Registration is now open: 2023 Open Distance and e-Learning hybrid conference

Registration is now open! 

2023 Open Distance and e-Learning hybrid conference
Pre-conference workshops: 14 August 2023
Conference: 15 - 17 August 2023
Emperors Palace, South Africa
https://www.unisa.ac.za/odel2023

"ODeL in the Global South: Opportunities in times of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA)" 

The term "uncertainty" will likely be mentioned in the response when you ask any 21st-century citizen what they believe to be the defining aspect of modern society.

While people and institutions generally dislike uncertainty because it places obstacles in the way of planning and shrinks comfort zones, uncertainty has a positive side too: It encourages creativity, flexibility and a wider view of possibilities. 

Uncertainty has the ability to bring forth positive outcomes, and the University of South Africa (Unisa) has incorporated these possibilities into the theme it chose for the 2023 Open Distance and e-Learning (ODeL) hybrid conference. 

Taking place from 15 to 17 August 2023, both virtually and in-person at Emperors Palace, near OR Tambo International Airport in Gauteng, the conference explores the theme, "ODeL in the Global South: Opportunities in times of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA)". 

Given the scope and unpredictability of institutional and societal change in recent years, the conference theme is likely to resonate with ODeL scholars and researchers in South Africa, the rest of Africa and beyond. 

Join keynote speakers and a host of local and international panellists as they debate this important theme.

• Romeela Mohee, Professor and Higher Education Commissioner of Mauritius
• George Siemens, Professor and Director of the Center for Change and Complexity in Learning (C3L) at the University of South Australia, also a Professor of Practice in Psychology at the University of Texas, Arlington, administering the Master of Science in Learning Analytics
• Jenny Glennie, Founding Director, South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE), South Africa
• Paul Tiyambe Zeleza, Associate Provost and North Star Distinguished Professor at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America

This academic conference, which will be preceded by pre-conference workshops on 14 August 2023, will give established and upcoming ODeL scholars and researchers the opportunity to explore innovative approaches to conducting teaching, learning, research, and community engagement in a complex and frequently turbulent environment. 

Scholars interested in presenting papers at the Unisa 2023 ODeL Hybrid Conference should take note of the timelines for submitting proposals. There are separate deadlines for proposals for the main conference, the pre-conference workshops, and the ODeL Postgraduate Student Consortium. Details of the key dates and a list of possible topics to consider can be found on the website. Speakers and delegates from all over the world will be attending, making the conference an excellent vehicle for networking in the ODeL field. 

Your hosts are Unisa’s Research, Postgraduate Studies, Innovation and Commercialisation Portfolio and the UNESCO Chair on Open Distance Learning. 

We look forward to your participation as, together, we explore the opportunities that lie ahead for ODeL in the Global South in times of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.

Why should you attend this conference?  

This conference is suited to all academic practitioners, scholars, researchers, and students who are interested in open, distance, online and e-Learning.  

Register now!  

Enquiries: odelconference@unisa.ac.za
Web address: https://www.unisa.ac.za/odel2023