Take a look at some of our latest

thoughts about online learning

Onlea: A look at 2022 through the lens of the past two years

A letter from the CEO    This past year, Onlea continued its mission to remove barriers to education. Our transition to a for-profit corpora...

8 minutes ago

3 Ways to Write Learner-Catching Introductions to Your Online Course

You’ve mapped out exactly what your learners need to know, and how to teach it to them. Yet when you sit down to write your course, you’re staring at a blank screen. How to begin?...

accessibility, Online Courses

2 days ago

Learn More: Why LX Should be on Your Business's Critical Path

So how do you construct meaning? How do you get to the heart of the matter, how do you get the people you’re trying to help to sit up and say “I’ve been looking for that,” “they get me,” “I want to know what this company does next!"...

business development, lxd

2 months ago

Four ways to write better online courses

Many instructors and subject matter experts tackle writing this text in the way that’s most familiar to them—in the style of an academic paper or formal report. Other instructors think of their online course as being the digital equivalent of a textbook or manual. But is it?...

accessibility, course design

2 months ago

Go with the “Flow”: Top 3 Strategies to Get Learners in the Right State of Mind

While we tend to talk about flow as it relates to art, or sports, or music, the concept has value when it comes to learning as well. Consider how you feel when you’re learning something you’re actually interested in, versus something you’re learning because you have to learn it....

3 months ago

So What is Learning Experience Design (LX), Anyway?

LX means thinking about learners not as passive recipients of content sitting at a desk, but as active participants in their own learning, who are constantly making decisions as they navigate the course....

learnerexperience, lxd

3 months ago

What Covid taught me: Reflections on teaching during and after a Pandemic

2020 was an exceptionally trying year for many educators. Many were forced to change the delivery of their classes or training from in-perso...

accessibility, mooc

5 months ago

Preparing to Teach In Person, Online or a Blended Version

In 2020 teachers and trainers all over the globe were forced to approach a year of instruction unlike any they’d faced before. As the fall of 221 approaches, many of them will be returning to in person instruction again, or a version that blends both e-learning and classroom work....

e-learning, online learning

6 months ago

Learning About Inclusion And Diversity All Year Round

Pride month is ending today, but don't stop being an ally to the LGBTQIA2S+ community! Support should be present year-round, and one way to do so is by being considerate with your use of pronouns....

inclusion, diversity

6 months ago

Education vs. Entertainment

Who is currently winning this daily battle for attention? Yes, it's true, both education and entertainment are on a daily battle for our at...

education, online learning

7 months ago

Instructional Design Principles for Online Training - Webinar by Onlea

At Onlea, we like to say we put the learner first. But what does that really mean? It really comes down to three (3) foundations: An unders...

accessibility, Blended Learning

8 months ago

7 Tips for Improving Video Presentations

Okay, so like the rest of the world you've been forced to start delivering your training remotely, and whether you're doing that via Zoom or...

zoom

8 months ago

Online Training in a Post-COVID World

While the global health challenges are ongoing, the rising numbers of vaccinations are a positive sign. Many of us are looking ahead to a ne...

onlinelearning

8 months ago

Finding Your Own Voice

For years, I’ve been on a quest to find my own voice. I have seen the concept used in books, online courses, movies, and even songs. Voice...

9 months ago

Making accessibility a priority for online learning

One of the tenets of Onlea’s founders is “Learning is for Everyone” so we’ve always taken accessibility and inclusivity seriously while bui...

accessibility, online learning

9 months ago

Introducing Onlea LX Labs

Today is an exciting day for the entire team at Onlea as we’re launching a brand new arm of our business. Introducing Onlea LX Labs. LX Labs focuses on the tools and principles of Learner Experience Design is the intersection of pedagogy, technology and design that puts learners front and center....

10 months ago

Beating Zoom Fatigue and Running Your Virtual Classroom Effectively - Webinar by Onlea

This webinar about Running a Virtual Classroom Effectively was delivered for the first time on February 2021. The presentation aims to help you regain your energy and equip you with new skills and ideas to create successful synchronous online teaching environments....

zoom, elearning

a year ago

Online Teaching 101 - Webinar by Onlea

The whole world has experienced teaching and learning online over the past years, and our team at Onlea has received a LOT of questions about our processes for creating award-winning digital courses....

webinar, onlinelearning

a year ago

Onlea update: June reflections

It's been a heck of a month! Summer has finally arrived in our home city of Edmonton, and the weather is back to swinging wildly between sco...

