ELLTA Conference 2014

Engagement has emerged as an alternative view of the learner experience that can enrich the often reductionist language of performance, skills and competence. Recent literature reviews identify a well-established positive correlation pattern between aspects of engagement, such as involvement, time on task, and quality of effort and favourable learning outcomes. Furthermore particular activities supporting community involvement and interactions with diverse peers are shown to have substantial improvements on engagement. This workshop will introduce a conceptual model of engagement, appropriated from social media marketing, as a sense-making framework and explore its potential application to education. Furthermore Martin, Yu and Hau (2013) find that the kinds of motivation and engagement factors are salient for most students in different countries, however the degrees of experience vary by sociocultural contexts and within similar ethnic groups. As such although the framework has been developed in Western global contexts the framework is hoped to be transferable to Asian contexts. The workshop will be discussion driven across three key themes: (1) what is engagement; (2) can we measure it; and (3) what would it look like?

Aims, Objectives and Outcomes:

• Understand engagement as a process and discuss its relevance within Asian contexts;
• Use a sense-making framework to recognise types of engagement in local communities;
• Discuss ways of measuring engagement that can be adopted in a range of community contexts;

Intended Audience: There will be specific appeal to those involved in e-learning leadership or research, curriculum or assessment design, and learner engagement, however the concepts being discussed have much broader applications and anyone involved with social technologies should enjoy the workshop. It is expected that participants will work in smaller groups of 3-4. 30 people is probably the maximum to give a chance for some shared feedback.

Content:

1. What is engagement – adopting a sociocultural position, influenced by the ideas of Freire and Vygotsky;
2. How can we measure it – utilising touch-point based analytics;
3. What would this look like – how can this information be fed back into the learning process.

Primary and secondary students are consumers of vast quantities of television product. ‘It is estimated that by the end of high school, the average student will have spent 15,000 hours watching TV and only 11,000 hours in the classroom’ (Davison, 2010). Students are increasingly becoming creators of screen narratives. With the ubiquitous expansion of screen technologies in students/ teachers’ mobile phone use across Asia, the K-12 and tertiary students are applying screen production and literacies to their social space, with slowly increasing application to the classroom space and practice.

‘Now more than ever, technology plays a crucial role in the way that students learn and prepare for careers in a global economy’ (Devaney, 2009). Many teachers are playing catch-up-technology, ‘where more than 80 percent of technology funds are spent on hardware and wiring, leaving less than 20 percent for software and training. The rule of thumb in business is 1/3 hardware, 1/3 software, 1/3 training and support’ (Bower, 2010). As teaching strategies develop across the ASEAN community, embracing flipped and hybridised classrooms a clearer understanding of screen production techniques and processes are needed. ‘Digitally-rich learning: Students see the use of relevancy-based digital tools, content, and resources as a key to driving learning productivity, and not just about engaging students in learning’ (Devaney, 2010).

Teacher graduates of the two-day Making Meaning On Screen Professional Development workshop report that the workshop has enhanced their teaching of ‘Film as Text’ –taught in stages 4-6 English (or mother-tongue programs). The teaching of critical assessment of film/ TV is now enhanced by the creating of screen narratives, particularly in understanding how a writer/director ‘positions’ the audience in a screen narrative.

The Making Meaning On Screen workshop will introduce ELLTA conference delegates, to pedagogies for introducing screen production and screen literacies that stem from Colin’s television and film industry practice with specific application to idea generation, screen narrative construction, and collaborative learning in education. Colin will address tools, skills and techniques for practical classroom application of Concept, Development and Pre-production phases of the screen production process. Drawing on his extensive teacher-training in Asia and Australia and referring to his text Making Meaning On Screen – A Student Handbook (2007). Multimedia can be used to represent the content knowledge in ways that mesh with different learning styles that may appeal to different modal preferences (Birch & Sankey, 2008; Moreno & Mayer, 2007).

Colin will refer to examples of his Professional Development screen workshops for pre-service and in-service teachers, providing valuable training in screen-literacies across Asia and Australia in both narrative and documentary formats. This PD training has enabled students and teachers to initiate and create their own screen narratives with educational outcomes. Colin will show examples of his corporate education Professional Development workshops:

• Our School=Our Community: Thailand;
• Digital Self Portrait: New Delhi / Burgenwasher Slum communities, India;
• Create and Animate: Addressing numeracy, literacy and student involvement in NAPLAN student testing Australia and Thailand.

