Stephen Downes

EN - FR

Presentations

A (more or less) complete list of my presentations. Currently 335 presentations are listed. Most have embedded slides, most recent talks have embedded audio recordings, and some have video.

Where are MOOCs Going? What is the Future of Distance Learning?
[Sept] 26, 2015. International MOOC Conference 2015, Anacapri, Italy (Keynote). In this presentation I outline where the new MOOCs missed the real innovations in our connectivist MOOCs - not just the idea of 'open', but also the distributed architechture. From this foundation I describe the new approach to personal learning based on an experiential and immersive approach to learning. Slides are similar to my recent talk in Glasgow but the content is quite different.

Personal Learning in the Workplace
[Sept] 07, 2015. Association of Medical Educators of Europe (AMEE), Glasgow, Scotland (Keynote). In this presentation I draw the distinction between personalized learning and personal learning, arguing that the latter emphasizes environment and affordances, while the former emphasizes content and testing. I describe examples of experiential learning such as the NeuroTouch Simulator built by NRC and discuss how the same approach informs the creation of the MOOC. I conclude by explaining the development of the Learning and Performance Support system as a personal learning environment.

The MOOC Ecosystem
[Sept] 06, 2015. Association of Medical Educators of Europe (AMEE) E-Learning Symposium, Glasgow, Scotland (Keynote). The MOOC ecosystem is presented as a series of magnitudes akin to Ray Eames's  1977 'Powers of Ten' video, beginning from the original MOOC of 2000 people, through to a MOOC world of 2 billion people, and back down to the synapse at 0.00002 people. The talk looks at the interactions between the levels and challeges the 'educationist' presumptions of reduction and representation (pace Quine).

Design Elements in a Personal Learning Environment
[Sept] 01, 2015. Invited Talk, Guadalajara, Mexico (Lecture). This is an update of an earlier presentation in which I outline the major elements of a personal learning environment and describe its origins in the concept of the MOOC. Some new slides describing the architecture and how to contribute to the expansion of LPSS. As well, this presentation comes the day after this workshop in Guadalajara and is informed by it. The video has the Spanish translation audio. My audio is in English (my talk starts after the intros at around the 14 or 15 minute mark, 15:17 in the video).

Open Education and & Personal Learning
Aug 20, 2015. Lunch and Learn Workshop, Tempe, Arizona (Lecture). This presentation uses the same slides as the presentation delivered in Banff in April, and the text of which may be found here. The context is updated a bit based on the last four months experience building the system being described. outline major aspects of the learning and performance support systems (LPSS) program as it relates to open education environments. In particular I focus on understanding OERs as words, aggregating and analyzing OERs, data representation, and learner production and sharing of OERs. I conclude with a number of brief case studies of how work in LPSS supports this perspective.

MOOCS and Social Learning Networks
Jul 21, 2015. MOOCs Y Aprendiazaje en Redes Sociales, Santiago de Compostela, Spain (Keynote). In this presentation I look at the intersection of MOOCs and social learning networks by looking at the various aspects of openness in MOOCs - open admissions, open content, open instruction, open assessment - and considering how they change when applied to networks and to social networks.

Open Education and Personal Learning
Apr 23, 2015. Open Education Global, Banff, Alberta (Keynote). In this presentation I outline major aspects of the learning and performance support systems (LPSS) program as it relates to open education environments. In particular I focus on understanding OERs as words, aggregating and analyzing OERs, data representation, and learner production and sharing of OERs. I conclude with a number of brief case studies of how work in LPSS supports this perspective.  Full paper available here: http://www.downes.ca/files/docs/Open_Education_and_Personal_Learning.docx

What is Innovation in Education?
Mar 30, 2015. , (Keynote). In this presentation I look at what innovation and progress in education really look like, focusing on the benefits they produce rather than elements of novelty and fads. Note that while the video starts without audio, the sound starts after a few minutes. Backchannel: Go to http://www.downes.ca/chat Select What is Innovation in Education? --- OR --- Use Twitter hashtag #ghent2015 Slides: http://www.downes.ca/presentation/359 --- OR --- Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/Downes  Live Stream http://t.co/9s0nCpubIj

A Blogger's Springtime
Mar 21, 2015. Spring Blog Festival, Online, via WizIQ (Lecture). In this presentation I talk about the practice of blogging in a new and complex media environment. Contrary to what may be popular belief, blogging is not dead, nor even slowing down, though attention has shifted away from the form to new types of social media. But it is part of a much larger content ecosystem which as a whole is experiencing a golden age, and blogging is a major part of that. I show people how I blog, how I use blogs, and how I am encouraging student use of blogs in MOOCs.

Learning and Connectivism in MOOCs
Mar 16, 2015. Hackademia, Online, to Brazil (Keynote). In this presentation I argue that learning a domain is like learning a language (as opposed to remembering facts and content) and presupposes the learning of various literacies; the talk then outlines the major literacies MOOCs are designed to support.

Design Elements in a Personal Learning Environment
Mar 04, 2015. 4th International Conference e-Learning and Distance Education, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Keynote). In this talk I address the core design elements in the development of a personal learning architecture being developed in the National Research Council's Learning and Performance Support Systems program. This program was developed and approved to address the issue of skills shortages in technical and professional industries in Canada. Please also see the supporting paper submitted for this talk. Also there are alternative PDF slides for this presentation.

Disruptive Innovation in Universities
Mar 04, 2015. 4th International Conference e-Learning and Distance Education, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Panel). Panel discussion on the nature of disruptive innovations, MOOCs and disruptive innovation, and how and whether universities should adapt.

New Learning, New Society
Feb 23, 2015. Chang School Talks 2015, Toronto (Keynote). Talk given to the Chang School at Ryerson University outline the weakness of traditional models of online learning and arguing instead for a student-centered and self-organized system.

MOOC Workshop
Feb 05, 2015. Education Technology Strategies, Toronto (Seminar). This is a three hour workshop on creating MOOCs. The audio seems to have failed on the video recording, making it possibly the worst video ever. But I did record backup audio, and while the quality isn't as good, it at least exists. In the workshop I went through major aspects of creating a MOOC, including technical support, design, content and pedagogy, and success measures.

Developing Personal Learning
Dec 20, 2014. 6th IEEE International Conference on Technology for Education, Amrita University, Kerala, India, online via A-View (Keynote). In this online presentation I discuss the evolution of personal learning technology and then itemize in more detail the elements of the NRC Learning and Performance Support Systems program, including the personal learning record, personal cloud, resource repository network, competency detection and recognition, and personal learning assistant.

Reclaiming Personal Learning
Dec 05, 2014. Online Educa Berlin, Berlin, Germany (Keynote). Part of a wider session called 'Education's Reality Check', this presentation highlights the need for, and structure of, personal learning, introducing participants to the Learning and Performance Support Systems project at lpss.me

Beyond Borders: Global Learning in a Networked World
Nov 10, 2014. Unbordering Education, Yerevan, Armenia (Keynote). In this talk I address the phenomenon of open online learning, and in particular the massive open online course (MOOC), and discusses how it opens new frontiers in learning. Through their use of open educational resources and a student-centered pedagogy, MOOCs make learning accessible to people no matter where they live. This is resulting in the transformation of the global education system such that advanced and formal learning is becoming increasingly accessible and affordable. In this talk I talks about the transformation of educational systems talking place, the policy implications of open online learning, and the practical implementation of open online courses.

Creating a Learning Network
Oct 07, 2014. ABED (Brazilian Association of Distance educationP), Curitiba, Brazil (Keynote). In this presentation I describe in detail how I created Ed Radio, OLDaily, the first MOOCs, and how I am taking the same distributed and networked approach to develop a personal learning network known as LPSS.

Personal Learning in a Connected World: Learning and Performance Support Systems
[Sept] 18, 2014. Future of E-Learning Environments, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Keynote). This presentation outlines the NRC's Learning and Performance Support Systems program as an instance of a personal learning environment. It situates this program in a context where education depends on the development and refinement of critical literacies, which are in turn fostered by the interactive and communicative capacities of the PLE.

Learning and Connectivism in MOOCs
[Sept] 11, 2014. Desconectado IV Encuentro Internacional de Investigadores en EducaciÓn Virtual, Pereira, Colombia (Keynote). In this presentation I examine the phenomenon of MOOCs as I see them, explaining how they result from and support an understanding of the world based in pattern recognition. The presentation is structured along the lines of the six major elements of the underlying literacies of network interaction.

The Challenges (and Future) of Networked Learning
[Sept] 05, 2014. , Online, to Medellin, Colombia, via Vidyo (Seminar). A conversation about challenges (and future?) of networked learning. A broad understanding of the meaning and potential of networked learning can help educational institutions to rethink their role beyond the provision of LMS and centralized information systems. What skills are needed? What happens if we don't develop them?  What kind of technology supports the development of said skills? What’s the relation between this and issues of information property and citizenship in a digital context (POSSE models, Indie web movement)?

Free Learning from a Development Perspective
Jul 18, 2014. Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada seminar, Gatineau, Quebec (Seminar). The slides in this presentation address: first, the relation between connectivism and free learning; second, the development of our understanding of networks and network technology; and third, the policy framework needed to enourage and promote free learning for development. The audio doesn't finish the slides but is an engaging discussion between myself and DFATDC staff.

Beyond Assessment - Recognizing Achievement in a Networked World
Jul 11, 2014. 12th ePortfolio, Open Badges and Identity Conference , University of Greenwich, Greenwich, UK (Keynote). ePortfolios and Open Badges are only the first wave in what will emerge as a wider network-based form of assessment that makes tests and reviews unnecessary. In this talk I discuss work being done in network-based automated competency development and recognition, the challenges it presents to traditional institutions, and the opportunities created for genuinely autonomous open learning.

Beyond Institutions - Personal Learning in a Networked World
Jul 09, 2014. Network EDFE Seminar Series, London School of Economics (Seminar). In this presentation I look at the needs and demands of people seeking learning with the models and designs offered by traditional institutions, and in the spirit of reclaiming learning describe a new network-based sysyetm of education with the learner managing his or her education.

Beyond Free - Open Learning in a Networked World
Jul 08, 2014. 12th Annual Academic Practise & Technology Conference, University of Greenwich, Greenwich, UK (Keynote). The evolution of open content and open learning are explored in this presentation that seeks to recapture the essence of what it is that a MOOC is designed to do.

Digital Research Methodologies Redux
May 26, 2014. E-Teaching.org, Tübingen, Germany, online via Adobe Connect (Seminar). his is essentially the same set of slides as presented as 'Against Digital Research Method', though the presentation addresses research on MOOCs more specifically.

Cooperation and Collaboration
May 26, 2014. International Workshop on Mass Collaboration and Education, Tübingen, Germany (Keynote). In this presentation I revisit some of my work on 'groups and networks' to draw out the distinction between cooperation and collaboration for this mass collaboration workshop. I argue that mass collaboration may be impossible to achieve, and show how we employed a principle of mass cooperation to support massive open online courses (MOOCs). I also introduced new terminology, using the term 'collective' to describe what I have been calling 'groups', and 'connectives' to describe what I have been calling networks.

The MOOCs Challenge
Apr 11, 2014. Education for Development, Philadelphia, PA (Panel). In my presentation I outline the (real) history of MOOCs, outline design parameters, and sketch future technologies. This is presented in the context of the 'democratization' of knowledge and learning to support international development and educuation.

The Massive Course Meets the Personal Learner
Apr 03, 2014. EDUCON2014 – IEEE Global Engineering Education Conferenc, Istanbul, Turkey (Keynote). In this talk I discuss the thinking behind the design of MOOCs and explain how these choices lead to the development of a personal learning environment fraework. Quite a bit of this talk is a reworking of 'The MOOC of One' and I'm trying to develop the ideas regarding pedagogy and theories of knowledge more explicitly. No slideshare yet; uploads are being interrupted every 300K or so (Filezilla just reconnects and continues, but Flickr Uploadr and Slidehare can't recover).

The Rise of MOOCs: Past Successes, Future Challenges
Mar 24, 2014. ICT advisory board meeting, Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization, Tunis, Tunisia (Lecture). (Photos: Demetrios Sampson) In this presentation I outline the major influences leading to the development of MOOCs, including learning objects and open educational resources. I then describe the basis for the creation of our original connectivist MOOCs, describe the learning theory behind them, and review attribues of a number of cMOOCs over the years. Finally I develop the concept of the personal learning environment as it is being implemented in our LPSS program.

The MOOC of One
Mar 10, 2014. INTED 2014, Valencia (Keynote). In this talk I examine the transition from the idea of the massive open online course - MOOC - to the idea of the personal learning environment. In the process of this discussion I question what it is to become 'one' - whether it be one course graduate, one citizen of the community, or one educated person. I argue that (say) 'being a doctor' isn't about having remembered the right content, not about having done the right things, not even about having the right feelings, nor about having the right mental representations - being one is about growing and developing a certain way.

A Personal Learning Framework
Feb 10, 2014. Connecting Online for Instruction and Learning 2014, Online, via EizIQ (Keynote). In this talk I review two major threads of our work at NRC over the last few years, MOOCs and Personal Learning Environments (PLEs). I describe the gRSShopper project and our Plearn PLE prototype development. Placing these in the context of a network theory of learning, I then outline the new Learning and Performance Support System (LPSS) program being undertaken at NRC. Alternative audio source here.

TIC y Educación
Dec 10, 2013. , Tecnologías de la Información y Modelos Alternativos, Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Ajusco, México, vis Skype (Seminar). In this presentation to  I outline major forms of open online learning, contrasting between formal and informal learning mechanisms, publishing and community-based production models, and forms of recognition and certification. English, with translation into Spanish. The audio quality is quite good, just skip past the first 2 minutes of Skype misbehaving.

Notes for UNCTAD's Advisory Group
Dec 10, 2013. United Nations Committee on Trade and Development, Geneva, Switzerland, by Google Hangout (Seminar).   In this presentation for UNCTAD's Advisory Group on "Developing skills, knowledge and capacities through innovation: E-Learning, M-Learning, cloud-Learning" I outline major forms of open online learning, contrasting between formal and informal learning mechanisms, publishing and community-based production models, and forms of recognition and certification. The audio has a lot of echo (feedback from the other venue) - The transcript of the presntation is available here.

MOOC Research Institute Panel on Supporting Learners
Dec 05, 2013. MOOC Research Institute 2013, Arlington, Texas (Panel). In this discussion a panel of MOOC experts explored questions surrounding supporting learning online. Some widely varying perspectives, ranging from preparing students to work without a curriculum to student support software in an xMOOC. Panelists included myself, Sandi Boga from Athabasca, and Amy Collier from Stanford (with whom I had some nice snappy exchanges).

