The Future of Learning

Accelerating the Shift to Modernity

Rebecca StromeyerBerlin (GER), March 2015 - ONLINE EDUCA BERLIN (OEB), Europe's leading conference on digital education, will discuss the potential for a new age of global learning and creativity in which "everything is possible". Rebecca Stromeyer, Chief Executive of the conference organisers, ICWE GmbH, has confirmed that the focus of this year's event, which will be held 02-04 December, will be on modernity and how people, organisations, and societies can use technology-assisted education to secure the rewards of "a new era of fundamental change".

Speaking in Berlin, Ms Stromeyer said, “The connection between education and technology is becoming increasingly important for people, economies, and societies throughout the world. It is already massively extending the boundaries of what is possible. Now there is a real chance to accelerate the shift to modernity and to lay the foundations of a new age of innovation, imagination, and creativity.

"OEB 2015 will look at how we can bring about lasting change by combining technology and learning more effectively. This is perhaps the most important topic we have ever discussed at OEB; it is vital not only for education professionals, but also for businesses, organisations, governments, and societies everywhere.

“We are on the threshold of a new age of opportunity, and OEB will provide a forum for discussion, involving people from all over the world and from many different disciplines and sectors about how we can accelerate the shift to modernity. The potential benefits for mankind are enormous."

Shyamal Majumdar, Head of the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, agreed that a major change in global education was underway, creating significant new opportunities. "There has been a sea change in education. The notion of learning has changed; it is no longer about a fixed place or a fixed time. Rather, it is more flexible, modular, and blended, making it ultimately more interactive and engaging. It is anytime, anywhere, and anyhow learning."

Key questions for participants at OEB 2015 will include how people, businesses, and organisations can not only survive but prosper in an era of accelerating change. What role should education and training play in helping to manage the shift to a new society, a new marketplace, or a new reality? What is possible, and what are the most important tools for change?

ONLINE EDUCA BERLIN, which celebrates its 21st anniversary this year, has launched a call for papers and welcomes proposals for presentations and topics for discussion from all interested parties.