Online Learning News - April 8, 2020

How to Use Zoom to Teach Online Effectively

Get an educator’s perspective on this increasingly popular online teaching tool.

Find out:

• How to get started and the key features of Zoom;
• How to make learning online interactive, engaging and effective with Zoom; and
• Tips and tricks for teaching with Zoom.

Tools to Teach Online is a new series by Contact North I Contact Nord showcasing online tools faculty and instructors can use to help students learn and stay engaged. The online tools are selected for their practical value for educators and students. Each online tool showcased includes a discription on effective use, key features and best practise tips.

Read How to Use Zoom Videoconferencing to Teach Online Effectively

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 [email protected] 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.

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.

Learning Online: The Student Experience

In Learning Online, George Veletsianos, Contact North| Contact Nord Research Associate, argues that in order to critique, understand, and improve online learning, we must examine it through the lens of student experience.

To support faculty and instructors move to online teaching due to COVID-19, the book is available now for free download.

Browse all Must-Read Books

Multiple Delivery Methods and Resources at Assiniboine Community College in Manitoba

Read how Bruce Palmer at Assiniboine Community College in Manitoba made the teaching and assessment of his courses more accessible and more positive for students. He developed course designs with varied delivery modes using video clips and short video lessons; animated lesson pages; lab tests with multiple choice questions; and (humorous) badges for successful test completion.

Choosing a Technology that Makes a Difference to Learning - Getting Past the Hype

The third webinar in this series was held Tuesday, April 7, 2020, where Dr. Bates offered insights, practical advice and guidelines about choosing and using technology in post-secondary education.

For those not able to participate, the link to the recordings, slides and unanswered questions are available on https://teachonline.ca/webinars

Explore the Largest Searchable Directory of Vendors of Online Learning Products and Services Worldwide!

With over 3,200 vendors of online learning products and services worldwide, this searchable directory provides colleges, universities, training providers, faculty and instructors with information on how to find the latest products and services to help improve the learning experience for their students.

These vendors offer products and services ranging from software to hosting and organizing learning content to adaptive learning systems that use intelligent algorithms to adjust learning to suit individual needs.

Explore Contact North I Contact Nord’s Searchable Directory

Read Dr. Tony Bates’ Latest Blog Post

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

Corona-virus and online learning in k-12 schools: my unadvice + excellent advice from elsewhere

Introduction to Technology-Enabled Learning

Free five-week MOOC by Athabasca University

April 5 - May 9, 2020

This course is designed for teachers who want to build on their knowledge and practice in teaching and learning with technology. It will run over five weeks and requires approximately three to five hours of time each week. Designed to accommodate instructors’ busy schedules, the course offers flexibility with options for learning the content. You will learn from readings, videos, discussions with other participants and instructors, meaningful exercises, quizzes and short assignments. Certification is available for those who wish to complete all required exercises and quizzes.

For more information, visit http://www.telmooc.ca/

Blended Learning Practice MOOC 

Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and Athabasca University 

April 19 - May 16, 2020

This free, 4-week course, provided by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), in collaboration with Athabasca University, is open to teachers and other education professionals in diverse contexts.

This course is designed to assist teachers in adopting blended learning strategies through a step-by-step constructivist and design-based approach. Throughout the course, participants will have the opportunity to reflect on decisions to provide an authentic learning experience in their own context. The discussions and associated activities will review pedagogy, materials and the use of technology.

To learn more and register visit: https://www.blpmooc.org/register