We are pleased to share the news that the National Institute for Digital Learning (NIDL) has been selected to host next year’s 2023 EDEN Digital Learning Europe Annual Conference.
Established in 1991, EDEN has been serving the education sector for three decades with a strong and active membership from over 50 countries across Europe and beyond. This will be EDEN’s 32nd Annual Conference, with Dublin previously hosting this major event for future-focused educators in 2011.
In 2019, EDEN evolved with the UK’s departure from the European Union to become EDEN Digital Learning Europe to reflect an increasing focus on new digital models of teaching, learning and assessment. As a non-governmental professional body, EDEN’s mission is to foster developments and a strong network of educators in open, online, and digital learning. EDEN has a motto of being…
A ‘smart’ network for the professional community and professional community for smart learning.
Next year’s EDEN conference will take place 18-20 June on DCU’s St Patrick’s campus and will be co-Chaired by Dr Orna Farrell and Professor Mark Brown. Mark and Orna report that Dublin City University (DCU) is committed to staging a truly engaging and impactful conference, especially as educators throughout Europe increasingly look to shape our post-pandemic futures.
Speaking of the future, the EDEN conference will be designed to challenge participants to “dream big” as we put a critical lens and more inclusive spotlight on creating better digital futures – for all. While almost every aspect of today’s society has been significantly impacted by digitalisation, the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the uncomfortable reality of the digital divide.
There are many big and small challenges that we can’t ignore in building a more inclusive digital future. At the same time next year’s EDEN Conference plans to focus on how we can untap and harness the opportunities and potentialities that digital education provides for reimagining better futures. We hope to encapsulate in the conference theme the spirit of hope and optimism through the enabling language of “yes we can”.
While the phrase “yes we can” was popularised by President Obama in his first election campaign, it first came into prominence in 1973 in a song by the Pointer Sisters. As the powerful hook line says,
“We got to make this land a better land than the world in which we live”.
Of course, the phrase went viral in 2008 in an inspirational music video released by Will.i.am on YouTube. It’s a strong message of transformation and the power of the human spirit.
So, watch this space for more information over the next few months as we develop our conference plans. We welcome suggestions of suitable keynote speakers and innovative ideas of how we can design this major professional learning event to directly talk to the conference theme. If we do our job well, then…
Dublin is going to be the place to be in ’23!
You can also expect lots of famous Irish craic too! So, we hope to see many old friends from the EDEN community, new European colleagues and educators worldwide in Dublin in June 2023.
Digital Learning Dispatches 