Host: Dr. Curtis Bonk, Professor of Instructional Systems Technology, Indiana University

Dr. Bonk is the author of Adding Some TEC-VARIETY: 100+ Activities for Motivating and Retaining Learners Online (available free at http://tec-variety.com/).

He has published a dozen books, including his groundbreaking 2020 volume with Routledge, MOOCs and Open Education in the Global South. His research focuses on emerging learning technologies, online and blended learning, MOOCs and open education, and the global impacts from collaborative technology.

Dr. Bonk is Professor of Instructional Systems Technology at Indiana University where he teaches psychology and technology courses. He can be contacted at cjbonk@indiana.edu and his homepage is http://curtbonk.com/.

Register Now!

How to Motivate and Retain Online Learners

Monday, June 29, 2020
10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. ET

Join Dr. Curtis Bonk for a one-hour free webinar to learn:

• 10 fully documented and theoretically driven motivational principles that foster interactivity and engagement online.
• A realistic path toward meaningful and engaging online learning.
• Simple and flexible framework for motivating online learners that works.
• Research backed and proven interactive online ideas and activities.
• How to inspire your online learners with an assembly of meaningful and purposeful learning activities. Simply put, bored and unengaged online learners will be a thing of the past.

What motivates? Answer: A little TEC-VARIETY!

1. Tone/Climate: Psych Safety, Comfort, Sense of Belonging
2. Encouragement: Feedback, Responsive, Praise, Supports
3. Curiosity: Surprise, Intrigue, Unknowns
4. Variety: Novelty, Fun, Fantasy
5. Autonomy: Choice, Control, Flexibility, Opportunities
6. Relevance: Meaningful, Authentic, Interesting
7. Interactivity: Collaborative, Team-Based, Community
8. Engagement: Effort, Involvement, Investment
9. Tension: Challenge, Dissonance, Controversy
10. Yielding Products: Goal Driven, Purposeful Vision, Ownership

Register for How to Motivate and Retain Online Learners with Dr. Curtis Bonk

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12 Steps to Get Ready to Learn Online

Contact North | Contact Nord developed 12 Steps to Get Ready to Learn Online to help first-time and experienced online learners get ready to take their entire course load online, including practical, easy-to-use information and resources.

Share 12 Steps to Get Ready to Learn Online with your learners today!

Enhancing Student Learning Through the Creation of Videos Using Smartphones at York University

Learn how Dr. Iris Epstein, Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at York University, co-designed, and developed with students and faculty across York University, an interactive web-based resource toolbox to support innovative teaching and learning using smartphone video called the Smartphone Accommodation Resource Toolbox (SmART).

Read the full story, Enhancing Student Learning Through the Creation of Videos Using Smartphones at York University.

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How to Keep Zoom Classes Secure and Private

Thursday, June 25, 2020
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (ET)

Find out how to take advantage of Zoom’s security features and, at the same time, ensure confidentiality and privacy of your students.

Join Contact North | Contact Nord Research Associate Dr. Ron Owston for a free webinar focusing on:

• How to ensure your class is secure from potential intruders
• Why you should use Zoom’s waiting room
• Whether to allow private chat between students
• When it’s not appropriate to record classes
• Implications of requiring students to turn on their video

NOTE: This is a non-technical webinar aimed at educators. You have the opportunity to ask questions. Advance reading of the article How to Keep Zoom Classes Secure and Private is recommended.

Register for How to Keep Zoom Classes Secure and Private

Moving your classes online due to COVID-19?
Have questions about teaching online?
Ask an expert!

Contact North I Contact Nord’s world experts from Canada, the United States, Europe and Africa are volunteering to help you.

e-Mail your questions about anything related to teaching online to askanexpert@teachonline.ca or submit your question online on teachonline.ca and receive a response within 2 business days. Questions and answers will be posted for quick reference.

The search tool on teachonline.ca is available to help with your immediate requests. Enter keywords in the search tool and it displays a list of relevant resources.

Read the selection of questions and answered submitted

Read Dr. Tony Bates’ Blog Posts

Read Contact North I Contact Nord Research Associate Dr. Tony Bates’ blog post:

Online learning and Covid-19: Internet coverage in Canada

Must-Read Books on Online Learning

Must-Read Books on Online Learning features books and articles of interest to those involved in the expansion and improvement of online learning.

O’Keefe, L., Rafferty, J., Gunder, A., Vignare, K. (2020, May 18). Delivering high-quality instruction online in response to COVID-19: Faculty playbook. Every Learner Everywhere. http://www.everylearnereverywhere.org/resources

This resource – published by Every Learner Everywhere in the US in partnership with The Online Learning Consortium, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – is a free to download resource just released (May 2020). Full of direct, clear and practical guidance for the design, development, deployment, and delivery of a quality learning experience for students. There are helpful materials here for everyone from Provosts, to Deans, to instructors and technology managers. Online learning is much more than a quick Zoom meeting – there is work to do. This will help you do it.

Browse all Must-Read Books