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#BETT 2018; Overwhelmed by size, underwhelmed by quality.

Ann S. Michaelsen

Photo by Vidar Alfarnes, Skolemagasinet

Are you planning a trip to Bett in 2019?

A review of EdTech’s largest show, BETT 2018.

My students giving a presentation for the Crown Prince of Norway,

I was just reminded about the article I wrote last year regarding the largest EDTECH conference in Europe. I’m actually not sure it is, I am just assuming. This year the title is; Creating a better future by transforming Education.  Many Norwegians go in fact I bet it is the most attended conference for Norwegian educators. At least it used to be. I have always believed that networking is key when you attend a conference, being in Norway; SETT 2018, or in another country; OEB Berlin 2018. My best takeaways are always meeting up with people in my network, and working on getting new contacts and gaining insight into new ideas. It takes some effort to do that, and this year I went to Berlin on my own. It is easier to meet new people that way. Because then you really have to make an effort to connect. The title of this year’s Bett conference is catchy but yet familiar. Because there are so many who are working on transforming education these days. Most countries have their own agendas and their own ways of doing this. That might also be something to think about when you attend a conference.  In Norway, most of the decisions are made on the state or county level. With the exception of books, whiteboards, robots and so on, depending on if you work in a primary, middle or high school. Either way, it is important to reflect on that before you go there. Are you looking for pedagogical ideas or shiny new objects?

I’m sharing my article from last year about attending BETT. And if you are planning to go there, please think about these points.

I recently read this article by Junaid Mubeen, and it meets with my earlier comments about this conference. I decided not to participate this year, even if I had been offered the trip with all expenses paid by an organization. This is a conference I have decided not to attend anymore. Might be because I have been there many times, and that was where BBC came to listen to the talk I had with two students, and where my students got to meet our Crown Prince, see the picture.  My objections are that the venue hall is the main attraction there and selling products seem to be the most important part of the conference. The theaters where the workshops, lectures are being held are in the middle of the sales area and the sound is awful. Here are some of the points from the article I read that I think worth mentioning:

  1. Virtual reality has crept up in recent years and now enjoys a prominence that almost places it in league with those interactive whiteboards. I was offered my most immersive virtual experiences yet, including both a safari and a look inside the trenches of World War I. In speaking with the exhibitors (mostly salespeople), I got a clear sense that the pedagogical aims of VR providers is barely even an afterthought.
  2. The robots seem to rise each year at BETT. There was an impressive selection of robotics, each couched in the vague promise of boosting students’ STEM skills. not all robots can do all things, and I was left unimpressed at the suggestion (not by Sphero) that basic programming tasks support deeper understanding across all of STEM.
  3. Kismet, a robot with rudimentary social skills (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

    Personalised learning is an idea whose time has certainly arrived at BETT. The glorification of artificial intelligence was splashed on product banners all across the arena. Exhibitors would have us believe that personalized learning is a natural by-product of data collection and some notion of intelligent algorithms. When pressed on the nature of those algorithms, the exhibitors became noticeably subdued. They fell utterly silent when pushed on pedagogy. The learning content is often the most neglected part of a product demonstration because it exposes the absence of pedagogical intent.

The article ends up with 4 questions we need answers to before buying these products. I totally agree and hope more have these in mind, both Edtech innovators and those in the position to buy. It all makes sense to me.

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