About Nergiz
We’ve been talking, writing and having conferences about technology-enhanced learning, but in the future, we will be asking for and promoting human-enhanced learning. This is because in the past technology was rare and special; in the future, technology will be so abundant and all-encompassing that we will crave and pay more for the human touch.
Nergiz Kern
I am an edtech professional (MA Edtech and TESOL), language learning specialist, and university certified foresight practitioner (futurist) who specialises in emerging technologies for learning, such as the metaverse, virtual reality, AI and web3. My experience with immersive technologies goes back to 2008.
I enjoy working with edtech companies, education professionals and learners, helping them understand new technologies, their potential opportunities and risks, and showing them how they have agency in developing their own paths towards their preferred future. I share my insights in articles, webinars and at conferences.
My ‘squiggly’ (non-linear) career has served me and my clients well. My background and experiences in analog and digital photography, digital imaging, business founding, teaching, and leadership roles, provides me with insights that I can use in my work to help my clients.
Having lived and worked in different countries and cultures, I have strong interpersonal, intercultural, communication and organisational skills and extensive experience in working in multicultural environments.
Outside of work, I love being in nature, hiking, doing nature photography, and foraging responsibly for wild plants.
Qualifications
I have an MA in EdTech and TESOL, a postgraduate certificate in using multi-user virtual worlds in education, a Cambridge Delta qualification (Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults, and a certificate in LSP (Languages for Specific Purposes) didactics and technology integration. More recently, I participated in a 12-week Metaverse and NFTs MOOC, the first one on-chain and in the metaverse. I have also been reading intensively around and taking short courses on emerging technologies, as well as joining the first DAO for educators, Ed3DAO to keep up with developments.
I have a certificate of completion from The Institute for the Future for the 5-course Futures Thinking Specialisation with Jane McGonigal. I am also certified by the Center for Future Intelligence and Research at Tamkang University for completing the ‘Becoming a Futurist’ course by Sohail Inayatullah, UNESCO Chair in Futures Studies, and supplementary research paper. I am continuing my theoretical and practical training through participation in workshops and collaborative futures thinking activities as well as research and writing.
Experiences and Expertise
Virtual Reality in education
After exploring, teaching in, conducting teacher training on and writing about language teaching in 3D virtual worlds between 2008 and 2012 (see list of activities below), I came back to exploring immersive virtual reality as well as other emerging technologies in 2020. Since then, I’ve worked as Research Manager, Head of Research and Immersive Language Specialist.
I have been sharing my findings, reflections and related work on my blog, in articles, and in webinars, podcasts and conferences.
Some of my past virtual world teaching and teacher training activities:
- Participated in a one-year postgraduate certificate course on MUVEs (Multi-User Virtual Worlds in Education) and blogged about it.
- Taught English (general and business) and cultural lessons in a 3D virtual world.
- Shared my lesson plans and reflections on a dedicated blog and wrote an article about it.
- Co-founded and led a professional development group for language teachers in virtual worlds.
- Trained teachers (including UN language teaching staff) to use a 3D virtual world for teaching languages.
- Co-designed and moderated two online 6-week sessions for language teachers on how to use virtual worlds in language education, which drew hundreds of participants worldwide.
- Gave webinars and presented on language teaching in virtual worlds.
Daffodil Fargis aka Nergiz Kern is one of the most self-effacing yet super-efficient people I have met in SL. She will claim that it is all a ‘joint venture’ but she is a key reason for the success of Slexperiments (now sort of merged with Avalon), a group of people who meet regularly to talk about how SL can be used for teaching. She is always the person who gently guides us to ensure that we talk about things which are practically of use, and she has an incredible range of experience and resources upon which to draw.
My Edunation Heroes and Heroines! – Karelia Kondor (in SL)
‘SL and ELT are increasingly synonymous with the name Nergiz Kern (or Daffodil in-world), and if you want to get into SL and meet a friendly, supportive person and community then I would seek her out.
She-in-ELT – Gavin Dudeney
Blended and online learning
- With an MA in EdTech and TESOL and having worked as a teacher for 20+ years, I have theoretical, pedagogical and practical knowledge of blended, flipped, online and mobile learning and multimedia course creation.
- I have developed and have participated in projects on developing blended and online courses, and mobile-first courses.
Read my chapter and this more practical article on how I designed and taught a blended English course for taxi drivers. This article is often cited as a good example for integrating technology in education in a low-tech, low-cost context.
Teaching
- I have taught EAP (English for Academic Purposes) and ESAP (English for Specific Academic Purposes) at a UK university between 2011 and 2020.
- I have worked as a language teacher in different countries and online between 2001 and 2020, and have taught general, business, technical and academic English at different levels to students of all ages and backgrounds.
Editing and course design
- I have developed and taught ESP courses for different professions (e.g. city planners, taxi drivers and aviation maintenance technicians), on different platforms, for face-to-face and blended delivery; provided editorial and technical support to authors new to digital writing; and have taken on other freelance editorial roles, including those of content and copy editor, cold reader and proofreader.
- I have worked on digital course development projects for various well-known international, educational companies and publishers.
- I have written online supplementary materials, lesson plans, teacher’s notes, online and downloadable project-based material, interactive exercises, and audio scripts.
- I am used to working online with remote teams and am familiar with many different learning and content management tools, authoring tools and project management and communication tools.
- I have a Certificate in LSP (Languages for Specific Purposes) Didactics and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) Integration.
Read my chapter on ESP and EdTech if you are interested in how to meaningfully integrate technology into ESP courses.