MOOC – Diversity and Community in Online Learning
Nov 27, 2013. 26e Entretiens Jacques Cartier, Lyon, France (Keynote). In this presentation I outline the major elelements of a connectivist MOOC, with particular intention to distinguish it from other models of MOOCs, and to make the point that assesssments of quality and effectiveness should be related to the goal of the MOOC model we developed. In addition, in this presentation I address the subjects of diversity and community, and explain why a MOOC should not be thought of as the same thing as a community. Additionally, there was a panel discussion, mostly in French, but with contributuons in English from myself - click here for the audio of the panel. See also this web page - I know there's video out there somewhere...

OERs and Open Online Courses
Oct 31, 2013. World Innovation Summit in Education, Doha, Qatar (Keynote). Discussion of the role of OERs in MOOCs, with particular attention to the MOOC we are offering with UdeM in French on OERs (RELs in French). Originally planned to be delivered in English, then when the French-language speaker wasn't able to make it I tried to switch to French, but the effort failed miserably. But we proceeded with a live translator, so the audio begins in French, then switches to English with French translation. And I learn I still need to work a lot more on my conversational (technical) French.

Open Access and Open Learning
Oct 25, 2013. Open Access Week, Nova Scotia Community College, Online via BB Collaborate (Keynote). Over time, as resources have become more open, open learning has come to mean a form of learning where students can pick their own resources, identify their own learning goals, and set their own pace. More recently open learning has come to include concepts like open assessments and open credentials. In this talk, open learning advocate and pioneer I discuss the evolution of open learning, highlighting the vital role played by open access, and discuss current and future trends, including massive open online courses (MOOCs), learning analytics, and personal learning environments.

The Habits of Highly Connected Learners
Oct 25, 2013. Integrating Technology 4 Active Lifelong Learning, Online, via WizIQ (Seminar). Presentation given to the Integrating Technology 4 Active Lifelong Learning WizIQ course October 20, 2013. In Part A I outline the major principles of successful networks - autonomy, diversity, interactivity, openness. This sets the stage for understanding the importance of the seven habits of connected learners in part B.

Supporting a Distributed Online Course
Oct 14, 2013. Information Technology Based Higher Education and Training ITHET 2013 , Antalya, Turkey (Keynote). In this presentation I summarize the major elements of a massive open online course, with an emphasis on openness, then I outline and describe the gRSShopper application used to develop and deploy the cMOOCs we have run. The presentation as a result emphasizes the differences between CMOOCs and xMOOCs. Finally, I talk a bit about technologies that will impact the development of MOOCs in the future, such as personal learning, authentication, and the personal cloud.

What Are Cultures of Learning?
[Sept] 12, 2013. ALT-C, Nottingham, UK (Keynote). In the previous three days delegates will have explored all aspects of cultures of learning, ranging from digital literacies to learning landscapes, classroom environments, VLEs and open courses. But beyond examining the leaves and the trees, what can we say of the forest? A culture of learning – and for that matter, a learning culture – is composed of more than classes and schools and subjects, it is composed of the attitudes and enquiries of a culture of experimentation, curiosity, and quirkiness. In this closing keynote presentation, Stephen Downes will outline the framework of a culture of learning, identifying from examples and experiences the fundamental values that must be modeled and demonstrated by society’s leaders, and will comment on implications to practice, research and policy.

Through the MOOC Darkly - Reflections on Life, Learning and the Future of Education
Jul 24, 2013. Saylor Speaker Series, Washington D.C., online, via Google Hangout (Seminar). Overview of thoughts related to the future of education, looking at the idea of learning as personal development, that aspect of the value proposition of universities, how that affects what we understand MOOCs to be and their role in learning generally, and the relation of learning to the economy and life generally.

Interview with Nicole Christian
Jul 15, 2013. Nicole Christian, Skype (Interview). Wide-ranging interview on disruptive change, the major new technologies in education today, and where internet technologies are placed historically. Audio only.

The Semantic Condition: Connectivism and Open Learning
Jul 11, 2013. Instituto Iberoamericano de TIC y Educación – IBERTIC, Online via Adobe Connect to Madrid and Buenos Aires (Keynote). In this talk I talk about the four major conditions, and four major design parameters, of massive open online courses - diversity, autonomy, openness and interactivity. In particular, I respond to a paper from Jenny Mackness, Roy Williams and Sui Fai John Mak called The Ideas and Reality of Participating in a MOOC. True, the paper is three years old, but I've always felt it deserved a considered response, and it provided an excellent platform for this talk. There is also a Q&A session, which I recorded, with audio available here.

Free Learning and the Wealth of Nations
Jun 28, 2013. Encuentro Internacional de Educación 2012 - 2013, Caracas, Venezuela (Keynote). In ths presentation I focus on the role of teachers in MOOCs, talking about what we do, and why we do it. The talk outlines the design and construction of MOOCs, and looks at the approach to learning the use of MOOCs supports.

What Constitutes Student Success?
Jun 21, 2013. Online Teaching Conference, Long Beach, California (Keynote). In this presentation I address the evaluaation of student success in a MOOC environment, challenging the idea that success can be measured by such things as completion rates and test scores, and offering an alternative network-based mechanism of assessing success.

Connectivism, Online Learning, and the MOOC
Jun 17, 2013. Integrating Technology 4 Active Lifelong Learning, Online, via WizIQ (Seminar). Longish online WizIQ presentation that looks mostly at the concept of learning theories and MOOCs. The first part examines in some detail the concept of knowledge rmployed in MOOC pedagogy - this is a view of knowledge as recognition of emergent phenomena from networks of connected entities. It them looks at learning theories properly so-called, which are theories describing the mechanisms that form, strengthen or weaken connections. From this is derives the main elements of MOOC pedagogy and network design. The class was hosted by Nellie Deutsch.

MOOCs and OERs in Moncton
Jun 06, 2013. GTA Seminar, Universite de Moncton, Moncton, New Brunswick (Seminar). Long long loooong presentation (almost four hours, though there's 15 minutes of set-up at the start and a 15-minute break in the middle) about the thinking behind MOOCs and the tools I've developed to build them. The first half looks first at the idea of  creating and sharing content as a matter of course. Then I look at how people learn, and talk about learning as a process of recognition. Then we go through the animation Connectivism link in today's newsletter. After the break, I take a step-by-step walk through gRSShopper, the software that runs this site and all of the MOOCs I've run, showing how the software and the theory both developed iteratively through use over a period of fifteen years or so.

Life-Long Learning
Jun 04, 2013. Encuentro Educación, Caracas, Venezuela, by Adobe Connect (Lecture). Slides and audio from my presentation to Encuentro Educación 2012 - 2013 in preparation for my upcoming visit to Caracas. Learning overall can be divided into the teaching function and the learning function; in this presentation I focused on the learning function, focusing on learning that is interactive, usable and relevant.

MOOC - La résurgence de la communauté dans l'apprentissage en ligne
May 30, 2013. REFAD, Edmunston, NB (Keynote). Downloads: full text in English, full text en français. Dans cette présentation, Stephen Downes aborde la question à savoir comment les MOOC (massive open online courses) influenceront l'avenir de la formation à distance. La présentation examine de façon détaillée la nature et l'objectif des MOOC comparativement à l'enseignement traditionnel à distance. Il soutient que les MOOC représentent la résurgence de l'apprentissage communautaire et décrira comment les institutions d'éducation à distance partageront les MOOC entre elles et renforceront les interactions en ligne grâce à des services et des ressources communautaires.

OERs, MOOCs and thre Future
May 25, 2013. Vancouver Island University's Online Learning and Teaching Diploma - OLTD 505: OERs, Online, via Blackboard Collaborate (Seminar). Overview discussing open educational resources (OERs) and massive open online courses (MOOCs) as they relate to the future. Issues considered include varieties of openness, licensing and combining resources, access, the nature of definitions, types of MOOCs, change and the future.

Against Digital Research Methodologies
May 10, 2013. Digital Research Methodologies, Preston, UK, via Skype (Keynote). This is a description of my approach to research, based on problems inherent in traditional descriptions of scientific method, and the ways I have adapted my own work to compensate. It is a research process more like discovery, more like learning a language, than it is about forming hypotheses and confirming theories. Please note that the video was created May 9, 2013, one day ahead of the presentation, and that the audio is from the presentation itself, May 10, 2013. Both use the same slides.

Massive Open Online Support for Education (MOOSE)
May 06, 2013. University College of the North, Thompson, Manitoba via Google Hangout (Seminar). Discussion of the concept of Massive Open Online Courses as they evolved from the development of open online learning and evolved into a means of offering social and immersive learning online. The context was a discussion of officials from the University College of the North in Manitoba, which is mandated to provide learning to numerous communities scattered across a large northern environment.

Moocs and K12 Cloud: Privacy regulations and Risk Management
May 03, 2013. Ed Tech Innovation, Calgary, Alberta (Panel). Engaging panel with a researcher, educator, professor and a lawyer about the privacy and legal implications of MOOCs. Panel: Discovery Education Canada(Dean Shareski), BD&P (Jim Swanson), Alberta Distance Learning Centre (Verena Roberts), National Research Council Canada (Stephen Downes, panel moderator)

MOOCs in Context: the re.mooc in Africa
Mar 11, 2013. EPFL Media Design Lab, Lausanne, Switzerland, via Skype (Seminar). Organized with Alex Barchiesi, postdoc in EPFL Media Design Lab  (after a PhD in Particle physics), based on his concept of the re.mooc: how to re-use the material coming from the xMOOC and reorganize it in a localized version that could facilitate the "After school" education in African coutries. 

We don’t need no educator: The role of the teacher in today’s online education
Feb 15, 2013. Utdanningskonferansen 2013, Bergen, Norway (Keynote). This presentation, delivered in Bergen, Norway, describes the changing nature of online learning with the introduction of massive open online courses, and in that context describes and explains the changing roles of the educator.

MOOCs and OERs
Feb 06, 2013. Conference Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, via Hangout (Keynote). Overview of some of the early MOOCs we created, along with some more extended duscussion of the design principles we employed in creating MOOCs.

MOOC et REL
Feb 05, 2013. Atelier REL , Moncton (Seminar). Presentation in French on the subject of MOOCs, their design and intent, and their relation to open educational resources (REL).

The Virtual Learning Organization
Dec 05, 2012. , Ibague, Colombia (Keynote). Presentation slides from December 6, 2012.

Open Discussion on the LMS and the MOOC
Nov 23, 2012. MoodleMoodUY, Montevideo, Uruguay (Panel). Discussion of the keynote on the topic of the LMS and the MOOC model. Some interesting topics covered, including the question of curriculum, assessment, and the nature of critical literacy.

The LMS and the PLE
Nov 23, 2012. MoodleMoodUY, Montevideo, Uruguay (Keynote). Keynote on the topic of the LMS and the MOOC model. Abstract: "With the widespread adoption of the massive open online course (MOOC) over the last year, questions are now being raised about the role of a learning management system (LMS) such as Moodle. Where previously the focus was on the management of course materials and cohorts progressing according to predefined objectives and curricula, the learning environment of the future is more open-ended and less overtly managed. In this talk Stephen Downes, one of the originators of the MOOC format, describes the differences between types of MOOCs, compares them to the LMS, and outlines the changes LMSs such as Moodle are looking at in the future."

OER Minicourse
Nov 23, 2012. MoodleMoodUY, Montevideo, Uruguay (Seminar). 2.5 hour minicourse on the topic of open educational resources. This is a class session, not a lecture, so there are periods of chaos, group discussions, and more. Enjoyable, if confusing, listening. Topics covered include the definition of OERs, creating OERs, and OER metadata and discovery. Licensing is mentioned and covered in the slides but wasn't a major topic.

Sustainability and MOOCs in Historical Perspective
Nov 15, 2012. Simposio Internacional Estado Actual Y Prospectiva De La Educacion Virtual, Bogota, Colombia (Keynote). Overview of the historical factors leading to the development of massive open online courses, and discussion of what this history can tell us of the sustainability of MOOCs in the future.

L'apprentissage ouvert et les affaires
Nov 01, 2012. Forum sur l'économie du savoir, Edmunston, via Google Hangout (Keynote). Talk given en français on the subject of open learning, MOOCs and the lessons for small and medium businesses. Full text of the talk is available here. Sadly, the video shows only the remote audience, not the speaker and slides.

Elspeth McCullogh Interview
Oct 24, 2012. Adobe Connect, online (Interview). Interview on mobile learning and the directions mobile and online learning will take in the future. In this interview I define mobile learning, talk about opportunities and challenges in the field, and address the major issues related to competences, assessment and the design of learning.

The Connective Learning Environment
Oct 08, 2012. Tele-TASK Symposium, Potsdam, Germany (Keynote). Overview of the model of learning informing the design of the first MOOCs, including a look at some aspects of the gRSShopper software we have been using to support the MOOCs.

A True History of the MOOC
[Sept] 27, 2012. Future of Education, Online, via Blackboard Collaborate (Panel). A one-hour live and interactive FutureofEducation.com webinar hosted by Steve Hargadon on the "true history" of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) with Dave Cormier, Alec Couros, Stephen Downes, Rita Kop, Inge de Waard, and Carol Yeager. While a wave of courses from prominent universities are now labeled as MOOCs, we'll drill down on the connectivist roots of the early MOOC offerings and discuss the importance of the differences between them and the current breed. Recordings: The full Blackboard Collaborate recording is here and a portable .mp3 recording is here. Mightybell Space: Resources, videos, links, and conversation about the interview can be found here.

The World Beyond the Word
Aug 19, 2012. Destination: Innovation, Banff, Alberta (Keynote). In order to manage the deluge of data produced by modern technology, a rapidly changing society, and challenging environmental and economic systems, we need to relearn what we understand as social and scientific literacy. The students of today and the innovators of tomorrow will speak languages we barely recognize today. What are the fundamentals of these new literacies, how do we learn them and teach them, and how do they redefine innovation in the future? In this talk Stephen Downes describes a future in which learning is a creative act and the environments and technologies that will be needed to support this learning.

Models, Technological Resources and Knowledge Management
Jun 21, 2012. XIII Encuentro Virtual Educa, Panama City, Panama (Seminar). To offer effective e-learning it is important to get the model right, but this is difficult. I suggest that the internet itself is the model we need to use. This suggests a set of open learning resources that extends beyond content and even conversation but also activities and interactions.

Interview regarding sustainable and business models for Open Educational Resources (OER)
Jun 13, 2012. Alexandra Hache, telephone interview (Interview). Interview with Alexandra Hache contributing to a Study for the European Commission regarding sustainable and business models for Open Educational Resources (OER). Sorry about the microphone gain, which is a little bit too high.

Publishing Paradigms of the Future: Where are We Headed?
May 27, 2012. Canadian Association of Learned Journals - Congress of the Canadian Federation of Humanities and Social Sciences , Waterloo, Ontario (Seminar).

Patterns of Progress
May 07, 2012. Comment survivre au progrès, Hearst, Ontario, via Skype (Seminar). I gave a talk today on the subject of progress for students in the Comment survivre au progrès? course being offered in Hearst, Ontario - a talk I would have liked to have given in French but decided out of caution to offer in English. In the first part, I survey the various ways of describing and looking at change, and in the send part, I look at these patterns as they cross our discussions of and conception of progress. I had Ronald Wright's A Short History of Progress in mind, which I read over the week-end, as well as David Wiley's latest effort to understand me.

