Prof Herman Van der Merwe, deputy dean for teaching and learning in the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, is excited to invite NWU delegates to participate in this year’s Online Educa Berlin (OEB) Global, Cross-Sector Conference and Exhibition on Digital Learning.
This annual leading international cross-sector event on technology-supported learning and training fosters dialogue and collaboration between high-level decision-makers from the education, business and government sectors.
After attending the 2023 event, Prof Van der Merwe says participation in the Online Educa conference and pre-conference workshops are highly beneficial for generating valuable ideas, pushing the traditional boundaries and building new networks.
The management teams of the Economic and Management Sciences and Humanities faculties attended the event in November last year.
Prof Van der Merwe says the strategic visits to three European universities and the participation in the Online Educa conference expanded the horizons of all the staff members who attended.
“The experience pushed staff members beyond their comfort zones, fostering personal and professional growth. Staff members gained a positive perspective on artificial intelligence and realised the importance of delving into its intricacies.”
He adds that, besides the better relationships and cross-campus and inter-school collaboration opportunities identified, the management teams also started to better understand the challenges each faculty faces, which are crucial for a management team that works together towards a common goal.
“Attending the event helped staff members develop a positive outlook on different technologies, recognise the significance of the available tools, and use their characteristics and strengths to address current challenges.”
He adds that the Online Educa conference’s strength is that almost all relevant software and hardware platforms are on display, and delegates can play, interact and engage with it to evaluate it and discover how to integrate and innovate their teaching, learning and assessment.
The 30th Annual Global Cross-Sector Conference and Exhibition on Digital Learning will take place from 27 to 29 November in Berlin and Prof Van der Merwe has negotiated a special rate for NWU delegates. Interested faculty members can contact him for further information.