eConcordia is the gateway for all fully online credited courses at Concordia University. Our mission is to provide each Concordia faculty member with reliable, cost-effective online course development and delivery resources, and consequently empower students with knowledge through accessible, engaging and quality online learning experience.
Themes: Education, Curriculum Design, Online Learning
Type of content: Videos, website
While creating online courses, we make sure that your custom blend of learning tools and technologies is designed not for the sake of using specific components but for students to reach the course learning objectives.
The creation of an online course comprises many stages, each with its particular challenges. With a consistent background and expertise in educational technologies, our team of experts is here to help all Faculty members from the first discussions about developing an online course up to the implementation and subsequent course offerings.
KnowledgeOne
We are a learning and eLearning consulting services company that provides businesses, professional organizations and institutions with reliable and cost-effective learning solutions.
Themes: Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Education, Gamification, Accessibility, Health & Wellness
Type of content: Articles
Universal Design for Learning:
Universal Design for Learning: Multiple Means of Representation:
This guideline refers to the What of learning as it relates to the recognition networks — specialized networks to sense and assign meaning to patterns we see — that influence people’s ways of learning. For this guideline to be applied effectively, educators must focus on presenting materials to students in diverse formats. The end goal of this principle is to have students that are resourceful and knowledgeable. For this, educators must focus on a number of aspects.
Universal Design for Learning: Multiple Means of Engagement:
This guideline refers to the ‘Why’ of learning as it relates to the affective networks that touch upon ‘individuals’ interest and motivation to learn something new. For this guideline to be applied effectively, educators need to foster a learning environment where students are adequately challenged and motivated to learn.
Universal Design Principles and Their Application in Education:
It is essential to emphasize that accessible education is not a matter that concerns only a small population, as some people might have been led to believe. Instead, accessible instruction could benefit all students with and without disabilities. The Center for Applied Special Technology (2018) defines UDL as “an approach to teaching aimed at meeting the needs of every student in a classroom.” They also argue that UDL “is a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn.”
First Digital Profile of Quebecers with Disabilities:
For the first time, the NETendances survey, which draws up a digital profile of Quebecers each year, focused on adults with disabilities. The notion of disability used in this context included any difficulty of a hearing, visual, cognitive, physical or psychological nature as well as any other long-term health problem. Of the 12,000 Quebecers aged 18 and over interviewed for the full survey, 3,743 had at least one of these difficulties.
Learning
Test your knowledge!
Test your knowledge on a whole range of topics related to learning!
The importance of emotions in learning
Not so long ago, it was thought that learning was a strictly rational process in which emotions did not have a big role. This belief was formed together with a certain definition of intelligence derived from the “famous” IQ tests – yet designed to detect learning difficulties in children. We now know that emotions play such an important role in cognition that they can serve as a lever or, on the contrary, become a brake. Whether you are a teacher or a learner, here are some things to keep in mind!
Cheating is circumventing or violating legal or moral rules, pretending to respect them, in order to take unfair advantage of them. Cheating is everywhere: we have all heard of scandals that have splashed the world of sport, business, politics, etc. Many of us would also have cheated at least once during our school years… In short, if cheating seems to be part of human nature, it can take many forms and have varying degrees of severity.
Health and Wellness
Are You Languishing or Flowing?
Given our current global context and paired with increased screen-time and social isolation, many people are particularly vulnerable to prolonged languishing. College students are part of this group. One research conducted in the United States and published in 2020 revealed that of the 195 college students who participated in the study: 89% reported difficulty in concentrating, 86% stated disruptions to sleeping patterns and, 82% had increased concerns about academic performance. However, as raised by Adam Grant, there is an antidote to languishing. It’s called Flow. Click on the link to learn more.