Learning in a Digital Age: The reality and the myth
Apr 13, 2012. Learning and Teaching in a Digital Age: Myths and Reality, Tallinn, Estonia (Keynote). In this presentation I look at the positive side of myths, not focusing on the fact that they are untrue, but finding in them the way we create our own reality, project our own future, and talk to each other. If you are viewing the slides on SlideShare note that there are extensive notes on the slides.

Education as Platform: The MOOC Experience and what we can do to make it better
Mar 14, 2012. EdgeX, Delhi, India (Keynote). In this presentation I outline the motivation and design of the massive open online course (MOOC) and then outline a number of criticisms of the form as it has evolved thus far. My argument is that to the extent that a MOOC focuses on content, like a traditional course, i begins to fail. A MOOC should focus on the connections, not the content. I outline some ways of focusing on connections, using connectors. By way of an example, I discuss structured connections such as chess games and budget simulations. Full text is available: Click here.

Knowledge, Learning and Community: Elements of Effective Learning
Feb 29, 2012. Change 11 Online Course, Moncton, via Blackboard Collaborate (Keynote). I overview major elements of my contribution to the domain of educational technology.

Facilitating a Massive Open Online Course
Feb 24, 2012. IMU-LS, Kuala Lumpur, online, via WizIQ (Seminar). In this (nearly 2 hour online) talk Stephen Downes, one of the originators of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) format, described the organization and management of a MOOC, beginning with the arrangement of technology, organization of learning materials, communications with students, support tasks, and interaction with guest presenters. This talk is based on fifteen years’ experience designing and delivering web-based instruction, as well as knowledge amassed though the delivery of six MOOCs to almost ten thousand students since 2008.

The Limits of Learning Design
Feb 23, 2012. Association for Learning Technology Seminar, London, online via Elluminate (Seminar). In this session I present my side of a debate or discussion with Diana Laurillard regarding the Limits of Instructional Design. I approach the question from the perspective of LD as a language, and suggest that as such it abstracts in a certain way and consequently defines and imposes a particular perspective on the topic, a perspective that is either arbitrary or cannot be supported from available evidence. The Elluminate recording and Diana's slides are available at the ALT Repository.

E-Learning: Générations
Feb 14, 2012. Clair 2012, Clair, New Brunswick (Keynote). Presented in French / Presenté en français Ces dernières années, j'ai travaillé sur deux grands concepts: d'abord, la théorie de l'apprentissage en ligne connectivist, qui considère l'apprentissage comme un processus de réseau et, deuxièmement, le massif cours ouverts en ligne, ou MOOC, qui est une instanciation de ce processus. Ceux-ci, cependant, ne représentent que la plus récente de ce qui peut être vu comme une série de «générations» de e-learning. Dans cet exposé, je décris ces générations et je discute de la façon dont ils ont conduit à, et sont une partie de, l'œuvre le plus récente dans l'apprentissage en ligne. (In recent years I have been working on two major concepts: first, the connectivist theory of online learning, which views learning as a network process; and second, the massive open online course, or MOOC, which is an instantiation of that process. These, however, represent only the most recent of what ...

Engagement and Motivation in MOOCs
Nov 23, 2011. CQU OLT Educational Technology, Online to Queensland, via WebX (Keynote). In this presentation I look at the issues of engagement and motivation in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). I outline the development of MOOCs and some of the features that make them distinct from traditional courses. Then I look at some of the literature regarding online student engagement, and apply that with respect to MOOCs. I find that many traditional measures - such as counting attendance or page views - do not account for the sort of engagement we'd like to see, and is demonstrated for example in ds106. In addition, provision of the ability to determine one's own educational path or even to satisfy one's other motivations, may be necessary, but are not sufficient, to support motivation in MOOCs. In the end I consider the example of how motivation is created in gaming environments, and wonder whether MOOCs need challenges and the possibility of failure in order to stimulate student engagement. Please note that the video is a short 5-minute promo, and is not the ...

Interview With Ani Aghababyan
Nov 23, 2011. , (Keynote).

We don’t need no educator: The role of the teacher in today’s online education
Nov 13, 2011. NFF konferansen: Utdanning i bevegelse, Oslo, Norway (Keynote). How often do we read about the importance of teachers in education? It must be every day, it seems. We are told about "strong empirical evidence that teachers are the most important school-based determinant of student achievement" again and again. The problem with the educational system, it is argued, is that teachers need to be held accountable. We are told we must fire incompetent teachers. Not just in the United States, but in the UK and elsewhere, the concern is that bad teachers must go. The problem with focusing on the role of the teacher, from my perspective, is that it misses the point. Though there may still be thousands of people employed today with the job title of "teacher" or "educator", it is misleading to suggests that all, or even most, aspects of providing an education should, or could, be placed into the hands of these individuals.

The Role of Educator in a Networked World
Nov 09, 2011. for EC&I 831: Social Media & Open Education, Alec Couros, Online, via Elluminate (Seminar). In this presentation I revisit the 'role of the educator' discussion I offered last year for the same course, offering a point of view stressing a new approach to learning, and drawing out the consequences of that in a series of new roles for educators, leading to the conclusion that the role of the educator itself will be unbundled in the world of online learning.

Social Network Technologies for Learning (2)
Oct 29, 2011. Instituto Cervantes, New York City (Keynote). A slightly revised version of the presentation on Social Networks given the previous day. The audio, however, is very different. Abstract: In this presentation, Stephen Downes offers an inside look at these technologies, how they work, what they can do, and where they will likely lead the future of learning online. Downes will first outline some well-known technologies such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, describing how they are used and outlining how they manage online communication in general.

Social Network Technologies for Learning
Oct 28, 2011. Instituto Cervantes, Providence, Rhode Island (Keynote). Social network technologies are reforming the way we communicate with each other inside and outside our learning environments. In this presentation, Stephen Downes offers an inside look at these technologies, how they work, what they can do, and where they will likely lead the future of learning online. Downes will first outline some well-known technologies such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, describing how they are used and outlining how they manage online communication in general.

Public Support for Free Learning: A Policy Framework
Oct 24, 2011. VLHORA - studiedag 'The Education Highway', Flemish Parliament, Brussels, Belgium (Keynote). In this talk I make the case for a community-based model of learning, where courses are structured as connectivist networks, describe some of the thinking behind the model, and outline a policy framework for the support of free learning.

Connectivist Learning: How new technologies are promoting autonomy and responsibility in education
Oct 21, 2011. XII Congresso Internacional de Teoria de la Educacion, Barcelona, Spain (Keynote). In this presentation I discuss the topic of autonomy as it relates to connectivism. I begin by making a case for autonomy, and then apply the four-factor model of autonomy to connectivist practice.

Connectivism and Personal Learning
Oct 17, 2011. Charles University Prague, Online, vie DimDim, to Prague (Keynote). Connectivism as a pedagogical theory is typically thought of in terms of networks – the making and traversing of connections. But the major practical implication of connectivism occurs in the organization of learning events and resources. Unlike traditional educational modalities, in which people work collaboratively, in a connectivist model, people work cooperatively.

Elements of Connectivism
[Sept] 22, 2011. Empire State College Centre for Distance Learning, Online to Saratoga Springs, NY via Elluminate (Seminar). Presentation to the ESC Creativity and Multicultural Communication course on the topic of connectivist pedagogy. The argument made is that this pedagogy is based on principles related to what makes networks successful.

How to Organize a MOOC
[Sept] 10, 2011. IV Innovar para Transcendar Simposio de la COMINAIC, Ameca and Guadalajara, Mexico (Seminar). Long set of slides (really a compilation and reordering of four previous slide sets) for my workshop held in Ameca, Mexico (Setember 6, 2011) and Guadalajara, Mexico (September 7, 2011). The first day (for which there are no slides) I offered a demonstration of my gRSShopper system. The slides then examine the theory behind that application. Part 1, Ameca, Mexico, September 6 Download MP3 Part 2 (cut a bit short), Guadalajara, Mexico, September 7 Download MP3 Part 3, Guadalajara, Mexico, September 7 Download MP3

MOOC 2011: The Massive Open Online Course in Theory and in Practice
[Sept] 06, 2011. IV Innovar para Transcendar Simposio de la COMINAIC, Guadalajara, Mexico (Keynote). In this presentation I set the MOOC within the context of the objectives of this symposium on curriculum design, provide an outline of the history of the MOOC, and use that history to create a description of MOOCs. See also The MOOC Guide.

After Moodle
May 04, 2011. Moodle Moot Canada 2011, Edmonton, Alberta (Keynote). In this talk I discuss what will be coming 'After Moodle' by means of a discussion of open learning, connectivism, and personal learning environments, including the sharing of some of what we experienced in massive open online courses.

Talking About All Things Open
May 04, 2011. Moodle Moot Canada 2011, Edmonton, Alberta (Keynote). This plenary session explores the opportunity associated with the convergence of multiple related "open" initiatives. Imagine an education future that combines open source software, open access research publishing, open government/data, open educational resources, open pedagogies and open networks. What is the synergistic potential of these collective open endeavours?

The role of open educational resources in personal learning environments
Apr 29, 2011. Center for Distance Education 2011, Saratoga Springs, New York (Keynote). In this presentation, and in the Informal Discussion which followed, I looked at three major themes: personal learning environments, connectivism and open learning, and argued that each of these three needs the other two.

Informal Conversation
Apr 29, 2011. Center for Distance Education 2011, Saratoga Springs, New York (Seminar).

The Lecture Must Stand
Apr 14, 2011. Follow the Sun - Learning Futures Festival Online 2011, Seattle, via Adobe Connect (Debate). My side of a debate versus Donald Clark and James Morrison - their proposition was that the lecture must die, and I argued that the lecture must stand. For the web pages with the full videos, see the web presentation actually used during the talk. Donals Clark's slides are here.

exploring the o-rizon of online learning
Apr 14, 2011. Professional Development Forum - Exploring the e-Horizons of Open Leanring, Western Australia, via Elluminate (Keynote). In this talk I look at the history of open learning and open educational resources and trace through the three (or four) states of openness in learning.

Beyond Workplace Learning
Apr 05, 2011. Swiss eLearning Conference #SeLC11, Zurich, Switzerland, online via IPMediaSuite (Keynote). Short presentation in which I outline the elements of the classical approach to workplace learning that can be and are being challenged by new forms of enterprise organization and workplace learning. (p.s. I have to own up to what I think was a poor answer to the question after the talk - on reflection, in response to the question of how managers ensure learning results, instead of saying it;s impossible to manage and impossible to ascribe specific effect to specific causes, I should have talked about open work environments.)

The Role of Open Educational Resources in Personal Learning
Mar 29, 2011. Best Practices in Upgrading Online, Calgary, via Adobe Connect (Keynote). In this talk, I argue that rather than think of OERs as content objects, containing knowledge and information intended for transfer to the student, OERs should be thought of as the raw material a learner works with through the practice of managing their own learning. More specifically, the role of open educational resources is to function as a vocabulary of multimedia ‘words' with which learners converse with each other and with experts in the field. The main emphasis of this presentationis to speak of the role of OERs in the development of learning networks - these networks that are the characteristic result of conversations, and in which our academic and scientific communities are contained. This talk blends the point made in my recent Girtona talk with the longer analysis of my 'Speaking in LOLcats' talks.

Supporting an Open Learning Network
Mar 29, 2011. V Jornadas SIG Libre, Girona, Spain (Keynote). In this talk I outline definitions of open as they relate to open educational resources, cover some areas of OERs, and introduce alternative ways to think about OERs. Alternative slides, with videos, actually used during the talk: vid slides.

Educational Projection: Supporting Distributed Learning Online
Mar 15, 2011. II Conferencia Internacional e-Learning 2011, Madrid, via GoToMeeting (Keynote). With the development of the personal learning environment, the open online course, and informal learning outside the institution, teachers and professors may be wondering what they can do to support education in this new environment. In this talk we will examine the mechanisms educational providers and institutions can employ in order to project learning resources and services into the community and workplace where they are needed. The talk will focus first on the principles of educational projection, and then discuss practical mechanisms, such as cloud services, event amplification and content curation.

Networked Learning: Making the Best Use of What We've Already Got
Feb 25, 2011. Emerging Social Technology UK, Dundee, Scotland via Skype, join.me (Keynote).

The PLENK, The PLE and We
Dec 01, 2010. Service New Brunswick Regional managers Meeting, Fredericton, New Brunswick (Keynote). In this presentation I outline the work done presenting connectivist style courses over the last two years, demonstrate the course screen, demonstrate the use of the gRSShopper backend to create a newsletter, and talk about the theory of distributed learning underlying the design. SNB's Stephen Dixon introduces the session and also, after the talk, described how such a system could be used to support communication and learning in government applications. The audio also include a Skype conversation with Jay Nath - http://www.jaynath.com/ - Director of Innovation from the City of San Francisco.

The Role of the Educator in the Digital World
Nov 30, 2010. TasEDay, Hobart, Tasmania, via Skype and join.me (Keynote). In this presentation I argue that the role of the educator should be unbundled and treated as a set of more specific roles. A total of 23 different roles are identified and described. I also argue that we should consider organizing our educational system around the idea of provisioning lecturers, coordinators, mentors, etc. A transcript used to deliver this talk is available here.

The Role of Educator in a PLE World
Nov 17, 2010. EC&I 831: Social Media & Open Education, Online, via Elluminate (Seminar). In this presentation I argue that the role of the educator has become unbundled and is now a wide variety of different roles, usually performed by different people.

Facilitating Social Interactions: Measuring Engagement and Promoting Academic Success within the LMS
Nov 02, 2010. Webinar, Online (Panel). The Learning Management System is evolving rapidly, becoming a more flexible and interactive part of the classroom. As that happens, how can you better integrate the LMS into the campus classroom? How can you measure and analyse student participation in the social and collaborative technologies that are becoming part of a good LMS? Technologies already exist to collect basic data on student participation and interactions; the focus now is collecting more comprehensive data about online behavior in the classroom, then using the data effectively. The LMS of the future will help collect data, then produce sophisticated analysis and reports on-demand. October 21, 2010.

The Future of Open Educational Resources
Oct 26, 2010. OER in the Disciplines, London, UK, via video (Keynote).

Dimensions of a Learning Network
Oct 25, 2010. XXVI Simposio Internacional de Computación en la Educación 2010, Monterrey, Mexico (Keynote). Reprise of the talk I gave in Vancouver, with some additional examples and extended descriptions. The talk is an overview of the concept of learning networks, describing how the theories about self-organizing networks describe how we learn, and how we can organize learning.

Personal Learning Environments and PLENK2010
Oct 20, 2010. Training Development Officers, Halifax, via Skype and join.me (Seminar). I describe the organization of connectivist courses such as CCK08 and PLENK2010, demonstrate some of the technology, and discuss some of the thinking behind the design.

