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     * * * CALL FOR PAPERS & PARTICIPATION * * * 

        ******* MLEARN 2004 - LEARNING ANYTIME EVERYWHERE ******* 

        TO BE HELD AT ODESCALCHI CASTLE, BRACCIANO LAKE, ROME, 5-6 JULY 2004

        http://www.mobilearn.org/mlearn2004 


        IMPORTANT DATES 
        April 16, 2004 - paper submission 
        May 17, 2004 - notification of acceptance 
        May 31, 2004 - final camera-ready manuscript 
        June 11, 2004 - author registration deadline 


        AN ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL EVENT 
        MOBIlearn and mLearning, the two mobile learning projects supported
by the 
        European Commission, are collaborating to organise a series of
international 
        conferences on Mobile and Ambient Learning. 
        The conferences build upon the findings and knowledge shared in
MLEARN 
        2002, held at the University of Birmingham, and MLEARN 2003, held at

        INMARSAT in London. 
        The third edition of MLEARN will take place in the Odescalchi Castle
on 
        the Bracciano's Lake in Rome, Italy on July 5-6 2004. 


        PURPOSE OF THE CONFERENCE 
        The main purpose of the conference is to bring together people who
are 
        interested in developing opportunities, systems and contents for
learning 
        with mobile and wireless devices and networks. Speakers and
delegates will 
        include practitioners, designers of mobile learning materials and
services, 
        hardware and software technology developers and researchers from
mobile 
        learning projects around the world, and representatives of the
European 
        Commission and the Italian Ministry of Research and Education. 

        This is an opportunity to find out what is going on now in the field
of 
        learning with mobile devices and ambient intelligence, and to share
ideas 
        and experiences, contributing to the future research agenda of 
        Technology-Enhanced Learning. 


        THE PROGRAMME 
        This will have a number of parallel tracks relating to the use of 
        mobile/handheld devices, wireless networks and mobile content. 
        Fields of interest are expected to be: 
        * accessibility and mobility 
        * ambient intelligence 
        * ambient learning 
        * intermittently connected learners 
        * blended learning 
        * contextual learning 
        * informal and lifelong learning 
        * development of content/teaching materials 
        * development of international standards 
        * innovation in concept, design and pedagogy 
        * learning management systems 
        * researching/evaluating mobile learning 
        * situated collaborative learning 
        * supporting and engaging the mobile learner 
        * architecture of Context Aware Learning Technology Systems 
        * mobile spaces for learning communities 
        * learning methodologies 
        * instructional design theories 
        * ad hoc networks for organisational learning 
        * learning objects and metadata for mobile learning 
        * mobile learning applications 


        WHO SHOULD ATTEND? 
        This event will appeal to a wide range of audiences who are
interested in 
        developing opportunities for learning anytime everywhere with mobile
and 
        wireless handheld devices, including: 
        * colleges/training providers 
        * higher education institutions 
        * independent research organisations 
        * community and voluntary organisations 
        * content developers 
        * Learning and Skills Councils 
        * Local Education Authorities 
        * mobile device manufacturers and service providers 
        * schools 
        * software and technology developers 
        * government departments 
        * publishers 
        * telecom operators 


        CALL FOR PAPER 
        Submissions are invited in the following categories: 
        - Full research paper: 5 pages (for Tracked session) 
        - Short developers paper: 3 pages (for Developers' session) 
        - Posters: 2 pages 


        TRACKED SESSIONS 
        The tracked sessions are an opportunity to showcase recent work -
get 
        feedback, explore ideas and make contact with others working in the
same 
        field. Contributions will take the form of research paper
presentations, 
        where the presentation should last about 20 minutes, with 5 minutes
for 
        questions. A book of papers will be produced, which will contain an 
        international book number (ISBN) to allow future worldwide library 
        reference. 

        A selection of research papers presented will be published in
"Learning 
        and Skills Research" - a journal for further education and lifelong
learning. 
        Other publishing opportunities are currently being explored, such as
a Special 
        Issue of the Journal of Educational Technology & Society (ISSN
1436-4522). 


