THUNDER BAY, Ontario, August 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Official Portal of the World Conference on Online Learning

Toronto, Canada - October 2017 

Contact North | Contact Nord, the organizer and host of the 27^th International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) World Conference, launches the official portal for the World Conference on Online Learning: Teaching in a Digital Age - Re-Thinking Teaching & Learning to be held in Toronto, Canada from October 17-19, 2017.

The theme of the World Conference on Online Learning is Teaching in the Digital Age - Re-Thinking Teaching & Learning with the program focused on five tracks:

1. Emerging Pedagogies and Designs for Online Learning
2. Expanding Access, Openness and Flexibility
3. Changing Models of Assessment
4. New Delivery Tools and Resources for Learning
5. Re-Designing Institutional Business Models

Visit the bilingual portal - http://www.onlinelearning2017.ca and http://www.apprentissageenligne2017.ca - for information including:

• Details on the theme and tracks
• Important Dates
• Information on our host city, Toronto, Canada
• Sign-up for our e-newsletter

"Contact North | Contact Nord is honoured to be the organizer and host of the World Conference on Online Learning: Teaching in a Digital Age - Re-Thinking Teaching & Learning," stated Paul Taillefer, Chair, Board of Directors, Contact North | Contact Nord. "The hosting of this world conference in Ontario recognizes the global leadership of the province of Ontario in the field of online, open and flexible learning. Ontario's online learning sector includes  24 public colleges,  22 public universities and 12 leading online learning networks and providers, including e-Campus Ontario, OntarioLearn, Independent Learning Centre, ACE Distance, Deaf Learn Now, F@D le service de formation à distance pour adultes de l'Ontario, Good Learning Anywhere, The LearningHUB, e-Channel, Consortium d'apprentissage virtuel de langue française de l'Ontario (CAVLFO), Coalition ontarienne de formation des adultes (COFA), Contact North I Contact Nord".

"We look forward to welcoming 2,000 delegates from around the world to Toronto to expand boundaries and explore new frontiers of teaching, learning and skills development during this three-day World Conference on Online Learning," noted Maxim Jean-Louis, President - Chief Executive Officer, Contact North | Contact Nord and Chair of the Organizing Committee for the World Conference on Online Learning. "Our goal is to engage the world's higher education community with a stimulating program on how we re-think teaching and learning in a digital age. The conference will feature 300 plenaries, practical workshops, interactive panels, hand-on demonstrations, academic paper presentations, next generation innovation, new educational technologies, latest online learning platforms, software and solutions."

The World Conference on Online Learning takes place at the Sheraton Toronto Centre Hotel from October 17 - 19, 2017. Visit the conference portal regularly for the latest information.

The 26th ICDE World Conference was organized and hosted by the University of South Africa in October 2015.

About Contact North | Contact Nord 

Contact North | Contact Nord is Ontario's distance education and training network serving more than 600 small, rural, remote, Indigenous and Francophone communities across the province through its 112 local online learning centres.

Contact North I Contact Nord partners with Ontario's 24 public colleges, 22 public universities, over 250 public literacy and essential skills and training providers and the government of Ontario to provide local access to education and training opportunities.

Its three portals provide an online learning virtual hub to Ontario students, prospective students, faculty and instructors averaging more than 500,000 unique visits a year: studyonline.ca, teachonline.ca and e-Channel.

Since it was established in 1986, Contact North ǀ Contact Nord has generated and supported more than 466,000 registrations.

Contact North | Contact Nord is a not-for-profit corporation headquartered in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and is funded by the Government of Ontario.

Visit http://www.contactnorth.ca.

About the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) 

The International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) is the leading global membership organization for open, distance, flexible and online education, including e-learning, and draws its membership from institutions, educational authorities, commercial actors, and individuals.

ICDE has consultative partner status with UNESCO and shares UNESCO's key value - the universal right to education for all. ICDE further derives its position from the unique knowledge and experience of its members throughout the world in the development and use of new methodologies and emerging technologies.

ICDE was founded in 1938 in Canada as the International Council for Correspondence Education and today has members from over 60 countries worldwide.

ICDE's Permanent Secretariat is in Oslo, Norway, and has been hosted by this country on a permanent basis since 1988. ICDE is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research and by membership fees.

About ICDE 

• Enabling change to technology enhanced quality education across the globe.
• Advocating for access, equity and quality learning through online, open and flexible learning.
• A dynamic platform for cooperation on innovation and development, featuring key regional actors and leading experts.
• Access to thousands of higher education institutions, networks and systems.
• A key partner for UNESCO.
• Part-funded by the Government of Norway.

Visit http://www.icde.org.

Heather Campbell, Communications Coordinator, +1-855-345-5035, heather@contactnorth.ca

SOURCE Contact North