Dimensions of a Learning Network
Oct 06, 2010. TTI Vanguard - The Power of Peer, Vancouver (Lecture). In this talk I overview the major elements of Connectivism and learning network theory, explaining how networks are used to foster learning,and describing the properties of stable or effective networks.

The Representative Student
Jun 23, 2010. Technology Enhanced Knowledge Research Institute (TEKRI) at Athabasca University, Edmonton, Alberta (Seminar). In this presentation I explore two related questions: first, what is the role of models and simulations both in delivering learning, and in learning about learning; and second, what is the relation between adaptive courseware, and the social network approach to learning based on creativity and communication? The Elluminate recording is available here.

Resource Profiles Markup Language
Jun 14, 2010. Atlantic Workshop on Semantics and Services, Fredericton, NB (Lecture). Description of RPML, and then demo of an RPML application and sample code.

Learning to Learn
Jun 03, 2010. DeLC Forum, Toronto, Ontario (Keynote). Slides, audio and video from my talk in Toronto. This is a presentation of some recent work I've been involved in, including Synergic3, PLE and Plearn, the connectivism course, and the critical literacies course. Also some content on how to learn, which was not actually presented during the talk. There's also a UStream video available of the talk, here.

OER Panel
May 18, 2010. Canadian Network for Innovation in Edication, Saint John, NB (Panel). Three-way discussion, from widely different perspectives on open educational resources. I recorded audio and Grant Potter recorded a UStream video of the panel presentations here (go to 5:45 to get to the actual starting point) and a second part here and a third part here Summary Two things 1. OERs and commercialization - not just the thing about CC NV licenses, but relevant - there's "free" and there's "free with conditions" and commercial access always involves ‘free with conditions' - most common condition is that you have to pay money – which violates any sense of free - but as recent kerfuffle's over Facebook show, conditions can be non-monetary - don't want to define ‘free' as "without conditions" but do want to suggest that payments & conditions impose an encumbrance on free, and that I'm generally in support of mechanisms that remove these encumbrances - ‘for profit' is not always evil – but they have a history of protecting their ...

Buenos Aires Meetup
May 09, 2010. MeetUp, Buenos Aires, Argentina (Seminar). Audio recording of our meetup session May 7 in Buenos Aires. About 20 teachers were there at Colegio Las Cumbres. In the end, the discussion centered around the key issue of whether to give guidance or let students discover on their own. No slides.

The End of Books
May 08, 2010. Festejar con Libros, Buenos Aires, Argentina (Lecture). Short talk given at the Buenos Aires Book Fair on the release of 'The Facebook Project'. I wrote the preface for the book (here's the pdf of the full book. In this talk I consider the effect of the end of books and raise the question of where we will locate our culture, our values, our myths and our facts. The recording includes a question and answer session. No slides.

Connectivism and Transculturality
May 07, 2010. Telefónica Foundation, Buenos Aires, Argentina (Lecture). Spanish translation of talk from the translator's booth (bits in Spanish translated to English)Full transcript of the talkThis presentation looks at connectivist teaching. It describes principles of effective networks, and then applies those principles to the design of a connectivist course, as implemented using a personal learning environment. Here is coverage and summary from Claudia Ceraso. Also commentary from Anaclara Dalla Valle and Gabriela Sellart

Connectivist Learning and Teaching
May 06, 2010. , Pilar, Argentina (Lecture). Presentation addressing what teachers need to do in order to learn from the internet. There is a second part, describing connectivist teaching, which was not presented, but is in the slides.

We Learn
May 04, 2010. Symposium, Rosario, Argentina (Lecture). The internet is the most powerful tool for education ever devised, but how best to use it? In this presentation I talk about using the internet to promote interaction, organize knowledge and get relevant information. In English with Spanish translation in the audio. Photo by Maria Affronti. See also commentary and links from juan domingo . Also, the Twitter stream from the talk. 001http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6653987002http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6654193003http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6654369004http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6654526005http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6654747006http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6654936007http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6655125008http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6655309009http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6655480010http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6655714011http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6656014012http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6656173013http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6656457 014 http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6656745

A Conversation in Tigre
May 04, 2010. Informal Conversation, Tigre, Argentina (Seminar). This is an informal conversation between myself and students of Alejandro Piscitelli's at his home. The conversation is fairly wide ranging, talking about reality and truth, right answers and practical solutions. Mostly, it's me offering my opinions - it's a bit one-sided - but I think it's entertaining.

Free software and education Fighting the digital divide
Apr 30, 2010. Special Lecture, Cordoba, Argentina (Lecture). Presentation examining the logic and underpinnings of free and open educational content. English with Spanish translation throughout. An extensive presentation, with almost entirely new material, drawn from the influence of this Argentine city, the influence of Canadian thinking in media and education, and the principle of association that underlies connectivist epistemology and pedagogy. The presentation and lengthy Q&A runs at a bit more than two hours. I am very happy with this presentation, and even better, have a video version, which I will format and release as soon as I can.

Technology and Communication: Education in the Digital Era
Apr 30, 2010. VI Congreso Internacional - Cultura del Trabajo, Cordoba, Argentina (Panel). Panel discussion in which I outline the role of the personal learning environment and some of the work I've done in the area. English with a Spanish translation. The audio also includes presentations in Spanish from Raul Juarez, Juan Manuel Lucero and moderator Emilio Salomon. The panel from Congresos Cultura del Trabajo. Photo by the great onion. The audience at Congresos Cultura del Trabajo. My photo. From Congresos Cultura del Trabajo. Stephen Downes, Juan Manuel Lucero, Raul Juarez y Emilio Salomon. Photo by the great onion.

Personal Learning Environments
Apr 22, 2010. Interactive Technology in Education - conference , Hämeenlinna, Finland, by Video (Keynote). I created this video for my keynote in Hämeenlinna, Finland, because of course I could not attend because of the volcano. It described the major elements of the PLE system and talks about the environment and learning theory behind the PLE. Click here for a PDF transcript of the talk.

Connectivism in Practice: Critical Thinking as a Distributed Course
Apr 22, 2010. Interactive Technology in Education - conference , Hämeenlinna, Finland, by Skype (Seminar). In this presentation I describe the next step of my work in online connectivist courses, the Critical Literacies course that will be starting in June. This course attempts to teach the literacies I believe are needed to flourish in a connectivist environment; this presentation describes those literacies and that course.

OERs and DIYU
Apr 09, 2010. R685 on the Web 2.0 (The World Is Open With Web Technology), Curtis J. Bonk, School of Education, University of Indiana, Online, via Breeze (Seminar). Though directed toward an examination of open educational resources and the DIY university, this talk ends up being an overview of a large swath of my own educational philosophy, as drawn from the statement that is posted on my home page. Audio (great sound) and slides are available. There is also a recording of the Breeze session available (the photo above is from about 1:03:11 of the Breeze recording).

Decentralized Learning
Mar 17, 2010. APOP (Association for the Educational Application of Computer Technology at the Post-Secondary Level-Montréal), Montreal, Online via the Via Conferencing System (Seminar). In this online presentation for APOP (Association for the Educational Application of Computer Technology at the Post-Secondary Level-Montréal) I discuss the concept of decentralized learning. I begin with the physical model, as instantiated in the Connectivism course, then outline the epistemology of knowledge production, then describe the pedagogy of personal learning, and conclude with success factors. A long Q&A in which we discuss numerous issues follows.

A Conversation on Social Learning
Mar 16, 2010. LearningWave, Holland, via Skype (Seminar). Conversation with a group in Holland about recent developments in social learning. I focused mostly on the idea that the intent of social learning is to generate practice and experience with idea of growing or developing personal capacity (as opposed to learning as the 'transfer' of knowledge). We also talked quite a bit about the use of social networks and communities as a mechanism for evaluating learning. Participants were: Eline Noorberger, David Berg, Gerlinde Podt, Christine Marck-Apperloo, Jan Nieuweboer.

The Experience of Learning
Mar 12, 2010. 3rd Annual Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference, Second Life (Keynote). This short talk summarizes the pedagogical model of personal learning that to me underlies the design of connectivist learning network methodologies. The presentation itself echoes some recent themes, while the questions took me into some very new ground reflecting on the learning experience itself. Part of the Networked Connectivism, Distributed cognition and PLNS panel at the Virtural Worlds Best Practices in Education conference hosted by Beth Davies (SL name: Michigan Paul). Moderator: LoriVonne Lustre. No slides; audio only.

Trends in Personal Learning 2
Feb 09, 2010. IT Madrid, Online to Madrid, via DimDim (Keynote). Same slides as a few days ago, but the audio is very different, as this was a formal presentation. As before, I outline the major trends in personal learning that we are seeing in technology today, and I more clearly draw the connections between some of the separate trends - for example, personal creativity, interaction and networking, and simulation and immersion. Audio at http://www.downes.ca/presentation/239 Excellent sound quality.

Trends In Personal Learning
Feb 04, 2010. , Canberra, Australia, online via Wimba (Lecture). Audio and slides from my presentation last night, Trends in Personal Learning. Review of major trends in technology - personal access, content creation, presentation and conferencing, networking and community, immersion and simulation, augmented reality - and discussion of how these define and inform personal learning. // Archive Info Name: FlexEd Virtual Session - 02/04/2010 11:56 URL: http://161.50.50.74/launcher.cgi?room=FlexEdRoom_2010_0204_1156_37

Pedagogical Foundations For Personal Learning
Jan 11, 2010. Learning Futures Festival, Leicester, UK., via Elluminate (Keynote). In this talk I outline the differences between learning using a personal learning environment (PLE) and learning in an LMS. I argue that a PLE does what an LMS cannot do - it is designed to stimulate learning through an immersion into a community, as opposed to learning via presentation of facts. Pedagogy thus becomes the facilitation of skills for participation in such communities, which I tie to my critical literacy framework.

Managing Digital Rights Using JSON
Jan 09, 2010. 6th IEEE International Workshop on Digital Rights Management, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (Lecture). In this presentation I describe a novel approach for the management of digital rights expression. The technique, which leverages JSON - Javascript Object Notation - does not involve parsing or processing of rights data, and not only does it solve the cross-domain scripting problem for rights expressions, it also provides an alternative to the language-based digital rights management patents held by ContentGuard. Here is the text of the paper.

The Role of Open Educational Resources in Personal Learning
Dec 01, 2009. International Seminar on Open Social Learning (OSL), Barcelona, Spain (Keynote). The role of open educational resources is to function as a vocabulary in which we converse. The main emphasis of this presentation was to speak of their role in the development of networks - these networks are the characteristic result of conversations.

New Tools for Personal Learning
Nov 25, 2009. MEFANET 2009 Conference, Brno, Czech Republic, via MVU Videoconference (Lecture). In this presentation I describe how new technologies are being designed in order to adapt to a rapidly changing and complex world. In this picture, learning is not a matter of knowledge acquisition and memorization, but rather, personal development in such a way that we become able to navigate and work with this knowledge and content in the same manner, with the same capacities, as the expert. This is a type of learning that is based on the creation of tools that support a mesh network; this network, in turn, supports the conversation and interactions that foster the development of an expert character.

Speaking in Lolcats, Take 2
Nov 24, 2009. ECI 381 (Alec Couros), Online to Saskatchewan via Elluminate (Lecture). Reprise of my talk from last week, in more detail and some new slides. The internet has introduced us to a world in which we can communicate with each other in a wide variety of media. Where formally we could only talk and sing to each other, now we can create videos, author animations, link to videos and images and cartoons, and more, mix and match these in a complex open-ended vocabulary. What it means to be literate in such an information age is fundamentally distinct from the literacy of the 3Rs, and teaching new literacy an evolving challenge for those of us still struggling to learn it. This talk looks at the elements of 21st century literacies, redefines critical thinking for the internet age, and suggests a redefinition of what we think of as 'core' curriculum. Elluminate session recording (with video) at http://eci831.wikispaces.com/11-24-09

Speaking in Lolcats: What Literacy Means in teh Digital Era
Nov 12, 2009. Educational Computing Organization of Ontario, Richmond Hill, Ontario (Lecture). The internet has introduced us to a world in which we can communicate with each other in a wide variety of media. Where formally we could only talk and sing to each other, now we can create videos, author animations, link to videos and images and cartoons, and more, mix and match these in a complex open-ended vocabulary. What it means to be literate in such an information age is fundamentally distinct from the literacy of the 3Rs, and teaching new literacy an evolving challenge for those of us still struggling to learn it. This talk looks at the elements of 21st century literacies, redefines critical thinking for the internet age, and suggests a redefinition of what we think of as 'core' curriculum.

Open Education: Projects and Potential
Nov 12, 2009. Educational Computing Organization of Ontario, Richmond Hill, Ontario (Lecture). The internet offers society the opportunity to provide access to a free or affordable education for all. This concept is known as 'open education' and is the subject of various projects, such as 'Open Education Resources' (OER) or the Open Courseware Project (OCW). This talk will look at the principle of open education, talk about major projects, describe the role played by educational technology, and outline some of the challenges.

Four Struggles
Oct 02, 2009. St. Thomas University, Fredericton, NB (Lecture). This is a guest presentation to a political science class at St. Thomas University in Fredericton. I look at an introductory and fairly typical chapter on globalization and outsourcing, and then argue that changes in political and economic organization run counter to the model proposed. In particular, the development of a network-based society runs against the model of corporate structures described. This all is set within a context of 'four struggles' that have shaped political and other conflict through history and today.

The Cloud and Collaboration
[Sept] 06, 2009. Ars Electronica Symposium on Cloud Intelligence, Linz, Austria (Keynote). In this presentation I describe the concept of the internet as a form of global consciousness. I look at the idea of human nature as it has traditionally been represented but suggest that a more appropriate model is that of a collection of neurons. With this model I analyse what a global consciousness would look like - not collaboration, as in the organization of a company or a nation, but cooperation, as in the actions of autonomous but interdependent and connected individuals. Text written for the talk is available online (this is not a transcript).

D2L 2009 Expert Panel
Jul 16, 2009. D2L Fusion 2009, St. Paul, Minnesota (Panel). The panel page was here. The UStream recording appears not to exist. Slides exist but I don't have access to them at the moment; they will be posted later. The audio recording is available; enjoy.

Communities and Networks
Jul 07, 2009. VII seminari especialitzat en gestia del coneixement, Barcelona, online via Sclipo (Lecture). Presentation on the concept of the community of practice, tracing how it evolved from its original form resembling groups and featuring shared objectives and meanings, to one resembling networks, being composed more of interactions and conversations. Some technical difficulties (edited out of the video) truncated the presentation, unfortunately.

gRSShopper: Creating the Personal Web
Jul 07, 2009. Internal: Presentation to PLE group, Moncton (Seminar). Using slides created for an Innovation Forum presentation, this internal presentation amounted to an in-depth look at gRSShopper from the perspective as a prototype for the Personal Learning Environment. The video of the 1 hour 20 minute presentation is available and features not only slides but also screen capture of various features of gRSShopper being demonstrated.

