Christine Smith
Dr. Christine Smith is the University of Windsor’s first Director, Open Learning. She brings to the University of Windsor valuable expertise in the areas of blended and online course design, pedagogy, and program development. She has developed and directed many technologically-enhanced and fully online post-secondary programs and has also been principal investigator and project lead on numerous international and private sector to IT-based open learning projects. A recognized leader in her field, she has a PhD in networked learning and a post-graduate diploma in Library and Information Studies.
Previously, Dr. Smith was the Head of Academic Practice in the Academic Development Unit at the University of Salford in Manchester, UK, and the Director of Lancaster University's internationally recognized graduate-level Advanced Learning Technology (ALT) program. Her professional history balances strong administrative experience in post-secondary settings with a proven history of effectively implementing innovative cutting edge learning technologies, including successfully establishing programs funded on a cost-recovery basis.
Dr. Smith has led numerous international online and networked learning initiatives in the private and public sectors, including projects funded through British Telecom, the UK Department for Education and Employment, the British Economic and Social Research Council, and a number of European Union funding agencies. She was also a principal investigator on the UK-wide Joint Information Systems Committee funded project, Networked Learning in Higher Education.
Dr. Smith has published extensively on the pedagogical design and development of distance, distributed and flexible learning environments, particularly on the use of technology-enhanced learning systems and tools. Her interests include the use of communications and information technology in professional development, post-secondary education, training and lifelong learning, in particular computer-supported collaborative learning, networked open learning, multimedia-based learning environment design. She is looking forward to working with members of the University community to expand and enhance technologically-supported open learning opportunities.