Andreia Inamorato is a senior expert in distance education with over 25 years of international experience, having worked and conducted research in Brazil, England, and Spain. Her scholarship focuses on online learning, open education, and the development of digital competence. She has led major initiatives in digital education across Europe and Latin America, contributing to both policy and practice. She has been awarded the prestigious Ramón y Cajal Fellowship in Spain in recognition of her scientific achievements and research leadership. She is currently Director of Lifelong Learning and Executive Education at Universidad Loyola in Spain and a board member of […]

Dr Catherine Cronin is an independent scholar and critical advocate of open education, based in Ireland. Her work focuses on critical and social justice approaches in digital, open and higher education, including most recently co-editing Higher education for good: Teaching and learning futures with Professor Laura Czerniewicz.

George Ubachs is Managing Director of EADTU, the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities, responsible for significant scholarship and insight related to innovation in online and distance teaching. The EADTU’s wide volume of contemporary reports and practice insights are freely available to the global community. George is also the ICDE Focal Point on Quality for Europe, and coordinator of the European MOOC Consortium (EMC), which has developed a standard for micro-credentials through the Common Microcredential Framework. Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/1849363/c1e-rz2pij7346t8w27o-gpk23mkof705-kgz9qz.mp3 | recorded May 2024 George’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ubachsgeorge/ Nominated works (free to access): EADTU open access work:

Professor João Mattar is a specialist in distance education with the Pontifical Catholic University of Sao Paulo in Brazil. João has over 75 publications across a broad range of subject areas in education, including games in education and connectivism. He is a Member of the International Council of Advisors of the UNESCO Chair in Distance Education (CUED) at the National University of Distance Education (UNED) in Spain, and an International Specialist at the Higher Education Assessment and Accreditation Agency (A3ES) of Portugal. He is also currently the President of ABED, the Distance Education Association of Brazil.  Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/1829627/c1e-mxgwsn8d1jcdkwg2-mk05nr45u6zv-zntvip.mp3 | recorded April […]

Dr Mark Nichols is Executive Director of Learning Design & Development at Open Polytechnic in New Zealand. He is current President of ICDE, and a Commonwealth of Learning Chair. Mark also pioneered this podcast, with the highly able assistance of Nev Ellington, who he met at the Open University. Mark’s most recent scholarship is in the areas of terminology and delivery modes. He will co-host the ICDE World Conference next year in New Zealand.  Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/1802468/c1e-j2qntqg753czkn52-jp4pk14ru68r-pmghg3.mp3 | recorded April 2024 Mark’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbnichols/  Mark’s ORCID: Mark Nichols (0000-0002-8131-6562) – ORCID  Nominated works (free to access):

Professor Charlotte Gunawardena is Distinguished Professor of Distance Education and Instructional Technology with the University of New Mexico. Lani has published and presented on distance education for over 25 years and has over 100 publications to her credit. She is currently researching the sociocultural context of digital learning environments and social presence theory, examining the social construction of knowledge in online learning communities. Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/1762025/c1e-270mi8qv94c8j683-2og6dv7msmq8-nnr6q1.mp3 | recorded May 2024 Lani’s online profile: https://ulls.unm.edu/people/directory/g/gunawardena-charlotte-lani.php?_gl=13yy45h_gcl_au*MTY5NzY3NjkxMC4xNzE1OTA1NjI2LjEzMDQzMjkyNjUuMTcxNjIzODgwMi4xNzE2MjM4ODE0 Nominated works (free to access): Nominated works (may require purchase):

Dr Taskeen Adam is Co-Director at Open Development & Education – a multicultural team dedicated to open education developments around the world. Taskeen’s research highlights that historical injustices, cultural imposition, and economic dependence continue to play a pivotal role in education and she seeks to address cultural-epistemic injustices exacerbated through educational technologies. Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/1762050/c1e-owpjuvjpg3b708dx-mq8z0353bngv-mgmj7q.mp3 | recorded April 2024 Taskeen’s online profile: https://opendeved.net/team/taskeen-adam/ Nominated works (free to access): Nominated works (may require purchase): Taskeen’s Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/taskeenadamlin Taskeen’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-taskeen-adam-2027a150/