Beyond Management: The Personal Learning Environment
Jun 24, 2009. Ed Media, Honolulu, Hawaii (Keynote). In this presentation, I mix the presentation of the theory - chaos, complexity and mesh networks - with the practical technical development leading toward the personal learning environment. A second audio file is also available.

New Technology Supporting Informal Learning
May 14, 2009. Challenges 2009, Braga, Portugal (Keynote). Photo by Storrao Description of the transition from linear adaptive learning systems to open networked based object oriented environments. Overview of the CCK08 online course, and description of the idea behind the PLE. See the paper associated with the presentation (note that the presentation actually delivered differs from the paper). See also this short video clip of part of the talk.

Social Media for Journalists
May 02, 2009. Atlantic Journalism Awards, Moncton (Keynote). Discussion of social media with and for journalists in Atlantic Canada.

Educamp 2009
Apr 18, 2009. Educamp09, Ilmenau, Germany, via Skype (Seminar). Discussion of web 2.0 and how it can be used to contextualize learning.

Providing Learning in Social Networks
Apr 16, 2009. Symposium on Advance Learning Technologies, Gagetown, NB (Keynote). Overview of the network approach to learning. New material, new slides. I place network learning in perspective with games and simulations, and describe it as an approach to be taken when we don't know what we want our students to learn (eg., in a complex or changing environment). I then overview the Connectivism course and gRSShopper. I then talk about future work, such as serialized feeds, the personal learning environment, and state based learning design. First 30 seconds of so (the intro) are low volume; the rest is fine. Note that PDF slides are 75 megabytes (I don't know why). More austere PowerPoint slides are available, as well as the originals created on a Mac (will not load all images in Windows).

Where is ICT Leading Education
Apr 06, 2009. Australian College of Educators, Melbourne, Australia (Lecture). A shortish presentation talking about where the older model of online learning and how the newer model reshapes that, followed by a series of pointed questions and answers. Very different from the usual fare. No slides

Learning 2.0: Learning Today and Tomorrow
Apr 06, 2009. ACER Melbourne 2009, Melbourne, Australia (Seminar). Workshop - the audio is roughly two hours - on the design and structure of a connectivist course. The real changes in eLearning will not come from the area of technological innovation but rather pedagogical innovation. Stephen Downes will speak on how ICT can be used now and in the future to improve teaching and learning. His talk will be based on research, debate in the field and new thinking about education. Stephen's concept of Learning 2.0 addresses digital learning and the need for communication, interaction and open access to the creation and use of knowledge in learning. Participants of this seminar will learn about the capacity of digital learning to enable inclusiveness, flexibility to support diverse learning styles and innovation for improved learning in education. Commentary from Lisa Wise (very good, very detailed), tsheko, Jenny Luca.

Connectivist Learning and the Personal Learning Environment
Apr 03, 2009. Invited Talk, Wollongong, Australia (Lecture). In this talk to the University of Wollongong I talk about the principles that informed the Connectivism course and then apply them in the description of the design of the course and assessment of how it went. Coverage by John Larkin.

Personal Professional Development
Apr 01, 2009. LearnX, Sydney, Australia (Keynote). Talk on how to manage your own learning and development, given at learnX in Sydney, Australia.

A Conversation on Learning
Mar 31, 2009. ACER Informal, Sydney, Australia (Seminar). Informal conversation covering the range of learning 2.0 with guests John Oxley and Greg Kretschmann. Recorded at the ACER offices, Sydney, Australia, March 31, 2009.

Edupunk: Open Source Education
Mar 15, 2009. SXSW, Austin, Texas (Panel). Edupunk panel session. Links: Intro video; UStream Live Video; Dave Lester blog post; Live conference chat, submit window; Live conference chat, screen display;

Future Learning
Feb 26, 2009. EC&I 831: Computers in the Classroom, Online, Elluminate (Keynote). Presentation to Alec Couros's online education course. The Elluminate recording of the presentation is available, as well as a UStream recording.

Technology Update
Feb 24, 2009. LERN Seminar, Online - teleconference (Seminar). Overview of current technology trends in learning, for the LERN online symposium. I'm sorry about the quality of the audio.

CCK08 Course Recap
Feb 23, 2009. Special Seminar, Online, Elluminate (Seminar). The recording is now available. We discussed a wide-range of topics, including lurking in online environments, lessons learned from CCK08, Stephen's serialized course feeds, what we'll do differently for the September '09 offering of the course, etc.

The Connectivism and Connective Knowledge course
Feb 18, 2009. Boeing Employees Seminar, Online, Elluminate (Seminar).

Stephen Downes talks about OLDaily and online learning
Jan 28, 2009. Xiphos, Online, Skype (Interview).

Connectivism: A Theory of Personal Learning
Dec 03, 2008. Educational Development Centre, Ottawa (Keynote). Overview of personal learning and personal learning environments, connectivism, and our experience in the CCK08 course. Original slides are here, but they are gibbled by Apple's proprietary nonsense (and are 52 megabytes, compared to 4.7 megabytes for the PDF).

Educamp Colombia Qustions and Answers
Nov 18, 2008. Educamp Colombia, Medellin, by Skype (Keynote).

International Perspective
Oct 31, 2008. eLearning Alliance Annual Conference 2008, Edinburgh, Scotland, via Elluminate (Keynote). In this presentation by Elluminate to the e-Learning Alliance conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, I run through a fast-paced description of progress in the CCK08 online course thus far, outline my gRSShopper PLE software, and make soe remarks about the future of learning online.

Taking the Pulse of Key Sectors: Advanced Learning Technologies
Oct 31, 2008. Innovation Forum, Saint John, New Brunswick (Panel). This short presentation during a panel is a summary of trends in advanced learning technologies. I first outline it the standard way, by listing some major technologies. Then I outline the future in terms of major educational strategies. The slides cover only the last part of the talk, as the first part was completely ad libbed.

gRSShopper
Oct 28, 2008. Innovation Forum, Saint John, New Brunswick (Lecture). Short 10 minute presentation to the NRC Innovation forum. I unfortunately mishandled the audio, so I only have slides. In the talk I provided an overview of gRSShopper.

Integrating the Internet Into the Classroom
Oct 23, 2008. PEI Tecahers' Federation, Charlottetown, PEI (Keynote). Presentation on why the internet should be integrated into the classroom punctuated in the middle by an argument from a number of teachers in favour of banning communications tools from the classroom. Not sure how well all the audio comes out. You'll definitely hear me, in way-over-amplified voice, wondering why. Slides with all the photos (needed because Mac gibbles PowerPoint files, something they could easily fix but won't) available in a 42 megabyte PDF file here.

Integrating the Internet Into the Classroom
Oct 22, 2008. PEI Tecahers Federation Confrence 2008, Charlottetown, PEI (Keynote). Slides from my presentation in Charlottetown October 22, 2008. I offer fifteen reasons why the internet should be integrated into classroom instruction.

Educamp CCK08 Talk
Oct 01, 2008. WE Magazine Educamp 2008, Germany, via Skype (Keynote). I describe how we set up the CCK08 course, talk about what the students added on, summarize the content of the course thus far, and outline the gRSShopper tool I'm using to doi my part. Delivered via Skype to an educamp in Germany. Sorry about the echo in the voice. Links are here. Video is here.

Open Educational Resources
[Sept] 26, 2008. Brandon Hall Innovations in Learning 2008, San Jose, California (Keynote). Presentation on Open Educational Resources (OER) at the Brandon Hall Innovations in Learning conference. Talks about licenses, content models, funding models, some major initiatives, and more.

Personal Learning Environments
[Sept] 25, 2008. Brandon Hall Innovations in Learning 2008, San Jose, California (Keynote). Discussion of some of the principles of the personal learning environment with a look at my own gRSShopper software as well as the Connectivism online course.

It can be done!
[Sept] 17, 2008. , Skype (Interview). This is an interview I recorded with Jochen Robes in preparation for the SCOPE online conference, held October 1. I talk about the CCK08 course and about connectivism in general. Interesting bit, I think, where I talk about my role in the course. Also some stuff near the end on my understanding of knowledge.

Ellyssa Kroski Interview
[Sept] 14, 2008. , Skype (Interview). In this interview with Ellyssa Kroski from mid-September Interview I discuss our current CCK08 online course and open education generally. Kroski's course, with numerous resources and a number of interviews from other people, is available online.

MOOC and Mookies: The Connectivism & Connective Knowledge Online Course
[Sept] 10, 2008. eFest, Auckland, New Zealand by Elluminate (Seminar). Description of the software environment used so support our Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) along with an outline of where the students have taken it and of the principles governing the design. Delibered online to eFest (Auckland, New Zealand) from Moncton, Canada

How I Know What I Know About The Web
[Sept] 09, 2008. iPED International Conference 2008, Coventry, UK, via Skype (Keynote). I ran into time issues in this talk, but still managed to cover the evolution of what we now (loosely) call 'the scientific method' from the original formulation as the HD-Model to scientific communities and society-wide knowing communities.

Expert Panel
Jul 22, 2008. D2L Fusion, Memphis, TN (Panel). Desire2Learn Expert Panel featuring Stephen Downes, Barry Dahl, Michael Feldstein, Robbie Melton. After a short remark by D2L chair John Baker, each panelist outlines what they thing should be the future of online learning. Then the chaos starts as the discussion - streamed live on the web and including the use of a backchannel in the auditorium - ranges far and wide. I'm not sure the video is working - I hope it was archived in UStream.

Free Learning
Jul 17, 2008. Free Knowledge, Free Technology, Barcelona, Spain (Keynote). In this talk I combine my thoughts on freedom and free learning with a discussion of networked learning and connectivism. I additional discuss my reasons for prefering a 'non-commercial' license for educational materials.

The Future of Online Learning - Ten Years On
Jul 09, 2008. Academic Fest, Online, from Canary Islands to Madison, Wisconsin (Keynote). I am reworking my paper 'The Future of Online Learning' and this presentation convers thoughts from the first couple of sections of that. It was conducted via Skype (XWindows failed yet again) from an internet access point in a (noisy) hotel in the Canary Islands (which had been as silent as a tomb every day prior to this).

What Learning Design Could Be
Jun 26, 2008. LAMS 2008, Cadiz, Spain (Keynote). Presentation on Learning Design and the LAMS conference in Cadiz, Spain. I outline where learning design is now, identify some presuppositions, show how a web 2.0 approach changes those presuppositions, and then outline collaborative and open design processes using objected oriented games as an example.

Light, Agile and Flexible: Collaborating the Web 2.0 Way
Jun 04, 2008. Innovations in e-Learning, Fairfax, VA (Keynote). Somewhat chaotic presentation (I used the conference backchannel chat again) in which I talk about collaboration with respect to web 2.0. Wendy Wickham provides a summary of the session. More from the same conference.

Supporting Open Access
May 16, 2008. Joint Conference of Campus Saskatchewan and The Educational Technology Consortium, Saskatoon, SK (Seminar).

Ten Futures
May 16, 2008. Joint Conference of Campus Saskatchewan and The Educational Technology Consortium, Saskatoon, SK (Keynote). My presentation at the TLt conference in Saskatoon describing, in the process of sketching ten possible futures, how anyone can predict the future. Attendees did not actually see these slides - they saw artifacts of their own creation posted on the screen.

My Digital Identity
May 06, 2008. e-Portfolios, Montreal, Canada (Keynote). A scattered presentation that looks at authentication and identification, resource profiles, and e-portfolios. Mixed in with notions of the self, potentiality, historicity, and dimensionality. With a description of OpenID in the middle.

Two Approaches to E-Learning
Apr 19, 2008. EduCamp 2008, Germany, via Skype Video (Keynote). In this Skype talk I looked at two different approaches to learning - the artificial intelligence way, and the connectionist way - and sketched differences between them. I also described how the connectionist principles inform learning design. No slides for this talk; it was recorded at the other end and I'll post video as soon as it's available.

Applications of Social and Collaborative Technologies in Education
Apr 08, 2008. Symposium on Advanced Learning Technologies, Fredericton, NB (Lecture). My objective in this presentation was not only to describe the changing nature of community, and not only to describe how Web 2.0 applications create community as well as replace your Office applications, but also to talk to New Brunswickers about the role our province can play to help educators share learning with each other online. All new slides.

Personal Learning
Mar 11, 2008. Class, Saskatchewan, via Elluminate (Seminar). Audio and slides (I have video but the nearly two hour show will take some time to get out of the camera and uploaded to Google Video) of a presentation and discussion I had in Alec Couros's online class based in Saskatchewan. The slides are a rerun - sorry - but the audio is completely new and includes my first public presentation of my website software - the same software that is now only days from being posted on SourceForge. There should be an Elluminate and UStream recordings as well - I'll pass those on from Alex when I get links.

NBCC Fredericton
Mar 04, 2008. NBCC Fredericton, NBCC Fredericton (Keynote). Needs to be filled out

gRSShopper
Feb 26, 2008. NRC Koffee Klatch, Moncton, Fredericton by Videoconference, Adobe Connect (Seminar). No slides, audio or video available, sorry - not because I'm being secretive, but because the recording failed.

Learning 2050
Feb 25, 2008. Learning Resources Network (LERN) Faculty Development Institute, Online - ZoomCall (Lecture). Fifteen minute talk followed by fifteen minutes of questions on the long-term trends in learning. I talk first about how learning will talk place in the long term, then I talk about the types of learning (the 'Three Ls') people will need. Then I talk about the underlying tchnology trends. All new slides!

E-Learning 2.0: What It Means, Where It's Going
Feb 21, 2008. The Business Case for eLearning 2.0, Online - WebX (Keynote). Presentation I did for Mzinga is that (the result of a merger between KnowledgePlanet and Shared Insights). I looked at what e0learning 2.0 means to me personally, then what it means to students in general, and how it shaped learning. I also talked about trends in learning - especially as these new technologies come up against traditional environments. I finished with a quick summary of the underlying technologies.

Reality
Feb 12, 2008. New Learners need New Teaching, Online video presented in Bloemfontein, South Africa (Keynote). This is a ten minute video created for and shown at a session hosted by DreamEngineers in South Africa, New Learners need New Teaching, hosted by Nico Baird.

The Reality of Virtual Learning
Jan 30, 2008. DNDLearn, Cornwall, Ontario (Keynote).

Web 2.0, E-learning 2.0 and the New Learning
Jan 30, 2008. Learning Technologies Conference, London, UK, presented online (WebX) (Lecture).

Web 2.0 in Learning
Jan 14, 2008. Web 2.0 in Learning, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Keynote). Two day seminar. I have audio of presentations from the first day: Morning,Afternoon. Filled up the recorder part way through the afternoon.

Why Integrate the Internet Into the Classroom?
Dec 18, 2007. , Charlottetown, PEI, by videoconference (Keynote).