The Making Meaning On Screen - Professional Development Workshop in teachers provides a participatory overview of the seventeen step process examining Concept, Development, Pre-Production, of screen literacy and screen production for cross-curricula study by primary and secondary school teachers and students. This screen workshop program has trained over 2,200 practicing K-12 teachers in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Portugal since 2004.

Graduates of the Making Meaning On Screen workshop program report on their student’s successes:
in detailed analysis of screen literacy; in community, regional and state-wide video competitions/festivals; in formal examinations requiring film and video projects to the university level; in understanding literacy and numeracy that the Making Meaning On Screen approach provides through its pedagogies and scaffolding; with academically or behaviorally challenged students by providing a practical hands-on, collaborative approach to teaching and learning; in cross-cultural learning environments; in hybridised classrooms and teaching environments.

Colin will refer to his recent successful publication Making Meaning On Screen – A Student Handbook that is now considered preferred reading in many Australian and Asian primary and secondary schools. Participants will experience these practical exercises scaffolded inside screen pedagogies:

Workshop Structure:

1. Camera Awareness: Camera Technicals, Framing Exercises, Coverage Exercises
2. Concept: Story Prompts, Brainstorming, Images, Sounds, Symbols, Atmosphere
3. Development: Protagonist Need, Antagonist Need, Action and Movement
4. Pre-Production: Visualising and Framing, Shot size, Storyboarding, Objective/Subjective camera, Whose story is it? Actor Blocking, Camera Blocking, Shot-listing and Timing.

Time permitting, Colin will be screening exemplars of film sequences demonstrating his research/ practice in the Making Meaning On Screen - mentoring teachers in Asia to advance their screen skill-sets.

Details to be updated soon!

This workshop focuses on practical approaches for becoming a creative writer. It will help participants in sharpening their knowledge and skills about creative writing skills. The workshop will also help in developing concrete suggestions for the use of creative writing skills in the professional life.

The workshop will cover the following contents:

• Overview of the processes of creative writing
• 15 key questions that need to be answered by a creative writer.
• Skills set for becoming a creative writer
• Use of creative writing skills in professional life

Participants will be engaged through practical exercises, including peer review of the creative work produced in the workshop.

In today’s mobile and cloud era, whether you are delivering instructions or conducting/ supervising research, collaboration and sharing tools play an increasingly important role in learning. This workshop shares the integration of ICT tools for enhancing collaboration and sharing to instill 21st Century learning approaches.

War, violence and violent extremism have become embedded in popular culture so that children now find it difficult to conceptualise peace other than negative peace (absence of war or violence) and not positive peace such as cooperation, respect, love and tolerance (Finley 2011). Education has been identified as “the central pillar of strategies to promote [peace] values” (UN Decade for Education for Sustainable Development, cited in Pigozzi 2006, p. 3) - suggestions as to what such an education could look like are vague.

The Bali Bombings of 2002 and 2005 confronted Australia and its neighbours with the dangers of terrorism and its tragic consequences for victims, their families, including all the indirect victims, such as local people dependent on tourism. Following the bombings, the so-called Bali Peace Park Association (BPPA) has been lobbying for the creation of a peace-park on the site of the former Sari Club – one of the bombings sites. The planned Bali Peace Park has been conceptualised as a community-driven project against violent extremism.

In 2012, BPPA initiated “Beyond Bali” - an ambitious curriculum development project funded by the Australian Attorney General’s Office that explored possibilities for employing education as a means of countering terrorism. Anne Aly (author 2), a counter-terrorism expert and BPPA board member approached two educators, Elisabeth and Saul (authors 1 & 3) specialising in curriculum development, ethical dilemma story pedagogy and social science studies to develop educational materials suitable for Year 8/9/10 students. The main goal of the project was to educate students about Bali, the Australia-Asia connection (geography), the Bali bombings and their consequences (history), as well as to deeply engage students in thinking about value dilemmas, such as, revenge versus non-revenge, violence versus non-violence, peaceful co-existence versus violent extremism (ethical dilemma pedagogy. Furthermore, the materials explore the concept of ‘peace parks’ – what purposes do they serve? What do they look like? Where do they already exist? How can one design and build a peace park?

The final curriculum package consisted of five modules drawing on a variety of teaching strategies including on-line learning. The package was trialled and evaluated in two Western Australian schools: an Islamic College and a government secondary school. A small-scale, mixed-methods pilot study was conducted for evaluation purposes. In this workshop, I will present a brief overview of the curriculum package and the findings of the pilot study before engaging participants in a practical sense.

