University of Sudbury

Synopsis

1. Number of technology-assisted courses: not reported;
2. Number of online courses: 5;
3. Platforms: Desire2Learn; Extron; Polycom;
4. Multimedia rooms: 4 classrooms;
5. Estimated investment: Infrastructure – $25,000 in videoconferencing equipment + $18,000 in “Smart classroom” equipment;
6. Human resources: Some members of the faculty; external contractual resources;
7. Challenges: Alignment of online and correspondence evaluation systems;
8. Initiatives: Alternative distance learning course (Moose Factory); Aboriginal studies (in English); newsroom lab;
9. Areas of common interest: Common programs and courses; “delocalized” hybrid courses (i.e. Moose Factory); Francophone postsecondary space created by the use of infrastructure and supervision for student success; natural international networks; operation of hyper-specialized small local market niches.

    

The University of Sudbury sees the convergence of its interests with those of the other Aménagement Linguistique Policy (PAL) partners in the following areas:

1. Investment in course sharing and program development that incorporate distance learning courses from a variety of institutions, thus offering an enhanced range of choice of high-quality courses;
2. The use of physical infrastructures of institutions that are already present in remote areas to offer programs and courses of other PAL institutions, while using local student success resources (language, tutoring, coaching, etc.) to create an environment of postsecondary French-language learning where it is currently more difficult or more expensive to reach a critical mass of learners in ways that ensure financial viability;
3. Identification of joint projects and voluntary partnerships centred on action, as opposed to projects that simultaneously mobilize all PAL partners;
4. The identification of international distance training opportunities to enable profitability to be reached by existing networks, and the outreach of institutions, in particular based on Jesuit contacts throughout the world (one example given is the training of teachers for the Écoles Foi et Joie that are run by the Jesuits in Haiti);
5. The development of hyper-specialized programs, where cohorts are distributed throughout Canada and across the world and where local expertise is of worldwide interest (examples would be the international reach of Aboriginal studies or teaching of the Ojibwa language);
6. The exploration and/or adaptation of a hybrid model to unite correspondence courses (which always achieve enviable satisfaction scores, even when compared with online courses) with learning technologies by preserving the strongest features of each mode.

The detailed fact sheet can be found in Appendix 9 of the accompanying document. This fact sheet is available in French only.

Technology-assisted and Online Courses and Programs Currently Offered