Educamp Colombia - Medellin
Dec 07, 2007. Educamp Colombia - Medellin, Medellin, Colombia (Keynote). Audio file is the translated version - Diego Leal introduces the session in English, and then the talk by Stephen Downes is recorded in Spanish.

Educamp Colombia - Bogota
Dec 05, 2007. Educamp Colombia - Bogota, Bogota, Colombia (Keynote). Audio fiile - begins in Spanish as Diego Leal introduces the Educamp. Then there's a delay of several minutes while everyone gets their translation devices. Then Stephen Downes speaks in English. Video in English: my presentation, an overview of network learning and the concepts behind the Educamp.

Learn Yourself
Nov 22, 2007. Sosiaalinen media opetuksen ja oppimisen tukena (SMOOT), Finland, Online (Keynote). My presentation to Sosiaalinen media opetuksen ja oppimisen tukena (SMOOT) November 22, 2007. How do you as educators, I ask, create your own learning? How do you create the best learning for yourselves?

Free Learning and Control Learning
Nov 13, 2007. SURF Education Days Keynote, Utrecht, Netherlands (Keynote). My response to Kirshner, Sweller and Clark's paper on the so-called demise of non-instructivist forms of learning. Resources: - here's the Kirschner, Sweller Clark paper I am responding to. - SURF Education Days conference site - my summary of their paper - background readings related to the paper and the issues raised - Respond to criticisms from Kirschner (and a video of the talk) - Transcript of the talk

A Kaleidoscope of Futures: Reflections on the Reality of Virtual Learning
Oct 25, 2007. AECT Annual International Convention, Anaheim, California (Keynote).

Interactive Unpanel: Industry Leaders Answer Your Questions
[Sept] 25, 2007. Brandon Hall Research Innovations in Learning Conference, San Jose, California (Panel). No audio (recorder failed) or slides, sorry.

E-Learning 2.0 in Development
[Sept] 25, 2007. Brandon Hall Research Innovations in Learning Conference, San Jose, California (Keynote).

Collaboration Tools and Web 2.0
Aug 14, 2007. Council of Ontario Universities, Online to Toronto (Lecture). Presentation to the Council of Ontario Universities, providing an overview of web 2.0 tools for e-learning and collaboration. It only took me four years to add the video to this presentation. ;)

Web 2.0 and Your own Learning and Development
Jul 23, 2007. British Council, Online to London, UK (Keynote). Presentation describing how to use the web - and especially web 2.0 - for your own learning and development, based on three principles: learning should be interactive, usable and relevant. Presented by video to the British Council, July 23, 2007.

How the Net Works
Jul 19, 2007. Computers in Education Group of South Australia 2007, Videoconference to Adelaide, Australia (Keynote).

Trends and Impacts of E-Learning 2.0
Jun 13, 2007. International Conference on OpenCourseWare and e-Learning, Taipei, Taiwan (Keynote). Timeline of my activities in open learning and e-learning, and an analysis of trends in the present and future. Presented to International Conference on OpenCourseWare and e-Learning, Taipei, Taiwan.

Open Educational Resources and the Personal Learning Environment
Jun 10, 2007. International Conference on OpenCourseWare and e-Learning, Taipei, Taiwan (Seminar).

OERs in Sustainable Perspective
Jun 03, 2007. International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) Standing Conference of Presidents (SCOP), Heerlen, Netherlands (Lecture).

Things You Really Need To learn
May 29, 2007. Landelijke Dag Studievaardigheden, 's Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands (Keynote).

e-learning 2.0 Symposium
May 23, 2007. Learning and Communities in the Web 2.0 Era, Moncton, New Brunswick (Panel).

Personal Learning the Web 2.0 Way
May 19, 2007. Webheads in Action Online Conference, Global, online (Keynote). Audio Recordings: - 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. keynote Audio also here http://streamarchives.net/node/84 and here http://streamarchives.net/node/83

Women of Web 2.0 Show # 27
May 14, 2007. Women of Web 2.0, Online, Ed Tech Talk (Interview).

Imagining Canada's Best Online Course: An Open Access Project
May 14, 2007. Canadian Association of Distance Education, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Panel). May 15

The Meaning is the Message
May 13, 2007. Canadian Association of Distance Education, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Seminar). May 14

Virtual Worlds in Context
May 09, 2007. The Eduserv Foundation Symposium 2007, London, England (Lecture). Presentation given to the EduServ Foundation's 2007 conference on Second Life in Education. In this presentation I outline a number of criticisms of Second Life. Note that these slides have been converted from the original slides to enable them to be viewed on Windows.

The Future of Online Learning and Personal Learning Environments
Apr 18, 2007. Congreso Internacional de e-Learning, Bogota, Colombia (Keynote). A look at some of the recent accomplishments in e-learning, an outline of network learning, and a description of personal learning environments.

Personal Learning
Apr 12, 2007. E-Learning Guild 2007, Boston, USA (Seminar).

Outside the Envelope
Feb 21, 2007. Invitation, Teleconference (Seminar).

Toward a New Knowledge Society
Feb 16, 2007. Virtual and E-mobility for Networking Universities in Society (VENUS), online (Seminar). My presentation to the VENUS seminar on Wednesday. In this talk I describe connective knowledge, and in particular I compare it with traditonal knowledge, both on the level of generalizations (which correspond to pattern recognition) and concrete particulars (which correspond to complex linkages between entities). The online seminar was seen in six European locations as well as streamed online. (Click the title of this post to see my new-style presentation page. Enclosure should also be working, for those who like to listen to podcasts.)

The Recognition Factor
Feb 08, 2007. Online Connectivism Conference, Online, Elluminate (Lecture). Day 4: Stephen Downes Description GoogleVideo recording Audio recording .ppt slides Chat transcript

Web 2.0, E-Learning 2.0 and Personal Learning Environments
Dec 14, 2006. Special Session, Online (Centra) (Seminar).

EduPatents: The Gathering Storm
Nov 27, 2006. TeachU Seminar, Online (Elluminate) (Discussion).

Understanding Learning Networks, Reprise
Nov 02, 2006. Invited Talk, Moncton, New Brunswick (Seminar).

Understanding Learning Networks
Oct 28, 2006. Fourth EDEN Research Workshop, Castelldelfels, Spain (Keynote).

The Future of E-Learning
Oct 21, 2006. CGA Canada National Educators Meeting, Toronto, Ontario (Seminar).

Learning Networks and Connective Knowledge
Oct 16, 2006. Invited Session, Charlottetown, PEI (Seminar).

Groups vs Networks: The Class Struggle Continues
[Sept] 27, 2006. eFest, Wellington, New Zealand (Keynote). It's a genuine pleasure to be here in New Zealand. I've traveled all the way from Stewart Island up to Northland and this is an astonishingly beautiful country. I come from Canada. I don't say stuff like that lightly because we're pretty proud of our beauty in Canada, but this is a place that is relentlessly beautiful. I took the bus from Auckland to Wellington a couple of days ago and people sort of looked at me like I was nuts. But – New Zealand has a desert. I never knew that. And, you know, I jumped the tour and took the bus and discovered a desert and that's sort of like a metaphor for life or something. And the people here, I've told other people this, the people here in New Zealand are just lovely, lovely people. They have been kind and generous and they all say, or most of them I guess, I don't know about all, but they say, "Hiya." And for those of you who read my email, I always begin my email with, "Hiya." And I've never actually heard people say that. It ...

Online World
[Sept] 27, 2006. eFest, Wellington, New Zealand (Seminar).

Digital Rights Management
[Sept] 15, 2006. IT Integrators Congerence, Sydney, Australia (Seminar).

Blogging and Learning
[Sept] 15, 2006. IT Integrators Conference, Sydney, Australia (Keynote).

Future Learning Resources
[Sept] 12, 2006. Learning Technologies: The Next Five Years, Cape Town, South Africa (Seminar).

E-Learning 2.0: Tools for Meaningful Learning
[Sept] 12, 2006. Invited Session, Cape Town, South Africa (Seminar).

Learning objects: What are they good for?
[Sept] 06, 2006. WWW Applications, Bloemfontein, South Africa (Keynote). http://www.downes.ca/post/35661

E-Learning 2.0: Tools and Topics
[Sept] 05, 2006. WWW Applications, Bloemfontein, South Africa (Workshop). I had a nice time in the Free State capital of Bloemfontein, where I conducted a preconference workshop September 5 and a keynote address September 6. The workshop, E-Learning 2.0: Tools and Topics, was based on my wiki presentation, though to be honest, we hardly touched the wiki. That said, the live Skypecast worked beautifully. Here's the audio: part one (14 meg), part two (8 meg), part three (24 meg). The keynote the next day was a different matter. we made some slight changes to the Skypecast, so it became a bit of a debugging exercise. No problem, we just did it on stage while I gave my keynote. It was a bit chaotic, but a perfect example of living your learning. Here are the slides and here is audio file (39 K, sorry, it's direct from the iRiver) of the keynote. Stephen Downes, Stephen's Web, September 15, 2006. [Link] [Tags: Podcasting, Audio, Audio Chat and Conferencing, E-Learning 2.0, Gaming]

Cooperation and Competition: National Learning Object Repositories
Jul 28, 2006. Objetos de Aprendizaje (OA) y Redes de Alta Velocidad, Bogota, Colombia (Keynote).

Learning Objects: Their Use, Their Potential, and Why They Are Not Dead Yet
Jul 27, 2006. Objetos de Aprendizaje (OA) y Redes de Alta Velocidad, Bogota, Colombia (Keynote).

E-Learning 2.0: Why The New Tools?
Jul 18, 2006. e/merge 2006 - Learning Landscapes in Southern Africa, Online, Elluminate (Keynote). http://emerge2006.net/programme.php

Learning Networks and the Personal Learning Environment
Jun 12, 2006. Invited Seminar, Vienna, Austria (Seminar).

E-Learning 2.0 - Platform, Not Medium
Jun 09, 2006. Microlearning, Innsbruck, Austria (Lecture).

The Students Own Education
Jun 05, 2006. , Milton Keynes, UK (Seminar).

The Global University
Jun 05, 2006. Blue Ribbon Panel, Milton Keynes, UK (Panel).

How I became (blog) literate and what (blog) literacy meant to me
Jun 02, 2006. blogs.ac.uk, London, UK (Keynote).

What do we see when we look through a computer?
May 30, 2006. CAUCE 2006, Toronto, Ontario (Keynote).

The Unkeynote
Apr 21, 2006. BCEd Online Annual Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia (Keynote).

A Conversation With Stephen Downes
Apr 21, 2006. BCEd Online Annual Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia (Seminar).

Distributed Learning
Apr 03, 2006. 11th Annual IT Conference, Murfreesboro, Tennessee (Keynote).

From EduBlogs to the Collective Consciousness
Feb 27, 2006. Alaska Society for Technology in Education, Anchorage, Alaska (Keynote).

From EduBlogs to the Collective Consciousness (Director's Cut)
Feb 26, 2006. Alaska Society for Technology in Education, Anchorage, Alaska (Workshop). I'm at the ASTE conference in Anchorage, Alaska, where I conducted an all day seminar yesterday (the "Director's Cut") and a keynote address this morning. For the seminar I created a Jot wiki. Here are the PowerPoint slides from the keynote. I also have audio from the seminar - Part One, Part Two, each about 18 megabytes. And audio from the keynote, about 9 megabytes.

E-Learning 2.0 at the E-Learning Forum
Feb 22, 2006. E-Learning Forum, Online (to California) (Seminar).

Models for Sustainable Open Education Resources
Feb 07, 2006. OECD Expert Meeting in Malmo, Malmo, Sweden (Seminar). See also http://www.downes.ca/post/38577

Learning Networks
Jan 25, 2006. NRC In-House, Moncton, New Brunswick, Online (Seminar).

Learning Networks
Dec 15, 2005. NRC Client Presentation, Saint John (Seminar).

On Being Radical
Nov 18, 2005. SACE 2005, Regina, Saskatchewan (Keynote).

Open Learning and the Metauniversity
Nov 14, 2005. Open Source for Education in Europe, Heerlen, Netherlands (Seminar).

E-Learning 2.0
Oct 28, 2005. TESIC, Gander, Newfoundland (Keynote).

Riding the Wave: Personal Professional Development in an Age of Chaos
Oct 27, 2005. TESIC, Gander, Newfoundland (Seminar).

What E-Learning 2.0 Means To You
[Sept] 14, 2005. Transitions in Advanced Learning, Ottawa, Ontario (Seminar).

Reaching the Blogosphere
[Sept] 13, 2005. News vs. Noise Conference, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada (Seminar).

Collaboration and Technology
[Sept] 12, 2005. Alt-C, Manchester, UK (Keynote). What was the point (I was asked) of being here at this conference? What was the point of coming together? Do we critically reflect on theory, practice, or do we merely reinforce our existing prejudices? What do we take home? These questions are asked in the context of an examination of the benefits (and weaknesses) of collaboration.

Principles of Distributed Representation
Aug 09, 2005. Seminars in Academic Computing, Snowmass, Colorado (Keynote). Learning object metadata will be rewritten. Or maybe bypassed entirely. It's going to be rewritten because it has to be, because as we work with learning object metadata as it is currently incarnated, unless we're working within a large monolithic entity like the U.S. military, learning object metadata will be found to be too rigid, too inflexible, too narrowly defined, to do the sorts of things that we want to do with it.

E-Learning 2.0 (Alberta Cut)
Jun 10, 2005. Interface 2005, Edmonton, Alberta (Keynote).

E-Learning 2.0
Jun 03, 2005. CIDER, Online, Elluminate (Lecture).

E-Learning: A Kaleidoscope of Options
Jun 01, 2005. CAPE, Summerside, Prince Edward Island (Keynote). E-Learning: A Kaleidoscope of Options - Part One E-Learning: A Kaleidoscope of Options - Part Two My talk to the Canadian Association of Police Educators in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. PowerPoint Slides and audio (MP3), part one and part two. Once again, I'm speaking in a large concrete room (funny how things like that come in clusters) so the sound quality is again iffy. (mpeg) By Stephen Downes, Stephen's Web, May 18, 2005

CSTD Panel on the Future of Learning
May 27, 2005. CSTD, Fredericton, New Brunswick (Panel).

How To Be A Good Learner
May 26, 2005. This Is IT, North Bay, Ontario (Keynote).

The Living Arts: The Future of Learning Online
May 25, 2005. Invited Presentation, Guelph, Ontario (Seminar). Spanish translation of slides: Las Artes Vivas:El Futuro del aprendizaje en línea.

Learning Networks: Theory and Practice
Mar 09, 2005. International Conference on Methods and Technologies for Learning, Palermo, Italy (Lecture). Talk at the opening of the International Conference on Methods and Technologies for Learning at the Palazzo dei Normanni, Palermo, Sicily. Unfortunately rushed, my talk wasn't everything I had hoped, though people were kind enough to say nice things afterward (including one who, after seeing the slides, said it's a talk I should give in full one day). Still, here are the slides and the MP3 of Learning Networks (3.3 megabytes).

