Messages of condolence froM around the world for

Professor

robin d. Mason

12th July 1945 - 15th June 2009

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

obituary Published by the guardian (uK), Monday 6th July 2009

robin Mason: advocate of e-learning in higher education

robin Mason, who has died aged 63 from pneumonia as a secondary complication from a brain tumour, changed the face of distance education through her research at the open university (ou) and her contribution to higher education policy documents. coming to higher education later in life, Mason joined the institute of educational technology at the ou in the early 1980s, and worked initially as a part-time project officer. when she embarked on her Phd on computer conferencing in 1985, her work became ground-breaking. she was attempting to link students by computer and enable those studying at a distance to engage with academic debate - it was a wonderful, but risky, issue to research. back in 1985, technology was vastly different from what we have today, with students communicating with each other only through text, but Mason persisted, seeing the promise of a different, more student-focused learning experience. her subsequent book, Mindweave: communication, computers and distance education (1989), co-authored with tony Kaye, documented the first large-scale use of conferencing with the launch of a course that enabled the ou to build innovative computer conferencing at a time when few universities made any use of it. for a time, this book was the seminal reference for any e-learning work. she went on to make a tremendous contribution to the field. in addition to websites, discussion forums, virtual tutorials, electronically submitted papers, blogging and sharing items over the internet, students now take part in online discussions using images and videos Mason extended her work outside academia and teaching to evaluate several large european union projects in computer conferencing. she began a long-standing involvement in policy matters as an adviser to the eu, the european parliament, unesco and, later, the higher education funding council for england. her work on virtual campuses still has relevance at the policy level today, underpinning part of sir ron cooke’s 2008 report on online innovation in higher education. she played an influential role in the development of the association for learning technology (alt), founding one of the research committees and acting as a trustee for the association. Mason’s work took her all over the world - she was australia’s scholar of the year and spent 2003 sharing her expertise across the continent. she was passionate about helping other teachers and lecturers to use e-learning. among the international projects she worked on was one aimed at helping caribbean, african and Pacific university staff to adapt open teaching materials to their own needs using different technologies. this was just one instance where Mason directly influenced teaching methods. closer to home, she instigated the ou’s first virtual graduation in 2000, also the uK’s first virtual ceremony, for students on her global Ma in online and distance education. twenty-six students from eight countries, after three years of remote e-learning, came face to face, virtually, with the ou’s vice-chancellor. Mason commented that “despite the technology and yet because of the technology, many of the students have developed very close friendships with each other and with the tutors”. born in winnipeg, canada, Mason completed her first degree at toronto university and her master’s at Madison, wisconsin. she was a free spirit, best exemplified by stories recounted by colleagues. one remembers her swimming across a very chilly norwegian lake during a break in an international conference programme. her colleagues sat anxiously on the shore, wrapped in warm jackets, while Mason swam into the distance and, so her colleagues thought, into mortal danger of hypothermia. they were greatly relieved when she emerged again, dripping and smiling. Much loved by her colleagues, she was known as a maverick who didn’t give much regard to what she saw as unnecessary administration. but she struck the right balance between scholarly activity, practical application, and having fun with new ideas. her legacy will continue to inform educational technologists in the future.

she is survived by two children, lydia and Quentin.

obituary Published in the globe and Mail, saturday 4th July 2009

Professor of educational technology, the open university, died June 15, 2009 in oxford, england, aged 63. having grown up in richmond hill, ontario, robin graduated from trinity college, university of toronto, in 1967. her Phd degree from the open university in 1989 was one of the first in the field of education technology in which she quickly became a leading thinker and innovator. robin’s career was truly global in scope; at her death she was involved in transnational projects supporting technology enhanced distance learning in africa, the caribbean, asia and the south Pacific. she was australian scholar of the year in 2003 and in 2000 conceived of the first virtual graduation as course director of the Ma in online and distance education. robin was the author of numerous books, including the ground breaking Mindweave (1989), was a keynote speaker at many international conferences, and consultant to businesses, organizations and the public sector. travelling widely she influenced colleagues and students worldwide; hundreds of testimonials can be viewed online: http://iet-public- wiki.open.ac.uk/index.php/Robin.

she is survived by her two children Quentin and lydia, her three sisters cecilia, deborah and eden and her seven nieces and nephews.

obituary Published by the tiMes higher education, 9th July 2009

robin Mason, a pioneer of online teaching and learning, has died.born on 12 July 1945 in the canadian city of winnipeg, Professor Mason studied for her first degree in toronto, followed by an Ma in Madison, wisconsin.it was not until 1985, however, when she embarked on a Phd at the open university while working part time and bringing up two children, that she laid the foundations for her own contributions to academic life.hers was one of the first Phds to address the topic of computer-mediated conferencing (cMc) for distance education.while others in the field were concentrating on the technical challenges, Professor Mason saw cMc in more visionary terms, as a tool to create new styles of learning experiences, which could enable distance students to fully engage in the cut and thrust of academic debate.as the technology began to catch up with her vision, she became established as an important authority in the field. by the early 1990s, she was playing a leading role as an evaluator in several large european union projects on cMc.her first book, computer conferencing: the last word, was published in 1992, and a short while later she began her longstanding involvement in policy matters as an adviser to the eu, the european Parliament, unesco and, later, to the higher education funding council for england.although based at the ou in the institute of educational technology, Professor Mason travelled widely, introducing technology-enhanced learning everywhere from the south Pacific to the western isles. in 2003 she toured a number of major universities in australia, where she was honoured as scholar of the year in the same year.Professor Mason also co-wrote a book entitled bhutan: ways of Knowing (2007).active in promoting learning technology as a discipline in its own right, she developed the concept of the virtual campus and introduced “virtual graduation” for the first group of ou global online masters students in 2000.“The key thing Robin brought to her academic work was her directness of thought and expression,” said Josie taylor, director of the institute of educational technology at the ou.“In every aspect of her life, she cut to the heart of the matter. This was often a source of humour - particularly in more formal proceedings - but people absolutely loved her for it. I don’t think the OU would be what it is today without her.”

Professor Mason died on 15 June 2009 as a result of complications from a recent illness. she is survived by her children lydia and Quentin.

froM oPen university colleagues

chris Pegler i first encountered robin in 1995 when i took the insitute of education course tutored by robin and tony Kaye (yes, before even h802 began). i then continued my acquaintance as a student on the first presentation of h802 in 1998. the whole experience of online education, as influenced by robin, was a revelation. i was in awe of her at that stage and i really did not ‘get’ her as a person, although i was already drawing heavily on her work in my own practice at warwick and ramming it down the throats of all who would listen. i ended up working closely with robin for the first time in 2002 when i joined her and Martin weller as the ou side of the course team for the uKeu pilot ‘learning in the connected economy’. robin was certainly connected. she knew everybody and just about everything. i would find an obscure - i thought - project to refer to in my Phd and it would turn out that she was there at the start influencing that. she became a mentor and friend as well as a close colleague. anything that i was unsure about in my work or my Phd (she was my supervisor), would be run past robin. she would always have something interesting or illuminating to add. she often saw things so clearly that it took your breath away. she could be blunt and critical, but she was always right and endlessly supportive. a truely positive person and a great influence. to realise that others will not now benefit directly from knowing her, and be inspired by talking with her, is devastating. the comfort is that robin shared herself generously, not only in person but in her writings and projects. her influence will live on and robin will be remembered.

