Introduction & Aims

Introduction

The Smart City is moving beyond a few exemplars to the mainstream and is also developing into Smart Regions that incorporate Smart Farms and Villages. 

The technical and data infrastructure to support these now exist in many cities and regions across the world. What is even more interesting is the shift from top-down vision [1], ‘city-planning’ and resources utilization to opening up of data and possibilities for citizens to be drivers, as well as target, of urban innovation.

Learning is one of the pillars that sustain all it.

This is supported through initiatives to increase access to technology enhanced services for citizens and tourists on the move. At the same time, increasing quantities of data are becoming available that are generated from and inform about daily life. These derive from sensor networks, social media, crowdsourced data and the opening up of multiple existing datasets from environmental bodies, city councils and governments.

Open source applications, integrated augmented reality, extensive social networks and the use of linked open data are just some of the everyday applications that can provide pathways for people to communicate with their private and public worlds.

[1] resources

Aims & Questions

This workshop co-located at EC-TEL 2015 and promoted by the ASLERD (Association for Smart Learning Ecosystems and Regional Development) aims at exploring aspects of learning within these new Smart Places. How is it possible to harness the full potential of these new infrastructures and increasing volumes of open data to develop new ways for citizens to learn and produce social innovation. 

• How is it possible to support learning across time, place and device?

• How can these new technologies be used to foster inclusivity and greater awareness of others who are sharing the same space?

• How can citizens contribute to and benefit from new forms of knowledge about their neighbourhoods?

• How can we produce more data-aware citizens and teach more about sustainability and other smart city topics in schools?

• How smart learning ecosystems can foster social innovation and well being, increasing city and regions smartness?

• How can schools recover social centrality and increase job prospects to school-leavers?

Themes

The broad themes around which this year’s workshop on smart learning  ecosystems in Smart Regions and Cities is shaped are:

• CONTINUITY-DISCONTINUITY: of learning across time, space, device and process. Especially related to learning on the move, and learning both as an individual but also as part of a community.

• RELEVANCE OF OPEN ACCESS: space, tools, services, practices, content, people/skills - effect on disparity. 

• MEDIATION ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY: to get smarter, foster awareness, orchestrate.

• RELATION WITH TERRITORY & SOCIAL INNOVATION: role of schools and campuses, cultural issues, capacity building and economical sustainable development

• DRIVERS OF SMARTNESS: flow state and basic needs 

• MONITORING & BENCHMARKING: including integration of top-down & bottom-up smartness and support to decision making.