The practical aspect of the workshop focuses specifically on ethical dilemma story pedagogy and its role within the “Beyond Bali” Project. Module 3 - “An Eye For An Eye Makes The whole World Blind“ (Mahatma Gandhi) uses a ‘classic’ set-up for ethical dilemma-stories: participants are guided through a story requested to identify with a story-character and to make decisions on behalf of that person when the story is interrupted in strategic places and ethical dilemma questions are asked. These questions require the participant to engage in critical thinking and critical reflection on their values that guide their decision-making. The ethical reflection process is conducted individually at first followed by an opportunity to compare and discuss one’s decisions with others. The role of the teacher is that a facilitator who does not volunteer his/her own values but instead guides discussion and participant engagement. Usually the most difficult, most perplexing and challenging dilemma questions are positioned at the end of the story. Ethical dilemmas remain open-ended - meaning there are no final or absolutely ‘correct’ answers.

Feedback from teachers and students has been highly encouraging and positive. We believe that the Beyond Bali Project has the potential to serve as a model for similar community-driven education projects wanting to tackle violent extremism in the future.

• Provide an overview of “Beyond Bali” curriculum package and dilemma story pedagogy; (20 min)
• Guide participants through a hands-on experience of Module 3 - “An Eye For An Eye Makes The whole World Blind “(Mahatma Gandhi) (45 minutes)
• Present selected findings of a small-scale pilot study of the trial and evaluation the curriculum materials (10 minutes)
• Invite discussion and feedback from participants (15 minutes)

Achieving financial security is not about winning the lottery or ‘good luck’. It’s about careful planning, putting an appropriate strategy in place and sticking with it. Financial planning is about systemising your finances and developing a strategy to help you create, grow, protect and distribute your wealth – in a style that suits you. As a professional you face many challenges, as you strive to get ahead in your life and career. Managing your financial affairs in a proactive way requires that you are familiar with the wealth creation strategies that can be used to maximize your after tax income and set you on course for financial security.

How do you leverage your expertise and knowledge to ensure financial security for yourself? Everything wealth creation process and investments strategies and how to leverage your ideas and knowledge will be covered in this session.

Behavioral simulations are very popular amongst management trainers and academicians for teaching concepts motivation, interpersonal communication, negotiation, stress management, team-building and leadership and develop behavioral skills related to these theoretical concepts. The proposed workshop is focused on the simulation designed by me for developing team-building and leadership skills. This simulation is an extended version of the simulation “My Work…” which was originally designed to impart stress management skills in students who opted for Stress Management course in their second year of MBA program. I conducted experiments of this simulation in my courses on stress management, organizational behavior and executive training programs. The research work based on this simulation experiments was presented in the AHRD Conference 2013.

The Simulation: My Team, My Work
Designed by: Satish Pandey

Type of Simulation: Paper-pencil tasks to be completed individually and in groups within limited time period (30-45 minutes). However, one needs 90-120 minutes to conduct this simulation in the classroom.

Utility: This simulation can be used as a learning tool to impart creativity, motivation, team-building and leadership skills in participants by management trainers and teachers. Researchers can also use this simulation as a research tool if it fits in their experimental framework.

Objective of the Workshop: To demonstrate the simulation before management trainers and researchers, communicate them about the research done on this simulation and prepare them for effective usage of this simulation in their training programs on motivation, creativity, stress management, performance management, team-building and leadership skills. In this workshop, I intend to share my experience of using this simulation in executive training modules focused on leadership and team-building skills.

Details to be updated soon!

In this workshop, we will explore the TPACK approach which considers the interaction between the three elements in classroom activities: Content, Pedagogy and Technology. To understand this process of interaction, a key activity in this workshop would be the TPACK game, helping participants to acquire the skills of selecting appropriate pedagogy and technological tools that can facilitates the teaching and learning of subject content. Participants will be led through to see what happens when content, pedagogy and technology is combined in a classroom activity, exploring the possibilities of technology integration.

Learn about “how to” develop productive and sustainable educational global partnerships by exploring the lessons learned by two social work departments: one in Viet Nam and one in Hawaii. Come and share your experience as we develop together practice models that can be applied at your home institution.