John Pettit robin was my h802 tutor in 1998. h802 was a pioneering course, and robin was a great person to lead a group into this new and exciting field. she was serious and committed about it but not at all earnest, and that blend really worked well and inspired me and i am sure many others. robin encouraged me to apply for a post in iet and, when i first joined, we shared an office. she became my informal mentor, friendly and encouraging - and generous with ideas and projects. Much of what i learned from her over the years came from her own work in the field and her wide knowledge. but some of it came simply from her style and approach - that ability to pick out and focus on the most important aspect of an argument or discussion, and to deliver the crystallizing response in a way that was respectful to others while she deftly cut through the irrelevancies. her timing in meetings was impeccable: she would wait and listen to various views, and then - sometimes with humour and always with courtesy - would deliver her suggestion in a way that was natural for the meeting to support. she managed to combine - in a way i’ve never encountered so definitely in anyone else - being both very private and a lot of fun. and perhaps because of her innate courtesy and social skill, she could get away with a certain (non-malevolent) irreverence about aspects of university life. for me this is a sad time but also a time of gratitude for her enormous contribution, particularly to the Maode and the many alumni who benefited directly and indirectly from her work.

doMinic newbould (ouw) the ou has lost one of its special people. robin was a tremendous colleague, infinitely helpful and resourceful, committed yet always having time to talk and share a chuckle. she had a sort of cool, canadian laid-back personality, but could also focus very intensely, especially in academic discussion. she had such a quality of thought and expression, and she made an instant impression on people from all over the world, from all cultures, so that they felt they had a friend at once. and they did

agnes KuKulsKa-hulMe robin was a warm and inspiring person, and i am enormously grateful for all the excellent advice i received from her over the years. in my first experiences of online tutoring and writing ou course materials (circa 1997-9), it was such a pleasure to watch robin in action and to learn from her amazingly effective working practices. Just as importantly, her enthusiasms for online education and for distance learning were infectious. she practised what she preached and her innovative use of technology was always ‘just right’ - i will never forget her inaugural lecture where she ‘invited in’ many friends and colleagues from across the globe, by enabling them to be virtually present. the Maode virtual graduation was a key moment and so visionary. i also remember going to robin with various mundane problems and always coming out with a smile on my face and a perfect solution that worked for me. she was someone you could always rely on to do what she had promised to do, and to do it very quickly. later, her unstinting support and totally positive attitude were invaluable. i wish we could have enjoyed robin’s company for many more years.

gill KirKuP here in iet, we knew how ill robin was and this makes the news of her death no surprise but very sad none the less. her illness made itself apparent some years ago, and when i talked to robin she was fully aware of what the outcome might be, but she did not let it stop her engaging with all the work activities she loved so much. although robin was not the originator of the Maode, she changed it into the kind of programme that made its reputation. i think h802 and the Maode was one of the things she was most proud of in her work. for those of us who took over from her it could have been a hard act to follow, but instead she made it easy. when i became Maode director i felt that i was on the right track when robin called in my office to tell me i was doing just the sort of things she thought needed to be done. i relaxed a bit from then. one of my personal memories of robin was of her swimming across a very chilly norwegian lake during a break in an international conference programme. a colleague and i sat in our jackets on the shore looking after her clothes and watched anxiously when she disappeared into the distance until she swam back into view. i think we thought hypothermia would get her and we’d never see her again. it was a great relief for us when she emerged dripping and smiling, and not in the least frozen solid. i suppose when i think of robin now i think of her as swimming away from me. this time she won’t come back - she will always be swimming. but wherever she is swimming to she’s perfectly safe, and smiling.

will woods (iet) robin inspired me when i first joined the ou almost 20 years ago, she was the first person i ever met from iet and probably the reason i’ve ended up here. i loved her enthusiasm, she lead by example and i always remember her with that big smile she always had. i miss her very much.

chris Jones (iet) i first met robin when as a mature student i visited the ou to obtain a copy of her Phd thesis for my own literature review. robin was always generous and helpful and when i came to work at the ou i had the pleasure of working with robin in the technology and learning research group. i will miss her greatly and i am sure this is true for all those who met and worked with her.

sharon Monie (lts) i was not fortunate enough to meet robin, however i was very familiar with her work even before i joined the ou. the ‘Models of online learning’ (1998) and other works were highly referenced when i studied the certificate of elearning, teaching and training at the university of greenwich. her papers have always been close to hand and have supported my elearning journey and career. sincere condolences to her family at this very sad time.

sarah o’donoghue (hsc) i had the absolute pleasure of working very closely with robin for 4 years as one of my course chairs and then as the Programme director of the Maode in iet. robin was so easy to work for, nothing was too much trouble, always grateful for anything you did for her and always provided sound advice and guidance. robin was never fazed and she had a great sense of humour. as others, i knew she had been ill recently but was shocked and deeply saddened to hear of robin’s death. she is someone i will always remember fondly. what a lady!!

david hawKridge (iet) from the start, robin was an outstanding colleague, making important contributions to iet’s research and publications, particularly with regard to computer conferencing in education. she really came into her own when the Maode came along. as director of the programme i was delighted when she volunteered to chair the h802 team. it rapidly became clear to me that she would take a different approach to the one we were adopting in making h801, for which i was the chair. that was a relief, because h801 was bogged down in traditional (lengthy) ou course production and presentation procedures. robin’s imaginative plans later became the template for other courses in the Maode. her quiet humour and sincere commitment brightened the 1990s in iet for me and many others.

clive lawless (iet) i am deeply saddened to learn of robin’s death. My enduring memory of her is of her wonderful smile, so beautifully captured in the photograph at the head of these tributes, that always accompanied her greeting. her first appointment in iet was as a research assistant and her enormous ability was soon recognised. later, as director of iet, when i sat down with her to develop her submission for promotion to a chair, i was amazed at the extent and depth of her work and the level of esteem in which she was held, not only by ou colleagues but also by eminent academics across the world. My abiding memory of robin is, however, that of her wonderful warmth as a person.

Marc eisenstadt (ex KMi) i am stunned and saddened to hear this tragic news. robin was a great pioneer in so many of the areas of teaching, learning, education, and technology of interest to me and my colleagues, and was always a pleasure to work with. Moreover, she was a do-er, and conducted her work with great professionalism and warmth. i remember that at seminars and in one-to-one discussions she often dug deep to ask incisive questions about the real significance and impact of educational technologies that were being developed, and was always keen to see how best to run with a new concept and help make it happen. she has left a strong legacy, and will be sorely missed.

liz burton-Pye (ex iet) i was privileged to work closely with robin on Ma ode from 2000-2002 as ict course manager in iet. robin took everything in her stride and i felt that anything was possible if she was involved. she was a delight to work with - well respected, good fun, hard working and supportive. what an elegant, intelligent lady with a wonderful smile and sense of humour - memories of robin that will remain with us all.

grainne conole (iet)robin was one of the leading lights in our area - she was a prolific writer and has been extensively cited. i knew robin for years and heard her give keynotes at conferences on many occasions. it was lovely coming to iet three years ago and to be able to work alongside robin. in our old building her office was down the corridor from mine. whenever she was in robin always had her door open and i had many great chats and gossips with her, standing in her doorway. she had a wicked sense of humour; a great mixture of passion for her research interests and teaching with a pragmatic, down to earth approach. i, like so many others, will miss her very very much.

