The pandemic represented a context where rapid changes to planning, organization and service delivery were undertaken to respond to an urgent and life-threatening health system problem. There was intense interest in knowledge mobilization--mechanisms that allow the timely sharing of evidence with the aim of supporting improvement--to mitigate the…

One of the major concerns about online learning has been the low level of student satisfaction and retention rates. Using the community of inquiry (CoI) framework, this study examined course delivery modes and students' perceived ratings of course difficulty in online and face-to-face sections of a technology-intensive course and how the delivery…

This paper presents a novel approach to designing an online, open-source course in systems librarianship, an area of librarianship that may be perceived as complex and intimidating because of the technologies involved. The course design focuses on making systems librarianship more approachable for library and information science students who may…

This virtual conference took place from September 28 to October 3 on UNESCO-UNEVOC's e-Forum and brought together 165 participants from 57 countries. This virtual conference was the twelfth in a series of moderator-driven discussions introduced by UNESCO-UNEVOC in 2011. Conducted on the UNEVOC e-Forum--a global online community of over 4,000…

The need for research support in U.K. universities is growing at a fast pace and a number of different professional and academic units within universities are involved in the process. This case study takes place in a post-92 higher education institution and discusses the benefit of utilizing a cross-university Community of Practice (CoP) approach…

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted private basic education in the Philippines to hold a professional developmental program for faculty members using web video conferencing (WVC). Given the uncertainties of WVC educational quality and the challenge of shifting to a fully online environment, this study aimed to evaluate the use of web video conferencing…

New Leaders is an educational leadership organization and the mission is to ensure high academic achievement for all children, underscored by the commitment to racial equity, social justice, and an unwavering belief in the potential of every student. The rigorous and evidence-based approach to professional learning has been proven to work, with…

In this article, we share a framework for the purposeful design of presence in online courses. Instead of developing something new, we looked at two models that have helped us with previous instructional design projects, providing us with some assurance that the design decisions we were making were fundamentally sound. As we began to work with the…

Faculty development efforts for supporting online instructors represent a growing concern for higher education administrators. Providing online faculty with enriching experiences designed to improve practice, combat isolation, and share knowledge and resources is a challenge. This review examines the use of a community of practice (CoP) approach…

This article examines theoretical frameworks and models that focus on the pedagogical aspects of online education. After a review of learning theory as applied to online education, a proposal for an integrated "Multimodal Model for Online Education" is provided based on pedagogical purpose. The model attempts to integrate the work of…

Students experience a wide array of special needs, from diagnosed disabilities to cultural and linguistic barriers to traumas. Schools around the world and across public and private sectors struggle to provide optimal opportunities to learn for students experiencing special needs. Moreover, schools typically engage in these efforts in isolation…

Faculties of Education in North America are experiencing an increase in demand for professional graduate programs that provide flexible and accessible research pathways for working professionals. Our School of Education offers high quality professional graduate programs that increase access and respond directly to complex needs and problems of…

Culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students comprise the most rapidly expanding, and among the most educationally marginalized, group in the United States. CLD students' opportunities to learn are often diminished through service delivery models that are deficit-oriented, viewing linguistic diversity as a challenge to overcome, not a…

This virtual conference was the eleventh in a series of moderator-driven discussions introduced by UNESCO-UNEVOC in 2011. Conducted on the UNEVOC e-Forum--a global online community of over 4,000 members--and guided by an expert, these discussions provide a platform for sharing of experiences, expertise and feedback and wish to inspire people to…

This article considers how online conferences can support professional development across Africa and reviews elements of the literatures of social learning, online professional development and online conferences. The e/merge online conference is then described in terms of design features and participation metrics. This sets context for discussion…