TPEA 36th Annual Conference
Facing the future: Are we ready for change?
2nd - 3rd July 2024

About our conference

TPEA’s 36th Annual Conference 2024 “Facing the future: Are we ready for change?”

  • Are you excited, concerned, or baffled about how artificial intelligence is impacting education?
  • As a General Election looms – how can we anticipate and be ready for the next parliament?
  • The English computing curriculum is over ten years old – is it time for a review to ensure all learners leave school with the right digital skills to thrive in work and life?
  • How can we ensure the latest educational research is applied when making decisions about edtech applications?

Our 36th annual conference will take place at The Friends’ Meeting House in Manchester on Tuesday 2nd and Wednesday 3rd July and will feature keynote speeches, panel discussions, and presentations by renowned experts in the education and research field who will share their thoughts on these questions and more.

Our conference is designed to bring together professionals, researchers, teachers, and students who are passionate about EdTech and digital skills in the curriculum, providing a platform for exchanging ideas, discussing new developments, and networking with peers. We offer a diverse range of sessions and activities, from workshops and training sessions to thought-provoking keynotes and interactive panel discussions, there will be something for everyone! If you would like to know more about what to expect at the conference, take a look at our 2024 Conference Brochure and Schedule.

Supported by:

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Sessions and Speakers

Tuesday 2nd July

Registration from 9am; Conference start: 9:30am

Draft sessions include:
Jon Chippindall – Reducing workload using TeachMate AI
Myles Pilling – The Power of Assistive Tech
Ross Johnson – Apps for Good – Empowering students to shape their world with technology?
Sherelle Fairweather – Manchester City Council’s digital strategy: AI awareness in the community
Myles Pilling, Helen Caldwell and Tereza Aidonopoulou – Assistive Technology – meeting learner needs
Sara Bruun – Transform your teaching
Andrew Csizmadia – The Technology, Pedagogy and Education of the Bebras Challenge
Christina Preston, Linda la Velle and Sue Heightman – How should educators handle AI?
Gary Beauchamp – Technologies in education: a passing fad or the real deal?

Conference End: 4pm

Wednesday 3rd July

Registration from 9am; Conference start: 9:30am

Draft sessions include:
Gary Beauchamp, John Anderson, Chris Shelton and Sharon Tonner-Saunders – Digital Learning Across the UK
Allen Tsui – Kids who code
Helen Caldwell – Staff and students co-construct AI literacy: successes and challenges
Mick Chesterman – Building Coding Fluency
Computing 10 years on
John Sibbald – Digital agency in young people and the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate
Lawrence Williams – Developing Computing
What do we want the next government to know and do with regard to education technology and digital skills
Liz Hidson – Facing the future right now
Emma Goto – How EYFS Underpins the Computing Curriculum
Sharon Tonner-Saunders – To AI or not to AI
Lynne Dagg and David Nelson – Generative AI tools in their Educational Development

Conference End: 4pm

Conference Tickets from only £60 (one day) or £100 (both days)

Tickets are available for both days or just one day of the conference. The full-price two day standard tickets are just £140 with one day tickets available for £80. However, TPEA Members+ can purchase tickets at a significant discount with two day tickets for £100 (A TPEA Members+ subscription is only £40 – join here and recoup your subscription immediately!) or one day Members+ tickets for just £60. All tickets include access to all sessions, lunch and refreshments.

Location and Accommodation

Conference Venue

Our conference will be held at the Friends Meeting House in central Manchester: 6 Mount Street, Manchester, M2 5NS

The Friends Meeting House is centrally located and nestled among some of Manchester’s most iconic landmarks – The Town Hall, St Peter’s Square and Central Library. It is located directly behind the distinct Central Library building and is just a short walk from Oxford Road Station and one minute walk from St Peter’s Square tram stop.

Accommodation

There are a wide range of options for accommodation in Manchester

For example, within a short walk of our venue are the Midland Hotel, the Leonardo Hotel Manchester Central, or the Premier Inn Manchester City Central

TPEA Bursaries and Sponsorship

TPEA is pleased to offer a range of bursaries to support those who wish to attend our conference. 

Teacher Bursary

This bursary is intended to support practising school teachers who wish to share their practice or practitioner research at the conference. The bursary will cover the price of a 2-day conference ticket.

Recipients of the bursary will give a 12 minute presentation relating to any of the themes of the conference or contribute to a panel discussion. Participants will also be encouraged to write a short blog post on their topic for the TPEA Blog (we will offer support to anyone who has not written a blog before). Up to 4 Teacher Bursaries will be awarded this year.

How to apply
1) Presentation proposals are now closed so email us and tell us how you could contribute to one of the panel discussions.
2) Send a short CV including details of your current employment to conference@tpea.ac.uk with the subject line “Teacher Bursary”. 
3) Applications will be assessed based on relevance to our conference. We will assess applications regularly until all bursaries have been awarded. 

Please note, TPEA is not able to enter into discussions or provide feedback on unsuccessful applications beyond the initial notification.

Conference Sponsorship

TPEA would like to sponsor up to 4 participants to attend the conference. The sponsorship will include a full 2-day conference ticket and a contribution of £100 towards travel and/or accommodation (receipts will be required).

This sponsorship is open to anyone over the age of 18. Recipients of the bursary will give a 12 minute presentation relating to any of the themes of the conference or contribute to a panel discussion. Participants will also write a short blog post on their topic for the TPEA Blog.

We would particularly welcome applications from doctoral students, Early Career Researchers, or new tutors in Initial Teacher Education who have never attended a subject association conference. We particularly welcome applicants who are members of groups that are under-represented in computing or digital education.

How to apply
1) Presentation proposals are now closed so email us tell us how you could contribute to one of the panel discussions.
2) Send a short CV and a supporting statement explaining why you are applying for the sponsorship to conference@tpea.ac.uk with the subject line “Conference Sponsorship”.
3) Applications will be assessed based on relevance to our conference. We will assess applications regularly until all bursaries have been awarded.

Please note, TPEA is not able to enter into discussions or provide feedback on unsuccessful applications beyond the initial notification.