Mary thorPehere in iet today we are all talking about and remembering robin. she packed so much into a career that it seems extraordinary to remember was little more than 20 years long, looking back to the first large scale use of computer conferencing with dt200 in 1989. it was a great pleasure to work with robin as a member of the management team in iet during the time i was its director, 1995 to 2003. she was at the height of her career and one of those people who managed to combine an enormous workload of research and teaching, with delivering on the administrative chores that always come with running a large organisation. as those who know robin can attest, she had no time for such aspects but she did what was required, summing up her approach in one of those phrases that i will always remember - ‘once over lightly’. robin often highlighted the humorous sides of this, and reduced Management committee to helpless laughter on many occasions. another of her timeless phrases was the one she reserved for those who tended to increase one’s management role - ‘high maintenance’ summed it up for her, and i will always hear that phrase now in my head, in robin’s voice. short, sharp, says it all, witty but without malice. a great colleague. and a colleague who chose well when she decided in the late eighties to complete a doctorate on computer mediated conferencing, working closely with tony Kaye, at that time a leading innovator in our field from whom robin learned a great deal. and, in particular through her ground breaking work on the Masters in online and distance education, she changed the careers and lives of hundreds of others around the world. as i write, my inbox is filling up with members of our Maode alumni list who write in to speak of their shock and to say how much robin has impacted on them personally - through her research, her writing and in some cases, as their tutor. her experience and her leadership in our field will be so sadly missed but also so warmly remembered. she would have been very pleased by that and in that way she will continue to be a presence in our lives and in our projects as educational technologists. Mary

JaKe reynolds it was awful to hear that robin was unwell, and soon after that she had died. she was an inspiration to us at the university of cambridge Programme for industry in the early part of this decade when we began experimenting with the web as a means of supporting workplace learning. robin was of course far ahead of us, but she was interested in what we were doing, and open to the possibilities of e-learning in organisations. we ran a joint programme for e-learning providers and platform makers called ‘Principles of online learning’ which looked at the theoretical underpinnings of an increasingly hyped industry, and from that emerged two publications sponsored by the chartered institute of Personnel and development (Martyn sloman), on how people learn and, later, how organisations learn. they were very popular among hr and training professionals, and robin’s personal credibility and influence helped enormously. our ambitions got the better of us at that point in the form of a proposed “open-cambridge” partnership - the strengths of both universities coming together online. whilst we didn’t manage to pull that off, the discussion it sparked was sincere and furthered thinking in both universities on how to respond to the opportunity of online learning. More practically, robin’s careful advice at the early stages of cPi’s own e-learning programme, chronos, was more valuable than i can say. though we went our separate ways in 2005, i’ve felt her influence routinely - her quiet intelligence, sense of humour, care, and passion for what she loved best. above all her instinct to put a complex, evolving area like e-learning onto a solid theoretical footing so that people everywhere are empowered to distinguish between approaches, and demand better from their providers.

PatricK Mcandrew (iet)robin was one of the reasons i came to the ou - she represented a forward thinking no nonsense approach to helping people learn, spotting the potential in technologies before anyone else. robin in a very real sense helped me find the right thing to do at the ou (she was on my interview panel, led the centre i was in, was my mentor and co-researcher) but i know she influenced many more people through her example and willingness to get things done. from being there at the invention of “e-learning” to spotting the way “open educational resources” can help all parts of the world learn in new way - robin was a real innovator who will be missed in more ways than we know.

Megan crawford (ex fels)i worked with robin when i was at the ou in the late 90s. she chaired a group that was looking at the ou’s involvement in a educational leadership bid that involved technology. i appreciated her excellent chairing and humour. she was also always well turned out! latterly, we met yearly as i live in bow brickhill and both of us went around the houses for the yearly carol concert. i am sure the ou will miss her.

froM Ma online distance education students, tutors and aluMni

brian Joyce, finlandMy heartfelt condolences to robin’s close friends and relatives. she was a true professional who had time to support and mentor those just starting in the profession of online tutor. i found her inspiring and some one to look up to. she supported me as a learner in the 90s and recruited me to the ou in 2001. i will always be grateful for the life changing chance she gave me.

sarah fullard oh gosh, what very sad news. i have been so influenced by such a lot of robin’s work and writing. it was her feedback on my h807 project which gave me confidence to change my career and move into elearning development full-time. Please pass on my condolences, annette.

John cox a great loss to her family and friends as well as our field of interest in general. had a few email conversations with her, passionate, enthusiastic and helpful. My thoughts go to her family. riP

helen turner Please pass on my very sincere condolences to robin’s family from a former Ma ode student. she had a profound influence and i am quite upset to hear the news.

berta-isabel cuadrado Álvarez, spaini am quite upset to hear the news. robin Mason’s writings, conferences and ideas about eportfolios and assessment had a great influence on my Ma ode studies at the ou and later. Please pass on my very sincere condolences to her family

helen chaPPel, currently in australia it is shocking and sad to lose such a vital person as robin in any situation. she will be much missed. it is also very sad for the whole field of e-professionalism which she did so much to establish and set on a path that has lead to its exponential expansion. in the Ma ode program robin set high standards of spirited and innovative leadership with a cheerful courage to take risks for the sake of a large clear vision at the expense of petty obstacles many of which might have easily lead to a trivialisation of elearning. what a loss! Please send my condolences to her family.

david wilson as well as being an Ma ode student, i worked with robin when i started at the ou in 1987, and on various occasions over the past 20+ years. she was an important part of what the ou has achieved in elearning technologies and will be missed. My last longish conversation with her was while queuing to collect our respective turkey/goose at the butchers before christmas a year or so ago -- she was good company. My condolences to her family.

lynne dixon sad news indeed. i never met robin, but as so often happens online, felt that i knew her by virtue of our participation in the same community. “robin Mason’s rule of thirds” became something of a mantra for me on my journey as an online learner, then tutor & advocate of online learning. her memory will certainly live on. Please convey my sincere condolences to her family.

Peter Metcalfe i was stunned to read of robin’s death in today’s guardian. together with diana laurillard, she was my Phd joint supervisor at iet from 1994. robin was unfailingly supportive, keeping me going from many miles away and at our termly meetings. she persuaded me to give our joint papers at conferences i would not otherwise have had the confidence to attend. i was very in awe of the academic milieu, being a late-comer to the scene, but her down-to-earth approach kept me on track. i have been an online ou tutor for several years and i have robin and diana to thank for that. i extend my sincerest sympathy to robin’s family.

nguyen, usa i was deeply saddened to hear about the passing away of Prof. robin Mason. her passing away is great loss for the ou, for us as Maode alumni and the academic world as a whole. she inspired many of us in the learning of educational technology. she also profound influences on our interests in elearning as a profession. to the family of Prof. robin Mason, i share your deep grief losing dear robin.

bill Mcneill this is devastating news both for the whole distance learning community and for me personally. robin was my tutor for h802 in 1998 and i learned so much from her during that year which has stayed with me since. i met her several times after completing the Ma and she was always friendly, interested and passionate about her subject and students in that ‘mid-atlantic’ way that was characteristic of robin. she will be sorely missed by us all. Please pass on my condolences too to robin’s family.

sarah cornelius robin has been an inspiration to me for many years - the opportunity to work with her was what prompted me to apply to become an Maode tutor. it has been a privilege to contribute to and study on some of the courses she has designed and written. she will be sadly missed.

abed saleM i am so sorry to hear about loss of Prof robin Mason. i hope her family is coping with everything. it is difficult to know what to say in these circumstances but want you to know that we are all thinking about her family hope they will manage to find comfort among themselves. her extra ordinary work will live on.

chris corcoran, birmingham i am so sorry to hear the sad news. like many others she has greatly influenced my career, both teaching and research which has opened new areas of interest and opportunity for which i am profoundly grateful. how sad for her family - please pass on my condolences.

