BIOS: Technology Means Business

Handheld Learning 2006, only in its second year, yet firmly established as the world’s leading handheld learning conference and exhibition, opens its doors in Central London this week with a record attendance expected.

Handheld Learning 2006, in association with the UK governments Department for Education and Skills, The e-Learning Foundation and the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, will bring together international communities of policy and decision makers, academics educators, developers, publishers and manufacturers.

Over 70 speakers will take to the stage at the event with over 550 delegates expected from as far a field as the U.S., Australia, Japan, Chile, Iran, West Africa. In the exhibition hall 20 exhibitors will show off new technologies. The event will include the launch of an exciting EDA educational handheld technology from Fujitsu-Siemens Computers.

The event will attract those experienced in the use of mobile technologies and those who are new to it, to share and expand knowledge of how the use of mobile and pervasive technologies will lead to a positive, transformational change for teaching and learning where the learner is placed at the centre and where every learner matters, the organisers said.

“The is no question that ‘mobility’ is the watchword in educational ICT at the moment. Not mobility just in terms of devices but also in terms of content, learning materials and applications. With progressive schemes such as BSF, Personalised Learning and Every Child Matters the Victorian assumption that a school must simply be a building is being questioned. Teaching and learning can be an anytime, anywhere activity where mobile technologies are embraced to achieve transformational improvements”, explained Graham Brown-Martin, Managing Director of Handheld Learning.

“Think of it this way, when was the last time you lent someone your computer? In many schools there are more than 5 students to a computer that resides in an ICT suite, hardly reflective of their mobile life which often consists of personalised mobile phones and entertainment devices. Perhaps the biggest digital divide is between the students and the establishments themselves, teaching Powerpoint when the student is already using YouTube”, added Brown-Martin.

Renowned teaching and learning innovator Professor Stephen Heppell will be delivering the keynote address and will be followed by leading practitioners and thought leaders including Doug Brown, Head of Learning Technologies Unit, DfES, Valerie Thompson, Chief Executive, e-Learning Foundation, Vanessa Pittard, Director, Evidence & Evaluation, Becta, Tony Parkin, Head of ICT Development, SSAT, Tony Richardson, Director, e-Strategy, Becta, Stephen Carrick-Davies, Chief Executive, Childnet and many others who will cover themes from Building Schools for the Future to Personalised Learning to fund raising.

The inaugural Handheld Learning conference last year was intended to be a small gathering of around 50 academics and educators at Goldsmiths College in the newly appointed Ben Pimlott building. As it happened, reflecting a surge of interest in the use of mobile technologies in teaching and learning, all expectations were exceeded and the event was attended by nearly 300 delegates during its two days - bursting out of the intended venue and into the universities Great Hall.

In its second year the event now supported by the DfES, e-Learning Foundation, Specialist Schools and Academies Trust has moved to the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, Westminster becoming the world’s largest mobile learning event. With an international cohort of expert speakers and over 500 delegates from all over the world the event is also taking on a more global nature. With ‘A’ list sponsors and exhibitors including Fujitsu-Siemens Computers, Apple Computer, Palm, Samsung, Microsoft and Sony PSP the event has caught the imagination of industry as well as the practitioners and policy makers.

For a full programme of events and to register for press accreditation go to www.handheldlearning.co.uk/hl2006.

[Best PDA Pricing UK]
[Best PDA Pricing US]