Meet the FLO Facilitator: Valeria Cortes

Over the years individuals from institutions and organizations across B.C. have taken Facilitating Learning Online (FLO) to the next level by participating in the Facilitator Development/Mentorship program and co-facilitating one or more FLO courses. If you are thinking about adopting FLO courses at your institution, these are the people who can help!

What got you started on this path to becoming a FLO facilitator and mentor?

In some way or another I have always been interested in creating or participating in learning experiences that are engaging and build community. I rarely share that my interest in education technologies was strongly influenced by studying, and then working, at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico. After I completed my MEd online, I was a champion of online learning. I still remember how excited I was when I got my first books on the topic (Engaging the Online Learner and Collaborating Online).

Teaching in various online and blended programs at Royal Road University (RRU) was a great fit for me, and a few years ago Beth Cougler-Blom invited me to co-facilitate FLO Design with BCcampus. I loved it! I am grateful for the work BCcampus folks are doing and the support I’ve had to access learning, write, and try new things.

What experience and expertise do you bring to this new support role of helping others to adopt and/or facilitate FLO courses?

I bring over 25 years of experience working and consulting internationally in higher education. In addition to my experience and education, I draw from my lived experiences as a culturally and linguistically diverse educator. I would say my work, in this context, can be represented by intercultural learning, arts-based and holistic learning, and inclusive curriculum design.

At the moment I’m part of a fantastic team at RRU researching how to deliver educational online programs for Indigenous communities in a good way. (I hope to be sharing our findings very soon.)