About this event
For centuries human beings have grappled to grasp the vastness of the intelligence of the mind of God with the (significant but comparatively feeble) intelligence of the human mind. How will this quest be helped or hindered by Generative Artificial Intelligence as it becomes an increasingly influential feature of the educational environment?
These early days of its availability present a unique opportunity for experimental usage and thoughtful conversation about its application within theological education.
This conference provides a goal to focus these early experiments with AI.
It will hear papers reporting on these experiments and their results, in the context of other papers exploring ethical, philosophical, theological, and practical dimensions of the use of Artificial Intelligence by those who ‘have the mind of Christ’.
Call for Papers
The Sydney College of Divinity invites scholars, doctoral candidates, and others working in the theological and wider academic community to propose a paper for the SCD 2025 Learning & Teaching Conference by 16 November, 2024.
Proposal submissions can be made here: https://airtable.com/app7OY1vdr98FPCJw/shrHT2PC5eEvMCAyg
Acceptance of papers will be communicated as proposals are received.
Presentations will be 20 minutes, with an additional 5–10 minutes for questions & interaction. A selection of papers from the conference will be subsequently published after peer review as the next volume in the SCD Press Learning & Teaching Theology series.
Presenters will need to register for the conference. Registration costs, including conference dinner, accommodation options, and transport details, are available through the SCD Events website.
Guidelines for Paper Proposals
The title of the proposed presentation, with an abstract of 250–300 words, should be submitted by 16 November, 2024.
The title of the paper and its abstract must articulate clearly the line of argument that the paper will take, indicating its contribution to research or scholarship in the chosen area.
Subject to the papers offered, the Conference Program will assign papers to various streams, so that conferees may specialise in their interest area. These streams will be organised (approximately) along the lines of the domains of the Higher Education Standards. This opens out the possibility for papers from those involved in Theological Education other than teaching Faculty. Proposals therefore will nominate the area of focus:
Student Participation & Attainment (Domain 1)
Learning Environment (Domain 2)
Teaching & Learning (Domain 3)
Research & Research Training (Domain 4)
Institutional Quality Assurance (Domain 5)
Governance & Accountability (Domain 6)
Representation, Information, & Information Management (Domain 7)
Further enquiries should be directed to Prof Peter Bolt: [email protected] or 02 9889 1969.
Keynote Speakers:
Matt Bower
Macquarie University
Matt Bower is a professor in the School of Education at Macquarie University, who specialises in the innovative use of technology for learning purposes. He is particularly interested in how contemporary technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, augmented reality, web-based tools, virtual worlds, social networking, immersive virtual reality 3D design & printing software and so on can be most effectively used to support cognitive development and collaborative learning. Matt has over 100 peer reviewed publications in the area of technology-enhanced learning design, teacher education, and computing education. He has led over thirty funded grant projects and participated in many other research initiatives (total funding exceeds $2.4M). Matt specialises in learning innovation research partnerships with industry enterprises and the education sector (e.g. schools, universities, training and education technology companies). He has delivered numerous keynote and invited speaker presentations on topics such as artificial intelligence in education, augmented reality, blended-synchronous learning and learning design.
Matt is a passionate educator who leads the “ICT and Education”, “Digital Technologies and Creativity” and “Technology-Enhanced Learning Design” subjects at Macquarie University. In 2021 he was one of four recipients of an Australian Award for University Teaching Excellence, and has received several other national and institutional teaching awards. His book “Design of technology-enhanced learning – integrating research and practice” won the 2018 Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) Design and Development Outstanding Book Award. Matt is also the Chair of the Australian Technologies Teacher Educators Network (ATTEN), which draws together Technologies educators from every Higher Education institution across Australia. Matt is also heavily engaged with government and policymaking, serving as the Australian Council of Deans of Education (ACDE) representative on the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) Technologies Panel, as well as serving on a number of panels for the NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA).
Diane Hockridge
Ridley College
Diane is an educational designer and consultant, specialising in online learning design. She has a PhD in Education from Macquarie University which focuses on using learning design to promote holistic formation of students in theological education. She is a Faculty member at Ridley College, Melbourne, Australia where she develops undergraduate and graduate level online theology courses and facilitates faculty development in learning and teaching. As consultant with Local Leaders International she works with a team to support and extend global theological educators’ competency and capacity for online and distance teaching.
Parallel Speakers:
The full program will be available prior to conference. Please check back closer to the date.
Program will be available prior to conference. Please check back closer to the date.
Registration
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- Full conference registration (face to face 2 days) – $340.00 AUD
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- Live steam (non-interactive live stream of session in main conference room only 2 days) – $150.00 AUD
Face to face conference fees include morning tea and lunch. Tickets to the Conference Dinner on night 1 can be purchased for an additional $75.00 AUD per person.