BCS EMBRACE specialist group.
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AGM documents
Download the AGM minutes (PDF)
Download the Chair's report (PDF)
Synopsis
eLearning found its roots in 1999, where it was first used to describe the earliest versions of electronic education. However, it went mostly under the radar until it was desperately relied upon from the initial effects of COVID-19, which hit in early 2020. COVID evoked a sudden boom in popularity for eLearning, and it became a huge help to children and teachers alike. However, this rise in use also shone light onto some of the main issues with learning digitally.
There are a myriad of challenges within eLearning that are running rampant. One of the main issues is a lack of student engagement. This is because eLearning, despite being around for 20+ years, is still in its infancy. Due to this, eLearning is currently extremely generalised and not grabbing the attention of the youths.
About the speakers
Julian Hall, Founder of #AskUltra
Featured on Forbes, Julian ‘The Ultrapreneur’ Hall, is the CEO and founder of the world’s first artificial intelligence chatbot that can teach entrepreneurship to kids and teens called #AskUltra.
Julian has co-written three degrees in entrepreneurship and launched the UK’s first mobile game for kids entrepreneurship, 'Start-Up Dash'. Six years ago he founded multi-award-winning social enterprise 'Ultra Education C.I.C', which has been successfully teaching entrepreneurship to primary and secondary school aged children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
He started his first business at 18-years-old, and went on to have a career in investment banking. Julian is the best selling author of four books on marketing, technology and entrepreneurship. He has been entrepreneur in residence to some of the most UK's most prestigious educational institutions including; Benenden, Putney High, and the Academy of Contemporary Music.
A proud member of the Association of Business Mentors, freeman of the Company of Entrepreneurs, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Member of the Shakespeare Globe Council, and founding member of UKBlackTech, Julian’s ambition is to make entrepreneurial education available to every child globally.
James Uhomoibhi, CPhys, CITP, FBCS, MInstP
James Uhomoibhi is a Chartered Physicist and a member of the Institute of Physics in the UK, a Chartered IT Professional and a lecturer in engineering. He leads the development and work of the mixed, augmented and virtual reality laboratory for scalable computing. His current research focus is on AI in education, ARLE (augmented reality learning environment) and spectroscopy for food security. His area of expertise includes; laser spectroscopy, e-learning, and machine learning.
He has authored over 140 research publications across the disciplines. James is the Chair of the e-Learning Specialist Group. He is a Chartered IT Professional, a Fellow of BCS (FBCS), The Chartered Institute for IT, a member of the Institution for Engineering and Technology (IET) and a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy. He is also a member of both ACM and IEEE-SA.
James Uhomoibhi is a visiting Professor of Physics, Computer Science and IT in Nigerian Universities, a visiting professor of Science Technology and Environmental Studies at the Open University of Tanzania, and a visiting Lead Scientist at the African City of Technology, Sudan. He is a LEADS Scholar in Nigeria with the responsibility of linking experts and academics in the Diaspora to institutions and communities in the country. His research interests are in Artificial Intelligence for Enhanced Education and Research in Physics, Computing, Engineering and Education. Presently, he is Head of the Mixed Augmented and Virtual Reality Research Laboratory (MAVRLAB) of the Artificial Intelligence Research Centre.
Leah Forsyth, Traineeship Manager, Prevista
Leah Forsyth is the Traineeship Manager for Prevista. She has been working in skills for about two years now. Her main focus is to be able to offer young people a meaningful alternative to mainstream education and ensure that every young person has an opportunity.
Prior to this, Leah worked in welfare-to-work within the disability sector, managing a number of contracts across the UK. The focus was to upskill and support individuals to become socially mobile and secure sustainable employment. However, this was not her career plan, she fell into this line of work by accident. A long time ago, she wanted to help people with their body and mind, so she trained as a Sports Therapist and completed a psychology degree. Leah found her niche in the alternative finance sector - many will know this as pawnbroking and payday loans, to name a few products.
Leah feels that everyone should start their career with some form of customer service role as this is the foundation of developing your communication and multi-tasking skills.
Her advice to everyone is that 'nothing is given to you, you have to earn everything, and by having this focus and drive, everyone can succeed. To others always be kind as kindness is rewarded'.
Our events are for adults aged 16 years and over.
This event is brought to you by: BCS EMBRACE specialist group