Dr Ratna Selvaratnam is Manager of Learning Technologies & Innovation at Edith Cowan University (ECU), Australia. Ratna is a Design Champion with ECU’s University of the Future project, she has recent forward-facing publications in the areas of micro-credentials and governance of artificial intelligence, and is on the ACODE (Australasian Council for Open and Digital Education) Executive as Treasurer. Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/1747436/c1e-qw1vu2dk3gck20kk-2ogx8x7ws8-griarp.mp3 | recorded March 2024 Ratna’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ratna-malar-selvaratnam/ Nominated works (free to access):

Dr Gabi Witthaus is a Research Fellow at University College London specialising in education in contexts of mass displacement, and Senior Digital Education Developer with the University of Birmingham. Gabi is a keen advocate of open education resources and widening participation to higher education. Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/1728059/c1e-pgwvs5548nc1xd75-zo544qg8tgj-2rhegm.mp3 | recorded February 2024 Gabi’s online profile: https://artofelearning.org/about/ Gabi’s blog: https://artofelearning.org/ Gabi’s Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/GabiWitthaus Gabi’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabiwitthaus/ Nominated works (free to access): Nominated works (may require purchase):

Junhong Xiao is Emeritus Professor at the Open University of Shantou in China. His current research interests cover various aspects of open, distance and digital education. His international publications include a major contribution to the Springer Handbook of Open, Digital, and Distance Education, and many contemporary themes of online learning. Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/1716725/c1e-owpjuv99mvf708dx-5r51zq0ph789-t5r3pd.mp3 | recorded March 2024 Junhong’s online profile: Junhong Xiao is Emeritus Professor at the Open University of Shantou (formerly known as Shantou Radio & Television University), a local branch of the Open University of China and a founding member of the Center for Open Education Research, the University of […]

Paul Levinson, PhD, is a pioneer of online education, still teaching classes in person and via Zoom as a Professor at Fordham University in New York City, after nearly 50 years in university classrooms, and online classes in the 1980s at Connected Education which he co-founded with his wife Tina Vozick. Paul is a dedicated pedagogue, novelist, and singer/songwriter, whose advocacy for online education remains as energetic as it was in his early days with Connect Ed.  Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/1677255/c1e-xw7gumr1nofownkg-jkw61wqoujr0-jwztjj.mp3 Paul’s personal homepage: https://paullev.com/ Paul’s blog: https://paullevinson.blogspot.com/ Paul’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paul.levinson/ Paul’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paullevinson/ Paul’s Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/PaulLev Paul’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PaulLevinson Paul’s Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@PaulLev Paul’s Threads: […]

Mike Sharples is Emeritus Professor of Educational Technology in the Institute of Educational Technology at The Open University. Mike’s extensive career and multiple publications are concerned with innovation in educational technology, which include the Innovating Pedagogy report series and early involvement with Artificial intelligence. Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/1657678/c1e-d41xtk0ggpfj4pw8-7n5mro1ghwn4-tizqag.mp3 | recorded November 2023 Mike’s online profile: https://iet.open.ac.uk/people/mike.sharples Mike’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-sharples-1633153/ Nominated works (free to access): Nominated works (may require purchase): Mike’s Twitter/X account: https://twitter.com/sharplm

In this episode, you’ll learn about Emeritus Professor Otto Peters through his last PhD student Professor Olaf Zawacki-Richter. Otto is one of the founding theorists in distance education – in fact, Otto Peters created that term. Otto is now 98, but his work continues to inspire. Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/1735373/c1e-72rxt447p4s3vd5z-5r5zkmq6fm09-bqjgs5.mp3 | recorded April 2024 Professor Olaf Zawacki-Richter wrote about an interview he had with Otto, published in the first issue of the American Journal of Distance Education in 2024: Full article: Speaking Personally – with Otto Peters (tandfonline.com), dated 23 December 2023. Please do take opportunity to enjoy Olaf’s interview and investigate […]

