A Professional Almanac of Distance Education and Educational Technology

• Website:https://www.aect.org/

• About: The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is a professional association of instructional designers, educators and professionals who provide leadership and advise policy makers to sustain a continuous effort to enrich teaching and learning. Seizing opportunities to raise awareness and leverage technology, our members may be found around the world in colleges and universities, in the Armed Forces and industry, in museums, libraries, and hospitals, and in the many places where educational change is underway. Our research and scholarly activity contribute to the knowledge base in the field of Learning. We are on the cutting edge of new developments and innovations in research and application.

• Website:https://aurora-institute.org/

• Mission statement: The mission of the Aurora Institute is to drive the transformation of education systems and accelerate the advancement of breakthrough policies and practices to ensure high-quality learning for all.

• Website: https://canadianelearning.ca/about-us/

• About: The Canadian eLearning Conference is a non-profit event organized and run by a dedicated group of volunteers who share a passion for eLearning design and technology. Our conference plays a vital part in the continued growth and development of the Canadian eLearning community. It takes place over two days. each filled with numerous concurrent sessions and time provided to connect with conference attendees and sponsors.

• Website:https://www.educause.edu/

• About: EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education through the use of information technology. We equip our community with the knowledge, resources, and community-building opportunities needed to help shape strategic IT decisions at every level in higher education. We welcome diversity—in viewpoints and experience—and believe in inspiring the transformation of higher education in service to a greater good.

• Website:https://flanz.org.nz/home/

• About: We work to enhance flexible learning practices across all sectors of education in New Zealand, advance current thinking and contribute to research and scholarship, in open, distance and flexible learning. The FLANZ conference is a key event for FLANZ to support its members, and an important means of advancing thinking, research, and practice in the field of open, distance and flexible learning. The conference attracts participants from within New Zealand, the Pacific Rim and beyond, and provides memorable opportunities for exchanging ideas, social interaction, and networking.

• Website: http://www.fdla.com/

• About: Fostering community and amplifying thought leadership in distance learning is FDLA’s purpose. To accomplish those goals, FDLA aims to: establish a network of people whose focus is to educate, create knowledge or communications, provide guidance or programs related to digital, online, and distance learning technologies, collaborate with educational institutions, cultural centers, community groups, service organizations, and government agencies, and to share knowledge, experiences, and information concerning strategies and technologies for the advancement of distance learning or betterment of education, the community, and local economies.

• Website:https://www.iste.org/

• About: Welcome to the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), home to a passionate community of global educators who believe in the power of technology to transform teaching and learning, accelerate innovation, and solve tough problems in education. ISTE inspires the creation of solutions and connections that improve opportunities for all learners by delivering practical guidance, evidence-based professional learning, virtual networks, thought-provoking events and the ISTE Standards.

• Website:https://canadianelearning.ca/about-us/

• About: The Canadian eLearning Conference is a non-profit event organized and run by a dedicated group of volunteers who share a passion for eLearning design and technology. Our conference plays a vital part in the continued growth and development of the Canadian eLearning community. It takes place over two days. each filled with numerous concurrent sessions and time provided to connect with conference attendees and sponsors.

• Website:https://netasite.org/

• About: The Nebraska Educational Technology Association is a grassroots organization open to everyone interested in sharing information about using technology in the educational process. NETA has over 7,500 members.

• Website:https://oeb.global/

• About: Online Educa Berlin (OEB) is the annual global, cross-sector conference and exhibition on digital learning and training. The event has a unique focus, bringing you to the forefront of developments in learning technology. Since 1995, insights gained at OEB have pointed the way towards the future of learning.

• Website:https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/

• Mission statement: OLC is a collaborative community of higher education leaders and innovators, dedicated to advancing quality digital teaching and learning experiences designed to reach and engage the modern learner—anyone, anywhere, anytime. From our institutional offerings to our advisory services, our focus is on driving best practices for Quality Online Learning. Our platform is based on the Five Pillars of Quality Online Education—LEARNING EFFECTIVENESS, FACULTY SATISFACTION, STUDENT SATISFACTION, SCALE, AND ACCESS—Essentially building blocks providing the support for successful online learning.

• Website:https://odlaa.org/

• About: The Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia (ODLAA) is an international professional association of educators, educational researchers, learning designers, instructional designers, consultants, administrators and educational institutions who are dedicated to the advancement of research, practice, and support of education across time and space.

ODLAA, founded in 1973, has a long and distinguished history connecting professionals to share experiences and disseminate information relating to open and distance learning, with the aims of:

• Advancing the research, practice and support education across time and space

• Continuously engaging, supporting, and developing the learning community involved in education across time and space

• Becoming the learning community’s association of choice for those involved in education across time and space

• Website: https://www.reimagine-education.com/

• Mission statement: Our mission is to highlight innovative approaches enhancing learning outcomes and employability for a billion future learners. Our framework revolves around the future of work, universities, and learning, viewed through the lenses of sustainability and values. We strive to create a transformative impact on the education landscape globally.

• Website: https://www.unesco.org/en/digital-education/distance-learning-guidance

• About: Education transforms lives and is at the heart of UNESCO’s mission to build peace, eradicate poverty and drive sustainable development. UNESCO believes that education is a human right for all throughout life and that access must be matched by quality. The Organization is the only United Nations agency with a mandate to cover all aspects of education. It has been entrusted to lead the Global Education 2030 Agenda through Sustainable Development Goal 4. UNESCO has been working to mitigate the impact of education disruption and school closures. In response to the pandemic, UNESCO has produced various distance learning resources to support teachers and policy-makers.

• Website: https://usdla.org/

• About: United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) is the premier professional membership organization designed to Advocate and Support the needs of Distance Education leaders. USDLA’s resources support the Distance Education Professional Community who serve education, business, health, and government. United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) was the first nonprofit distance learning association in the United States to advocate for and support distance learning research, development and praxis across the complete arena of education, business, health, and government. Founded in 1987, its vision and mission to advocate, research, and share best practices in the utilization of distance learning modalities in education, business, health, and government nationally and internationally continues today.

• Website:https://upcea.edu/

• About: UPCEA is the only organization in North America focusing on the professional, continuing and online (PCO) education enterprise. For more than 100 years, UPCEA has served most of the leading public and private colleges and universities in North America. Based in Washington, D.C., UPCEA also builds greater awareness of the vital link between contemporary learners and public policy issues.