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OTTAWA, May 4, 2010  —  The University of Ottawa’s Centre for e-Learning is hosting its third Annual Symposium on Teaching and Technology today. The event serves as a forum for exchange on the integration of technology in university teaching, a high-profile concept. Professors and topic experts are getting together to share their ideas, with a special emphasis on the importance of synergies between teaching and technology.

Titled Seven Principles for Good Practice in Teaching and Learning with Technology, based on Chickering and Gamson’s Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education, the symposium features discussions on opportunities, challenges and best practices associated with integrating technology into teaching and learning.

The role of e-learning continues to grow in contemporary culture, both in academic settings and for training purposes. Technological course components, including online modules and multimedia tools, reinforce best practices in teaching and learning, promoting interactivity, flexibility, active learning and diversity. More and more, professors are taking on the challenges of integrating new technologies into their teaching and research and are creating productive synergies as a result.

Though incorporating technology into teaching brings undeniable benefits, it also poses challenges when it comes to issues like privacy, accessibility, instructional design and skepticism.

“This is the third year we have organized the Symposium at the University. It’s a great opportunity for professors to showcase what they have done with technology in their teaching and to network with each other and the larger university community,” says Richard Pinet, manager of the Centre for e-learning at the University of Ottawa.

The event also features two prominent keynote speakers: Professor Michael Geist will focus on the growing importance of open access for teaching and research as a valuable method of publication, and Professor Aline Germain-Rutherford will deliver a lecture titled Engaging technologies for engaged students: an essential alignment for learning that persists. Furthermore, the Centre for e-Learning will take advantage of the gathering to officially present the results of the survey Towards a Better Understanding of Students and Their Use of Information Technology.

The Centre for e-Learning team supports professors in designing a wide range of electronic teaching and learning materials used either in blended learning environments (part classroom / part online) or as entire online programs offered through distance learning. The Centre also makes its services available to the broader University of Ottawa community.

For more information, consult the symposium program.

**A press kit and high resolution images are available in our media space.