Singapore, February 24, 2010 – Cutting-edge learning technology developed by New Zealand companies will be on show at the International Conference on Teaching and Learning Technology (iCTLT) 2010 in Singapore from March 4-6, 2010. New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, the New Zealand Government’s economic development agency, announced that seven companies will participate at the show to demonstrate world-class e-learning, teaching and research capabilities. [Booth# E35-40]

A pioneer in the successful introduction of smart content, innovative software and technology to enhance teaching and the learning process, New Zealand is participating in iCTLT for the first time in a bid to bring leading-edge education technology resources closer to the South and South East Asian education community.

“This conference is an excellent platform to showcase New Zealand’s capabilities and leadership in designing technology that makes learning effective, interactive and fun amongst learning institutions and education technology providers in the region. We are delighted that some of our leading education innovators will be present,” said Ziena Jalil, New Zealand Trade Commissioner to Singapore.

Four of the seven companies, CORE Education, Learning Media, South Pacific Press and Tentacle, will be physically present at iCTLT 2010 in Singapore. Three others, Ako Aotearoa, Accent Learning, and Auckland Uniservices, will feature in a virtual exhibition hosted by Virtual Expos New Zealand Ltd.

Virtual Expo within an Expo

Dubbed New Zealand’s Teaching and Learning Expo, the virtual exhibition will run concurrently to enable wider participation and to extend the scope of the New Zealand pavilion. The first in Singapore and this region, the virtual exhibition will be staged within Virtual Expos’ New Zealand’s venue, Expo New Zealand, and will be accessible by visitors to the New Zealand pavilion via a large touchscreen or by going direct to a dedicated URL and registering at www.enterexponz.co.nz .

“We are excited about hosting New Zealand’s Teaching and Learning Expo and pioneering the ‘expo within an expo’ concept. New Zealand is a world leader in the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning. This concept allows us to use ground-breaking technology to showcase New Zealand’s innovative learning products and services virtually,” said Frances Manwaring, Chief Executive of Virtual Expos New Zealand.

Expo New Zealand is a fully interactive online event venue designed to showcase the best of New Zealand to national and international audiences. It has all the features of a physical exhibition – exhibition halls filled with exhibitor booths, conference rooms, networking lounges and a resource library.

“In establishing Expo New Zealand – the world’s first national virtual expo – we set out to harness the potential of virtual events to bring New Zealand closer to the rest of the world and transform the development and maintenance of our trading relationships,” Manwaring added.

Global Classroom

A highlight of New Zealand’s involvement at iCTLT 2010 is a joint student media project between New Zealand companies CORE Education and Tentacle, and Innova Primary School in Singapore. The project brings together students from Innova in Singapore and Kahutara School, a small rural school north of Wellington in New Zealand and aims to foster cultural and learning exchange between the two countries, tapping multimedia technology to record the interaction and the key outcomes.  CORE Education will compile a selection of materials from the interface and upload them onto web pages for online sharing.

Groups of students from Innova Primary School will also be at the conference and exhibition to capture interviews with keynote presenters, exhibitors and attendees as part of the joint student media project. Tentacle, for its part, will compile video clips produced by the student media teams and broadcast these on its Campus Channel which will be streamed during the exhibition in Singapore and through the Virtual Exhibition for a larger, global audience.

Jointly organised by the Singapore Ministry of Education and the International Society for Technology in Education, iCTLT 2010 is supported by the Infocomm Development Authority and the Singapore National Institute of Education, and managed by the Singapore Academy of Principals. This year’s conference is expected to draw some 50,000 visitors, 2,000 conference delegates and over a hundred exhibitors from the Asia-Pacific region.

Participating Companies:

• ACCENT LEARNING specializes in delivering professional development to educators and school leaders from different countries. Accent offers an innovative approach to developing new tools and different ways of thinking that revitalizes teacher-student relationships and improves learning. Accent’s approach is inter-disciplinary and involves the entire school. www.accent.ac.nz

• AKO AOTEAROA is New Zealand’s National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence. Hosted by a consortium of tertiary providers led by Massey University, this independent organisation is focused on improving education outcomes for all learners by enhancing the effectiveness of tertiary teaching and learning practices. It is the champion of excellence in tertiary teaching and learning in New Zealand. For more information: www.akoaotearoa.ac.nz

• Auckland UniServices Limited is the largest research and development company of its kind in Australasia and a wholly owned company of The University of Auckland.  UniServices has access to leading experts and researchers in teaching and learning.  Programmes developed for educational leaders are designed to raise student achievement and all programmes are informed by world leading research. www.uniservices.co.nz

• CORE Education is a not-for-profit education research and development organisation with an international reputation for supporting and promoting the use of new technology for learning. CORE’s e-Learning focus covers activities and expertise in learning design, online communities, online tools for eLearning, video conferencing and the use of advanced networks. For more information: www.core-ed.net

• Learning Media is a global provider of educational publishing, professional development and consultancy services. Drawing on a close partnership with New Zealand’s Ministry of Education, it is at the forefront of national curriculum review and development and the delivery of educator professional learning programmes that impact positively on student achievement. Its materials have been an integral part of New Zealand’s successful education system for more than a hundred years. For more information: www.learningmedia.co.nz

• South Pacific Press (SPP) is an education publisher and resource developer of digital and hard copy educational material. SPP underpin their work with international research and best practices from within the organization and a wide network of internationally recognised experts. For more information: www.southpacificpress.com

• Tentacle was formed by a group of software developers and media professionals to provide next generation solutions for video in education. Campus Channel is Tentacle’s primary platform, enabling schools to engage students with their own TV channel through the use of cloud computing. For more information: www.tentacle.co.nz.

About New Zealand Trade & Enterprise

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) is the New Zealand government’s economic development agency.  In 2008, NZTE was judged the world’s best trade promotion agency at the World Trade Promotion Organisation Awards.  Its role is to lift New Zealand’s economic performance and improve living standards for all New Zealanders by helping businesses to grow and compete internationally. www.nzte.govt.nz

About Virtual Expos New Zealand

Virtual Expos New Zealand Limited was established to produce and manage virtual events, trade shows, job fairs and conferences that offer new communication channels for participants that deliver tangible and cost-effective results. www.exponz.co.nz

Media Contacts:

Dolly Seow-Ganesan
Sector Manager – Creative and Services
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
Wellington, New Zealand
Mob: +64 275 401 476
Email: dolly.seow-ganesan@nzte.govt.nz

Malik Anwar Deen
Acting Trade Commissioner
New Zealand Trade & Enterprise
T: +65 6733 6889
M: +65 975 12306
E: abdul.malik@nzte.govt.nz

Donna Garcia
Senior Consultant
Rice Communications for NZTE
Mob: +65 9734 8808
Email: donna.garcia@ricecomms.com