My name is Joanne Kehoe, and I will be your instructor for the Spring 2026 section of EDCI 335: Learning Design for Technology-Mediated Environments. You can learn a little bit more about me here. What you should know, is how much I’m looking forward to connecting and learning with each of you this term.
In the following weeks, we will explore the principles of learning design and how to create technology-mediated learning experiences for others.
This is an online asynchronous course – in other words, self-paced with no set synchronous meeting times. The EDCI 335 website will be the hub for all of the course content. I’ll do my best to post weekly updates at the same time each week – will aim for Monday morning and will aim to include a ‘check-list’ of activities in order for you to keep on top of things. Please make sure to check the site regularly to reach out for class updates.
If you have any questions, need further help, or want to discuss the course and build social relationships, please let me know, and I will set up a time to meet. I am here for you so please don’t hesitate in reaching out.
All of the material needed for the course will be shared publicly on the website. Anything requiring your personal information will be shared through email or through our Social Spaces page, which is password protected. Note that the password can be found in the Brightspace welcome announcement.
Brightspace will be used sparingly – a copy of the course outline is there as well as an intro post to familiarize each of you with the course expectations. I will use it for assignment submission and grading in order to keep that aspect organized, private and secure. Make sure you review the course outline, note our learning outcomes and familiarize yourself with how you will be assessed.
WEEK 1 CHECKLIST – Please complete the following tasks before next Monday, January 12th:
- Read this announcement (you’ve already made a good start!)
- Read the course outline
- Take a tour of our EDCI 335 course website and familiarize yourself with the top menu items and where to find our materials. Note that the content within the Education Competencies menu will evolve as the course progresses.
- Read the privacy, FIPPA, and consent tutorial.
- Review the opened.ca Code of Conduct, then,
- Sign up for a WordPress blog no later than January 12
- Complete the Learner Preferences Survey. NOTE that this survey asks you for a link to your blog, so ensure you’ve completed the previous step before starting the survey.
- Customize your blog > Post a self-introduction to your blog – by January 12. There are no specific requirements regarding this introduction – you can simply use text, or add in images, video, audio – and it can be as short or as long as you like!
- Join our Mattermost space by clicking the link below, and then creating an account name and password. NOTE: this link should only be clicked on a laptop or desktop machine. Using a phone or tablet may throw errors.https://chat.opened.ca/signup_user_complete/?id=mcqb6onwfjb77cycupme5h6ehe&md=link&sbr=saOnce an account is created, Mattermost works well on mobile devices, including apps if you want them.
The “official” documentation is as good as any in explaining how to join or start channels, notifications, etc… and only takes a few minutes to look over the essentials.https://docs.mattermost.com/guides/use-mattermost.html
More about Mattermost
We will be using an instant messaging system to stay connected throughout the term both in class and beyond. It is called Mattermost (similar to the Slack messaging application) and will allow us to connect collectively, in small groups, or one-to-one via text. This service is hosted in BC and is specifically available for educational institutions. Please either use your first name & last name (e.g.: joannekehoe) or use your UVic Netlink ID (e.g.: jkehoe) when you create your Mattermost user name.
You can always contact me if you have questions or concerns, and I will reply as quickly as possible. Mattermost will be the quickest way to get a response, but until that is up and running, please email me at joannekehoe@uvic.ca
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