Opening Pandora's Toolbox will explore the impact of digital technology on the future of education - and in particular - how it changes the relationship between the learner and the teacher. The conference will address both schools-based education and life-long learning and will feature a mix of keynote presentations, panel discussion, case studies, workshops and dedicated exhibition time.

The conference is organised by Nesta Futurelab (www.nestafuturelab.org), the body set-up by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts and the Department for Education and Skills to create imaginative and compelling prototypes of learning software and services based on interactive digital technology.

Topics for investigation and discussion include:

• How tools are changing the nature of learning
• The creative and educational potential of connectivity
• Creating new educational experiences in the classroom
• Exploring the evolving role of digital tools in education within the context of the growing digitisation of society
• Digital tools that liberate the user from the confines of the desk
• Tools for educational assessment and learning management
• The impact of digital tools on curriculum development

Speakers at Opening Pandora's Toolbox include:

• Professor Jim Norton, Chairman, Strategy Implementation Group, Broadband Stakeholders Forum; Advisory Board member of the UK Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology; UK Country Manager, Deutsche Telekom
• Professor Michael Wilson, Rutherford Appleton Laboratories, Manager, UK and Ireland Regional Office of the World Wide Web Consortium.
• Professor Angela McFarlane, Director of Learning Technology, Graduate School of Education, Bristol University
• Dr. Ken Boston, Chief Executive, Curriculum and Education Authority
• Professor Diana Laurillard, Head, e-Learning Strategy Unit, Department for Education and Skills
• Professor Angela McFarlane, Director of Learning Technology, Graduate School of Education, University of Bristol
• Robert Rasmussen, President & COO for Executive Discovery, a sister company of LEGO
• Tony Wheeler, Co founder and Creative Director, TAG Learning
• Niel McLean, Director of Learning, BECTA
• Lewis Bronze, Chief Executive Officer, Espresso
• Kirsti Aho, Director of Content and Curriculum, Macromedia
• Mike Sharples, Kodak/ Royal Academy of Engineering Research Professor of Educational Technology, University of Birmingham
• Dr. Stuart Lee, Head of the Centre for Humanities Computing, University of Oxford

Visit www.nestafuturelab.org/events for more information, email: events@nestafuturelab.org or telephone Jenny Stayne on 0117 9158209.