• iLAB:Learn grew out of collaborations between ECLS and CS staff (David Leat, Paul Seedhouse, Sugata Mitra, Sue Pattison and Patrick Olivier) including co-supervision of PGR students (ECLS: Saad Almutairi and CS: Ahmed Kharrufa) and recent grant applications to the EPSRC.
• A laboratory for developing appropriate educational applications of digital technology. Digital equipment is located in the lab for active, creative use by staff and postgraduate students.
• iLABs are the Digital Institute’s vehicle for supporting and promoting the research, development and application of digital technologies within the University’s research.
• iLAB:Learn is one of the first two iLABs to be established by HASS schools within the Digital Institute’s Digital Culture Network (iLAB:Museum based in SACS to launch March 2010).
• iLAB:Learn is a practice-based research lab and include working technology enhanced learning installations including multi-touch tabletops, pen-based tabletops, a self-organised learning environment (SOLE) and an instrumented kitchen for task-based language learning
• iLAB:Learn is based in the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences (ECLS) in the King George VI Building, and includes staff and students from both the School of Computing Science (CS) and ECLS
• To combine: ECLS expertise in pedagogy theory, methods and practice with CS expertise in web-based technologies, pervasive computing and situated interaction.
• Develop a distinctive program of technology enhanced learning research that exploits social computing, pervasive computing and situated interaction technologies and applications.
• Use theory and practice to motivate, develop and evaluate technology enhanced learning.
• Undertake world-class research in both Education and Computer Science.
Initial membership:
• Sugata Mitra (iLAB:Learn Lead Researcher) David Leat (ECLS); Paul Seedhouse (ECLS); Sue Pattison (ECLS); Scott Windeatt (ECLS); Lindsay Marshall (CS); Christian Kray (CS); Jennie Palmer (CS); Marie Devlin (CS), Patrick Olivier (CS).
• PGRs: Ahmed Kharrufa (CS); Saad Almutairi (ECLS); Olga Pykhtina (ECLS); Mamdouh Alswayegh (ECLS); Nor Fadzlinda Ishak (ECLS); Ammar Al-Qaraghuli (CS); Tom Bartindale (CS); Chu-Chien Huang (CS).
Active Research:
• Pen-based tabletops for thinking skills development & evaluation (Kharrufa/Al-Qaraghuli)
• Multi-touch tabletop art therapy for children (Pykhtina/Bartindale)
• Tabletop task-based language learning (Almutairi/Alswayegh)
• Task-based language learning in instrumented environments (Ishak)
• Technology enhanced learning of motor skills for music education (Huang)
For the lab to develop, it is essential that staff and students try out the technology to develop new educational applications, so all are very welcome to take part. Members of staff should contact Sugata Mitra in the first instance. Postgraduate students should email John Shearer john.shearer@ncl.ac.uk to receive information on events and to go on the mailing list.
• Awarded: “Task-based language learning in the Wild” EPSRC Digital Economy Programme (£160K additional funding) awarded 5th Feb 2010. Paul Seedhouse (PI) and Patrick Olivier. 18 month project seeks to exploit the pervasive computing technology being developed in the Ambient Kitchen as part of the SiDE Digital Economy Research Hub in the development of a task-based learning environment for catering and language students at Newcastle College. In addition the £160K funding, £88K in funding is being provided through SiDE’s “partnership resource”. Partners: Newcastle College; National Centre for Languages (CILT)
• In submission: “Interactive tabletop Play Therapy with Primary School Children” selected for the final stage of the EPSRC Digital Economy Programme Research in the Wild” call. Sue Pattison (PI) and Patrick Olivier. This proposal brings together (i) digital tabletop technology; (ii) traditional art therapy practices for children; and (iii) multi-modal data analysis methodology developed for Task Based Language Teaching (TBLT) and integrates them in realizing a new play therapy environment for young children.
• A list of funding sources for technology-enhanced education research has been identified.
• SOLEs: Developing Sugata Mitra’s Self Organized Learning Environments including pedagogy, technology (social media and tracking) and remote mediation. Exploring opportunities for participation of older people as remote mediators (Changing Age) and the application to children at risk of social exclusion in UK schools (SiDE);
• Computing Science pedagogy: CS is home to the only CETL for computing science in the UK Chris Phillips, Lindsay Marshall & Marie Devlin), while the first tranche of funding for this comes to an end, there is significant scope for using the CETL for general and CS technology enhanced learning research;
• Strengthen links with the Research Centre for Learning and Teaching to develop innovative pedagogies and enquiry based learning
• The LINKS into Languages Regional Centre is co-directed by Sue Robson (ECLS) and Liz Anderson(MFL). LINKS network of schools in the north east region provides the potential for enhanced language learning using innovative digital technologies;
• SiDE Digital Economy Research Hub: links to the Creative Industries activity which is working primarily with children at risk of social exclusion (Atau Tanaka). Further exploitation of pervasive computing technologies developed with SiDE;
• Promethean Technologies: providers of the underlying technology and collaborators in the development of pen-based tabletop learning applications.
• Diwan Systems Ltd
• Bedlingtonshire Community High School
• National Centre for Languages (CILT)
Twitter: iLAB:learn hashtag - #ilablearn