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Stephen Downes

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External media
Stephen Downes
Audio
Interview with Stephen Downes, 19:39, Degree of Freedom, December 20, 2013.[1]
Video
"What Are Cultures of Learning" - Stephen Downes at altc2013, 56:08, Association for Learning Technology

Stephen Downes (born April 6, 1959) is a Canadian philosopher and expert in online learning and new media. Downes has worked with computers and online technologies in education since 1995.[2] Downes gave the 2004 Buntine Oration.[3] He spoke at the February 2007 Online Connectivism Conference.[4] In 2008, Downes and George Siemens designed and taught an online, open course. It was called a "landmark in the small but growing push toward 'open teaching'"[5] It is often called the first Massive open online course (MOOC).

Downes was born in Montreal, Quebec. He lived and worked many places in Canada before joining the National Research Council of Canada. He became a senior researcher there in November 2001.[1] He moved to Casselman, Ontario. Downes became a researcher at the NRC's Digital Technologies Research Centre in Ottawa.[6]

Downes won the Edublog Award for Best Individual Blog in 2005 for his blog OLDaily.[7] Downes is Editor at Large of the International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning.[8]

Downes ran for Mayor of Brandon in 1995. He was working at the Assiniboine Community College. Downes was a member of the New Democratic Party. In his campaign he wanted policies to the left of incumbent mayor Rick Borotsik.[9]

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Interview with Stephen Downes". Degree of Freedom. Jonathan Haber. December 20, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  2. Kinney, Duncan (September 2010). "An Open Education Primer: What you need to know about the future of post-secondary education". Unlimited Magazine. Retrieved 2014-07-12.
  3. Downes, S. (2004). "Buntine Oration: Learning Objects" (PDF). International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning. 1 (11): 3–14. ISSN 1550-6908.
  4. University of Manitoba: Learning Technologies Centre Archived 2007-03-02 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Parry, Marc (August 29, 2010). "Online, Bigger Classes May Be Better Classes". Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved 2010-09-02.
  6. "NRC Experts and Staff: Stephen Downes". National Research Council of Canada. April 16, 2003. Archived from the original on September 7, 2012. Retrieved 2010-09-02.
  7. "2005 Edublog Awards". Archived from the original on 2014-01-06. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
  8. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning Editorial Board Retrieved on 2010-09-02.
  9. Bud Robertson, "Election-Profile-Brandon", Winnipeg Free Press, 1 October 1995, A1.

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