Attendees: Anyone who is interested to establish a global educational partnership

Group size: 15 to 20

Outcomes of the workshop:

Participants will:

• develop a basic understanding of the challenges and opportunities global educational partnerships provide in enriching, empowering and developing the next generation’s leadership capacity
• develop basic skills to create and maintain a productive and sustainable cross national educational partnership
• develop an understanding of cultural competent practice in relationship to building equitable and culturally sensitive global partnerships
• develop an individual draft experimental contextual practice educational partnership model to implement at their home institution.

Outline of the Workshop:

1. Short overview of lessons, challenges and opportunities in building productive and sustainable global partnerships framed by the partnership between of ULSA/ HPU (30 minutes)
2. Open discussion on experiences of participants in building partnerships across borders within their specific contexts (20 minutes)
3. Small group and individual exercise: “How to” develop global partnerships: Each participant develops a contextual practice model for implementation at their home institution. (40 minutes)

The significance of ‘context’ is widely and growingly being recognized, acknowledged and celebrated. Universalistic claims are under pressure and a-contextual approaches and theories are being challenged – the growing participation at the ELLTA Conference is a representative and thriving example of it. Despite its significance, however, there does not seem sufficient preparation (capacity building) for it – for instance, to research and write about a phenomenon (in this case, leadership and learning) as being context embedded. Part of the difficulty may be the elusive nature of the concept – ‘context’. This is where the workshop makes a relevant contribution.

The focus of this workshop is to discuss writing and publishing with reference to ‘context’. This workshop is based on our extensive editorial experience as part of ELLTA Conference publications and review in particular. The purpose is to generate insights through exchange of ideas and working through examples of context-based writing. The workshop will highlight the nature of issues evident in existing examples of writings based on which, some strategies will also be discussed.

This workshop is intended for beginning/ novice researchers and writers as well as experienced writers, reviewers, editors, facilitators (writing workshops).

Content (themes and topics to be covered):

• Significance of ‘context’ – context-driven/ embedded writing and publishing
• Synthesis of editorial experience – common insights/ key trends
• Writing about context – some insights and examples

With the unprecedented and continuous rise of Asia in the 21st century, the global dynamics have changed altogether. The impact of this phenomenal rise of Asia and Asian tigers is felt globally, in all fields and domains of life.

The phenomenon, of course, is intriguing, and invites a closer look and a deeper analysis of the reasons explaining it, its implications and impact. It has inspired countries within and outside of Asia to strategise and reposition in order to take maximum advantage of this huge opportunity that the ‘Asian Century’ presents – Australia’s White Paper (2012) is but one example, followed by roundtable sessions and dialogues. Likewise, the ADB Report (2011) also focuses on ‘Realising the Asian Century’. At the same time, however, there are some others who question it - Asian Century for them is more of myth than a reality.

No doubt, we are at a turning point, and the world is witnessing a historic phase. However, the Asian Century, as ADB Report also indicates, is not preordained – there could be various pits and falls, and the opportunities are intertwined with risks for this very dynamic but diverse region. Asia needs to continue to grow on the recent trajectory, however, not necessarily doing the same things that it has been doing: what has worked in past may not continue to lead to success in future also. Asian countries need to re-assess their strategies. Likewise, though the Asian Century offers immense potential and opportunities for all nations, it is important that the other countries are prepared to tap on this potential and make use of those opportunities.

To situate and contextualize ‘Leadership and Learning in the Asian Century’, the current panel analyses the phenomenon of ‘Asian Century’ at a deeper level; which is important for strategic repositioning. Some of the key questions/ themes that the current panel addresses, therefore, include:

1. ‘Asian Century’ – reality or a myth?
2. The Asian Century – Insights and Foresights?
3. Key debates and dilemmas of the ‘Asian Century’
4. What counts as a “Competitive Edge” in the Asian Century?
5. Driving forces of the ‘Asian Century’ – Technology, Economy, Global Knowledge and/ or Asian Values? Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation? Others?
6. Preferred Futures in the Asian Century
7. Strategic repositioning for Asian Century – the Way Forward?

This panel takes up Consultancy Business in Asia as an important theme to a) consolidate experiences and insights of Consultants (both, local and foreign) working in Asia, b) generate innovative ideas and inspire future prospects, and c) enhance/ create synergy and integration between consultancy work and academia. Thus, the panel facilitates interactions among Consultants, and between Consultants and Academics (including the academic institutions developing the future consultants in Asia), so as to share experiences and insights, and to learn from each other. The term ‘Consultancy’ is being used here more broadly to also include Professional Service Firms.

