- Contact North’s humble office in Sudbury, Ontario
Contact North continues to produce a range of interesting short pieces on different aspects of online learning. (Disclaimer: I am a Contact North research associate, and have contributed a few times.)
The April 9 edition of Contact North’s Online Learning News contains three such contributions (all these pieces are generally anonymously written):
The What, Why, Where, and How of Open Educational Resources (OER)
Dr. Rory McGreal, Contact North | Contact Nord Research Associate and the UNESCO/Commonwealth of Learning Chair in Open Educational Resources answers these fundamental questions in a series of 10 short, informative videos, Open Educational Resources (OER) – A Video Primer.
There are two available at the moment, with others coming:
- What are open educational resources?
- Comparing commercial and open educational resources.
How to Design an Innovative Course
This piece suggests some steps that can help faculty and instructors approach the issue of innovative teaching in a systematic way, including
- being clear on the problem you are trying to solve
- working in a team
- applying technology appropriately to address the problem to be solved
- evaluating and disseminating your innovation
Greater Flexibility as the New Mantra
I have recently visited a Canadian university developing a major strategy around flexible learning, and this short piece (by someone else) suggests a wide range of ways in which institutions can increase their flexibility, including:
- course design and delivery options
- learning recognition and credit granting
- program completion
- assessment
- transition from apprenticeship through diploma to degrees to graduate work .
These and many more items can be found on Contact North’s ‘Ontario Online Learning Portal for Faculty and Instructors’, available both in English and French.
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Dr. Tony Bates is the author of eleven books in the field of online learning and distance education. He has provided consulting services specializing in training in the planning and management of online learning and distance education, working with over 40 organizations in 25 countries. Tony is a Research Associate with Contact North | Contact Nord, Ontario’s Distance Education & Training Network.