2 years ago

Episode 4: The Tech Bootcamp Experience (Part 2)

Episode 4 of the ReSkilled podcast is now available! Listen below to part 2 of our exploration of tech training bootcamps. Onlea · ReSkilled...

ReSkilled, reskilling

2 years ago

Beginner's Guide to Filming Yourself

As you prepare for teaching online, you might be wondering how to record your videos on a budget. The first thing you need to remember is th...

filming, cameras

2 years ago

How to choose a Learning Management System (LMS)

If you are in the middle of moving your courses, workshops, or training materials to an online format, one of the first questions you might be trying to answer is: Where do I host my courses?...

LMS, elearning

2 years ago

ReSkilled podcast Episode 3: Bootcamps (Part 1)

Episode 3 of the ReSkilled podcast is now available! Listen to part 1 of a two-part exploration of tech training boot camps....

reskilling, upskilling

2 years ago

Onlea is hot for teachers

Do you teach grades 5-12 in Canada? Are you interested in bringing data science into your classroom? If yes, we’d love your help creating a free course for teachers just like you....

2 years ago

ReSkilled Podcast Episode 2: Informal vs Formal Learning

Episode 2 of our new podcast, ReSkilled, is now available! This time we explored the differences between informal and formal learning. Show...

2 years ago

Free Learner Experience Workshops with Onlea

We're in the middle of an unprecedented shift in the way education is provided, and Canadian learning institutions are facing incredible cha...

2 years ago

Onlea's early lessons learned from working remotely

This week, the Onlea production team joined the ranks of remote workers around the world. On Monday, we met one final time to ensure everyo...

2 years ago

COVID-19 and becoming an Online Educator in 3 (not so) Easy Steps

Our already fast-changing world seems to be moving even more quickly in the past few weeks. As health authorities in Canada and around the...

covid19, coronavirus

2 years ago

Not Another Podcast! ReSkilled Episode 1

Onlea’s President, Adriana Lopez Forero and Director of Client Productions, Jeff Woodward, share what our new podcast is all about, why we thought now was the time, and why we’re the right people to make it....

2 years ago

2020 Photo Challenge

What better way to learn your way around unfamiliar equipment and try out new techniques than with a weekly photography challenge?...

photography, photographs

2 years ago

Continuous Learning, Human and Machine

Interested in the possible applications of #machinelearning for your business? Not everyone knows #Alberta is a hot spot for #AI research and development! In our latest blog post, Onlea’s talented tech writer​ describes some of what we learned building an #ML online course....

machinelearning, ai

2 years ago

Ember Awards 2019

Two new Ember Awards!!! Thank you Digital Alberta! What a great way to celebrate a fantastic journey this year, learning about a variety...

2 years ago

The challenges of developing a cannabis online course

At Onlea we’re lucky to get to work on MOOCs and courses for different disciplines and subjects. Over the past years, we’ve learned about e...

2 years ago

Using Immersive Technologies to deliver accessibility and drive ​understanding

Onlea is excited to announce that we are developing an online version of the RHFAC Accessibility Assessor training for the Rick Hansen Foundation and Athabasca University. This course will be the first of its kind using immersive technologies to deliver an accessible and engaging learning experience...

3 years ago

Getting Things Right

Written by Jeff Woodward We’re coming up on the Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada so as many of us here at Onlea prepare to see our famil...

indigenous canada, Online Courses

3 years ago

Why I Love My Job

A blog post written by Jeff Woodward How many of us have the pleasure to honestly say we love our jobs? How many of us look forward to Mond...

production, elearning

3 years ago

Networking: It's All Mutual

A blog post by Nikhil Chhikara, Business Development Manager Standing in the middle of a room, looking at people having discussions with on...

networking, professional

3 years ago

What a New Computing Science Grad Should Know Before Joining the Workforce

A blog post written by Jillian Lovas, Developer When I first graduated from the University of Alberta, I really didn’t know what my future...

computerscience, programming

3 years ago

Finding the right tools for the job

A blog post by Jeff Woodward, Director of Client Productions “Use the right tool for the right job in the right way”. What does that mean w...

mooc, cameras

3 years ago

Being Active At Your Desk

A blog post by Alma Tang When being behind your computer all day, a full work day can catch up to you so quickly. It happens to me all the...

focus, health

3 years ago

How to increase learner engagement in online courses

A blog post by Adriana Lopez Forero, CEO, Onlea Corporation Have you ever taken an online course that was so boring you left the course 10...

elearning, mlearning

3 years ago

To Infinity, and Beyond!

