Concordia

E-learning was put on the spotlight at a conference last week at Concordia.

The Link reports people gathered from around the world to share their secrets on improving the e-learning experience.

Some of the technology highlighted included gesture-based computing, video games, synchronous online classes and social media.

Concordia Vice-Provost, Teaching and Learning Ollivier Dyens says these technologies have forced us to really think about what is a twenty-first century university.

The university also wants to develop more of a mixture between conventional teaching and online multimedia tools in the traditional classroom.

Seminars advised professors on creating online courses at Concordia.

The for-profit organization operating adjunct to the university eConcordia has offered online courses to Concordia students since its launch in 2000.

It now makes up fifteen per cent of university enrollment with fifty-three credited courses offered this winter semester.

Concordia hopes to offer massive open online courses to people outside the university, however these courses will not be applicable to a Concordia degree.

STORY WRITTEN: AISHA SAMU

Student associations and university labour unions can learn a lot from each other.

The Link reports that while labour unions can benefit from the tactics used in the student movement, student associations can equally gain from the history of labour movements.

Spokesperson for the Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante Jérémie Bédard-Wien says fostering solidarity between students and workers is extremely important.

Students who work and educational workers face unpredictability and a lack of job security in the workforce, and can benefit from supporting each other.

Bédard-Wien acknowledges that cultural differences between student associations and unions could hinder that mutual support.

ASSÉs use of disruptive tactics have put them at odds with union activists.

Professor at the Université de Québec en Outaouais and lecturer on organized labour in Quebec Thomas Collombat says student associations can learn from labour unions about the importance of unity.

Labour unions can also learn from the creativity of the student movement like the effective use of social media and mascots as symbols of the movement.

Bédard-Wien believes we must see unions as a political vehicle in order to affect government policy.

STORY WRITTEN BY: AISHA SAMU

Life at Concordia University may be getting a little more difficult in the near future.

According to a report by The Link, full-time teachers at the university voted 74 percent in favour of strike action.

About 1000 professors who are being represented by the Concordia University Faculty Association took part in the vote.

The Profs now have the green light to go on strike, provided they give two days’ notice to their employer. With the ability to do so, the union has not clearly stated if that is their intention, however, it is a tactic to restart stalled negotiations.

The university and the CUFA have been in negotiations with the university for fifteen months now. Other unions are negotiating new collective bargaining agreements as well.

Meetings with a conciliator will go ahead as planned for the rest of the month.

Flickr Photo by: Viola Ng

CSU councillor Ramy Khoriaty has resigned from his position due to a conflict of interest.

According to the Link, Khoriaty temporarily worked for the CSU directing Orientation Week while remaining on the council.

A CSU standing regulation disqualifies a person from holding or taking office if they become a Student Union employee after taking office.

Engineering and computer science representative, Khoriaty claims he did not know that he was violating CSU policy.

Currently there is no standard procedure in the hiring process at the CSU.

The CSU judicial board recommended the committee that hired Khoriaty to review CSU bylaws to make sure this never happens again.