There Is No 'Virtual Learning': The Materiality of Digital Education

To book your place for the event, please email Ned Barker edmund.barker@ucl.ac.uk or Kata Kyrola k.kyrola@ucl.ac.uk indicating whether you would like to attend online or in person.

In this seminar, Professor Gourlay will talk about her recent paper, "There Is No 'Virtual Learning': The Materiality of Digital Education".

The distinction between face-to-face and distant digitally-mediated educational engagement is a complex one, and the two modes are often combined in practice, via 'blended learning' or the use of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to support campus-based teaching. 

The current COVID-19 pandemic has thrown this distinction into relief, in a context where educationalists have been forced to move to fully distant engagement in a very short timeframe.
 
Lesley will discuss how this predicament has brought to the fore the nature of our engagement with digital knowledge practices and screen-based communication. She will argue that the notion of ‘virtual learning’ is a flawed one - instead, by adopting a sociomaterial perspective, she argues that all aspects of digital engagement are in fact grounded in material and embodied entanglements with devices and other artefacts.

This event will be particularly useful for those interested in technology, education and remote learning.

Covid-19 measures

To minimise Covid-related risks for in-person attendees at our events we will facilitate social distancing where possible. In-person attendees will require to have booked their place to gain entry to the event. We strongly encourage attendees to wear a mask while in our buildings. We ask that those registered for our events do not attend in-person if they are showing respiratory symptoms. Thank you for your co-operation.

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