MieKe de waal h802 - 2000 i’m very sorry to hear the bad news about robin. when i was an insecure h802 student, she made me very happy with a good mark for my tMa03 and with the constructive comments. i was very delighted: a good mark from robin Mason herself! i wish her family much strength with their loss.

rosanna Marotta, spain i’m also very sorry to know so sad news. i join the group in this common feeling and hope robin’s family may count on the great support from many people in this the net. Pass on our condolences.

sian Morgan My very warmest thoughts to all of you who were touched by Prof. Mason and her work and who, i am sure, are feeling this sad loss.

iris wunder, germany i wish her family much strength with their loss. these are very sad news indeed. i only had e-mail contact with robin but she influenced my learning and teaching very much and it was great to be one of her students! Please pass on my sincere condolences to her family.

barbara roberts i was deeply saddened to hear of robin’s passing. she was an inspiration, both through her valuable works and through the humanity that came through when she spoke to our community. Please pass along my condolences to her family.

chelo de andrés Martínez i only knew robin through her writings and emails at the Maode but she inspired me and influenced my learning greatly. i still remember her podcasts as it was one of the first contacts with distant learning i had! Please pass on my sincere condolences to her family.

arturo J escandon it’s been a very sad news. robin was a very talented practitioner and academic. thanks to her and many other people like her, access to a higher education of real quality and excellence is not longer an issue. we will all miss her greatly. Please extend my deepest condolence to her children and relatives.

adelaide leticia saad luKowiecKi thanks to communicate me about robin Mason. she will always be remembered as our dear teacher in Mao&de (1997 to 2000). Please, somebody who is next to her relatives, send my condolences from brazil.

Pagona Panagiotidi, greece i also want to add my condolence to the family & friends of robin Mason. i only spoke to the professor once & have some short email exchange. however, the bad news both surprised & shocked me. even at this difficult time i think i was also instructed. i was made to realise that virtual reality is sometimes so near & touching...

arnold Mühren very sad news. in my study are some books her name is on, many of her papers, the cd with the 2001 virtual degree ceremony at which she addressed my fellow graduates and me, a fine letter of reference she wrote on my behalf soon afterwards, her encouragement and support some years later when i was about to apply for an Maode tutor job but still hesitated a little. they’re just some tangible things that remind me of robin Mason and her work with gratitude and admiration. My sincere condolences to robin’s family.

shane, spain My sincere condolences to robin’s family. Please pass on my condolences to robin’s family. i hope that knowing robin had such a positive influence on so many people’s lives will offer them some comfort at this very difficult time.

ali wyllie i feel very sad to hear this devastating news about robin. she was an inspiration to me on h802 and a valued colleague at the ou. though she will be sorely missed, her legacy lives on through her work. My heartfelt thoughts go out to her family.

MarK curcher, dubai i am greatly shocked and saddened by this news. robin helped me on h808 as an eca deadline approached and then i had the pleasure of meeting robin just this last January in dubai at a conference. i was using her book “e-learning and social networking handbook” just this last weekend. Please pass my sincere condolences to her family and friends, all at ou who knew robin and worked with her and especially those in the iet. he who has gone, so we but cherish his memory, abides with us, more potent, nay, more present than the living man ~antoine de saint-exupery

Juanita foster-Jones it is with much sadness that i heard of the death of robin. it’s thanks to the Maode that i have my current teaching job in aber, so i will always be grateful to her for this. i remember reading her works whilst studying, and bumping into her at ou events and conferences. My last memory of robin is at altc2008 when we sat at dinner together and walked back to the lodgings - she was a very easy person to talk to. she will be greatly missed.

sheena banKs, university of sheffield i feel a deep sense of loss and great sadness at this news, and realise what an important influence robin has been over the years. she was external examiner on our Masters in elearning course at the university of sheffield, and was so wise and supportive of students. also her list of publications is astonishing - she seemed to have a huge work rate - she leaves an important legacy. she was an early pioneer in the field of e-learning, and i always felt that she was one step ahead of the rest of us.

annette odell i was also one of those so fortunate to have robin as a tutor on the first h802 delivery. i’m even more blessed by her friendship over the years since. in whatever role - tutor, mentor, colleague, friend - there has always been just one robin. one robin for all of us, i suspect. i think that’s one of the things that i admired about her most, that total honesty and integrity. i will miss so much that wide smile like a 600 watt bulb, her kindness, wry comments, mind like a scythe - and ability to unfailingly name a plant at 10 yards. there is so much to miss and i so wish that we didn’t have to.

Margaret debenhaM i first encountered robin as an ou undergrad student on the very first presentation of dt200 in 1988 when she was ‘coco’ greeting and encouraging students as they hesitantly managed to communicate on-line. the course was an exciting and pioneering experience - and a formative one for me. after i graduated robin later encouraged me to apply for my research studentship in iet in the mid 1990s. i am so sad to hear this news. i had no idea that she was ill and to hear of her death is a great shock. she work has been(and her legacy will continue to be)inspirational and i for one will never forget her.

KeiKo yuKawa, Kyoto, Japani completed two ou -iet’s courses, which was created by Professor Mason. (h806,h807)these were really great courses and i’ve learned a lot. thank you so much, Professor. we certainly received what you taught us. we are thinking of you and praying for you in this time of loss.

anne bradbury h807 tutor, Maode robin was our course chair at the start of this course presentation in february: very sadly, she is no longer with us and the course has yet to complete. i am sure that h807 students and colleagues in particular, value her work, research and contribution. her work will live on in this and other courses. sincere condolences to the family.

rhona sharPe h806, h809 tutor, Maode i have vivid memories of my first reading of Mindweave and listening to the modem handshake that would allow me to connect to the teaching and learning online course from the back bedroom. in the early 1990’s those computer mediated conversations with robin and others gave me insights into other ways of thinking and being. Personally, robin has been there at so many moments for me - tutor briefings, vivas, and interviews. it is with great sadness that we all come to accept that she won’t be alongside us in the future.

george roberts h802 h802 in 2000 was the first formalisation of “learning technology” for me, introduced me to alt and to robin. Mindweave was a seminal text. at my first alt-c (run in conjunction with isl in edinburgh) robin was a highly provocative (in the best sense) speaker. i remember her saying, even then, that we have had many small-scale studies of one teacher’s introduction of a discussion board into one module and what we needed was to start thinking bigger about learning technology and its impact on not just higher education but the whole education spectrum including lifelong, adult, workplace and community education. robin was ahead of her time. it feels like a generation has shifted. we owe her so much.

