Stephen Downes

Stephen Downes (born April 6, 1959) is a Canadian philosopher and expert in online learning and new media. Downes has worked with computers and online technologies in education since 1995. Downes gave the 2004 Buntine Oration. He spoke at the February 2007 Online Connectivism Conference. In 2008, Downes and George Siemens designed and taught an online, open course. It was called a "landmark in the small but growing push toward 'open teaching'" It is often called the first Massive open online course (MOOC).
Downes was born in Montreal, Quebec. He lived and worked many places in Canada before joining the National Research Council of Canada. He bacame a senior researcher there in November 2001. He moved toCasselman, Ontario. Downes became a researcher at the NRC's Digital Technologies Research Centre in Ottawa.
Downes won the Edublog Award for Best Individual Blog in 2005 for his blog OLDaily. Downes is Editor at Large of the International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning.
Downes ran for Mayor of Brandon in 1995. He was working at the Assiniboine Community College. Downes was a member of the New Democratic Party. In his campaign he wanted policies the left of incumbent mayor Rick Borotsik.