Thompson Rivers University will be host to a free workshop that opens up the exciting possibilities for research and teaching using new Web 2.0 technologies. Running from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2, the workshop is open to the public, with teachers and researchers especially encouraged attend

“We’ve called the workshop ‘Research 2.0,'” workshop co-coordinator Dr. Norm Friesen explained. “Many of the tasks that students, teachers and academics are used to are being reinvented through changes on the WebFirst came ‘Web 1.0’ with big, but static Websites, with password protected systems for teaching, learning and content. But with the advent of blogs, Wikis, Twitter and other technologies characteristic of Web 2.0, new possibilities for teaching and research are emerging.”

The point of the workshop is to give students, teachers and researchers hands-on experience with these new technologies, and to talk about how they are being taken up in various institutions, projects and initiatives.

“We’ll have people from libraries, from other universities, and from projects around the world presenting and guiding you through what you can do with this exciting new technology,” explained Dr. Diane Purvey workshop co-coordinator. “Slowly but surely, these technologies are changing the way teaching and learning are practiced, the way research is published and circulated.”

The event is being sponsored by Mathematics, Information Technology, and Complex Systems (MITACS). To registration and for further information check out http://www.tru.ca/mitacs. Registration is free, but space is limited (60 maximum)

Contacts:

• Dr. Diane Purvey, Master of Education Program Co-Coordinator, (p) 250.371.5526
• Dr. Norm Friesen, Canada Research Chair in E-Learning Practices, (p) 250.852.6256