Pat reynolds h803 1999 robin was an extraordinary woman of so many talents who inspired all of us in so many ways. i don’t think she never realised just how much difference she made to so many people’s lives, such was her humility. as John Pettit so aptly put it, her style and approach demonstrated exceptional qualities - which combined with humour, timing, and complete gentility, put her in a class of her own. i attended her innovative inaugural lecture which utilised live global chat rooms, and was way ahead of its time. Moreover, it has been a privilege and delight to have known robin since completing the Ma in 1999. i was the last cohort to do h803 - a wholly research component. the subject was ‘webcasting in Professional training’ which led to a joint presentation at webnet 2000 in san antonio in texas. she has been a continual source of inspiration ever since. robin was a co-author in our recent series of ‘e-learning in dentistry’ run in the british dental Journal and has been an active member of the international advisory boards for two large e-learning projects, PhantoM - Personalised haptics when teaching with online Media -(esrc-tel funded) and ivident - international virtual dental school (ivident - hefce and department of health funded). as a result of her contribution she was most recently awarded a visiting chair to King’s college london. she valiantly fought her final illness, and her courage is an example to us all. we will all miss her, and the tel world will be poorer for it, but our thoughts go to her family and those nearest and dearest to this exceptional lady with a wonderful smile.

yannis Karaliotas, in greece at the momentit is sad to hear such news for a person that meant so much to all of us Maoders. i have never met robin in person. i can only recall the vivid memory of her addressing us all at the virtual graduation ceremony... and a few of her written remarks on transcript from the final online chat session. yet, i have known her all along these years, she is so dear to me through her brilliant work and initiatives in the field. i meet her again and again in her writings, every time i need advice, encouragement, a word of wisdom. My deepest sympathy to the family and her loved ones. i wish to let them all know that she is still with us.

Maria cutaJar, Malta as a former Maode student i here pass my condolences to robin Mason’s family. although i never came into contact with her personally, i read several of her works. with deepest sympathy,

deborah caPras i also just wanted to say how sorry i am to hear about robin. i never met her personally, but i admired her immensely. Please pass on my condolences to the family.

yoKe sau cheng Metz, los banos, Philippines this is sad news indeed. i completely my Maode last year and benefited greatly from robin’s work. Please pass my condolences to her family. best regards

John eastwood (h802/h804/h806) sad news indeed. it allows me to muse momentarily of my journey through h802, where i first came into contact with her work. it is always a quiet moment when a great mind has ‘crossed the bar’. My condolences to the family

cheryl belch, Manchester, uK (past Maode student 2006-2008) i only knew of robin through her contributions to the Maode courses and through her research, however i feel that she has played a vital role in my learning and has inspired me in much of my work for the Maode and further in my professional role as a learning technologist. My deepest sympathy to robin’s family and friends.

bonnie luterbach, canada this is very sad news. robin Mason contributed so much to our the global community. on a personal level, robin touched my life in a very profound way. i first met robin at a cread conference in bc and then completed my doctoral studies under her supervision. My sincere condolences to her family and many friends.

Perry williaMs, open university robin was the link who brought me to the open university and iet in 2003 to do a Phd. as a supervisor, she was always full of ideas and encouragement. but most of all i remember her away from work, amongst her family in a gathering at her home just before christmas a year and a half ago; i feel privileged to have known her. a great loss to us all.

Julia trachsel, Ma ode alumni as with others, i only had contact with robin online during my Ma ode courses. i always found her to be understanding and reasonable when approached with questions. i’ve read many of her articles and found them interesting and translatable into real life situations. the ability to do that is a gift. My husband recently died of cancer, and was almost the same age, so i can honestly say i know what her family is going through. their (and everyone’s) memory of robin will keep her alive and her work accessible. she was canadian, as am i - something more to be proud of... May robin rest in peace.

froM international colleagues

heMlata chari - deputy director (academic) Mumbai university this is a shocking news and a great loss to the distance education community, i had the opportunity to meet with robin in a conference 2000, after joining Mumbai university i had several emails and tips from robin. when she suggested her colleagues name to visit Mumbai university, little did i know about her illness. she was a wonderful person i still cant believe this. My condolences are with her family and her friends.

soM naidu (executive editor of “distance education”) this is terrible and tragic news! i have been stunned and terribly saddened by this tragic news. i have known robin for close to 20 years and worked with her in a variety of contexts, but mostly in relation to our editorial roles on the journal “distance education”. robin has served on the editorial board of this journal for years and with growing enthusiasm and unrelenting effort. in her passing away, we have lost a very dear friend and an exceptional colleague. My condolences are with her friends and family.

anne forster, sydney, australia (a past president of the open and distance learning association of australia) robin’s gift was her quiet tenacity and profound sense of professionalism, but it is her glorious smile, grace and wit that i will miss most. My friendship with robin included our shared love of canada, international aspects of de and friends in common from the ou and the iet. her visits to australia were much appreciated, her presentations always drew a big crowd and her deliberations on our expert panels and reviews were influential. robin was a mentor to so many, and a good woman. a wonderful woman, lost to us way too soon. our condolences go to her family, friends, colleagues and students.

stewart Marshall, the university of the west indies this is such a cruel blow. i only met robin in person relatively recently - through the edulinK Project on using oer in course development. she went to great trouble to win that project for the benefit of universities such as ours in acP developing countries. i wished she could have seen it through to completion in a few months to see us reap the benefits of her hard work. but i knew robin from her writing long before i met her. i will always remember her as an academic of substance and caring. she lives on in my Phd thesis, as she will in the minds and writings of so many others that she has touched throughout her life. our sincerest condolences and deepest expression of sorrow from myself and the university of the west indies open campus to all the family and friends at this time of painful grieving.

Jan herrington, Murdoch university, australia this is really sad news and the educational technology community will feel the loss very deeply. i first met her at edmedia in seattle when she was a keynote speaker. she was so highly regarded in australia and around the world. sincere condolences to her loved ones at this difficult time.

Professor thoMas c reeves, university of georgia i am very saddened by the news of robin’s death. it is hard to believe. we both keynoted at a conference in Krems, austria last fall, and i had no idea she was ill. Please pass on my condolences to her colleagues and family.

lorraine stefani, university of auckland robin was a huge influence in he especially round c&it. she will be sadly missed that’s for sure. i feel extremely privileged to have worked with robin (and chris Pegler) on our book, the educational Potential of e-Portfolios. we completed that book without ever having met and i was inspired by the quiet but efficient way that robin worked. no task seemed to be too daunting for her. i was even more delighted to meet robin in person and share a lunch and a laugh. i have been so inspired by robin’s work, it is hard to believe she will not be with us now. one thing for sure with robin she was a quiet warrior and i’m sure she fought right up to the end to stay with us. My thoughts and condolences to robin’s family and friends.

laura czerniewicz, university of cape town i sat next to robin at the alt-c dinner what feels like so recently and she was so warm and generous about our work. she and shirley alexander and i were talking about a joint project that i was thinking just the other day i must find time to pursue. it all feels so very present that this is hard to get my head around; such a shock. she will be missed as a lovely person and as a great intellect. warm condolences to her family and friends.

steven verJans, open university of the netherlands, centre for learning sciences and technologies in 2007 i co-organised a conference on e-portfolios, where robin was a keynote speaker. i was not able to meet her, but i know that she was highly regarded in the e-portfolio community, and in the broader telearning community as a whole. sincere condolences from all colleagues at the dutch open university.

carMel Mcnaught, the chinese university of hong Kong i was pleased to spend time with robin in January this year in dubai at the e-learning forum run by the hamdan bin Mohammed e-university. she was already quite ill but her cheerful attitude and clear thoughts made the time with her a valuable one. My caring thoughts to family and friends.

