Brussels (BE), July 2012 - The preliminary programme for the first "Learning Innovations and Quality" conference - LINQ 2012 - has been released! The European-oriented event takes place in Brussels on 23 October 2012. The organizers have recently announced the schedule as well as the contributions of some of the most prominent participants.
Keynote speakers at LINQ 2012 include policy officers from the Directorate General of Education and Culture for the European Commission. Godelieve van den Brande, policy officer in the area of ICT and Innovations in Learning, will discuss the role of learning innovations in the European Commission's work and visions for European Collaboration. Sophie Weisswange, involved in the DG's efforts regarding quality assurance for VET, will build upon this vision of learning innovations in Europe with her contribution concerning learning quality and the standards needed to ensure the efficacy of European VET.
Further talks will be delivered by Christian M. Stracke from the University of Duisburg-Essen, Sofoklis Sotiriou head of R&D for the Greek school Ellinogermaniki Agogi, and Sandra Feliciano of the Centre for Research and Innovation in Business Sciences and Information Systems at the School of Technology and Management of Porto Polytechnic. Mr Stracke, who also chairs the CEN Technical Committee 353 and is active as an ISO Convener, will discuss the possibility of contradictions that may arise between learning innovation and learning quality.
Mr Sotiriou's presentation on the other hand will deal with the learning innovations involved in his work in schools and science education. Finally, Ms Feliciano will elaborate on her experience with learning quality and certification as chair of the Portuguese national technical committee CTA 25. Their speeches will be followed by the related presentations of submitted papers.
LINQ 2012, with its motto "Learning Innovations and Quality: How do they fit together?", addresses lifelong learning (LLL), technology-enhanced learning (TEL), quality standards and certification, human resources development, competences and skills, as well as learning, innovation, and quality management systems. All experts from learning, education and training (LET) are invited to contribute their own professional or academic efforts and to present them in a scientific paper and presentation and join in our dialogue on quality certification in LET.
