Keynote Presentations

"Denial to Hope: eLearning Experiences from the Trenches" By Dr. Colla Jean MacDonald, University of Ottawa, Canada

Bio:

Dr. MacDonald is a Full Professor cross appointed with the Faculty of Medicine, and a Senior researcher at the Élisabeth Bruyère Research Institute. Colla has been designing, delivering, and evaluating online courses and programs and
conducting research on eLearning for over a decade. She has twice received the international WebCT Exemplary Course award and the Outstanding Researcher Award at the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa. Two of her online courses are currently being published as eBooks by Bentham Publishers.

Dr. MacDonald runs a research laboratory in Flexible Delivery and Transformative Pedagogies funded by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation. She currently supervises seven PhD and MA students, and a Visiting Scholar who are
conducting research on various aspects of emerging technologies such as simulators, avatars, artificial intelligence,
digital storytelling and mobile learning. This “team” collaborates with her developing creative, practical, efficient methods
to address everyday educational problems.

Dr. MacDonald has designed and published three learning models (the Partnership Model, 1998; The Demand Driven
Learning Model (DDLM), 2001; and the W(e)Learn Framework, 2009 http://www.ennovativesolution.com/WeLearn/) . A few
of her recent projects in professional development and training include (a) developing, delivering and evaluating the worlds first online physician wellness program (b) an online workplace health program for health providers; and (c) a face-to-face program for healthcare teams across Ontario. Two promotional articles written about these project can be seen at: http://www.gazette.uottawa.ca/article/worlds_first_online_physician_health_and_wellness_resource/  and http://www.med.uottawa.ca/MediaCenter/eng/press_release_15oct09.html . You are also invited to the websites at: http://ephysicianhealth.com/ and http://eworkplacehealth.com/.

Many of Dr. MacDonald’s projects and publications are related to evaluating various online and face-to-face professional education and credit courses; programs and learning objects. In one of her current projects she is validating a toolkit of assessment tools in five countries for interprofessional education. The toolkit (in both French and English) can be seen at: http://ennovativesolution.com/WeLearn/IPE-Instruments.html.

Dr MacDonald has published over 75 refereed articles, book chapters and conference proceedings. She has been principal investigator of SSHRC, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Inukshuk Wireless, Canadian Foundation for Innovation,
Office of Learning Technologies and CIHR funded research projects related to designing and evaluating online programs
in Physician Wellness; Workplace Health; Disruptive Behaviour; Dementia Care, Interprofessional Education, Global
Health; Palliative Care, Designing and Validating Program Evaluation tools; and Reproductive Research.
 

Abstract:

Dr. MacDonald will use a metaphor of the seven stages of grief (shock, denial, guilt, anger, bargaining, acceptance
and hope) to explore her experiences over the past decade making the transition from traditional face-to-face teaching
to the adoption of eLearning pedagogy. Professor MacDonald will discuss her experiences with: creating eLearning
cultures in traditional institutions; designing learning models and frameworks; soliciting support for professors in the form
of time, recognition and training; creating and sustaining learning communities; developing social, cognitive and
teaching presence; using social software to enhance learner engagement; the eLearning contradiction, weapons of
mass collaboration, and designing and validating assessment tools to address eLearning accountability concerns. The
story from the trenches of moving from the denial and bargaining stages of eLearning to the acceptance and hope
stages is a long, sometimes frustrating, and often exhilarating journey. We continue to strive to arrive with
innovative, engaging, authentic learning solutions to the limitations and barriers of eLearning.

Bio:

David Patterson has spent the last ten years working, in a number of roles, in the field of e-learning and learning technologies. Currently, he is project director at Learning Light, based in Sheffield UK.

Learning Light is a centre of excellence in the use of e-learning and learning technologies - playing an innovative role in
the industry. Supported by Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency for Yorkshire and the Humber, Learning
Light delivers its COMPeL model: Collaboration, Opportunities, Market Intelligence, Promoting e-learning,
e-learningcentre.co.uk and Leadership from the industry to support the development of the e-learning and learning technologies industries in Yorkshire. In recent years, this model is having its effect and the city of Sheffield, once famous
for making steel, is now becoming famous for its e-learning developers and suppliers.

David has worked for Learning Light for almost five years. In that time, the organisation has evolved from an idea to
support the economic regeneration of Sheffield and South Yorkshire to a centre of excellence and innovation in the use of
e-learning and learning technologies, delivering significant economic impact.

Following a 20 year career in the food distribution industry, David has developed a strong interest in workplace learning
and the potential of ICT to support learning.

Sheffield-based Learning Light was established in 2005 and launched in early 2006 as a centre of excellence in the use of
e-learning and learning technologies in the workplace. It has successfully delivered a large contract on behalf of Yorkshire Forward to support the growth of the region’s e-learning companies and the company’s knowledge base contains over 400
papers offering insights and advice on how to use e-learning and learning technologies. In addition, it operates
www.e-learningcentre.co.uk, one of the leading resources on e-learning in the UK.

Learning Light works closely with the Universities of Leeds and Sheffield, and has undertaken a Systematic Literature
Review of the available papers on the effective use of e-learning in conjunction with the University of Sheffield.

David has published several papers including jointly with the University of Sheffield on e-business, business collaboration
in Virtual Enterprise Networks as well as e-learning and its impact on small and medium sized enterprises.
 

Abstract:

 “e-learning: Regeneration, Research and Innovation, the story of Learning Light” and including a overview of Learning
Light’s research into the UK e-learning market, trends identified and trends predicted as Learning Light again looks at the market for 2010.

Learning Light has attracted controversy and acclaim in its 5 year history. Learning Light was itself an innovative and imaginative new venture (and certainly not without risk) that attempted to use EU structural funds to accelerate a
city regions emerging e-learning talent base.

Today Learning Light is a small research and innovation focused organisation that has pioneered new e-learning value
chains harnessing the power of e-learning. Learning Light was the first UK organisation that sought to define and
quantify the e-learning market, and this is our story and our views on the e-learning market.