MohaMMad santally (university of Mauritius) i have known robin as from May 08 in the context of a eu funded project and i never got a clue of her illness as she was always as concentrated and energetic on her work. we met in uK in May, in ¨Mauritius in dec 08, then in January 09 in dubai where we spent time together and we were looking forward to meet again in stornoway next week...i was shocked to hear she passed away.....she will be greatly missed

dai lin, ccrtvu, china i learned with deep regret of the death of Professor robin Mason and i am writing at once to express our heartfelt sympathy. there is not much one can say at a time such as this, but those of us at the ccrtvu who have worked with Professor Mason virtually on the three distance learning online training courses would like to convey our sadness and condolences. we recall her professionalism and many kindnesses as an international colleague. she will be missed by all open and distance learning educators who knew her. Please pass on our condolences to her family and the university.

li yawan, associate Professor, director of international cooperation & exchange division ccrtvu i have received the sad news from Ms. hou in beijing. i was really shocked to hear that Prof. robin Mason has passed away. Prof. robin Mason has been our online tutor and chief editor of the courses for the joint project. she was such an amiable tutor and so professional in the field of online learning. she had never let us disappointed when there was an online tutorial and she always took seriously of every piece of assignment by the participants and tried her best to offer appreciate comments, which really enhanced our confidence. we like to talk with her through online forum and read her feedback through e-mail and we admire her diligent working style and great enthusiasm towards foreign students. we feel very sad to lose this respected tutor. however, we will never forget her commitment and contribution to the joint program. we will continue the unfinished work. May good memories with Prof. robin Mason always keep in our mind! in addition, please allow me on behalf of all the students involved in the joint project and the working staff who once worked with Prof. robin Mason to convey our sincere condolences to her family and friends.

david M. Kennedy, the university of hong Kong i, like everyone who knew robin and her work, recognise the substantial contribution she has made to our field. My deepest condolences to her family.

Posted on behalf of badrul Khan, usa i have been very sad after i heard the news. My eyes are full of tears now …. as i am typing this email. we lost a good human. robin and i dined at the Jumeirah beach hotel in dubai on february 4, 2009 while attending the e-learning conference. both of us served as advisors for the etQM college in dubai. in the dinner, i discussed with her about my interest to do a special issue on “ict and e-learning in the Middle east” for the educational technology magazine, and asked her to co-edit the special issue with me. i was very happy when she readily accepted my invitation. she reviewed several proposals for the special issue, then for sometimes, no response from her. i sent her several emails, but received no replies. only just two weeks ago, dr. Josie taylor of the open university informed me about robin’s long sick leave from work. i was shocked and concerned. i really wanted to work with her to advance open learning in developing countries. she was very supportive of my work in Mcweadon.com – dedicated to promote “enabling learning without boundaries”. by the way, robin never knew how to say “no” – even in 1999, when i asked her to review “a framework for e-learning” that i developed, she was very kind. she reviewed the framework and provided feedback for improvement. i can’t think of doing the special issue without robin. to keep robin in my memory, i decided to find someone from the open university to co-edit the special issue with me. dr. Josie taylor of the open university agreed to serve as one of my co-editors. we will dedicate the special issue et Magazine to our beloved colleague and friend dr. robin Mason. i will always miss robin. (Note from Paul Lefrere, after posting this: I echo Badrul’s sentiments. Robin was a dear friend and mentor, and a wise and kind person, a true world citizen. It was a privilege to know her. My deep condolences to her family.)

Paul gorMley, chair, irish learning technology association i would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to robin’s family, friends and colleagues from all at the irish learning technology association (ilta). the learning technologies’ community has lost a true pioneer and friend. ar dheis dé go raibh a h-anam.

elizabeth stacey, deakin university, australia i am shocked and saddened to read of robin’s death. i first met her in 1993 sharing research on audio-graphics and later online learning and have been inspired by her research and writing in the field. over the years i have enjoyed her company at many conferences and had just emailed her to thank her for her astute and knowledgeable foreword to our newly published and launched book on blended learning. she will be greatly missed –my condolences to her family and friends.

JiM devine, President, dun laoghaire institute of art, design and technology, dublin. i was very saddened to hear of robin’s passing and offer my condolences to her family and colleagues. she has been an inspiration and point of reference for so many years.

John gundry, Knowledge ability (ex-alt member) shocked and saddened. such a lovely person. i first met robin in 1990 when she was doing her Phd on computer conferencing. a great time with robin was the 1991 workshop that she and tony Kaye organised on the sailing ship najaden. in 2000 when times were tough for me she kindly invited me to work on the open cambridge programme and later to write some learning objects. i remember her as deeply insightful and a master of concision. it is so sad to think we will never again experience her warmth and kindness and her ability to light up a room.

linda creanor, glasgow caledonian university i’m so sorry to hear this very sad news. robin was a good friend to alt over many years and was always the voice of calm and wisdom in committees, interview panels and consultations. she was respected by all, including myself, and was just such a lovely person. i too appreciated very much the opportunity to get to know her and work with her through alt. we’ll all miss her greatly. this is a truly sad loss for the alt community and my heart goes out to her family and many friends. linda

wendy hall, terry Mayes, and John taylor (alt ambassadors) as alt ambassadors we would like to express our deep sadness and shock at the news of robin Mason’s death. in so doing we are sure that we speak for the whole alt community. robin was both admired and liked by everyone who was lucky enough to come to know the person behind the great contribution she made to our field. at this moment, although it is too soon to be making proposals for more permanently marking her contribution, we do express the hope already voiced by others, that alt will act on behalf of its membership to express our collective feeling of loss. robin will be greatly missed by us all.

John cooK, london Metropolitan university this is deeply sad news. robin was a valued colleague who worked with enthusiasm with us on the alt research committee. she had a quiet and incisive sense of humour, which i always appreciated. robin will be sorely missed by myself and the wider learning technology community, of which she was a key figure. My condolences to robin’s family and friends.

MiKe KePPell, President of ascilite on behalf of the ascilite community i would like to send my condolences to family and friends of robin. robin’s work was an inspiration for colleagues across the globe and she was a wonderful ambassador for the alt community. as a member of the alt research committee i had the pleasure of working with robin over the last few years. robin was a welcoming, warm and charismatic chair who i had the utmost respect for both personally and professionally.

MohaMMad haMarsheh, al Quds open university, ramallah, Palestine My condolences for all.