We talk less about the importance of taking time off work than we do about eating well or being physically active. Our demanding lives and the performance culture we struggle to break away from mean that we too often ignore our signs of fatigue and persist as best as possible in our daily activities, whether we are workers or students. Difficulty concentrating, lack of motivation and mental wandering are part of our normality… In fact, knowing the modus operandi of our minds is essential to being able to rest and recuperate intelligently. Since the question is vast and complex, here are some “bite-sized” tips on how to replenish your cognitive resources.
Gamification
Harry Potter, but Make it Online Learning: Gamifying Education
I spent my teenage years waiting for a letter that never came—an owl-delivered offer of admission from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At the muggle elementary school I attended, we brewed no potions and flew no brooms. We studied basic arithmetic and practiced forming cursive letters in longhand. We learned serious subjects from serious textbooks. I thought that the Hogwarts curriculum, by comparison, offered a much more compelling academic experience. And the reason for this can be summarized in a single word: play.
XR, SIMULATION, GAMIFICATION RESOURCES
XR & Gamification technologies have experienced rapid growth in recent years due to equally rapid hardware and software advancements, going from the proliferation of VR headsets to the democratization of various game engine tools that simulate virtual environments.
The following is a short list of resources that present real world applications of XR technologies in learning and training contexts.
Virtual Reality as support for future teachers
As part of their training, future teachers are sent out to schools to put into practice what they are learning and work side-by-side with a seeded teacher… who will observe the student-teacher, evaluate their performance and provide feedback to help them hone their craft. […] this experience takes place in a real classroom, with real students, it can easily become daunting, socially awkward, and very challenging.
In this context and working closely with a team from Concordia’s Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) unit from the Department of Education, we created a VR experience where students can prepare, in a safe and customized virtual environment, for their assessment interview with their mentor (either classroom teacher or university supervisor).
The fascinating potential of VR for medical training
Initially associated with the world of video games, virtual reality (VR) is becoming an essential training tool in specific fields, including medicine and paramedicine. Its advantages are enhanced by the fact that it has evolved rapidly in recent years in terms of performance and ergonomics while becoming more accessible. To respect the ethical principle of “never the first time on the patient,” simulation in its various forms has been an integral part of the training of healthcare professionals in North America for several decades. VR appears to be the technology of the future par excellence to ensure the acquisition of a wide range of practical and experiential learning necessary for these professionals’ initial and ongoing training. Here is what you need to know to better understand its potential for medical education.
8 benefits of virtual reality for training professionals
Virtual reality (VR) is a fascinating technology that allows users to immerse themselves in a dynamic and adaptive 3D world of 360 degrees. In this digital universe, they can move and interact with tactile and sensory feedback by simply wearing a visor and, if necessary, haptic gloves. Primarily associated with the world of video games, VR is increasingly becoming a training tool. It even appears to be the technology of the future for acquiring a wide range of practical and experiential learning necessary for the initial and ongoing training of professionals in various fields. Here are eight of its fascinating advantages in this regard!
(EXTERNAL RESOURCES)
PricewaterhouseCoopers
What does virtual reality and the metaverse mean for training?
The PwC 2022 US Metaverse Survey found that 51% of companies are either in the process of integrating VR into strategy or have already built VR into at least one dedicated line of business. Thirty-four percent say that one of the biggest metaverse benefits they currently enjoy or foresee is “a more effective way to develop and train our people.”
Harvard Business Review
Is VR the Future of Corporate Training?
VR shows a unique balance across experiments — it is immersive enough for people to take the training seriously, but also a safe environment where learners are less self-conscious about speaking frankly compared to talking to real people. This article focused on three case studies on employee training — one based on learning physical procedures, one on conversational “soft skills,” and one on corporate culture.
Forbes
3 Reasons Virtual Reality Can Amp Up Employee Training
As 2022 unfolds and the pandemic stubbornly refuses to relent, companies big and small should pay special attention to growth opportunities of a home-based workforce. To get (and stay) ahead of the competition requires unconventional thinking and bold action, and VR training simulations can help organizations make learning and upskilling both fun and efficient—no matter where the worker is located, and often on a timetable that fits their family’s schedule.