Stephen Downes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stephen Downes
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Downes in 2009
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| Born | May 5, 1959 |
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Stephen Downes (born April 6, 1959) is a Canadian thinker and expert in online learning. He is known for exploring and promoting how computers and the internet can be used for education. He has been doing this since 1995.
Downes helped create the first ever massive open online course (MOOC) in 2008. MOOCs are huge online courses that anyone can join for free. He designed this course with George Siemens.
Who is Stephen Downes?
Stephen Downes was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He lived and worked in different parts of Canada. In November 2001, he joined the National Research Council of Canada. This is a big research organization. Today, he works there as a researcher in Ottawa.
Online Learning Pioneer
Stephen Downes is a philosopher and a commentator. This means he thinks deeply about ideas and shares his opinions. His main focus is on online learning and new media. Online learning is about using the internet for education. New media refers to new ways of communicating using digital tools.
He has been a key person in showing how technology can help people learn. In 2004, he gave an important speech called the Buntine Oration. In 2007, he spoke at a conference about Connectivism. This is a theory that says learning happens through connections in networks.
Awards and Recognition
In 2005, Stephen Downes won an award for his blog, OLDaily. It was named the Best Individual Blog at The Edublog Awards. He also works as an editor for a special journal. This journal is called the International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning.
Running for Mayor
In 1995, Stephen Downes ran for Mayor of Brandon. At that time, he was working at the Assiniboine Community College. He was a member of the New Democratic Party. He had ideas for the city that were different from the mayor at the time.
