When Contact North | Contact Nord launched teachonline.ca in 2011, the intent was to share best practices and resources with faculty, instructors, instructional designers, administrators and policy-makers. Online learning was, by then, well established in Canada, having begun as early as 1994. In fact, Canada led the world creating learning management systems (what is now Blackboard originated in Canada), massive open online courses (MOOCs), and innovative approaches to distance and flexible learning.
By 2022, more than a decade later, the same focus exists for teachonline.ca. It now attracts 275,000 unique visitors each year from around the world. Its offshoot — Online Learning News, published every two weeks — has a growing subscriber list of 45,000+. The Contact North | Contact Nord Webinar Series, which began to have a significant impact as the pandemic changed higher education in 2020, is also very successful. 105 webinars, all of which are available to watch anytime and from anywhere, have attracted 17,000+ participants from more than 80 countries.
The most popular posts at teachonline.ca cover teaching strategies and possibilities, while the webinars that attract the most participants are part of the How To... series. Also popular are the book summaries in each Online Learning News. And colleagues frequently search the upcoming education and technology conferences directory maintained by Contact North | Contact Nord Research Associate Clayton Wright.
In 2021, these were the most visited pages:
- A New Pedagogy Is Emerging... and Online Learning Is a Key Contributing Factor
- Contact North | Contact Nord Webinars
- 2017 Top Ten Books on Online Learning
- COVID-19 and the Impact on Online Learning
- Ten Facts You Need to Know About Micro-Credentials
- Searchable Directory of 1,600+ Upcoming Education and Technology Conferences from Around the World
- Training and Resources
- Ten Guiding Principles for the Use of Technology in Learning
- How to Build Effective Online Learner Support Services
- Tools and Trends
teachonline.ca is also home to Pockets of Innovation, which showcases examples of truly innovative approaches to teaching, learning and assessment undertaken by colleagues in Canada and around the world. It features more than 200 detailed case studies of what teaching online can look like when faculty take risks and try something new.
In the decade since teachonline.ca was launched, the team behind this resource hub has benefited from the input of global colleagues who offer their insights and experiences in the spirit of improving teaching and learning.
Contact North | Contact Nord intends to continue to enhance teachonline.ca by sharing more examples of innovative practice and key insights for the next decade.
