Online Learning News - June 24, 2020

Host: Dr. Steve Joordens, Experienced Online Professor and EdTech Developer

Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto Scarborough, Director of the Advanced Learning Technologies Lab and Co-President & CEO of Cogneeto, a start-up company that specializes in creating pedagogically powerful online assessment tools.

Host: Nick Khabaz, University of Toronto Scarborough Undergraduate with Online Learning Experience

Nick Khabaz is a 3rd year undergraduate student studying at the University of Toronto Scarborough, double majoring in Immunology, Molecular Biology and Disease & Neuroscience.

Free Webinar for New and Experienced Online Learners!

How to Be a Successful Online Learner

Monday July 6, 2020
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (ET)

In this webinar, first-time and experienced online learners get practical advice on how to be a successful online learner from an experienced online professor and gain insight and perspective from a seasoned online learner.

Based on relevant psychological theory, you learn:

• Theoretical understanding of learning;
• The importance of your study space;
• How to manage distractions and procrastination;
• How to get the most out of your learning;
• The best use of down time, and;
• Tips and tricks on how to best prepare for learning on online.

Join Dr. Steve Joordens, a professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough, and University of Toronto Scarborough undergraduate student Nick Khabaz for an interactive one-hour conversation designed to prepare students to succeed in their online courses.

Register for How to Be a Successful Online Learner hosted by Dr. Steve Joordens

Imagine Online Learning in Ontario as an Industry and a Job Creater!

Imagine Ontario expanding its EdTech sector so it outpaces employment growth in manufacturing. Imagine post-COVID Ontario as a jurisdiction where technology-enabled learning is a feature of all of our lives, powered by “Made in Ontario” technologies.

Read Imagine Online Learning in Ontario as an Industry and a Job Creator to see what it will take to accelerate the growth of the EdTech sector in Ontario and see it as a major opportunity for reskilling.

Using a Social Media Simulation Tool to Enhance Student Learning at St. Clair College

Learn how Professor Justina Ciarlariello, at St. Clair College, Windsor, Ontario, uses a web-based simulation tool that offers a comprehensive hands-on environment for students to learn social media marketing skills.

Read the full story, Learn How the Inclusion of a Social Media Simulation Tool Enhanced Student Learning and Engagement in a Course on Digital Marketing at St. Clair College

Register Now!

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 [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.

Read the selection of questions and answered submitted

Read Dr. Tony Bates’ Blog Post

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

Online learning and the fall semester: advice for decision-makers

Updated!

Directory of Educational Technology and Related Education Conferences from Around the World for May to December 2020

You can now search the 43rd edition of the Educational Technology and Related Education Conferences by Contact North I Contact Nord Research Associate, Clayton R. Wright, updated to include May to December 2020 conferences. 

Use three unique search features of the comprehensive directory offered by Contact North I Contact Nord:

• Sort the directory by date, conference name or country
• Filter the results by date or country
• Search for a conference name, country or topic using a keyword search

Check for events in Canada, the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Australia and Pacific Islands focused on teaching, learning, and educational administration, as well as technology in education.

Search 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.

Boettcher, J.V. and Conrad, R-M. (2016). The Online Teaching Survival Guide – Simple and Practical Pedagogical Tips. Jossey-Bass.

Many are getting ready to teach online for the first time. They need help. They assume they must convert what they do in a classroom to an online environment – probably the last thing one should be doing. Instead, there is a need to deliberately and specifically design the student experience and create a sense of community and belonging. This design thinking is key and this book is full of practical suggestions and ideas. We know that the key to success is student engagement – less content, more activity. Less testing, more learning. Less lecture, more discovery. This book is a helpful treasury of proven activities that work.

Browse all Must-Read Books

Registration Now Open!

The 8th Annual McMaster Conference on Education & Cognition

July 16-17, 2020
Fully Online

M#EdCog2020 is a two-day event that brings together educators, cognitive scientists and policy-makers to explore how cognitive science can be applied to educational policy and instructional design. In addition, there will be posters, a discussion panel and evidence-based workshops to provide practical guidelines for essential teaching skills. 

For registration, archived videos and additional information, please visit edcog.mcmaster.ca.