Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Aug 5, 2026

Stephen Downes

Stephen Downes is a Canadian philosopher and commentator in the fields of online learning and new media. He has explored and promoted the educational use of computer and online technologies since 1995. He gave the 2004 Buntine Oration and was a presenter at the February 2007 Online Connectivism Conference. In 2008, Downes and George Siemens designed and taught an online, open course reported as a "landmark in the small but growing push toward 'open teaching'" - widely considered the first massive open online course (MOOC).

Last revised
Aug 5, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
354 w
Citations
8
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Stephen Downes
Downes in 2009
Born (1959-04-06) April 6, 1959
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Alma materUniversity of Calgary (BA, MA)
University of Alberta (PhD)
Occupations
  • Philosopher
  • commentator

Stephen Downes (born April 6, 1959) is a Canadian philosopher and commentator in the fields of online learning and new media. He has explored and promoted the educational use of computer and online technologies since 1995.1 He gave the 2004 Buntine Oration2 and was a presenter at the February 2007 Online Connectivism Conference.3 In 2008, Downes and George Siemens designed and taught an online, open course reported as a "landmark in the small but growing push toward 'open teaching'"4 - widely considered the first massive open online course (MOOC).

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Downes lived and worked across Canada before joining the National Research Council of Canada as a senior researcher in November 2001. Currently, he is a researcher at the NRC's Digital Technologies Research Centre in Ottawa.5

Downes was the winner of the Edublog Award for Best Individual Blog in 2005 for his blog OLDaily.6 He is Editor at Large of the International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning.7

Downes ran for Mayor of Brandon in 1995, when he was working at the Assiniboine Community College. A member of the New Democratic Party, he ran on a platform to the left of incumbent mayor Rick Borotsik.8

Notes

Notes

  1. Kinney, Duncan (September 2010). "An Open Education Primer: What you need to know about the future of post-secondary education". Unlimited Magazine. Retrieved 2014-07-12.
  2. Downes, S. (2004). "Buntine Oration: Learning Objects" (PDF). International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning. 1 (11): 3–14. ISSN 1550-6908.
  3. University of Manitoba: Learning Technologies Centre Archived 2007-03-02 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Parry, Marc (August 29, 2010). "Online, Bigger Classes May Be Better Classes". Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved 2010-09-02.
  5. "NRC Experts and Staff: Stephen Downes". National Research Council of Canada. April 16, 2003. Retrieved 2010-09-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  6. "2005 Edublog Awards". Archived from the original on 2014-01-06. Retrieved 2006-08-12.
  7. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning Editorial Board Retrieved on 2010-09-02.
  8. Bud Robertson, "Election-Profile-Brandon", Winnipeg Free Press, 1 October 1995, A1.
External links