Large higher educational organizations worldwide have invested in infrastructure which supports online and technology-enabled learning opportunities at higher education institutions. For large consortia in Canada and the United States, shared educational technologies present a number of opportunities, not least of which is significant cost savings for institutions and government. In 2017, the government of Ontario tasked eCampusOntario with executing a 3-year pilot of Lynda.com on behalf of all institutions in the province. This decision set eCampusOntario on a path towards shared licensing of educational technology and the development of shared infrastructure.
This presentation will consider eCampusOntario’s approach for the provision of shared educational technology. What principles shape these decisions? How do we ensure that a technology or practice will support ethical considerations and principles of access, choice and flexibility for learners and educators?
The eCampusOntario approach is characterized by the cultivation of learner and educator communities which trickle up to inform decision making at a systemic level. These spaces prioritize the empowerment of learners and educators to connect, experiment and explore the intersection between technology and learning in an open environment. This presentation will feature two key projects: eCampusOntario Student Experience Design (SXD) Lab and the Ontario Extend Professional Development Framework.
Through the cultivation of these educator and learner driven networks, eCampusOntario is better positioned to move from idea to scale, execute system-wide shared technology and infrastructure projects, and ultimately keep pace with the changing environment of higher education.
