On behalf of the Connected Learning Summit Conference Committee, we are pleased to announce the publication of the Proceedings of the 2018 Connected Learning Summit. We hope that while you read these proceedings, you come to regard this significant document as more than the careful curation of 217 conference presentations. Rather, we expect that many who read this will appreciate how these proceedings represent a groundswell of innovation among leading researchers, educators, and technology developers—all of whom were associated with the inaugural Connected Learning Summit.
The Connected Learning Summit emerged in 2018 as an exciting and much-anticipated synthesis among the Digital Media and Learning Conference, the Games+Learning+Society Conference, and the Sandbox Summit. The summit fuels a growing movement of innovators who are harnessing emerging technology and expanding access to participatory, playful, and creative learning. The first Connected Learning Summit—attended by more than 700 people at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in August 2018—was an inspired gathering that fostered cross-sector connections and catalytic innovation among interdisciplinary leaders working across diverse learning environments. Amid many highlights of the summit, we share a special shout-out to keynote speakers Michelle King and Baratunde Thurston; your wit and insight galvanized our community, and we are sincerely grateful for your passion and presence.
Similar to the summit, this Proceedings of the 2018 Connected Learning Summit is the result of collaboration among many dedicated people. First and foremost, our thanks to all the participants who attended the summit, presented their research and technologies, shared their stories, and helped ensure a successful start to a new chapter in the storied history of these scholarly communities. The Connected Learning Summit Conference Committee has been most gracious and instructive in helping to guide this first-ever proceedings forward to publication. Furthermore, this proceedings would not have come together without dedicated assistance from Claudia Caro Sullivan, Jamieson Pond, and Karen Bleske. And, of course, we thank the team at Carnegie Mellon University’s ETC Press, and in particular Drew Davidson and Brad King, for producing our proceedings as an attractive and open-access publication.
As you enjoy the Proceedings of the 2018 Connected Learning Summit, mark your calendars as the 2019 Connected Learning Summit will be held October 2–5 at the University of California Irvine. And in case you missed it, the call for proposals for the 2019 Connected Learning Summit close Friday, March 8. Learn about the open call for proposals and visit the Connected Learning Summit 2019 website for more information and to stay updated with all Connected Learning Summit announcements. We hope you join us at the second Connected Learning Summit, and that your leadership and innovation continue to advance equitable, creative, and connected learning.
