Conference web site: http://www.alt.ac.uk/altc2009/

All keynote and invited speakers can be viewed here: http://alt-c.blip.tv/

I attended this conference with colleagues of mine and was involved with a wide range of workshops, presentations and seminars. The highlights for me were:

• Michael Wesch, Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University, USA. he gave an interesting and entertaining keynote about the impact of technology on our daily lives, communities and spaces that we live in. More from Wesch here, http://mediatedcultures.net/ksudigg/
• Diana Laurillard – www.lkl.ac.uk research into developing your own pedagogic model from a web-driven list. Incorporating methods, collaboration, evaluation etc. Built upon different systems such as Phoebe http://phoebe-app.conted.ox.ac.uk/, LAMS http://www.lamsinternational.com/, LPP (http://www.wle.org.uk/d4l/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=42&Itemid=21
• Talk by Vanessa Pittard at BECTA. Young people and their access to the internet, performance academically linked to support by parents irrespective of family income or access to the internet. Massive growth in 5 yr olds accessing and using the web. Hard to reach group is the not in education, employment or training (NEET), referred to as NEETS
• E-portfolios:
  Referred to by some as ‘learning diaries’ – thought of as a more user-friendly term than for example a Reflective Journal or Learning log. Students easily understand the term Learning Diary. Portfolios used in a variety of ways in the sector – vocational, PDP, Showcase, learning and teaching. Should these activities be ‘locked’ within a vle or open for access throughout your life? Much debate on this issue with no definitive answer. Many HEI’s using pebblepad. One project using Netvibes, http://dev.netvibes.com/
• Keynote by Martin Bean, Vice Chancellor Designate at the Open University – http://www.blip.tv/file/2612978