Future of FLOSSE: Interview with Stephen Downes - Part 2
Mar 02, 2005. Future of FLOSSE, online (Interview). This is the second part of my interview with Teemu Arina. The sound quality is so-so, but it was the first experience for both of us recording a Skype conversation. Arina summarizes, "Stephen talks about communities and what is actually a community and what kinds of communities people belong to. The internet allows people to pick very specific communities by topic out there. Communities are not anymore tied to a place but are more like networks, clusters and clouds." Interestingly, people looking for clarification of my Northern Voice talk, which was actually given after this interview was recorded, will find it here.

Future of FLOSSE: Interview with Stephen Downes - Part 1
Feb 28, 2005. Future of FLOSSE, online (Interview). FLOSSE continues with its series of interviews, releasing part 1 of its interview with me today. As they did with Alan Levine, extrapolated from my remarks is a timeline of projected future events. Interesting. I think that the dates are a bit late - but then again, I always think things move too slowly, so maybe the dates are more accurate than I would pick. So here's the MP3 of Part One and we'll all wait with bated breath for Part Two.

Living in a Distributed World
Feb 23, 2005. KnowTips, Online, Elluminate (Lecture). The MP3 of my online talk, Living in a Distributed World is now available. In this talk I contrast centralized and distributed approaches to learning technology and outline the distributed approach. The PowerPoint slides are also available, or if you wish, you can view the session directly on Elluminate. http://www.odysseylearn.com/elive/StephenDownes.jnlp

Blogging in Education Panel
Feb 20, 2005. Northern Voice, Vancouver, British Columbia (Panel). I also sat on the Blogging in Education panel: here is the MP3 of Blogging in Education and here is a summary by Nancy White.

Community Blogging
Feb 19, 2005. Northern Voice, Vancouver, British Columbia (Lecture). An analysis of community as it emerges in blogging: how it is formed, how it should reshape the blogosphere, and how it can be implemented (quite easily) technologically. And along the way, deflating a few pet concepts of the blogerati, such as the value of the long tail and the utility of tagging.

Blogging and RSS in Learning
Dec 17, 2004. Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia (Lecture). Slides and the audio from my talk at Acadia here in Wolfville (7 megabytes). Similar to my talk of yesterday, but I spent less time on the basics and more time talking about wikis, RSS aggregation and Edu_RSS.

Blogging in Education
Dec 16, 2004. Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia (Lecture). Slides and MP3 audio (10 megabytes or so) from my talk today at Mount Saint Vincent University. The talk itself is a presentation of the use of blogging in learning, blogging technologies and aggregators, and some discussion of RSS. The interesting bit comes after the talk, as audience members remained for almost an hour to continue with questions and comments, including thoughts on the ethics of research and blogging along with my thoughts on emerging trends.

Learning Objects, Metadata, Blogs And RSS: The Future Of Online Education According To Stephen Downes
Dec 10, 2004. Robin Good, online (Interview). Robin Good and I had a nice chat on Friday; he had the audio recorder running and links to the interview (the audio is also available on my site in MP3 format. Just to be clear, because a couple of people have raised this: I did not say I would never link to Robin Good again (my goodness), I asserted merely that I would not link to posts sponsored by Marqui. Quite a difference!

Object Oriented Learning Objects
Nov 26, 2004. L'ingenierie pedagogique a l'heure des TIC, Montreal, Quebec (Panel). I present again the idea of "e-learning as dynamic, unstructured stream of learning resources obtained and organized by learners." In this talk I extend the idea bit by elaborating on the community aspect of learning resources and outlining how the learning objects should be designed in order to facilitate this.

Global Learn Day
Nov 20, 2004. Global Learn Day, online (Lecture). My contribution to Global Learn Day is available as an MP3 audio feed - I talk about the Firefox launch, the emergence of blogging in the Yukon, and the spirit that lies behind all this - the idea that we could provide learning to everyone in the world (please note the sound is bad for three minutes during the introduction, then my talk comes out very clearly).

Blogs, RSS and Cool Stuff
Nov 19, 2004. New Directions in Learning, Whitehorse, Yukon (Seminar). Presentation that covers everything from content management systems, blogs, wikis and RSS.

New Directions in Learning
Nov 18, 2004. New Directions in Learning, Whitehorse, Yukon (Keynote). New Directions in Learning (Part 1) Audio of my talk in WhiteHorse, Yukon. You know you're speaking to the right group when three of them are wearing those black "I'm blogging this" t-shirts. :) Discussion how our understanding of the nature of knowledge shapes our understanding of learning. Learning as experience. The learning network. (mpeg) By Stephen Downes, Stephen's Web, November 18, 2004 New Directions in Learning (Part 2) Audio of my talk in WhiteHorse, Yukon. You know you're speaking to the right group when three of them are wearing those black "I'm blogging this" t-shirts. :) Discussion how our understanding of the nature of knowledge shapes our understanding of learning. Learning as experience. The learning network. (mpeg) By Stephen Downes, Stephen's Web, November 18, 2004

Theory of Learning Networks
Nov 10, 2004. Maritime Open Source Technologies, Moncton, New Brunswick (Seminar). Maritimes Open Source Technology (Part 1) Introduction - about the E-Learning Research Group and IRAP (Rod Savoie, William Langley), open source and some local success tories (Peter Burtt), Distributed Digital Rights Management (Stephen Downes). My own slides are available. Website. (mpeg) By Rod Savoie, William Langley, Peter Burtt, and Stephen Downes, Stephen's Web, November 12, 2004 Maritimes Open Source Technology (Part 2) The Open RuleML Standard for Semantic Web Rule Interchange, Harold Boley NRC-IIT researcher and international lead architect for RuleML; Personal Health Records Application for New Brunswick – on going advances in creating an electronic patient record system for New Brunswick with Open Source tools and components, Rene Richard and Keith Wilson, researchers NRC-IIT ehealth. (mpeg) By Harold Boley, Rene Richard and Keith Wilson, Stephen's Web, November 12, 2004

Open Digital Rights Management
Nov 10, 2004. Maritime Open Source Technology, Moncton, New Brunswick (Lecture).

Ten Years After
Oct 19, 2004. NAWeb 2004, Fredericton, New Brunswick (Keynote).

Knowledge and Learning
Oct 11, 2004. Special Sessions, Perth, WA, Australia (Seminar). WestOne Workshop, October 11-12 Topics during these two half-day workshops included knowledge and learning, the new student, personalization, communities of practice, and other issues. MP3 Audio, Part 1 (11.9M, 45 minutes) PowerPoint Slides from part 1 (98K) MP3 Audio, Part 2 (7.7M, 1 hour 5 minutes) MP3 Audio, Part 3 (8.6M, 1 hour 12 minutes) MP3 Audio, Part 4 (7.6M, 1 hour 4 minutes (clipped at end)) Knowledge and Learning wiki page Social networking wiki page ...

The Buntine Oration: Learning Networks
Oct 09, 2004. ACE / ACEL, Perth, Australia (Keynote). Perth, Western Australia The Buntine Oration: Learning Networks, October 9 I had this vision, you see, that the use of learning objects would, in effect, make learning content seamlessly and effortlessly available not only to all students, but to all people in the world who wished to learn, and that the portability and reusability of learning objects meant that we could develop an educational environment where students were not marched in lockstep through a predefined curriculum but instead could have the freedom and capacity to explore the world of learning according to their own interests and their own whims. Learning, genuinely free and accessible learning, could be produced and shared by all. MP3 Audio, Part 1 (5.3M, 45 minutes) HTML version MS-Word ...

Positioning Tasmania as a Leader in ICT Enabled Education and Training
Oct 04, 2004. Invited Seminar, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia (Seminar). Positioning Tasmania as a Leader in ICT Enabled Education and Training, October 4 This full day session was a wide ranging discussion centered around four major themes: the role of government, the role of industry, the role of education, and a wrap up, bringing it all together. MP3 Audio, Part 1 (9.2M, 1 hour, 17 minutes) MP3 Audio, Part 2 (4.1M, 34 minutes) MP3 Audio, Part 3 (3.2M, 27 minutes) MP3 Audio, Part 4 (10.0M, 1 hour, 24 minutes) PowerPoint Slides (2.2M) Role Of Government wiki page Role Of Industry wiki page ICT Roundtable
Oct 01, 2004. Invited Seminar, Hobart, Tasmania (Seminar). ICT Roundtable, October 1 Short outlines of projects by instructional technology leaders in Tasmania, each followed by commentary and discussion. MP3 Audio, Part 1 (14.2M, 1 hour, 58 minutes) MP3 Audio, Part 2 (12.5M, 1 hour, 45 minutes) Technical Roundtable wiki page Summary by Janine Bowes Recodings and comments by Kirsty Sharp - Peter Higgs summary, personalization of learning, workplace learning, knowledge Management

Collaboration Workshop
[Sept] 29, 2004. Special Session, Adelaide, SA, Australia (Seminar). Adelaide, South Australia The Future of Online Learning and Knowledge Networks, September 29 This talk outlines ways in which the 'consensus view' of e-learning technology misunderstands the technoilogical and business models offered by the internet and describes as an alternative the resource profiles picture of metadata and harvesting. PowerPoint Slides (58K) MP3 Audio, Part 1, first group (7.3M, 1 hour) MP3 Audio, Part 1, second group (6.1M, 50 minutes) MP3 Audio, Part 2, combined group (3.0M, 25 minutes) E-Learning in Canada wiki page Future Of Knowledge Networks wiki ...

The Future of Online Learning and Knowledge Networks
[Sept] 29, 2004. Special Session, Adelaide, SA, Australia (Lecture). Adelaide, South Australia The Future of Online Learning and Knowledge Networks, September 29 This talk outlines ways in which the 'consensus view' of e-learning technology misunderstands the technoilogical and business models offered by the internet and describes as an alternative the resource profiles picture of metadata and harvesting. PowerPoint Slides (58K) MP3 Audio, Part 1, first group (7.3M, 1 hour) MP3 Audio, Part 1, second group (6.1M, 50 minutes) MP3 Audio, Part 2, combined group (3.0M, 25 minutes) E-Learning in Canada wiki page Future Of Knowledge Networks wiki ...

Blogs, Learning Objects and Other Cool Stuff!
[Sept] 27, 2004. Invited Presentation, Alice Springs, NT, Australia (Seminar). Alice Springs, Northern Territory Blogs, Learning Objects and Other Cool Stuff! September 27 This session introduces and defines blogs and blogging, shows how to create a blog in just a few minutes, gives advice on blog content and format, suggests educational and classroom uses of blogs, defines and outlines blog syndication using RSS, provides practical examples of RSS syndication formats, applies syndicated blog content in course web pages, suggests sources of RSS content, and outlines future directions for the medium. PowerPoint Slides (56K) MP3 Audio, Part 1 (13.4M, 1 hour 51 minutes) Cool Stuff wiki page My visit in Alice Springs was hosted by School of the Air. Photos from Alice Springs, September 26-28. Photos from Uluru, September 27.

E-Learning in Easy Pieces
[Sept] 24, 2004. Invited Lecture, Darwin, NT, Australia (Lecture). Darwin, Northern Territory E-Learning in Easy Pieces, Darwin, September 24 When we think of e-learning these days, we tend to think of learning management systems, enterprise systems, and integrated courseware. Large, complex, do-everything pieces. But when we look at the internet technologies that have actually been successful - things like email, web sites, and blogs - we find that what works is exactly the opposite: small pieces, loosely joined. This lecture looks at what's wrong with enterprise e-learning and why the small pieces approach will work better, and will describe recent and innovative work using such technology, including the use of blogs, wikis, and RSS. PowerPoint Slides (116K) MP3 Audio, Part 1 (11.2M, 1 hour 33 minutes) Easy Pieces wiki page Open Education, the Semantic Web and the Personalisation of eLearning
[Sept] 22, 2004. Invited Session, Cairns, Queensland, Australia (Seminar). Sunshine Coast and Cairns, Queensland A Dog�s Breakfast: Roles and Responsibilities for Managers in the Cyber Era For managers and supervisors from all sectors on the responsibilities and roles of managers in driving elearning. Looks at the nine rules for good technology and adapts them to define good management. This talk was given twice, once in each location. PowerPoint Slides (27K) MP3 Audio from Sunshine Coast (5.5M, 45 minutes) MP3 Audio from Cairns (6.5M, 54 minutes) Decision Makers wiki page Knowledge, Learning Objects and The New Student Intended for teachers, administrators and support staff in Primary and Secondary Schools addressing the strategies available to access and use knowledge and ...

Knowledge, Learning Objects and The New Student
[Sept] 22, 2004. Invited Session, Cairns, Queensland, Australia (Seminar). Sunshine Coast and Cairns, Queensland A Dog�s Breakfast: Roles and Responsibilities for Managers in the Cyber Era For managers and supervisors from all sectors on the responsibilities and roles of managers in driving elearning. Looks at the nine rules for good technology and adapts them to define good management. This talk was given twice, once in each location. PowerPoint Slides (27K) MP3 Audio from Sunshine Coast (5.5M, 45 minutes) MP3 Audio from Cairns (6.5M, 54 minutes) Decision Makers wiki page Knowledge, Learning Objects and The New Student Intended for teachers, administrators and support staff in Primary and Secondary Schools addressing the strategies available to access and use knowledge and ...

A Dog's Breakfast: Roles and Responsibilities for Managers in the Cyber Era
[Sept] 22, 2004. Invited Session, Cairns, Queensland, Australia (Seminar). Sunshine Coast and Cairns, Queensland A Dog�s Breakfast: Roles and Responsibilities for Managers in the Cyber Era For managers and supervisors from all sectors on the responsibilities and roles of managers in driving elearning. Looks at the nine rules for good technology and adapts them to define good management. This talk was given twice, once in each location. PowerPoint Slides (27K) MP3 Audio from Sunshine Coast (5.5M, 45 minutes) MP3 Audio from Cairns (6.5M, 54 minutes) Decision Makers wiki page Knowledge, Learning Objects and The New Student Intended for teachers, administrators and support staff in Primary and Secondary Schools addressing the strategies available to access and use knowledge and ...

Open Education, the Semantic Web and the Personalisation of eLearning
[Sept] 20, 2004. Invited Session, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia (Seminar). Sunshine Coast and Cairns, Queensland A Dog�s Breakfast: Roles and Responsibilities for Managers in the Cyber Era For managers and supervisors from all sectors on the responsibilities and roles of managers in driving elearning. Looks at the nine rules for good technology and adapts them to define good management. This talk was given twice, once in each location. PowerPoint Slides (27K) MP3 Audio from Sunshine Coast (5.5M, 45 minutes) MP3 Audio from Cairns (6.5M, 54 minutes) Decision Makers wiki page Knowledge, Learning Objects and The New Student Intended for teachers, administrators and support staff in Primary and Secondary Schools addressing the strategies available to access and use knowledge and ...