Therefore, the key questions for the panel to address are:

1. What does the landscape of Consulting Business in Asia look like?
2. What are the unique/ significant opportunities that Asian context presents for Consultancy business?
3. What are the major challenges or constraints faced while working as Consultant in an Asian context?
4. What is the nature and strength of linkage between Consultants and academia? How can this linkage be further strengthened?
5. What are the emerging trends in Consulting Business in Asia? What insights can be drawn?

Higher Education is at the heart of economic and social development. Whether it is to develop ‘knowledge economies’, ‘learning and thinking nations’, ‘responsible citizens’, or ‘intelligent workforce’ – appropriate policy decisions and investment in the higher education sector is critical.

In case of Higher Education, I believe, we are at crossroads in many ways. The speed and nature of changes across the globe have transformed the very face of Higher Education to an extent that sometimes it gets difficult to grasp its nature and purpose. For instance, a major shift is the ‘commercialisation’ of higher education due to the influence of market forces, privatisation and globalisation. Many claim that the original purpose of higher education – as a knowledge enterprise and for public service/ good - has been compromised due to commercialization.

Whether Higher Education should have a commercial focus or it should be reclaimed as a “public service organisation” is an important question.

Similarly, another critical dimension of this debate is whether higher education should be standardized under the influence of internationalisation or it should be localized in order to respond to the local context/ needs.

The transformation of Higher Education has been caused by numerous forces, which will continue to influence it in future also – Technology and its impact on education represents a paradigm shift and it will continue to be a major influence shaping Higher Education in future also. MOOCS and the other learning pre-fixes (E-learning, M-learning, V-learning, D-learning, O-learning, Game-based learning etc.) for instance, have changed the learning spaces and context.

What does the ASIAN CENTURY hold further; what forces will remain influential in this era; and what the emerging trends predict about the FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION in the ASIAN CENTURY – thus, it becomes critical to analyse and examine:

• What are the forces shaping Higher Education in Asia/ in the Asian Century?
• What should be the Learning/ Research Agenda for HE in the Asian Century?
• Asian University of Future – Is that a ‘brick’ or ‘click’ model?
• What would/ should be the shape and directions of International Education?
• Would/ should there be a move towards fusion of Asian local knowledge into HE or towards standardization (internationalization)? Need for a balance between tradition and innovation?
• Reclaiming universities role as public service organisation versus market driven organisations? Development priorities?
• Issues facing Higher Education in Asia/ Asian Century

Theory of Learning, over the years, has moved from stimulus-response/ classical conditioning theories to context based theories such as actor network and cultural historical activity theories – a major shift from decontextualized to intensely context-oriented approaches. By implications, the conceptualization of context has also moved from an understanding of ‘context as a container’ to ‘context as co-evolving’ – context is not an impassive or detached container rather it is embedded, shaping and being shaped up simultaneously. This in a way is the point of departure for the current panel – not only learning is shaped by technology and tools but it is also vice versa. The boundaries of the so-called specialized and exclusive learning spaces (such as classrooms) are getting blurred, the distinction between content and context is getting diffused, and the traditional roles have come under tremendous pressure!

Given this backdrop, the panel deliberates upon the implications of the Asian Century for ‘Learning’ i.e. discussing the ‘Future of Learning in/ for Asia’ – in terms of, for instance, how learning would be defined; what the learning agenda would be and who would be leading it; what the learning context and spaces would be; which learning tools and technologies would become more or less relevant for the Asian Century – these and similar other questions will steer the panel discussions.

To kick start conversations, some representative examples have been picked up – for instance, since the emerging trends indicate a very strong and emphatic recognition that technology will continue to play a -very critical role in creating, extending and expanding learning agenda, spaces, content and context, the panel will have a representation of experts from representative fields such as E-learning (the term is being used as an umbrella term for online/ virtual learning) – virtual or game-based learning, design of learning spaces and learning technologies. Additionally, some other learning spaces will also be represented – such as sports and play, music, drama and others.

