D. Randy Garrison

D. Randy Garrison, full name Donn Randy Garrison, born in 1945, is a Canadian professor emeritus at the University of Calgary who has published extensively on distance education, online learning and blended learning. He holds a bachelor of education in mathematics with a minor in psychology and completed a master of education in computer applications in education at Calgary in 1972. His research examines how teaching, learning and the communication process relate, and he has argued that online learning depends on communication and collaboration between teacher and learner. He is associated with the view that understanding the link between teaching presence, cognitive presence and social presence helps educators meet learners' needs. His books include Understanding Distance Education, E-Learning in the 21st Century, Blended Learning in Higher Education and Thinking Collaboratively, and he received an outstanding achievement award from the Sloan Consortium in 2009.