The COVID-19 pandemic has presented many institutions with an opportunity to launch a training development process. These experiments, carried out by teachers at a stepped-up pace, have led to the emergence of new educational practices and the implementation of good practices and innovations. Challenges have also been faced, and lessons learned.

During this symposium, first-hand accounts will be shared and discussions will centre on issues related to: 1) the conversion of existing courses to distance education, 2) broadcast technologies and 3) evaluations of learning, coaching and supporting both students and educators.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented many educational institutions with an opportunity to launch a training development process. These experiments, carried out by teachers within a shortened timeframe, have led to the emergence of new educational practices and the implementation of good practices and innovations. Challenges have also been faced, and lessons learned. One thing was recognized long before the pandemic began: the development of distance education, MOOCs and digital resources (manuals, websites, videos, etc.) yields many benefits by making post-secondary education more open and accessible, despite significant costs. The widespread development of distance education reveals three likely options that would enable cost pooling and worthwhile benefits: 1) a review of financial models used by institutions, based on various course delivery modes, 2) improvement of their employees’ digital skills and 3) institutions working together to develop Open Educational Resources (OER), digital manuals and distance education. A variety of interesting initiatives (BC Campus, eCampus Ontario, Ontario Learn, OER at Scale, FUN, etc.) are underway elsewhere in Canada and the world.

The symposium presents a range of conference sessions related to this theme. The goal is to impart various distance education practices that pre-dated, or were implemented during, the COVID-19 pandemic, along with data developed from research into these issues and examples of MOOC and OER projects created by one or more institutions.

Instructors and professors are undoubtedly the key players who do the actual work of making digital technology integral to colleges and universities. The existence and availability of today’s digital tools (learning management systems (LMS), mobile devices, apps, learning analytics, media (text, image, video)) offer teaching staff a wealth of options for rethinking their courses and providing students with learning opportunities, while supporting student engagement and helping them succeed. Staff can use these tools to review both training delivery modes (distance education, mixed online/offline learning, classroom instruction) and the main elements of instructional design (learning activities, evaluations, coaching, etc.) as applied to their courses. Attendees at the symposium – part of Journées du numérique en enseignement supérieur – can undoubtedly draw inspiration, explore ways to innovate and identify collaborative options by hearing speakers present their educational practices or describe good practices or the challenges they encountered. Attendees at sessions under this theme can learn from results of the latest research in various fields, such as online training, educational technology and teaching in higher education. They can also register for hands-on workshops (FabLab, LabMaker, etc.), where they can experiment and perhaps even make short-term changes to their own educational practices.

The digital age has forced institutes of higher education to deal with a number of challenges. They have to rethink a set of elements, on several levels, that affect their students, professors and instructors, as well as employees who have to deal with constantly evolving digital tools. Educational institutions are therefore responsible for adapting to their students’ reality (needs, expectations, work spaces, mobility, connectivity, technical support, etc.) and ensuring they are satisfied with their student experience. These institutions must also equip their teaching staff with the digital tools they need to maintain, transform and innovate in their teaching practices, while ensuring that their professional development is adapted to their teaching and technological needs. Moving beyond e-pedagogic considerations, integration of digital tools presents an opportunity to review the management of administrative processes and, if applicable, mechanisms that make research possible. Symposium attendees will hear presentations from managers, administrators and researchers that illustrate the challenges encountered, their successes and the various issues that fall under this theme.