Dr Venkataraman Balaji is Vice-President of the Commonwealth of Learning. Balaji’s work in improving access to educational opportunities through straightforward interventions, and the subsequent impact on many tens of thousands of lives, gives his activities a contemporary significance.
Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/059-Venkataraman-Balaji-Final.mp3 | recorded July 2021
Balaji’s online profile: Dr Venkataraman Balaji | COL
Nominated works (free to access):
Professor Don Olcott, Jr. has held academic posts across the world and is well known for his scholarly work and professional membership in distance and online education. Don has multiple research interests and rich experience as you'll learn in this interview. Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/042-Don-Olcott-final.mp3 | recorded June 2020 Don's extended profile: Shared Google document Nominated links (free to access): Prinsloo, P., Blaschke, L. M., & Olcott, D. J. (2020). How do we know they are learning? Student data and the synergies of human and artificial intelligence (AI). Proceedings of the 2020 European Network for Distance and eLearning (EDEN) Annual Conference (Online), 21-24 June, Timișoară, România. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wgw9xa9QIDwALoq1yEe6h1dE6mNV1EQU/view?usp=sharingOlcott, D. J. (2020). The leadership imperative: Back to the future after the Coronva-19Pandemic. Published by the International Council of Open and Distance Education (ICDE), April 2020. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mzrge8zukdf4VtDaqZ2H943roYHCDhl_/view?usp=sharingOlcott, D. J. (2014). African Virtual University (AVU) quality assurance framework for open and distance learning. Nairobi, Kenya: AVU. https://avu.org/avuweb/en/avu-at-a-glance/avu-reports/ [note link may not be secure; if not, try publisher http://www.atwoodpublishing.com/]Olcott, D. J. (2014). Making connections: Adaptive learning communities (ALCs). Microsoft Worldwide Education White Paper Series. Seattle: Microsoft. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ORO7RzMoa0W1mvXHd3Lp_-qlEt3vaCfq/view?usp=sharingWills, S., Dalagarno, B. & Olcott, D. J. (2015). Destination 2020: A roadmap for CSU’s Online future: CSU distance education strategy. Bathurst, NWS, Australia: Charles Sturt University. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gN1tV5ohIdH8GN0iHHcPzbOGKqCSemoi/view?usp=sharingOlcott, D. (2010). Par for the course. The Times Higher Education. 8-14 ...
Dr Wayne Mackintosh is founding director of the OER Foundation, UNESCO / ICDE Chair in OER and coordinator of the OERu, the Open Education Resources universitas. Wayne’s impressive commitment to openness in all its forms – especially open education – is based on a rich background in distance and online learning. Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/016-Wayne-Mackintosh-Final.mp3 | recorded February 2019 NOTE that the interview is expressly released under a CC-BY-SA licence. Wayne’s online profile: http://wikieducator.org/User:Mackiwg LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/waynemackintosh/ Wayne’s Mastodon account: https://mastodon.oeru.org/@mackiwg Selected publication and presentation (free to access): Mackintosh, W. (2017). Open Course Development at the OERu. In: Jhangiani R. & Biswas-Diener R, Open. London: Ubiquity Press. DOI:https://doi.org/10.5334/bbc.h Mackintosh, W. (2018). OER universitas: From Vision to Reality. Recorded Keynote. Teaching and Learning Conference, North West University, 29 – 31 May. ...
Associate Professor Maha Bali is an active critic and enthusiastic supporter of online learning. Her work with Virtually Connecting and Equity Unbound are examples of her dedication to improving access and openness online. Maha has an important perspective on online education that I’m certain will inform and challenge you. Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/009-Maha-Bali-Final.mp3 | recorded December 2018 Maha’s online profile: http://blog.mahabali.me/about/ Maha’s blog: https://blog.mahabali.me/ Nominated works: Bali, M., & Caines, A. (2018). A call for promoting ownership, equity and agency in faculty development via connected learning. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-018-0128-8Bali, M., Adam, T., Cronin, C., Friedrich, C., Walji, S., & Hendricks, C. (2018, Feb 1). #BreakOpen Breaking Open: ethics, epistemology, equity, and power – Guest Post. OER18 blog. Retrieved from: https://oer18.oerconf.org/news/breakopen-breaking-open-ethics-epistemology-equity-and-power-guest-post/#grefBali, M., Caines, A., DeWaard, H., & Hogue, R. (2016, December). Ethos and Practice of a Connected Learning Movement: Interpreting Virtually Connecting Through Alignment with Theory and Survey Results. Online Learning Journal, 20(4). Retrieved from https://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org/index.php/olj/article/view/965/247 Bali, M. (2017, January 31). There is More Than One Story To Be Told About Muslims in Trump’s America. The Conversation, republished 4 times, including Huffington PostBali, M. (2013, August 19). Critical citizenship for critical times. Al-Fanar Media: News and Opinion about Higher Education. Retrieved from: http://www.al-fanar.org/2013/08/critical-citizenship-for-critical-times/ Further works (may require purchase): Bali, M., Awwad, A., Hassib, F., Halawa, F., Khalifa, J., Serougy, F. (2019). Global Citizenship Education in a Digital Age: A Collaborative Autoethnography. In J. Dorio, E. Abdou and N. Moheyddin (eds). The Struggle for Citizenship Education in Egypt: (Re)Imagining Subjects and Citizens. Routledge: New York, NY and Oxon, UK. Bali, ...
