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Canadian Initiative for Distance Education Research - CIDER
| Most recent session May 3, 2017 Introducing the CoI Blog: A Community of Inquiry for the Community of Inquiry D. Randy Garrison, University of Calgary Marti Cleveland-Innes, Athabasca University Norman Vaughan, Mount Royal University Dan Wilton, Athabasca University The goal for this CIDER session is to provide an introduction to the creation of a blog that will initiate and facilitate discussion with regard to recent research and emerging issues associated with the Community of Inquiry framework. The plan for the session is to provide an overview of the CoI framework, highlight some of the topics that will be discussed in the early stages of the introduction and provide an overview of the blog site. |
The CIDER Sessions Series includes monthly sessions running from September 2016 to June 2017. These sessions feature presentations by leading researchers in distance, distributed, and online learning.
OPEN CALL: Do you have research to share with our CIDER audience? To suggest a session or nominate a speaker, contact the Sessions host and manager. Download our full call.
See below for our full 2016-17 Season as it develops.
Technical note
Note that Adobe Connect uses Flash. If you have not used Adobe Connect with your computer, you can take a moment now to pre-visit our presentation room to make sure all necessary software is downloaded ahead of time.
Please log onto the CIDER sessions - https://athabascau.adobeconnect.com/cider/ - as a "guest". You will then be prompted for your name, and you could add your location or institution as well, if you wish.
| May 3, 2017 Introducing the CoI Blog: A Community of Inquiry for the Community of Inquiry D. Randy Garrison, University of Calgary Marti Cleveland-Innes, Athabasca University Norman Vaughan, Mount Royal University Dan Wilton, Athabasca University The goal for this CIDER session is to provide an introduction to the creation of a blog that will initiate and facilitate discussion with regard to recent research and emerging issues associated with the Community of Inquiry framework. The plan for the session is to provide an overview of the CoI framework, highlight some of the topics that will be discussed in the early stages of the introduction and provide an overview of the blog site. |
| April 19, 2017 Building Student Networks: Towards a Connectivist Analysis of Classroom Learning Environments Gerald Ardito, Pace University School of Education This presentation describes a pilot program that sought to apply key concepts and research in Distance Education to a blended secondary Science classroom. It involved a cohort of 8th grade Biology students who participated in a blended, self-directed Biology course. This course was designed so that students had the maximum amount of freedom and choice. Various types of data analysis techniques were performed in order to investigate the students' personal learning networks and how these were affected by this technology enhanced self-directed learning and a blended learning environment. Findings indicate that the students who performed better than expected in the class had the largest and most robust learning networks. The converse was also true; students who did less well than expected were shown to have small and less robust learning networks. This study develops a methodology for applying Connectivist learning theory to a blended learning environment. Most interestingly, these findings are consistent to those in similar studies involving Distance Education, which suggests these methods might be extensible to primary and secondary educational settings. |
| March 29, 2017 Multiply K-12 OER Connie Blomgren, Athabasca University Verena Roberts, Rocky View Schools and additional project contributors For various reasons including costs, it is expected that the use of Open Educational Resources (OER) within K-12 is likely to take hold rapidly. Educating in-service teachers through the Multiply K-12 OER podcasts and video series thereby addresses an identified need of higher educational institutions and of the teaching profession. The thirteen podcasts and three videos from the Multiply K-12 OER project include interviews with TJ Bliss, Michael Canuel, Beatriz de los Arcos, Bill Fitzgerald, Bronwyn Hegarty, Royce Kimmons, Randy LaBonte, Rory McGreal, David Porter, James Swanson, and Sarah Weston. This session is the official launch of these podcasts and videos, providing an opportunity to hear the design team describe their process in creating these media and discuss key aspects of the project such as accessibility and Universal Design. |
| March 22, 2017 State of the Nation: K-12 E-Learning in Canada Michael Barbour, Touro University Mare Island Randy LaBonte, Canadian eLearning Network (CANeLearn) The State of the Nation: K-12 E-Learning in Canada report continues to be Canada's unique benchmark for the expanding use of technology-supported blended and online learning in Canada. This ninth edition of the annual report continues the strong tradition of incisive analysis of the state of K–12 online and blended education in Canada. Canada continues to have one of the highest per capita student enrolment in online courses and programs of any jurisdiction in the world and was one of the first countries to use the Internet to deliver distance learning courses to students. In many ways Canada provides an interesting exemplar for the rest of the world, due in part to its division into 13 provinces and territories of widely varying population and geography, leading to a wealth of relevant comparisons with other countries/regions of similar population. Canada is also a part of the Commonwealth of Nations, leading naturally to comparisons with other English-speaking countries, but also with Quebec being linked to la Francophonie, leading to relevant role models for two major linguistic regions. And finally, Canada, through its offerings to indigenous communities, provides a role model for other countries for the provision of education to indigenes and minority populations. All annual reports and associated papers have been published on a new project website, a shift from publication on the Canadian eLearning Network's website due to the extensive volume of the collection. |
| December 7, 2016 A Socio-technological Approach of Addressing Distance Education Issues in Developing and Developed Countries Md Aktaruzzaman, PhD Monash University Education is becoming increasingly expensive in developed countries, while in developing countries it is increasingly becoming inaccessible for many socio-economic reasons. The Adapting Structuration Theory In Distance Education model (ASTIDE) is a socio-technological approach for addressing education issues in developing and developed countries that can enable each and every individual in the world to get education or higher education in an affordable way. In particular, it will encourage entrepreneurship through social business and ensure education with minimum financial support from the government. |
| November 9, 2016 Distance, Online and Blended Schools: Where Are We? What Do We Know? Tom Clark, Clark Consulting, Illinois Michael Barbour, College of Education and Health Services, Touro University, California In this session, Tom Clark and Michael Barbour will describe trends for the future of K-12 distance, online and blended learning highlighted in their recent edited book. From exploring what educators in North America and internationally can learn from each other, and key policy and practice issues that need to be addressed to lessons learned and effective practices shared from a variety of programs in six countries, the presenters will discuss distance, online and blended learning approaches in elementary and secondary education around the world. The session will conclude with eight global trends for distance, online and blended learning in schools. |
