Following on from last year’s very successful launch, the University of Melbourne will present the 2017 semester 1 Research Series which offers a range of ‘Ted’ style talks from a range of researchers around their latest projects. Participant then have a chance to further discuss the content with the presenters over a glass of wine or soft drink.

Presenters:
Prof David Clarke - Teaching science
Title: The Classroom Kaleidoscope: Connecting Contributions from Classroom Research
Classrooms represent a globally extensive institutionalised site for the promotion of learning. The optimization of learning in classrooms has been the focus of a wide variety of research studies employing a diversity of approaches, from international cross-cultural comparisons of classroom practice to fine-grained experimental investigations of student learning. This presentation highlights some of the connections between different studies of classroom teaching and learning and examines the kaleidoscopic picture of the classroom that emerges from their combination.

Dr. Lynda Ball - Virtual professional learning
Title: Potential for virtual learning environments for professional learning
Virtual learning environments (VLEs) have the potential to offer new opportunities for professional learning. This presentation will report on a proof-of-concept VLE for professional learning for mathematics teachers and propose future directions for broader application of a fully developed VLE.   

Associate Professor Wesley Imms
Title: Great spaces, great learning? Issues in the measurement of impact of innovative learning spaces.
Innovative learning spaces carry an implication of potential benefits to teaching and learning.  How can we possibly measure if this occurs?  This presentation will draw on recent and current research being conducted by the Learning Environments Applied Research Network, in the process opening the door to the problematic nature of sustainable developments in education.

Prof Susan Wright - Learning in flexible spaces
Title:  The environment at the 'third teacher' in life wide learning
The environment is a semiotic tool for learning across formal, non-formal and informal contexts, such as work, leisure, social networks, multiple channels of news, information and communication and physical and global modality (actual and virtual).  In open spaces, learners can decide on their own map and make their own territory. How can open spaces for systematic reflection inform our understanding of life wide learning and new pedagogies to support this?