CONT815: Teaching and Learning Through eLearning

Course Schedule

Course Description

This course prepares Ontario educators to design and deliver curriculum for the eLearning classroom. It is grounded in the Ontario College of Teachers' Ethical Standards and Standards of Practice, Indigenous education commitments, equity and accessibility legislation, and current research on identity formation and digital pedagogy.

Across seven modules, you investigate the practical realities of eLearning platforms and learning management systems; apply universal design and assistive technologies to remove barriers for diverse learners; decolonize digital curriculum and build culturally sustaining, anti-oppressive online spaces; and design strategies that protect learner well-being, digital citizenship, and community connection at a distance. You also examine synchronous and asynchronous instructional models, inquiry-based and flipped-classroom strategies, and culturally responsive assessment practices suited to online platforms.

Along the way, you build a portfolio of authentic eLearning artifacts - a learner profile template, a digital citizenship protocol, a community partnership plan, a transition plan, and a series of lesson plans, culminating in a complete, classroom-ready eLearning unit built for your own teaching context.

By the end of the course, you'll be able to critically evaluate how systemic bias and power operate in digital learning spaces; apply accessible, culturally responsive, and universally designed instructional strategies that support learner engagement and well-being online; and build inclusive, technically sound eLearning units and assessments that work within the platform your board actually uses.

What You Will Learn and Do

In this course, you’ll have the opportunity to

• apply the Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession and the Standards of Practice as theoretical foundations for ethical program planning in eLearning environments
• utilise contemporary educational research and theories of identity formation to inform the design, assessment, and implementation of online programs
• implement learner-centred pedagogies that foster engagement, agency, and accountability in both synchronous and asynchronous online learning
• integrate anti-oppression frameworks to identify and address systemic biases, discrimination, and manifestations of power and privilege in digital learning
• incorporate First Nations, Métis, and Inuit histories, perspectives, and knowledge systems authentically into online teaching, aligning with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
• design accessible, adaptive, and inclusive eLearning experiences using universal design and assistive technologies in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)
• apply culturally inclusive assessment practices for, as, and of learning using technological tools for timely feedback, documentation, and reporting
• create safe, equitable, and inclusive digital environments that promote digital citizenship, mental health, and cyber-safety protocols
• foster collaborative partnerships and shared decision-making with families, caregivers, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and the broader community using digital communication tools
• develop a comprehensive, culminating unit for an eLearning course that integrates relevant Ontario curriculum, inclusive and diverse pedagogical practices and is culturally responsive for your community of learners

Application Requirements

We will use the OCT number you provide during online registration to confirm that you are an OCT member.

Course Materials

Accommodations

Applicants who require accommodations for a specific learning need (e.g., learning disability) within their AQ/ABQ course, should click here for further information and support.

Have a question? Contact us!

Refund Schedule

• If you drop a course by the midpoint of the course, you will receive 100% of your course fee
• If you drop a course after the midpoint, before the end of the course, you will receive 50% of your course fee

For more about our refund policies, visit our Fees & Refunds page.