A blog post by Suzy Spence, Animator. To Infinity, and Beyond! As we know the famous line of Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story, the cosmos i...

astrophysics, black holes

3 years ago

Web Animation Optimization - Making Things Look Good Everywhere

A great way to make interactives more engaging is by implementing animations. The problem lies in implementing these interactives in a way that ensures they’ll run well....

astro 101, animation

4 years ago

Building a Set

A blog post by Veronica Krawcewicz, Senior Production Designer. To date most of Onlea’s courses have been filmed in front of a green screen...

theaterflat, setbuilding

4 years ago

Using The Stack in App Inventor 2 - Part 2

A blog post by Jill Lovas, Front End Developer Welcome back to the second part to the Burger Master App Inventor 2 tutorial! If you missed...

programming, computerscience

4 years ago

Be Prepared! How to Nail Pre-Production When You're Making Videos.

A blog by Jeff Woodward, Director of Client Productions Be prepared. So say the Boy Scouts, but what does that mean in terms of production?...

production, preproduction

4 years ago

Teaching Software Development Online - Lessons Learned from PVG

PVG (short for Problem Solving, Programming, and Video Games) is a course that teaches you how to program two video games using Python - one...

programming, video games

4 years ago

Studying Tips for Stellar Students

A blog post by Nicole Lovas, Front End Developer Since It’s been only a year since I finished school, I still remember all too clearly how...

studying, focus

4 years ago

Using the Stack in App Inventor 2 - Part 1

A blog post by Jill Lovas, Front End Developer Recently I was involved in Technovation, a worldwide initiative to introduce girls to progra...

stack, app inventor

4 years ago

10 Things That Make Me Happy At Work

A blog post by Alma Tang, Client Services Lead The environment we surround ourselves into affects our mood. A fun environment creates a pos...

office culture, office

4 years ago

Onlea and the Serious Game Jam

A blog post by Theo Keeler, Development Team Lead On March 29th, Onlea had its very first internal serious game jam. That sounds great, but...

Serious Games, Development

4 years ago

Video Blog: Meet the team "Jeff Woodward"

In today's video blog, we introduce to you our Director of Client Productions, Jeff Woodward. Jeff brings a wealth of knowledge from the TV...

video, blog

4 years ago

Projecting Fishies

A blog post by Sandra Sarmiento, Senior Design Strategist Here at Onlea, we love all kinds of learning mediums. Recently, we dabbled a bi...

projection mapping, exhibit

4 years ago

Capturing Inspiring Moments

A blog post by Suzy Spence, Animator. As a designer you can get inspiration from anywhere - when you’re walking down the street and see a b...

adobe capture cc, designer

4 years ago

Meet your virtual client: Developing a Fully Interactive Learning Experience

A paper based on the Software Product Management specialization produced by Onlea for the University of Alberta in 2015-2016 was recently published on the proceedings of the 12th International Technology, Education and Development Conference...

software product management, mooc

4 years ago

Analogue Creativity

A blog post by Neal Merrell, Production Designer. Much like the sweet warm sound of Vinyl, or the grainy imperfection of celluloid film, so...

mind mapping, free writing

4 years ago

Business Cards as Unique as our Team Members

A blog post by Veronica Krawcewicz, Senior Production Designer. At Onlea we are proud of our diverse team. We wanted to reflect the uniquen...

Graphic Design, Business Cards

4 years ago

International Women's Day: The Strength of Many Voices towards Positive Change

...

PressforProgress, MyFeminism

4 years ago

The Gamification of Education - Part 2: Player Types

A blog by Adriana Lopez Forero, CEO One of the best ways to understand using video game techniques in the classroom is through the lenses o...

gamification, elearning

4 years ago

A Family Day post about work life balance

A blog by Jeff Woodward, Director of Client Productions Work life balance in the age of constant connectedness. Happy Family Day to you an...

worklifebalance, familyday

4 years ago

What can you do with a science degree?

