Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Concordia's Educational Technology Program Celebrates Its Fortieth Anniversary

CONTACT:
Saul Carliner, 514.848.2424 x2038
saulcarliner@gmail.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

To honor the fortieth anniversary of its launching, the Educational Technology Program at Concordia University is hosting a series of events:
  • The Educational Technology Showcase, scheduled 9h00 to 12h30, Thursday, March 12, 2009, which is intended to provide people who make and influence purchasing decisions on educational technology with valuable input from the research that they can use in decision making. The event is intended to feature the Concordia community as presenters and, as participants, would draw policy makers, school and university administrators, and corporate and NGO leaders. It would result in a publishable “Scorecard” that participants can refer to when making decisions.
  • The Educational Technology Symposium, scheduled June 28-30, 2009, which will be a 3-day event in late June or early July intended to highlight contributions by the Concordia educational technology community and their applications in real-world educational technology session. The event will also feature a 40th reunion event for alumni.
  • A website highlighting 40 years of developments in educational technology, as well as publications resulting from the three public events. To see the website, visit http://doe.concordia.ca/etec40/

In addition, the program sponsored a Fall Colloquium earlier in the month, a live webcast. The session, which explored Diverging Directions in Educational Technology, featured Terry Anderson, Professor and Canada Research Chair, Athabasca University; Francois Desjardins, Associate Professor and Associate Dean, Faculty of Education, Ontario Institute of Technology; Manu Kapur, Assistant Professor, Learning Sciences and Technology (LST) Academic Group, National Institute of Education of Singapore; and Harold Stolovitch, Professor Emeritus, Universite de Montreal and Clinical Professor, University of Southern California.

Concordia University launched its graduate Educational Technology program in September 1968 at then-Sir George Williams University. The program began by offering an MA degree, and has since added a Diploma in Instructional Technology (1972) and a PhD in Educational Technology (1981), converted this year to a PhD in Education). It is the oldest such program in the country and has graduated over 1,000 students, who work in the field positions throughout the world. Professor Gary Boyd, a founding member of this program, continues to serve on the faculty. Professor Bob Bernard directs the graduate programs.

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Panel Discussion on Diverging Directions in Educational Technology

In honor of its 40th anniversary year, the Educational Technology Program at Concordia University is hosting a live-webcast panel discussion, Diverging Directions in Educational Technology, Thursday, November 6, Hall Building, Room 523, 7:30 pm. A reception follows afterwards at McKibbin’s Irish Pub.

The panel explores the different directions that theory and research in educational technology has taken in the past 40 years, and specifically highlights four disciplines that are emerging within the field: distance education, design research, learning sciences, and human performance technology.

The event is chaired by Professor Bob Bernard, who also serves as Director of Educational Technology Programs.

The panel, to be moderated by Associate Professor Saul Carliner, features some of the leading researchers and theorists in educational technology, including

(o) Terry Anderson, Professor, Athabasca University

(o) Francois Desjardins, Professor, University of Ontario Institute of Technology and Associate Dean, Faculty of Education

(o) Manu Kapur, Assistant Professor, Learning Sciences and Technology (LST) Academic Group, National Institute of Education of Singapore

(o) Harold Stolovitch, Professor Emeritus, Universite de Montreal

People can participate in the panel discussion in one of two ways. For those who want to participate in person, they can join the “studio audience,” in H-523, where the moderator will be based. No reservations are needed to participate in the “studio audience.”

The rest can join participate online. Because a limited number of online seats are available, contact Ingy Bakir (i_baki@education.concordia.ca) to register and receive instructions on how to join the discussion online.

Concordia University launched its graduate Educational Technology program in September 1968 at then-Sir George Williams University. The program began by offering an MA degree, and has since added a Diploma in Instructional Technology (1972) and a PhD in Educational Technology (1981), converted this year to a PhD in Education). It is the oldest such program in the country and has graduated over 1,000 students, who work in the field positions throughout the world. Professor Gary Boyd, a founding member of this program, continues to serve on the faculty. To see highlights of the program, http://education.concordia.ca.

Upcoming Event of Interest: AlumNites


If you’re a Concordia alumnus, check out AlumNites, a new program in which Concordia researchers share their work in terms that are relevant for a general audience.


Sessions run each Wednesday in November and explore:



  • The US election (November 5)

  • The Future of our Planet on Wednesday (November 12)

  • Working at Leisure--Not an Oxymoron on Wednesday (November 17)

  • Culture and Media (November 26)


Linda Dyer and I, who served on the committee planning the event, serve as moderators. For more information, visit http://alumni.concordia.ca/calendar/cuaa/index.php.