Online Learning News - September 30, 2020

Discover the Top 200 Tools for Learning 2020 

Results of the 14th International Annual Survey

The Top 200 Tools for Learning 2020, now in its 14th edition, offers a wealth of online tools and resources chosen as the most useful and effective by 2,500 learning professionals from around the world.

Complied annually by Jane Hart, this list is a comprehensive resource for assessing and accessing the key online tools for education.

The list features basic information on each tool, a link to its website and a compilation of comments on its usefulness (or lack of) from education professionals.

The website provides three specialized lists highlighting the tools found most useful for personal and professional learning, workplace learning and higher education learning.

Explore the Top 200 Tools for Learning 2020.

Upcoming Free Webinars! 

Check out our list of upcoming webinars for October 2020. Click on the title for more information and to register.

1. How to Separate Truth from Hype: Understanding What Technology Can and Cannot Do to Transform Education and Training 
   
   Thursday, October 8, 2020 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (ET)
   
   Host: Dr. Justin Reich, Professor in Comparative Media Studies and Director, MIT Teaching Systems Lab at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    
2. How to Help Online Learning Students Manage Their Vulnerabilities and Grow Their Resilience
   
   Wednesday, October 14, 2020 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (ET)
   
   Host: Dr. Paul Prinsloo, Research Professor in Open Distance and e-Learning at the University of South Africa (UNISA) and Contact North I Contact Nord Research Associate
    
3. Why Technology is NOT the Answer! The Challenges for Higher Education Post COVID-19
   
   Thursday, October 22, 2020 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (ET)
   
   Host: Audrey Watters, Education Technology Journalist
    
4. How to Use Chatbots and Intelligent Systems to Provide 24/7 Tutoring to Students
   
   Monday, October 26, 2020 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (ET)
   
   Host: Dr. Stephen Murgatroyd, Chief Innovation Officer at Contact North | Contact Nord

Teaching and Supporting Basic Math Online at the University of Manitoba, Canada

Explore how an online course at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, is designed to respond to needs of students taking mathematics as a required course for graduation in all programs. Using a question and answer format, students learn, are tested using the textbook’s online assignments, and receive immediate feedback. Online resources are also available for those students who need to refresh their math knowledge and skills.

Join us virtually at
The Learning & Training Conference 2020
(formerly ONLINE LEARNING)

Tuesday, November 3 to Wednesday, November 4, 2020

The virtual conference is an opportunity to:

• Learn about best practices and innovations.
• Get briefed on new tools and technologies.
• Find out about the latest trends and developments.
• Discuss emerging challenges and opportunities.
• Connect with colleagues and peers from across Ontario, Canada, and around the world.

Presented by Contact North | Contact Nord and MediaEdge Communications Inc.

Read Dr. Tony Bates’ Blog Post

In this blog post, Dr. Bates provides an analysis of what happened to Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) during COVID-19, based on four articles.

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

MOOCs and online degrees continue to grow worldwide

Register Now!

Using Zoom to Teach Online
Training Sessions and Resources

College and university faculty and instructors, literacy and basic skills and training providers are increasingly using Zoom to teach and train. Zoom is fast becoming a learning platform of choice.

Contact North | Contact Nord is offering a series of free, 60-minute LIVE training webinars on how to teach online with Zoom for faculty and instructors, in addition to a variety of resources.

For more information on the sessions, the upcoming schedule and links to register, visit Zoom Training Sessions and Resources.

Searchable Directory of 75+ EdTech Start-Ups

Contact North I Contact Nord’s searchable directory of 75+ EdTech Start-Ups includes companies developing communication/collaborative tools, learning management systems, and online tutoring, student assessment, and presentation/ delivery tools.

Explore the directory

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.

Callender, C., Locke, W., and Marginson, S. (2020). Changing Higher Education for a Changing World. London: Bloomsbury.

A global review of developments and innovations in higher education from around the world, including snapshots from South Africa, China, US, Europe and the UK. Insightful, inspiring, challenging and imaginative, the accounts offered provide real insight into the challenges emerging in higher education pre-pandemic. Edited by the team at the Centre for Global Higher Education in London – the leading centre in the world for this work – the book is full of issues that need to be addressed. The issues are amplified loudly by the pandemic – equity, relevance, flexibility and the nature of the learning process.

Browse all Must-Read Books