        DEVELOPERS' SESSIONS 
        These sessions are primarily an opportunity to present and discuss 
        developmental work with a group of conference members.  Areas might
relate 
        to the development of hardware and software systems, learning
materials, or 
        other work in progress. The content should be designed to stimulate 
        discussion and feedback might be used to support the presenter in
continuing 
        their work. An abstract is required to be submitted in advance for
this. As 
        an indication, final papers should be approximately 2 pages,
although 
        other formats (such as PowerPoint slides or HTML pages) may also be 
        acceptable. This format is recommended for contributors who want to
report 
        on developmental rather than research-focused projects, where the
structure 
        will be 15 minutes for the session and 10 minutes for discussion. 


        EXHIBITION OPPORTUNITIES 
        The conference will host an exhibition that will allow organisations
to 
        showcase their mobile learning products, give demonstrations, offer 
        solutions and delivery mechanisms for handheld devices to an
interested 
        audience. 


        HOW CAN I CONTRIBUTE - ABSTRACTS 
        To make a formal contribution to the MLEARN 2004 conference, please
contact: 
        Giorgio Da Bormida - Elena Murelli 
        The MOBIlearn Project 
        Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Piacenza 
        Via Emilia Parmense 84 
        29100 Piacenza - ITALY 
        Phone: +39-0523-599446 
        Fax: +39-0523-599434 
        [log in to unmask] - [log in to unmask] 

        We will send you a contributor application pack, which includes an 
        application form and guidance notes for writing a successful
application. 
        Alternatively these documents will be available on the conference
website 
        shortly. 

        Abstracts are required by 16 April 2004. All applicants will be
notified 
        within 17 May 2004 about the success of their application to
contribute. 


        ATTENDING THE CONFERENCE 
        The following options are available: 
        a) Student: 150 euro 
        Students, non-residential booking (it includes: 2-day conference, 
        refreshments and lunches, proceedings, excluding accommodation) 
        b) Early registration (within May 31st): 300 euro 
        Full, non-residential early booking (it includes: 2-day conference, 
        refreshments and lunches, proceedings, conference bag,
pre-conference and 
        in-conference reception (1 dinner). Excluding accommodation) 
        c) Regular registration (after June 1st): 350 euro 
        Full, non-residential booking (it includes: 2-day conference,
refreshments 
        and lunches, proceedings, conference bag, pre-conference and
in-conference 
        reception (1 dinner). Excluding accommodation) 
        d) Author: 250 euro 
        Full, non-residential booking. At least one author has to register
within 2 
        weeks after notification to be included into the programme 
        e) Exhibitor: 2.000 euro 
        Exhibition spaces for the 2-day event (it includes refreshments,
table, 2 
        chairs and electricity, two conference passes and corporate insert
in 
        conference pack) 

        If your organisation is a partner in either the mlearning or the 
        MOBIlearn projects, please contact us for special registration
arrangements. 


        SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES 
        We would like to invite sponsorship from organisations who have an
interest 
        in mobile learning. There are various opportunities, which could
take the 
        form of the following: 
        - Lead Sponsorship (single company sponsorship) 
        - Co-Sponsorship (sponsorship shared with other organisations) 
        - Drinks reception sponsor 
        - Inserts in to the Delegate Pack 

        If you would be interested in finding out about sponsorship
arrangements 
        for the MLEARN 2004 event, please e-mail Giorgio Da Bormida 
        ([log in to unmask]) for further information, since broad
range of 
        options is available. 


        CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRS 
        Giorgio Da Bormida, Giunti Interactive Labs 
        Elena Murelli, Universita' Cattolica del Sacro Cuore 
        Mike Sharples, University of Birmingham 
        Jill Attewell, LSDA 


        Please see http://www.mobilearn.org for further information 
        about the MOBIlearn project, and http://www.m-learning.org for
further 
        information about the m-learning project.  m-Learning and MOBIlearn
are 
        projects supported by the European Commission Directorate-General
Information 
        Society IST-2001-37187 (MOBIlearn) - IST-2000-25270 (m-learning) 


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