are required for impactful e-learning; thereby also allowing for audience participation.