EODLW2020: The Great EODL Week Debate
Channel: EDEN Digital Learning Europe
Date: 03/11/2020

The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in many universities and colleges rapidly pivoting to online learning in response to unprecedented times. While 2020 has been described as the year of “the great onlining” of higher education there remains a common perception that online learning is inferior to traditional face-to-face models of education. This debate aims to confront this perception as two teams respond to the moot, “this house believes that online learning is just as good as traditional face-to-face models of education”. The debate is intended to address this serious issue as panel members present and reflect on the advantages and disadvantages of online learning in comparison to traditional delivery modes in both a scholarly and entertaining manner. This is a unique opportunity to reflect on our experience of online learning over 2020 and to ponder the future of high education in the post-pandemic digital society.

Moderator:
Tom Farrelly
Social Science Lecturer & Educational Developer IT Tralee

Team 1 – Negative (traditional)
Diana Andone
EDEN Vice President
Director of the eLearning Center, Politehnica University of Timisoara

Mairéad Nic Giolla Mhichíl
Head of the Ideas Lab@National Institute of Digital Learning, Dublin City University

Alexandra Cristea
Professor, Head of the Innovative Computing research group at the Computer Science Department, Durham University

Team 2 – Positive (online)
Mark Brown
Professor, Dublin City University
EDEN EC member, EDEN Treasurer

Don Olcott Jr.
Global Higher Education Consultant

Deborah Arnold
National and International Projects Coordinator, AUNEGe
Member of the Board of EDEN Fellows Council

Expert commentator:
Ulf-Daniel Ehlers
EDEN EC member
Professor, Baden-Wurttemberg Cooperative State University

https://www.eden-online.org/eden_conference/eodlw-2020-2/
https://www.eden-online.org/eodlw-2020/
https://www.eden-online.org/