Doug Symington is a life-long learner with a passion for building, managing, and sharing knowledge in the corporate, education, not-for-profit and recreation sectors.

Doug prides himself in his ability to meet his audience “where they are” and is equally adept at working with the technically proficient and beginning users of information technology. He has a special interest in leveraging free, open-source and social media tools to meet audiences on their terms, and model the use of tools and techniques that make sense in a given context. Years of experience in building and fostering online communities has taught Doug that unless and until audiences see “what’s in it for them” the adoption and implementation of knowledge building and management strategies and techniques will not happen.

Doug was the first employee of the Training Group at SMART Technologies Inc. and designed and developed end-user materials and the curriculum for the SMART Masters “Train-the-trainer” certification program. Since leaving SMART in 2004, Doug has worked as a consultant in the education, energy, recreation, and social services sectors. 

Doug holds a Master of Education in Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, with a specialization in Computer Applications from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, at the University of Toronto (OISE/UT), and certificate in Object-oriented Software Engineering from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). Completion of his M.Ed. online, while travelling North America training for SMART, provided Doug with the opportunity to experience first-hand the challenges faced by those participating in online communities via connections both fast and slow. This experience informs his approach to facilitation of online spaces to this day. 

In his spare time Doug likes to golf, ski and volunteer with regional and national advocacy and learning organizations.