Professor Florence Martin is Professor of Learning, Design and Technology with North Carolina State University. Florence’s teaching spans asynchronous, synchronous and bisyncronous modalities – and her applied research (and associated systematic reviews of literature) informs her teaching, while also enriching the practice of others. Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/1637297/c1e-qw1vu41vj3uk20k0-p80xpov4s3zo-ssdngh.mp3 | recorded December 2023 Florence’s online profile: http://opening-up.education/about Florence’s Google Scholar account: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=n_Nf3fgAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao Nominated works (free to access): Nominated works (may require purchase):

Dr Christian Stracke is the Coordinator for Virtual Coordination and Cloud Strategy at the University of Bonn in Germany. His main research areas are open education, Artificial Intelligence and their societal impacts building on many years of international scholarship related to learning innovations and quality in digital education. Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/1623613/c1e-w67pc92ow8t6m066-5rp5r92jud9q-j2twad.mp3 | recorded September 2023 Christian’s online profile: http://opening-up.education/about Christian’s LinkedIn profile: https://de.linkedin.com/in/christian-m-stracke Nominated works (free to access): Nominated works (may require purchase):

Professor Tian Belawati is the former Rector of Universitas Terbuka (Indonesia Open University), a keen advocate for inclusive online learning, and a previous ICDE President as well as the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) President. Tian has seen Universitas Terbuka transform over time from a traditional correspondence open university into a major provider of accessible education. Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/c7923e4a-035d-4098-9adc-4edd50547730-089-Tian-Belawati.mp3 | recorded September 2023 Tian’s online profiles: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tian-Belawati | https://scholar.google.co.id/citations?user=N2vAWSUAAAAJ&hl=en Nominated work (fee to access): Nominated works (may require purchase):

Distinguished Professor Dr Vanessa Dennen is an international expert in education, with a specific focus on instructional systems and learning technologies at Florida State University. Her scholarship dates back to the early days of online education, as does her ‘people first, content second, technology third’ approach. Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/e353214d-a9a7-4fb5-a387-031f6d614039-088-Vanessa-Dennen.mp3 | recorded July 2023 Vanessa’s profile: https://cehhs.fsu.edu/vanessa-dennen Vanessa’s blog: https://vanessadennen.com/blog/ Vanessa’s Google Scholar account: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=fkGwM8YAAAAJ Vanessa’s publications and presentations (some may require purchase): https://vanessadennen.com/recent-publications-and-presentations/ Additional access to works: https://meme.create.fsu.edu/publications-presentations/ MEME Research Group website: https://meme.create.fsu.edu/

Dr Liz Marr is an advocate of lifelong learning, drawing on her own success as a lifelong learner. Liz is a recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the Universities Association for lifelong learning and served as Pro-Vice Chancellor (Students) alongside other teaching and learning roles with The Open University, UK. Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/d56b1da3-4f49-4a4e-8857-bb06c2e1c458-087-Liz-Marr-Final.mp3 | recorded September 2023 Liz’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-marr-60393429/ Nominated work (fee to access): Nominated works (may require purchase): Twitter: @liz_marr1

Professor Martha Cleveland-Innes is Professor of Open, Digital, and Distance Education with Athabasca University. Her work related to the Community of Inquiry model continues to advance thinking in the area of online learning practice. Listen out for a good IDEA related to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility and how these might be combined through robust education planning. Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/9b6762fe-1cbf-4015-b321-1bba2f59b071-086-Martha-Cleveland-Innes-Final.mp3 | recorded August 2023 Martha’s online profile: Dr Martha Cleveland-Innes 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 […]

Senior Professor Shironica P. Karunanayaka of the Open University of Sri Lanka is a firm believer in the principles of teaching and learning as foundational for online education. Her research into ICT in education, learning experience design, and OER and OEP now extend into a role as a Commonwealth of Learning Chair, following an academic career of almost 30 years in open and distance education. Interview: https://episodes.castos.com/onlinelearninglegends/b8d7e7d5-568a-46f7-9f97-05431250aed9-085-Shironica-Karunanayaka.mp3 | recorded June 2023 Shironica’s online profile: https://shironicakarunanayaka.wordpress.com/ Shironica’s ResearchGate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shironica-Karunanayaka Shironica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shironica-karunanayaka/ Blogs mentioned in interview: Nominated works (free to access): Nominated works (may require purchase): Twitter: @ShironicaK