Peter Murray terribly sad news indeed. robin was my Phd supervisor, and so i had a great deal of contact with her during that time, especially when i was working at the ou. i always held her in extremely high regard, she was a wonderful person and mentor.

froM MeMbers of the association of learning technology

brian whalley, Queens university belfast it was a shock to see the mails about robin when i finally got to see them. i would much appreciate it if you could add my name to the condolences from alt and especially the research committee. i did not know robin other than through the committee but she is a great loss to the community.

diana laurillard, institute of education this was such sad news. i’m feeling very shocked, even though i knew robin was very ill. when i last saw her and i asked how she was feeling she said ‘happy to be alive’ - cheerful, equal to the fight to rise above her illness, it seemed to me. she was working, thinking, productive, right up to a very short time before she died, apparently. robin should have had more time. such a death leaves a mix of sadness and anger at this waste. robin was my first Phd student to complete, and i remember my first interview with her, when she was tentatively thinking about stepping into academe, and how after that first year or so of encouragement she then just took off. it’s a terrible shock to have lost her. our field is the poorer without her, but we do have her legacy. and i’m sure that collectively we will find a way to honour that. with sincere condolences to her family, friends and colleagues, diana.

MarK stiles, university of staffordshire truly shocking news - i’m deeply saddened - i worked with robin a few times and had the greatest respect for her.

fred PicKering, chair of the alt further education committee i would like to express my heartfelt condolences to robin’s family and friends. My only knowledge of robin, until appointed as an alt trustee, was through her writing which i had researched and referenced as part of my masters. i was therefore a little ‘in awe’ at my first board meeting sitting next to someone who was so influential in the field of e-learning. i remember she made me feel very welcome. robin was a kind, friendly and knowledgeable colleague with a dry sense of humour and i will miss her.

Julia von KlonowsKi, sun Microsystems i would like to also pass on condolences on behalf of myself and other colleagues from sun Microsystems who worked with robin. i and other colleagues worked closely with robin on various education projects and always found her fair, informed and pragmatic. this is very sad news - she will be sorely missed by us all.

Joyce Martin this really is shocking and very sad news - i’d no idea robin was ill. i didn’t know robin particularly well but she was a warm and friendly person who gave people time. she will be a huge loss to alt, and to research and academia in general. Please add my condolences to all the others that you’ve received.

Martin oliver, institute of education although i’d known robin was ill, this came as a shock to me. it will be very strange not having her around - she’s so much part of this field, it’s difficult to imagine it without her. and i’ll certainly miss her good humour, which she brought to all of our discussions about teaching and research. condolences to all those left behind.

siMon walKer, university of greenwich i am so sorry to hear this sad news. robin was a wonderful communicator who had a deep understanding of people and their needs. she will be sorely missed by the community. simon.

Kevin donovan i’m on holiday but have just picked up seb schmoller’s sad message in france. i’m really sorry to hear the news about robin. i knew her work and influence but in fact i only met robin once - at the alt research conference - and immediately felt a rapport with a very sympathetic and gentle colleague. Please accept my condolences.

MarK van harMelen i got to know robin while i worked at alt, and always greatly enjoyed meeting with and speaking to her on the phone, when she came across not only as knowledgeable person and sensitive and skilled committee chair, but also as a warm human being. with my condolences to family and friends.

anne-lucie norton, Kings college london i was very saddened to hear of robin’s death: she was a great support to me in starting our online masters degree here at King’s college london.

cathy ellis, becta this is a very sad day - robin had such a great spirit and it was always good to be around her. she will be sorely missed.

dicK Moore, ufi saddened. she was a light.

stePhen brown, de Montfort university like others, i’m shocked and saddened by the news of robin’s death. robin was a gentle but strong person, fearless in her promotion of learning technologies, indefatigable in her pusuit of knowledge and generous with her knowledge and support for colleagues. the fact that her illness was not widely known is testament to her quiet, cheerful and self deprecating manner. she is example for all of us. i shall miss her. alt shall miss her. the world of education shall miss her. My sincere condolences to her family.

liz bennett, university of huddersfield i enjoyed working with robin as a trustee of alt. she was measured and incisive. she also had a dry humour that helps to make committee work pleasurable. i’m very sad to hear of her death.

MiKe sharPles, university of nottingham this is such sad news. she was a wise and knowledgeable chair of the alt research committee. i have a fond memory of her in her element on the isle of eigg, as part of a project to bring broadband learning to the island.

steve ryan, chair of alt robin played a very influential role in the development of alt, and, in particular, in the work of our research committee and as one of our trustees. alongside this during robin’s long and distinguished career in the open university’s institute of educational technology, she made a notable contribution to the development of learning technology as a discipline; and through her research, teaching, and support for early career researchers in the uK and internationally she has been a great and supportive influence for a large number of people in the alt community and much more widely. we will miss her.

haydn blacKey, university of glamorgan robin was one of those people who enthused about her subject. Meeting her at alt conferences, at the ou, and when she came to do some research interviews at our institution, was always a really pleasant experience. her quiet calm persona underplayed her creativity and vision, which was always an inspiration to me.

gilly salMon, leicester a very wise woman for the cyber age, and one we’ll not see the likes of again. she was my Phd supervisor and never failed to support me ever since through thick and thin. i’m glad we’ve got her spirit and her writing and her influence. hope there’s computer mediated conferencing in the after life. xxxx

Paul bacsich, Matic Media and sero i had the privilege of working with robin from time to time over many years while i was at the ou and afterwards, most recently in alt, since she first took up a part-time job with my group in the mid 1980s. what i know of evaluation was largely taught to me by her - the pupil being not a patch on his teacher. her evaluation reports on the early implementations of cMc stand the test of time. some of her other early work is still informing current developments in quite specific ways in the international scene.

Martyn sloMan, ciPd adviser 2001-2008 in 2002 robin was one of the authors of a work “how do people learn?” for the chartered institute of Personnel and development. we commissioned at the time when the arrival of e-learning demanded rigorous answers to hard questions. the report set the context for a whole stream of work and the standard for our written reports. she was a joy to work with and a pleasure to know.

seb schMoller i’d known robin from the early 1990s through her work with tony Kaye, and in particular Mindweave and the najaden Papers. i was very much influenced by these, and without them i doubt if i’d have been turned towards online distance learning, and learning technology generally. working for alt brought me into personal and direct contact with robin in her roles as an alt trustee and as founding chair of our research committee. robin was a one-off: scary and supportive in the right combination, devastatingly funny, and completely free of academic elitism.

tony toole i was very sad to hear of this news. i’d worked with robin from time to time and she made valuable contributions to a number our e-learning development projects here in wales. she will be missed as an outstanding practitioner and as a unique person.

rhonda riachi, director of alt, 1993-2007 i promoted robin’s book with tony Kaye, Mindweave, in 1989 while working in marketing for the publisher. i had no idea how influential that book would become, let alone that four years later i would be supporting people working in the same field and would eventually meet robin. robin was a gifted and warm person, and i never saw as much of her as i’d have liked. a wonderful example to academia and a good friend to alt, we have so much to thank her for. as a celtic blessing says: Keep you in peace till we meet again.

sue ticKner, university of auckland although i didn’t know robin well, i was sad to hear that someone so integral to our work had passed on. i realise that robin’s work has been consistently on my reading lists since ‘Mindweave’, when i started out myself in 1989. a guiding light indeed, and one that has been invaluable to me personally. go well, and thank you.

vanessa Pittard, on behalf of becta becta pays tribute to robin Mason, who was a leading light in technology-enhanced learning research. she was one of the few researchers who genuinely worked across sectors. she drew on examples from around the world and focused on a wide range of practical issues for teachers using technology today, including course design, e-portfolios and learning objects. she could always be relied on to convey these issues in a clear and accessible way. she chaired the alt research committee, on which becta is represented, in a warm and humorous manner, brigading diverse views into focused and meaningful activity to benefit educators.

