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Ontario’s Distance Education & Training Network
Are Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) Enabling a New Pedagogy?
- Are MOOCs Changing the Way in which Students Earn Credit?
- Are MOOCs Influencing the Ways Faculty and Instructors Think about Online Learning?
- Are MOOCs Having an Impact on Courses Not Taught Online?
- Are MOOCs Contributing to the Improvement of the Quality of Online Learning?
- Are MOOCs Transforming Teaching and Learning in Post-secondary Education?
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) were the ‘talk of the town’ in 2012 as these courses recorded astounding numbers of student registrations worldwide and caught the imagination of the press and public alike. At the time, it seemed that MOOCs would dramatically change post-secondary education, as well as post-secondary institutions.
We now have a few years’ experience with MOOCs and can better consider their actual impact and their potential for students inside and outside formal institutions and for colleges and universities themselves. In Are Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) Enabling a New Pedagogy?, the five key questions listed above are explored.
International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) - UNESCO Policy Forum on open, online and flexible learning calls for actions by governments, higher education institutions and faculty
Presidents, rectors, and vice-chancellors from a variety of higher education institutions, participating in the ICDE-UNESCO Forum on open, online and flexible learning, called on ICDE and UNESCO to support and encourage governments to open up education to all, enable the use of open educational resources, and increase learner mobility and faculty innovation. To facilitate this, specific actions for governments, quality assurance agencies, institutions, and faculty were outlined.
The media release and more detail on the Policy Forum and its recommendations are available on the ICDE website.
Register Today - Digital Learning Reimagined at the Chang School at Ryerson University
The Chang School Talks 2015; Digital Learning Reimagined is a professional development and networking event, bringing together educators, entrepreneurs, publishers, digital media experts, and decision-makers.
This professional development event offers an opportunity to hear North American leaders and entrepreneurs – such as Jeremy Friedberg, founder of Spongelab, Philipp Schmidt, co-founder of Peer 2 Peer University, and Stephen Downes, co-creator of the MOOC – discuss transformations in academia and workplaces, and the influence of digital learning.
The event will be held at Ryerson University on February 19, 2015, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. For more information and to register, visit ChangSchoolTalks.ryerson.ca.
Ontario Start-Ups
Leading Edge Online Learning Products and Services
The latest story in this series on Ontario Start-Ups, featuring examples of Ontario educational entrepreneurs offering products and services to colleges and universities, focuses on ScholarLab and its learning management platform with tools for teaching, learning, communication, community building, and administrative support. ScholarLab offers a fully-hosted platform, supplemented by its app for easy access to streaming, and consulting and research services.
Visit the Ontario Start-Ups section on the Ontario Online Learning Portal for Faculty & Instructors and discover numerous examples of how entrepreneurs are contributing to a quality educational experience.
Pockets of Innovation
Innovative online approaches to teaching and learning in Ontario’s 24 Public Colleges and 22 Public Universities
Faculty and staff at Ontario’s public colleges and universities excel in providing innovative online approaches to teaching and learning – whether through blended courses, technology-enhanced learning opportunities in the face-to-face classroom, or fully online programs and courses. The Pockets of Innovation Series highlights some of these developments, as examples of creative teaching that can serve as inspirations and models across the province.
At Conestoga College, tablets were integrated in the Business Maths classroom for delivery of content, proving feedback during class, and assessment.
Virtual reality has created new environments for English as a Second Language Academic students at Carleton University, offering presentations, meeting and shared work spaces, and communication networks built around learning about Canadian culture and the City of Ottawa.
Most Popular Links on the Ontario Online Learning Portal for Faculty & Instructors
- A New Pedagogy is Emerging and Online Learning is a Key Contributing Factor
- Educational Conferences
- Pockets of Innovation – Online Courses
- About Us
- Partner Corner
Visit the Portal today and see why it gets over 14,000 visits per month from faculty and instructors, administrators, technology providers, policy makers across Ontario and around the world.
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