Dr. Tony Bates is the author of 12 books including his latest, a free, open online textbook for faculty and instructors, called Teaching in a Digital Age, which has been downloaded over 200,000 times since its publication in April 2015. The textbook was translated into ten languages. His portal ‘Online learning and distance education resources‘ has nearly 2,500 posts, over 3,000 ‘followers’, and receives over 30,000 visits a month. His research groups published over 350 papers in the area of distance education and the use of technology for teaching. Dr. Bates pioneered the Canadian National Online and Digital Learning Survey. He’s also worked as an international consultant specializing in training in the planning and management of online learning and distance education, working with over 40 organizations in 25 countries.