Stephen Downes
Canadian philosopher and commentator
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stephen Downes (born April 6, 1959) is a Canadian philosopher and commentator in the fields of online learning and new media. He has explored and promoted the educational use of computer and online technologies since 1995.[1] He gave the 2004 Buntine Oration[2] and was a presenter at the February 2007 Online Connectivism Conference.[3] In 2008, Downes and George Siemens designed and taught an online, open course reported as a "landmark in the small but growing push toward 'open teaching'"[4] - widely considered the first massive open online course (MOOC).
University of Alberta (PhD)
- Philosopher
- commentator
Stephen Downes | |
|---|---|
Downes in 2009 | |
| Born | April 6, 1959 |
| Alma mater | University of Calgary (BA, MA) University of Alberta (PhD) |
| Occupations |
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Born in Montreal, Quebec, Downes lived and worked across Canada before joining the National Research Council of Canada as a senior researcher in November 2001. Currently, he is a researcher at the NRC's Digital Technologies Research Centre in Ottawa.[5]
Downes was the winner of the Edublog Award for Best Individual Blog in 2005 for his blog OLDaily.[6] He is Editor at Large of the International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning.[7]
Downes ran for Mayor of Brandon in 1995, when he was working at the Assiniboine Community College. A member of the New Democratic Party, he ran on a platform to the left of incumbent mayor Rick Borotsik.[8]
