Officers
Please don’t hesitate to contact members of the Board of Directors with suggestions that may improve our practices and member engagement at CNIE.
President
Rob Power
Dr. Rob Power is an Assistant Professor of Education at Cape Breton University in Sydney, NS. He is also an adjunct professor, teaching courses on instructional design for online learning, educational technology integration, Digital Accessibility issues, and mobile learning pedagogies, at several Canadian universities. Rob is a Past President of the Executive Committee of the International Association for Mobile Learning (IAmLearn), and has served as the programme manager and conference chair of the 13th World Conference on Mobile and Contextual Learning (mLearn 2013). He is also the President of Power Learning Solutions.
Vice-President
Adnan Qayyum
Adnan Qayyum, Ph.D., is Director of the Doctorate in Distance Education and an Associate Professor of Education Innovation at Athabasca University. He has taught and researched in the lifelong learning and adult education at Penn State University, and in the educational technology program at Concordia University, Montreal. He has been a department chair, director of a distance education unit, an instructional designer, and a trainer.
Adnan is currently associate editor of the International Review of Open and Distributed Learning. He is the co-editor of two books comparing the state of open and distance education in 12 countries. He has consulted on education policy, evaluation, and online and distance education design, for international development agencies like the World Bank and Commonwealth of Learning, governments, educational institutions, unions, businesses, and accreditation agencies.
Past President
David Macdonald
David Macdonald, M.E.T. (UBC), B.Ed. (Nipissing), B.Mus. (McMaster), is a long-time member of CNIE-RCIE, having attended and presented at conferences in Vancouver (CADE-AMTEC), Winnipeg, Montreal, Hamilton, and Ottawa, and has served on several committees and as Member-at-Large, Director for Distance and Open Learning Professionals, and Secretary-Treasurer. He was also co-chair of the organizing committee for the 2018 CNIE-RCIÉ Conference and AGM hosted by the Centre for Continuing Education at Laurentian University in Sudbury. David has been involved in Distance Learning as an instructor, course author, instructional designer, administrator, and student for nearly two decades. He is currently a Distance Learning Program Development Specialist with OpenEd at the University of Guelph. David is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra, currently serving as Secretary in addition to participating as a volunteer musician. David and his spouse Bettina live in Sudbury, Ontario.
Secretary/Treasurer
Carol Sparkes
As an Instructional Designer at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) and a life-long learner I share my passion for learning by designing student-centered, and activity-based online courses. Prior to moving to TRU, I designed instruction at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario, and Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Completing a PhD (Educational Technology) from Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec has been a great personal and professional accomplishment. My research compares the impact of the flipped classroom with the traditional classroom on student achievement in higher education. The foundation of my education is based on a Master of Information Technology Education from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and two undergraduate degrees (Bachelor of Arts in sociology and Bachelor of Commerce) from Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland. I look forward to hearing about how I might serve you in this role as secretary-treasurer.
Directors
Ji Yae Bong
Dr. Ji Yae Bong is an assistant professor of Learning, Design and Technology in the Department of Educational Leadership at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the United States. Her research focuses on a) exploring technology-integrated intervention design and implementation and b) assessing networked learning in informal online learning contexts, including social media and open learning platforms. She earned her Ph.D. in Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies from Florida State University. She aims to contribute to CNIE by advancing its vision and representing the best interests of its members.
Connie (Levina) Yuen
Dr. Connie Yuen is an Assistant Professor of Emerging Technology in Open, Digital, and Distance Education at Athabasca University, Canada. Her research draws upon links between learning sciences, psychology, and technology — with an emphasis on cognification for teaching, learning, and assessments using virtual environments, digital technologies, and artificial intelligence. Previously she worked as a K-12 educator, instructional designer, technology analyst, program evaluator, and lecturer in higher education. Connie completed her Ph.D. in Educational Technology at the University of Alberta, where she examined the pedagogical and ethical implications of classroom technology integration. She looks forward to meeting with and contributing to the CNIE community.
Lucas Johnson
With over twenty years of experience supporting the technical and pedagogical aspects of teaching and learning with technology, Lucas is well-versed in many aspects of teaching and learning with technology. At Lakehead University, Lucas is the Educational Technologies Facilitator in the Faculty of Education and a Contract Lecturer. Lucas’ passions, interests and research revolve around teaching and learning with technology. A family man and father in a big blending family with five children, Lucas is always busy and loves to see his children learning and growing. A lifelong learner with a BSc General, a BA Philosophy, and an MEd, Lucas is currently studying in the Joint PhD in Education Program at Lakehead University in the social cultural and political contexts of education with a research focus on the implementation of technology in Ontario K-12 schools. Lucas is a PhD Candidate.
Martha Cleveland-Innes
Martha is a Professor of Open, Digital, and Distance Education at Athabasca University. She is Editor-in-Chief of the bilingual Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, and the co-author of open-source publications The Guide to Blended Learning (2018), Participant Experience in an Inquiry-Based Massive Open Online Course (2022), and Principles of Blended Learning (2024). The Design of Digital Learning Environments: Online and Blended Applications of the Community of Inquiry was recently co-edited by Dr. Cleveland-Innes (Taylor & Francis, 2024). As a principal investigator, Martha received funding from SSHRC’s Canada First Research Excellence Fund to study Wellness outcomes and education participation for sick children from marginalized populations (2024-2026).
She has held major research grants supporting research on the technology-enabled student experience. Her research interests include 1) online and blended learning, 2) artificial intelligence and online communities of inquiry, 3) higher education reform and lifelong learning, and 4) education leadership. She is currently a Visiting Professor of Pedagogy at Mid-Sweden University (2018-present).
Anand Karat
Anand Karat is the founding partner and CEO of Vretta, an award-winning Canadian EdTech organization that measures and supports the success of students in their primary, secondary, and post-secondary educational levels. Over the past two decades, Anand has collaborated with numerous ministries of education and academic institutions in Canada and internationally to support them with the modernization of their large-scale assessments and learning solutions. Anand holds an Engineering degree in Electrical and Electronics from Bangalore University and an MBA in Science and Technology from Queen’s University. His interest in CNIE is deeply rooted in his strong commitment to advancing innovation in education and supporting the mission and values of CNIE.
Secretariat
Executive DirectorCam Smith |
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Member ServicesBarb Ford |
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