UMIQUE 2019 - International Workshop on Uses of Ubiquitous, Mobile and IoT Technologies in and for Education

UMI technologies combine mainly Ubiquitous computing, Mobile computing and Internet of Things, but also interface with Robotics, Augmented & Virtual Reality and other emerging technologies. These technologies enable the creation of smart environments, both static and mobile, which support human activities, in open and closed spaces. UMI technologies lead to the development of a wide range of applications from personal to city-wide; these applications will revolutionize ALL sectors of human and societal activity. Therefore, UMI technologies will affect our personal lives, our professional environments, our social activity, our citizenship – practically everything! That is why, people who are not familiar with UMI technologies and do not possess the necessary skills to use them run a high risk of being excluded from the benefits of participating in a dynamic society. At the same time, lack of trained UMI professionals will slow down technological and industrial development, while people who are UMI-savvy will hinder societal adoption of technological products.
In order to avoid creating such a fragmented and excluding society, the collaboration of ALL actors across the continuum from education to career to continuous professional development is absolutely necessary. This workshop aims to present best practices, to identify pitfalls and to start a dialogue among the stakeholders.
Members of the PerCom community belong to these stakeholders in their diverse capacities (i.e. whether they are researchers, professors, developers, makers, company representatives, policy makers, career consultants, managers etc.). In our view, the PerCom community is capable (and responsible) for researching and dealing with the issues that could create a non-inclusive society of UMI low-skilled citizens and professionals. Professors and teachers should focus on UMI skills and topics using UMI technologies as the means; industry representatives should collaborate with education and training providers in order to design curricula that meet the forecasted needs; researchers should process data and identify gaps and pitfalls, developers should place emphasis on producing educational and societal applications that enhance UMI competences; Communities of Practice involving all stakeholders should be formed and sustained.
The workshop is unique because it attempts to research and map the continuum from education to career to continuous professional development with respect to UMI technologies. In this respect, it is addressed to all who are involved in research, educational, training and career consultancy activities (see below).
Planned workshop format
The workshop will include a keynote speech (30’) and a number of presentations around the following axes: uses of UMI technologies in education & training, UMI technologies in education & training curricula, UMI technologies as societal enablers (includes topics on career & professional development). At the end of each session, all speakers will form a panel and will answer questions submitted by the moderator and the audience; the panel, together with the audience, will attempt to collaboratively draw a semantic map of the key notions and issues discussed in each session. Each session will last about 90’. The workshop will close with a hands-on participatory session, during which the participants will be invited to use specific outcomes from related research projects.