Online Learning News - October 6, 2021

Read time: 5 mins

A bi-weekly update from Contact North ǀ Contact Nord, Ontario’s Distance Education & Training Network

Now on teachonline.ca:

Free Contact North | Contact Nord Webinar

10 Ways on How to Make your Fall Classes Better

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Student engagement is the holy grail of online learning. The more engaged students are and the more they feel part of a learning community online, the more successful they are — and teachers can do many things to improve engagement.

This webinar is based on years of experience and experimenting in class and online with what works.

In this engaging webinar, you’ll get an opportunity to:

Explore the importance of engagement, participation, support and flexibility in the design of learning experiences
Learn specific actions you can take to increase engagement and improve learning outcomes
See 10 examples in action and understand their strengths and weaknesses

Our Host

Dr. Steven Mintz
Professor of History
University of Texas, Austin

A Contact North | Contact Nord Free Webinar

How to Effectively Use Assessment in Online
and Blended Learning to Help Your Students Succeed

Thursday, October 7, 2021

1:00 p.m.- 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Register Now!

There are new opportunities to rethink and reimagine how assessment for learning and assessments of learning takes place in an online and blended learning environment.

Dr. Stephen Murgatroyd, Chief Innovation Officer at Contact North | Contact Nord explores five principles for assessment:

Authentic Assessment
Accessible Assessment
Automated Assessment
Continuous Assessment
Secure Assessment

A Contact North | Contact Nord Free Webinar

How to Create Active and Engaging Learning Experiences with Zoom Breakout Rooms

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

1:00 p.m.- 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Register Now!

Zoom’s breakout rooms provide a unique opportunity to learn to create active and engaging learning experiences for students.

Dr. Ron Owston, Research Associate at Contact North | Contact Nord demonstrates how to:

Move beyond holding ineffective, unstructured breakout room discussions
Create distinctive breakout room roles for students to promote active participation
Employ a variety of tools and techniques to enhance breakout room experiences
Pre-assign students to breakout rooms or allow them to choose their own
Design creative ways for students to report breakout room outcomes to the whole class
Make use of breakout rooms in large enrolment courses

Dr. Tony Bates’ Blog:
Online Learning and Distance Education

In this blog post, Dr. Bates reviews Dr. Stephen Murgatroyd’s article The Precarious Futures for Online Learning that looks at the shifting systems dynamics of higher education and the drivers of higher education policy post-pandemic.

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

The limits of online learning in a dystopian future: a discussion

Leaders & Legends of Online Learning

Dr. Mark Nichols’ Podcast

Leaders & Legends of Online Learning is a podcast that brings first-person perspectives from online learning experts that inform and inspire. Each interview lasts about 30 minutes, and links to each guest's work and profile.

In this episode, Dr. Mark Nichols interviews Dr. Mohsen Keshavarz, Director of the Virtual Education Center at Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences in Iran.

This Week’s Must-Read Book
on Online Learning

The Wiggly World of Organization: Muddling Through with Purpose, Courage and Skill

By Chris Rodgers (2021)

Organizational leaders struggle to lead in these times – they find themselves muddling through. This is a good thing. For too long an “accounting” and “operations management” mind-set has governed management thinking and it’s time to get back to first principles. The key to effective leadership is a relentless focus on the purpose of the organization coupled with a strong view of what its preferred future should be. By thinking back from the future with purpose, effective leadership can happen if the leader also has courage and persistence. Plans can help, but (as this text reminds us) “a battle plan rarely survives first contact with the enemy”. A great many leaders at all levels in organizations will find inspiration and support in this book. It is both well-written, informed by experience and practical.

Browse all Must-Read Books

Contact North | Contact Nord’s Searchable Directory

83 Online, Open & Distance Learning Associations
and Consortia Throughout the World

Contact North | Contact Nord created this non-exhaustive list of online, distance and open learning associations and consortia around the world, providing links to websites (if available) to widen access to the valuable information offered by each.

Explore the Directory

Upcoming Events in Online Learning

Open Education Conference

Virtual Event

October 18-22, 2021

The Open Education Conference is an annual convening for sharing and learning about open educational resources, open pedagogy, and open education. This dynamic gathering celebrates the core values of open education that strive to realize education ecosystems that are accessible, affordable, equitable and inclusive to everyone, regardless of their background.

For More Information and to Register

About Contact North | Contact Nord

As Ontario's community-based bilingual distance education and training network, Contact North | Contact Nord helps underserved residents in 1,300 small, rural, remote, Indigenous and Francophone communities access education and training without leaving their communities.

Visit contactnorth.ca for more information

Most Popular Resources on teachonline.ca

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Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6M8
807-344-1616
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The limits of online learning in a dystopian future: a discussion

The Wiggly World of Organization: Muddling Through with Purpose, Courage and Skill

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