Thus, the panel will engage in critical debate and discussions to explore and put forward perspectives on ‘learning in/ for the Asian Century’ – for example, some representative questions that will guide the deliberations are listed below (tentative list):

1. What would learning look like in the Asian Century? What is the future of learning in/ for Asia?
2. Which learning theories will remain more or less powerful in the Asian Century? Which learning theories will dominantly inform the future learning technologies?
3. Which learning spaces will remain more or less effective for Asia/ Asian learners?
4. How are Educational Apps, Educational Games and Software shaping learning, and what are their implications for teaching and learning in/ for Asia?
5. What tensions exist between pedagogies and learning technologies, and how to resolve these with specific reference to Asian contexts?
6. What will be the implications of the current/ future technologies for identification and design of the learning agenda?
7. How are the historical experiences of (Asian) students and/or their identity influencing their participation and usage of emerging learning technologies?
8. How would the context and culture of Asia influence and be influenced by emerging learning technologies?
9. How would local/ Asian values and local models of learning get integrated into technology-driven learning pedagogies/ environment?

National Innovation System (NIS) drives economic growth and development. Though the concept was originally put forward in the context of research focusing on more advanced economies, it was later extended to other economies also. If we look at the economic development and NIS in Asia, these have taken various paths that need to be discussed and explored, especially, in the context of the Asian Century. For instance, there is a need to understand what Asian Innovation Systems (AIS) can learn from each other, and what insights can be drawn for future. This question is particularly relevant for countries in transition/ lower levels of economic development and for those countries aiming to progress through the promotion of endogenous innovation and growth. Human capability and institutional infrastructure together with knowledge reservoirs and industry capability are among the key research interests relevant for the Asian contexts.

The phrase, ‘Asian Innovation Systems’ (i.e. ‘systems’ as plural) takes into account the diversity between and across Asian countries and, therefore, their innovation systems and capabilities.

The following questions become important:

• What are the trajectories in Asian Innovation systems?
• What are the unique/ significant dimensions of the Asian Innovation systems and systems characteristics in different Asian countries?
• What good practices/ successful examples can be found in the Asian Innovation Systems? What lessons can be learnt?
• What is the nature and strength of linkage between knowledge institutions and industry (research/ academia and industrial sector)?
• How can these linkages be cultivated?
• What are the emerging trends in Asian Innovation Systems? What insights can be drawn from recent experience such as globalization, internationalization and international trade and finance?

This panel session will focus on how and why modern developed societies still have much to learn from indigenous knowledge systems or traditions – especially, in terms of the global challenge of future sustainability.

It will look at particular case studies from the Asia-Pacific (Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysian Borneo, and Fiji). Traditional societies in marginal rural and wilderness areas typically struggle with the economic (i.e. business, corporate and privatization) imperatives of future sustainability whilst representing an international ‘last line of defense’ against non-sustainable development. Yet, conversely, modern urban peoples and their institutions need to appreciate, to harness and to provide more supportive partnerships for how indigenous knowledge represents a crucial systemic key to achieving social and environmental (balancing modern economic) sustainability in the global context.

The session will also invoke how the concept of ‘digital heritage’ can be deployed in several related senses (e.g. linking to the world by the internet but also preserving and disseminating key aspects of indigenous knowledge for both traditional and modern societies in or as forms of lifelong learning, globally convergent communities of practice, and even formal education and training). Thus, for instance, one of the case studies to be discussed looks at how eco-tourism provides a focus of one remote wilderness community’s struggle for survival both economically or directly and also in terms of a proposed digital ‘claims-book’ strategy for defending traditional land rights and preserving local indigenous knowledge in the face of rampant destructive forces of blind progress.

The key questions for the panel to address are:

• Are there important and relevant aspects of knowledge, future sustainability and/or ‘local wisdom’ which modern predominantly urban societies have much to learn from Asia-Pacific indigenous or local knowledge traditions? If so, then what are these more specifically?
• Also, in particular, how does this relate to the global challenge of balancing economic sustainability with the kinds of social and environmental sustainability often given only lip-service by businesses, governments and related international policy or industry agencies?
• In terms of recognizing how traditional societies in marginal rural and wilderness areas often represent a ‘last line of defense’ for defending important natural habitats of global sustainability against pressing and also typically destructive attacks of ‘progress and profit’: (a) what do such local communities need to do to ensure there ‘resilience’ to survive and continue their defense of local domains of the global commons, and (b) what is the most effectively strategic support ‘we’ can provide to help them?
• With the internet increasingly providing a virtual and instantaneous linking of local nodes of the global community (especially for the ability of social media now to connect with satellite monitoring intelligence to potentially keep corporations and policy agencies more ‘honest’ in future) how can the notion of ‘digital heritage’ assist to preserve and defend yet also disseminate the enduring or sustainable knowledge and local wisdom also of global relevance – especially in or as forms of lifelong learning, globally convergent communities of practice, and even formal education and training ?