Spring is just around the corner, so it must be time for SXSW!

This year, faculty from Georgia Institute of Technology’s College of Computing are heading to Texas for the SXSW festival, both the SXSWedu portion, March 6 - 9, focusing on education and the SXSW Interactive Festival a week later.

One of the most significant innovations being highlighted at SXSWedu this year is the evolving convergence of online and offline learning.

Taking up this topic for a fireside chat set for Wednesday, March 8, are Senior Associate Dean Charles Isbell, former dean and Executive Director of the Center for 21st Century Universities Rich DeMillo, and David Joyner, adjunct lecturer and Udacity course developer.

The three educators will discuss The Premise and Promise of Hybrid Higher Education during a 30-minute session at the J.W. Marriott Austin, Griffin Hall, at 3:30 p.m.

The conversation is expected to cover new approaches to computer science education that merge digital and traditional methodologies. The session should raise important questions about whether or not hybrid models can meet growing global demand for skilled technical workers, improve educational outcomes for a broad spectrum of students, and reduce the cost of higher ed.

GT Computing faculty will also address important questions next week during the Interactive track of the 2017 SXSW Conference.

As part of the IEEE Tech For Humanities Series, School of Interactive Computing Professor Thad Starner and Associate Professor Melody Jackson are presenting a featured session titled Not Your Mama’s Wearables.

The hour-long session, set for March 13 at 12:30 p.m. at the J.W. Marriott Austin, Salon 5/6, will use Starner’s work in voiceless speech recognition and brain-computer interfaces as a springboard for a discussion on creating more dynamic and seamless user interfaces. Jackson’s work with wearables for dogs that facilitate canine/human interaction will also be demonstrated during the event.

Also participating in an IEEE Tech For Humanities Series event is School of Computer Science Professor Tom Conte.

As part of a panel conversation, Conte will draw on his expertise to discuss Going Past Moore’s Law and what technologies may be key in continuing to increase the speed of computer processing. This featured session begins at 11 a.m., March 14 at the J.W. Marriott Austin, Salon 7.