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BeLA Launch Event

BeLA Launches At The Dome

The Brighton e-Learning Alliance (BeLA) launched with a champagne reception at the Brighton Dome Bar on July 13th. Over 170 e-learning experts, professionals, policy makers and academics came together to hear and support BeLA’s vision for the future: how Brighton & Hove, the ‘learning’ city, is set to become the European Centre of Excellence for e-learning.

Cheryl Clemons, who manages BeLA on behalf of Wired Sussex, demonstrated how BeLA has the experience and expertise to lead the industry and impact learners on a local, national and international level.

John Harris, Director of Education at EPIC, talked more about the benefits, the impacts and future of e-learning whilst Lars Hyland, Director of Learning Services at BrightWave, explained what skills the industry needed and how the Post-Graduate Certificate in e-learning design, which BeLA has developed in a groundbreaking collaboration with the universities of Brighton and Sussex, will help the region continue to be a major force in e-learning development.

Academy Internet’s Nikki Ashley, a recent IT Trainer of the Year medalist, told a very personal story of how e-learning has given her the flexibility to develop and share her skills whilst raising a family.

Capturing peoples thoughts on e-learning for BeLA’s first podcast, Tom Hamilton and Hilary Smith research fellows at the University of Sussex, roved the room with voice recorders. The podcast will be downloadable from the BeLA site in the next few weeks.

BeLA founding members used exhibition space in the Founders Room to demonstrate a number of innovative e-learning applications showing the breadth of audiences that can benefit from e-learning.

Metranet provided Wi-Fi connectivity for the event.

Photos by Monika Magiera and Nicola Ashmore

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