Join the CDLRA for a professional development session on June 25, 2026.
Post‑secondary institutions are navigating a period of significant uncertainty and change. As new technologies continue to emerge and expectations shift, many institutions are grappling with how best to respond — including whether and how to restrict technology use in teaching, learning, and assessment.
In response to these challenges, the Canadian Digital Learning Research Association (CDLRA) is hosting an upcoming professional development session focused on responsible technology use and the relationship between policy decisions and day‑to‑day practice.
Why this session, and why now?
Technology‑restrictive or “no‑tech” policies are often introduced in response to real and pressing concerns: academic integrity, workload, equity, risk, and public scrutiny, among others. At the same time, blanket approaches can create unintended consequences and may be experienced very differently across roles and contexts.
This session is designed to create space for thoughtful, evidence‑informed discussion — not to promote a particular solution or position. Instead, it will support institutions in examining the tensions they are navigating and in considering how policy intent translates into practice.
About the session
Responsible technology use: Bridging policy and practice in uncertain times is a 90‑minute interactive professional development session led by Dr. Nicole Johnson, conducted in partnership with the Digital Learning Leadership Community.
The session will combine:
- Research‑informed framing of current challenges related to technology use and restriction
- Facilitated discussion that brings together perspectives from different institutional roles
- Structured opportunities for reflection on how policy decisions are experienced in practice
The session is designed for a broad audience, including academic leaders, teaching and learning professionals, instructional designers, digital learning leaders, and those involved in policy, governance, or institutional research.
What participants can expect
Participants can expect to leave the session with:
- Greater insight into the pressures and uncertainties that lead institutions toward technology‑restrictive approaches
- Increased awareness of the potential unintended consequences of no‑tech or overly restrictive policies
- Shared concepts and framing for discussing responsible technology use in internal conversations
- Stronger questions to bring back to institutional discussions and decision‑making
- Recognition of responsible technology use as an ongoing institutional dialogue, rather than a one‑time policy decision
The emphasis throughout the session will be on dialogue, sense‑making, and reflection — not prescriptions or best‑practice checklists.
Registration and support for CDLRA’s work
This professional development session is part of CDLRA’s ongoing efforts to support evidence‑informed conversations about digital learning in Canadian post‑secondary education. All proceeds from the event will be used to support CDLRA’s 2026 research efforts.
In some cases, institutional partners may be able to provide team‑wide access at no additional cost. If you’re unsure whether your institution is a CDLRA partner, you’re welcome to reply to the event email to ask.
Event details
Date
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Time
12:00 pm Eastern / 9:00 am Pacific