In the Season 2 premiere of "Online Education Across the Atlantic," hosts Phil, Morgan, and Neil take you on a tour of the latest educational technology conferences. We explore key takeaways from CanvasConnect in Barcelona, where lifelong learning and practical course organization dominated the sessions, and the D2L Connections event in Amsterdam, highlighting the buzz around AI-driven tools like Lumi and H5P integration.

Morgan shares experiences from the Moodle Moot in Mexico, unpacking the challenges and future directions for Moodle, while Phil reports on the vendor partnerships and AI discussions at Educause in San Antonio, Texas. With increased attendance and a revamped exhibit hall layout, Educause is reviving itself for connecting educators with technology partners. Tune in for an in-depth look at how these conferences are shaping the future of online education and what it means for institutions across the globe.

00:00 Neil spoke at last year's smaller conference in Europe.

05:08 Comparing D2L's learning focus and Instructure's vision.

07:45 H5P and Lumi positively viewed, but underused.

11:07 Lifelong learning tension: transformational vs practical focus.

14:42 Education hype can disconnect from universities' realities.

17:38 Enjoyed European-style breakfast with Yucatan pork.

21:39 Leadership transition creates balance challenge for direction.

24:22 Moodle crucial for higher education and LMS.

29:53 Facilitated Educause workshop, changing partnerships perspective.

33:17 Strategic planning impacts edtech vendor outlook.

35:20 Organize AI, clean data for accurate insights.

40:07 Initial moral panic impeded serious AI discussions.

41:50 Space-themed hotel excited 8-year-old.