A blog by Jill Bagwe, Vice President (Operations) I was recently asked by the Interdepartmental Science Students' Society (ISSS) at the U...

science, STEM

4 years ago

The Making of Graphic Design Fundamentals

Graphic Design Fundamentals (GDF) is our design team’s answer to that question. First envisioned in 2014, GDF reveals the components of great graphic design for those who haven’t taken a four year degree in Visual Communication Design (VCD)....

making of, elearning

4 years ago

Course Launch Announcement: Graphic Design Fundamentals

Onlea's first developed course is now live: Graphic Design Fundamentals Our team did such an amazing job bringing this course to life. We c...

elearning, Graphic Design

4 years ago

Video Blog: Meet the Team "Influences"

Here at Onlea we do a lot of work with video, from filming to animation to editing to scriptwriting. With that in mind we thought it might b...

4 years ago

10 Things We Learned (or Loved) in 2017

10 Things We Learned (or Loved) Last Year 2017 was a big year at Onlea, we hired new staff, saw some of our original employees move on to n...

Online Courses, teach

4 years ago

Life After Graduation

Onlea’s newest front end developers talk about their experiences graduating with Computing Science degrees, job hunting, finding and adapting to their first jobs related to their degrees....

4 years ago

Welcome to the team!

We are growing our team and we are happy to welcome Alma Tang to join Onlea in the role of Client Services Lead....

4 years ago

Visual Shorthand and how it helps us tell stories

One of the most common mantras in film and video production is “show, don’t tell”. Film is a visual medium that affords us unique opportunities to tell stories and share information that other mediums do not....

4 years ago

Seven Steps for Creating Digital Creature Illustrations

At Onlea we create illustrations to help explain and demonstrate the knowledge being communicated in our online courses. Each course has a u...

4 years ago

The future of MOOCs

Learn about the future of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) from Onlea's founder Jennifer Griffin Schaeffer. In this video interview Jennifer will take us through the future of MOOCs from their benefits to their availability on multiple platforms....

4 years ago

How to use Chroma Key with a Greenscreen in Adobe After Effects.

When you see some of our Onlea productions, you can see the compositing of two images. I would like to introduce you to the Adobe After Effects’ Chroma Key tool which we use to easily composite two different images....

education, greenscreen

4 years ago

What Makes a Good Interactive Learning Object?

One of the key components of online courses that we produce is a set of Interactive Learning Objects (ILOs). ILOs are small web apps that allow students to explore interactive course content. This can be as simple as naming mountains on a map or as complex as a virtual project management meeting....

4 years ago

The Gamification of Education - Part 1: The Engagement Loop

A videogame is an engaging machine designed to keep you wanting to come back to play more and more. That sense of progression and engagement can be used in multiple contexts including services, websites and education....

4 years ago

Branded learning experiences to grow​ your business

When we think about online learning, the first thing that comes to mind are courses aimed towards career seekers or learners of a specific i...

4 years ago

4 ways to establish trust with your expertise and online learning videos

In today’s increasingly digital media consumption where video traffic is projected to account for more than 80% of all consumer Internet tra...

4 years ago

Online Teaching Astrophysics: A conversation with Ross Lockwood

A conversation with Ross Lockwood on our current online learning production for Astrophysics 101: Visiting a Black Hole...

4 years ago

Announcing our New President

Onlea is delighted to announce a new leader at the helm of our organization to continue supporting the growth of Onlea Corporation. Adriana...

4 years ago

Telling Stories

Narratives are fundamental to human life. As meaning-making creatures, we look at the stars and see pictures; then we use those pictures to...

4 years ago

Dr. Ken Wong on teaching MOOCs, blended MOOCs and the recently launched Software Design & Architecture MOOC

We recently launched Software Design & Architecture, a four-course specialization produced for the University of Alberta delivered thr...

4 years ago

Welcome

Welcome to Onlea’s new home on the web. If you’re here today you’re one of the first visitors to our recently relaunched website. If this...

4 years ago

The making of Mountains 101

Onlea’s Mountains 101 is an award winning MOOC that takes the learner out of the classroom (or any room) and puts them into the heart of t...

4 years ago

Understanding Video Games

A free online course about video games and game theory taught by Dr. Sean Gouglas. This course was created with the help of world renowned video game developer, Bioware Corp....