anthony ‘sKiP’ basiel, Middlesex university robin was a positive influence on my thinking about elearning pedagogy research. her publications and personal feedback gave me encouragement to continue with my degree. i will miss her.

david Mcconnell, glasgow caledonian university i’ve known robin since her first days at the ou (where i used to work) and the news of her sudden death was very sad to hear. i’ve many memories of working with robin - as external examiner on the courses that she ran in iet, at conferences here in the uK and abroad, and when she was external examiner on the Masters in e-learning that i ran when i was at sheffield university. i always enjoyed robin’s company, her intellect and sharp mind. things are that little bit emptier knowing she is no longer around........

nicholas bowsKill, university of glasgowi met her a few times. you could not wish to meet a kinder, gentler and more supportive person. she was sensitive to the feelings, strengths and vulnerability of everyone involved in a course. a warm and wonderful woman.

froM the blogosPhere

the ed techie by Martin weller

robin Mason riPI was deeply saddened to hear that my colleague, Robin Mason, passed away today. It was Robin who brought me to the Institute of Educational Technology (from the Technology Faculty). Robin was a pioneer in e-learning, and fabulously well connected in the educational world - everyone knew, and liked, Robin. Like John Naughton, Robin was one of the big influences in my early academic career at the OU - I learnt from her how to tread the right balance between scholarly activity and practical application, and just plain have fun with new ideas. Interestingly I was warned against working with Robin (and with John for that matter) because she was ‘maverick’ (yes, that was the term used). This seems to me now the highest accolade I could ever hope to achieve.

Comments:

sarah horriganreally sad news. robin influenced me hugely - not just through her writing / courses but because she gave me the feedback on my h807 eca which helped give me the confidence i needed to change my career. i found her so approachable and i really valued the small amount of contact i had with her. very sad.

bacsichrobin is a great loss to the e-learning community and to many of us as individuals. in particular i am very grateful to her for her patience when we collaborated on the Janus project at the ou in the 1990s: she succeeded in getting at least the basics of evaluation into my techno-managerial head - i trust that some has lasted to this day. i also celebrate the way she kindly but relentlessly propelled me towards research outputs not just eu deliverables.

oleg libervery sad to hear of this - robin was hugely important in reminding the online learning world that learning requires conversation, not just information passing. she influenced many people that followed her, and was always very kind in supporting others’ efforts.

Janet Macdonaldyes, i miss her! she was my Phd co-supervisor-at-a-distance, together with nick heap, and i remember how much i depended on monthly phone meetings from them, in what was otherwise a rather lonely three years. she taught me a lot, including how to write, and what to leave out, but perhaps most importantly the value of synchronous contact - and a bit of humanity - for sustaining distance students..

beyond distance learning alliance, university of leicesterby gilly salmon

Professor robin MasonOn the most perfect of English summer afternoons (23rd June), I attended a thanksgiving service for the life of Robin Mason, who died very recently. The event was in a lovely old church on a wooded hill, long pre-dating the City of Milton Keynes nearby, and where Robin worked at the Open University.Robin’s three sisters, her son and her daughter and wider kin highlighted her exceptional involvement and contribution to family life. But also her colleagues, past and present, and her students, past and present (she was my PhD supervisor), represented a wide spectrum of the highly appreciative and now very sad learning technology community. For a flavour of her outstanding professional life, see Robin’s memorial page for the esteem in which she was held.For me , Robin was a one-off of her time and her legacy is one of the most powerful. She will continue to influence me and many others – she set the standards in terms of rigour, academic generosity, support, challenge and practical advice.Professor Robin Mason, RIP

oldailyby stephen downes

Passing of a scholarly friendWe are all saddened to learn today of the passing of Robin Mason. “Robin was an influential and important figure in the development of computer conferencing for educational applications. She worked for many years at the British Open University and there she was the first to develop computer conferencing for large scale implementations.” I interacted with Robin on a number of occasions and paired with her in a 2000 online debate: Online Learning: Your Dream, My Nightmare. We were the ‘dream team’. Reading and reporting on death always makes me angry, as it’s such a terrible waste, and this is no more evident than in the present case.

virtual canucK: teaching and learning in a net-centric worldby terry anderson

Passing of a scholarly friendI was saddened to hear this morning of the death of a good friend, fellow Canadian and colleague, Robin Mason. Robin was an influential and important figure in the development of computer conferencing for educational applications. She worked for many years at the British Open University and there she was the first to develop computer conferencing for large scale implementations. I first met Robin at the Guelph CMC conferences in the late 80’s. I was always impressed at the way she could handle grumpy academics in large groups or small, with knowledgeable responses, creative suggestions and much grace. Robin co-edited Mindweave, one of the very first books on Computer Mediated Communications and went on to author books and articles on globalisation, social networking, learning objects, e-portfolios and more. In 1993 Robin helped me organize and evaluate the first ‘virtual’ conference ever held online. Her humour, strength and good nature lives on in the memories of those around the world fortunate enough to call her a friend. Her wisdom lives in the many articles and books she has published. Nonethelsss she is missed.

Comments:

annette odellstrength, humour, good nature, grace, wisdom were all so much a core part of the robin that we’ve lost. i’m grateful to you for articulating it so clearly and truthfully when we are all at a loss for words.

loretta tengi just think it is a big loss for the e-learning society. in memory, we will always remember her contributions.

anne forsterthis is indeed sad news and devastating to lose such a beautiful colleague in the prime of her life. robin’s contributions and participation in australian education were generous and influential. we will miss her and will never forget her warmth and that great smile. our sympathy goes out to her family and friends in this untimely loss.

alex KusKisi am so sorry to hear about robin’s too soon passing. i remember her as an early leader in online learning and i read her work with enthusiasm. Thou thy worldly task hast done,Home art gone, and ta’en thy wages;- Shakespeare, Cymbeline, IV, ii

richard schwierrobin was kind enough to arrange for a visit to open university for me in 2005. what a gracious and welcoming colleague! i didn’t get to see her on that occasion, but enjoyed the other times when we met. along with so many other colleagues and friends, i was saddened to hear about this. she has had an important influence on the direction of distance learning in the commonwealth and elsewhere, but it was her warmth and humanity that comes to mind today.

anJorinJnrJust want to say sorry for this great loss.her good works will remain for ever.

bonnie luterbachsuch very sad news. robin was a dedicated researcher and contributed much to the field she loved. she will be missed by her many friends around the globe. as one of my advisors for my doctoral studies from the british open university, robin was challenging, always encouraging, and very supportive in so many ways. for example, she kindly agreed to an invitation to present at one of our earlier Manitoba association of distributed learning and training (Madlat) conferences during this period. later, when i was in england, she welcomed me into her lovely home, surrounded by a beautiful garden. robin enjoyed gardening. she used the stipend from the Madlat conference for a rose trellis in her garden - a lasting memory. robin’s mother lived in winnipeg for a time. one summer during my studies we met on our sailboat at victoria beach on lake winnipeg, where robin was visiting. that evening, coloured northern lights danced and flashed across the lake. ever since, when ever i see the northern lights i think of robin. My sympathies go out to her family for their great loss.