Knowledge, Learning Objects and The New Student
[Sept] 20, 2004. Invited Session, Cairns, Queensland, Australia (Seminar). Sunshine Coast and Cairns, Queensland A Dog�s Breakfast: Roles and Responsibilities for Managers in the Cyber Era For managers and supervisors from all sectors on the responsibilities and roles of managers in driving elearning. Looks at the nine rules for good technology and adapts them to define good management. This talk was given twice, once in each location. PowerPoint Slides (27K) MP3 Audio from Sunshine Coast (5.5M, 45 minutes) MP3 Audio from Cairns (6.5M, 54 minutes) Decision Makers wiki page Knowledge, Learning Objects and The New Student Intended for teachers, administrators and support staff in Primary and Secondary Schools addressing the strategies available to access and use knowledge and ...

A Dog's Breakfast: Roles and Responsibilities for Managers in the Cyber Era
[Sept] 20, 2004. Invited Session, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia (Seminar). Sunshine Coast and Cairns, Queensland A Dog�s Breakfast: Roles and Responsibilities for Managers in the Cyber Era For managers and supervisors from all sectors on the responsibilities and roles of managers in driving elearning. Looks at the nine rules for good technology and adapts them to define good management. This talk was given twice, once in each location. PowerPoint Slides (27K) MP3 Audio from Sunshine Coast (5.5M, 45 minutes) MP3 Audio from Cairns (6.5M, 54 minutes) Decision Makers wiki page Knowledge, Learning Objects and The New Student Intended for teachers, administrators and support staff in Primary and Secondary Schools addressing the strategies available to access and use knowledge and ...

Edging the Techno Frontier
[Sept] 17, 2004. Invited Roundtable, Canberra, ACT, Australia (Seminar). Canberra, Australian Capital Territory New Students, New Learning, Canberra, ACT, September 16 What is quality in e-learning and what do organisations need to do to get it happening? Identifies the major elements of quality we need to aim for and considers some of the practicalities of achieving it. The new student: What will be expected of us? What will the digital generation mean for the schools of the future? Do we need to consider the 'new literacy', adjust our understanding of values and learning, or change the way we deal with diversity? The future is not as far away as we like to think and organisations need to be planning now. PowerPoint Slides (116K) MP3 Audio, Part 1 (8.6M, 1 hour 11 minutes) MP3 Audio, Part 2 (9.1M, 1 hour 16 minutes) New Students, New Learning
[Sept] 16, 2004. Invited Lecture, Canberra, ACT, Australia (Lecture). Canberra, Australian Capital Territory New Students, New Learning, Canberra, ACT, September 16 What is quality in e-learning and what do organisations need to do to get it happening? Identifies the major elements of quality we need to aim for and considers some of the practicalities of achieving it. The new student: What will be expected of us? What will the digital generation mean for the schools of the future? Do we need to consider the 'new literacy', adjust our understanding of values and learning, or change the way we deal with diversity? The future is not as far away as we like to think and organisations need to be planning now. PowerPoint Slides (116K) MP3 Audio, Part 1 (8.6M, 1 hour 11 minutes) MP3 Audio, Part 2 (9.1M, 1 hour 16 minutes) Reusable Media, Social Software and Openness in Education
[Sept] 04, 2004. Instructional Technology Institute, Logan, Utah (Keynote).

Quality Standards: It's All About Teaching and Learning?
Jun 04, 2004. NUTN 2004, Kennebunkport, Maine (Seminar).

The Evolving Concept of the Community of Practice
May 29, 2004. Building Distributed Communities of Practice, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Seminar).

Projecting Quality
May 07, 2004. MADLat, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Lecture).

Distributed Digital Rights Management: The EduSource Approach to DRM
Apr 24, 2004. First International Workshop on the Open Digital Rights Language (ODRL), Vienna, Austria (Keynote). See http://www.downes.ca/post/42053

Distributed Digital Rights Management
Mar 30, 2004. Learning Object Summit, Fredericton, New Brunswick (Lecture).

Divergence and Collaboration in eduSource
Mar 29, 2004. Learning Object Summit, Fredericton, New Brunswick (Lecture).

Emerging Technologies in E-Learning
Mar 15, 2004. RIMA IECF, Quebec City, Quebec (Seminar).

Blogging and RSS in Learning
Jan 27, 2004. Invited Lecture, Online, Elluminate (Seminar).

Distributed Digital Rights Management
Jan 27, 2004. Invited Lecture, Online (Lecture).

Issues in Digital Rights Management
Nov 11, 2003. E-learn 2003, Phoenix, Arizona (Panel). See http://www.downes.ca/post/42094

Blogs, Learning Objects, and Other Cool Stuff
Oct 19, 2003. NAWeb 2003, Fredericton, New Brunswick (Workshop). http://www.downes.ca/files/Blogs.doc

Questions and Possibilities: The Four-Dimensional Future of Metadata
[Sept] 20, 2003. Canadian Metadata Forum, Ottawa, Ontario (Lecture).

Forced Education: Schools of the Future
Aug 21, 2003. TeLearning Conference, Videoconferenced to Hobart, Australia (Seminar).

Coping With Digital Rights Management
Jun 12, 2003. eduSource Industry Forum, Moncton, New Brunswick (Seminar).

Tomorrow's Online Teachers
Jun 11, 2003. FAME course in Sydney, Australia, Online, Groove (Seminar).

Learning Objects in a Wider Context
Jun 09, 2003. CADE 2003, St. John's, Newfoundland (Seminar).

DLORN: Distributed Learning Object Repository Network
Apr 29, 2003. Open Education: Moving From Concept to Reality, Online (Seminar).

Coping With Digital Rights Management
Mar 24, 2003. eduSource Industry Forum, Toronto, Canada (Lecture). Slides from my presentation on digital rights at the eduSource Industry Forum last week in Toronto. In that presentation I went into an interesting digression on the nature of learning objects. Here was my argument in a nutshell (printed here because it doesn't exist like this elsewhere). Yes, the reference to a certain prop is real. My main point is that there is no reason to restrict a priori what counts as a learning object. Yes, a paper tissue is an extreme example. But: * whether something counts as a learning object depends on whether it can be used to teach or learn, and this can only be determined by its use, not by its nature * people will want to use a wide variety of objects, including even (in at least one case) a used tissue, in order to teach or learn * no good will come, therefore, of limiting a priori what objects will count as learning objects and what objects will not.

E-Learning Decisions: Modes, Models and Strategies
Feb 25, 2003. Government Online Conference, Ottawa, Canada (Keynote). Description of various types of e-learning, overview of implementation strategies for e-learning in government enterprises.

No, Really, This is What We Want
Feb 20, 2003. IMS Open Technical Forum, Vancouver, Canada (Keynote). Keynote speech at the IMS Open Technical Forum, Vancouver, British Columbia, February 20, 2003. A look at the disconnect between what IMS is producing what what people in e-learning are really looking for.

One Standard for All: Why We Don't Want It, Why We Don't Need It
Jan 17, 2003. Guest Lecture, Edmonton, Canada (Lecture). Invited presentation to staff at Athabasca University. Discussion of the idea of a single educational metadata and criticism from the argument that standards will need to be contextually sensitive.

An Introduction to RSS for Educational Designers
Dec 03, 2002. eduSource Atlantic, Moncton, Canada (Seminar).

Learning Object Repositories in Canada
Nov 20, 2002. CADE Wide and Witty Weekday, Teleconference (Presentation).

Web Services and Semantic Web for Next Generation of Learning Repositories and Content Management Systems
Nov 18, 2002. Advanced Networks Workshop, Montreal, Canada (Lecture).

Design and Reusability of Learning Objects in an Academic Context: A New Economy of Education?
Nov 12, 2002. eLearning: una sfida per l'universita, Milan, Italy (Lecture).

The Role of Quality in e-Learning: From "Page-Turners" to Motivating and Engaging Online Courses
Oct 28, 2002. TExpo, Fredericton, Canada (Lecture).

The Learning Object Economy
Oct 20, 2002. NAWeb, Fredericton, New Brunswick (Seminar).

Syndicated Learning
Aug 13, 2002. Distance Teaching and Learning Conference, Madison,United States (Seminar).

Elements of a Distributed Learning Object Repository
May 31, 2002. AMTEC, Regina, Canada (Lecture).

The Learning Web
May 29, 2002. AMTEC, Regina, Saskatchewan (Keynote).

Distance Learning in the Daily News
May 27, 2002. CADE, Calgary, Canada (Lecture). Discussion of development and design of OLDaily, my daily newsletter devoted to the subject of online learning. Outlines some of the major influences, describes previous experience in online email newsletters, and outlines major content, design and delivery issues.

Learning Objects, Learning Repositories and Future Trends in eLearning
May 15, 2002. E-learning: Let's Talk About It conference, Gatineau, Canada (Keynote). Comparison between the development of the World Wide Web in 1994 and the development of a distributed web based learning object repository network in 2002.

Toward a Learning Object Repository Network
May 02, 2002. LearnTec, Miramichi, Canada (Keynote). Quick overview of learning objects and description of the framework of a learning object repository network. Includes a description and discussion of the proposed pan Canadian learning object repositories initiative.

A World of Opportunity: E-Learning and Atlantic Canada
Mar 20, 2002. Invited Lecture, Fredericton, Canada (Lecture).

Learner Centered by Practice: Applying What We Know About Learning and Cognition in Designing for the Online Environment
Jan 28, 2002. NLII Annual Meeting, San Diego, USA (Panel).

Online Learning: From Virtual to Reality
Oct 15, 2001. Net*Working, Brisbane,Australia (Keynote). In this presentation I advance the idea that online learning enables education to become more real by moving it from the abstract environment of the classroom into people's homes and workplaces.

The Learning Marketplace
Oct 08, 2001. Invited Seminar, Sydney, Australia (Seminar).

Virtual Communities, Real People
Oct 08, 2001. LearnScope, online (Seminar). This presentation describes the concept of the learning marketplace, then looks at the underlying technologies supporting it: resource descriptions, learning objects and learning content management systems.

Designing For A Viable Online Professional Development Community
Apr 25, 2001. AusWeb, Coff's Harbour, Australia (Poster).

Building a Learning Community
Apr 18, 2001. TAFE Frontiers, Melbourne, Australia (Lecture). Discusses not only the essential elements of an online learning community but also what it takes to make an online community work.

Understanding Online Learning
Feb 22, 2001. Invited Lecture, Melbourne, Australia (Lecture). This presentation covers the basic structure of an online course and provides a number of examples. Topics include the advantages and disadvantages of online learning, elements of online learning, what works, what doesn?t, the future of online learning.

Distance Education: The Dream
Nov 08, 2000. Net*Working 2000, online (Panel).

Content Syndication and Online Learning
Oct 16, 2000. NAWeb, Fredericton, Canada (Lecture).

Exploring New Directions in Online Learning
Oct 14, 2000. NAWeb, Fredericton, Canada (Seminar). This full day preconference session is a comprehensive overview of trends in online learning. A large set of notes, this presentation is almost like a long paper. Major topics include online learning communities, learning objects and knowledge management.

MuniMall: A Review
Oct 06, 2000. Invited Lecture, Edmonton, Canada (Lecture). Overview of the MuniMall project (MuniMall is an online learning, information and resources community for the municipal sector in Alberta. Describes original project plan, changes to the concept, research and additional work.

Aspects of Smart Communities
Jun 26, 2000. Municipal Refresher Course, Edmonton, Canada (Lecture). Description of the concept of a smart community (that is, a city or town that uses information technology to support governance and services) and discussion about how to implement new technology in an overall community framework.

Learning Objects
May 05, 2000. Leaders in Learning, Edmonton, Canada (Lecture).

The New Knowledge Economy
Mar 20, 2000. Invited Lecture, Edmonton, Alberta (Lecture). Speaks to the effects of the Internet-based information communications technologies on society, commerce and governance. The presentation highlights the transformational consequences and prospects of information and communications technologies with special attention to local government and governance.

Essentials of Knowledge Management
Mar 15, 2000. Invited Lecture, Edmonton, Alberta (Seminar).

Creating an Online Learning Community
Nov 25, 1999. Virtual Schools Symposium, Edmonton, Alberta (Seminar).

The Future of Online Learning
Oct 06, 1998. NAWeb 98, Fredericton, New Brunswick (Seminar).

On-Line Conferencing
May 06, 1996. Distance education & technology: Future visions, Second annual professional development workshop, Maryland, Online (Lecture). See also: http://www.downes.ca/post/42052

The Painted Porch MAUD, or, Why MUDs are so much better than MOOs
Jun 01, 1995. Distance Education Conference, Online (MOO) (Seminar).

In Defense of Meaning Holism
Jun 16, 1994. Canadian Philosophical Association National Conference, Calgary, Alberta (Lecture).

Critical Thinking in the Classroom
Feb 01, 1994. Instructors' Conference, Grande Prairie, Alberta (Lecture).

In Defense of Meaning Holism
Nov 15, 1992. Western Canada Philosophy Association Annual Conference, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Lecture).

The Problem of Perceptual Error
Mar 15, 1992. 5th Annual Canadian Graduate Students' Conference in Philosophy, Toronto, Ontario (Lecture).

Comment on David Martens (Mount Royal College), First-Person Attitudes and Intentional Action
May 15, 1991. All-Alberta Philosophy Conference, Lake Louise, Alberta (Lecture).

Foundationalism
Mar 15, 1991. 4th Annual Canadian Graduate Students' Conference in Philosophy, Edmonton, Alberta (Lecture).

Comment on Susan-Judith Hoffman, Post-Foundationalism: An Alternative to the Debate
Mar 15, 1991. 4th Annual Canadian Graduate Students' Conference in Philosophy, Edmonton, Alberta (Lecture).

Relevant Similarity
Nov 15, 1990. Philosophy Workshop, Edmonton, Alberta (Lecture).

Self Interest and Self Government
Nov 11, 1989. 3rd Annual Canadian Graduate Students' Conference in Philosophy, St. John's, Newfoundland (Lecture).

Evidence and Theory Confirmation
Oct 11, 1989. Western Canada Philosophical Association, Calgary, Alberta (Lecture).

Moore and Wittgenstein on Scepticism
Oct 01, 1989. Philosophy Workshop, Edmonton, Alberta (Lecture).

Resemblance and Mental Imagery
Nov 01, 1988. 2nd Annual Canadian Graduate Students' Conference in Philosophy, Hamilton, Ontario (Lecture).

A Zen Critique of Transcendental Phenomenology
Oct 01, 1988. Philosophy Workshop, Edmonton, Alberta (Lecture).

Humanism and the Copernican Revolution
Mar 01, 1988. University of Alberta Graduate Research Symposium, Edmonton, Alberta (Lecture). Giving the presentation in the Back Room at the Power Plant.

Models and Modality
Nov 01, 1987. 1st Annual Canadian Graduate Students' Conference in Philosophy, Guelph, Ontario (Lecture).

title
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