In developing this outline, we looked at the issues from both a regional and provincial perspective, and determined what we realistically can contribute to each area.

Regionally: A Strong Regional Cluster Of Innovation

From a regional perspective of Northern Ontario, Contact North/Contact Nord will make the following contributions:

1. Expansion of its distance delivery Technology Network of 145 Access Centres in 100 communities.

We will continue to expand and enhance our Network, from the current 145 Distance Education & Training Access Centres in 100 communities, to focus on providing access to high quality learning in small and remote areas in Northern Ontario.

2. Leveraging of its current education Network into a training Network.

We will leverage our current Network, which is focused on the delivery of academic programs from the secondary and post-secondary educational levels at a distance, into a training Network that also facilitates the delivery of professional development, upgrading, literacy training and apprenticeship training at a distance. This transformation will support continued economic development in Northern Ontario and address the issue of skills shortages.

3. Transformation of its Distance Education & Training Access Centres into unique one-stop shopping, lifelong learning centres.

We will further transform our 145 Distance Education & Training Access Centres into one-stop shopping, lifelong learning centres. These Centres will become the point of contact and access for residents to services by a wide variety of education and training providers such as colleges, universities, school boards, Bibliocentre, Ontario Learn, Office for Partnerships for Advanced Skills (OPAS), TVOntario, and other providers from the public and private sectors.

In addition to providing access to technology, residents will also have access to trained Contact North/Contact Nord staff in our Centres who can act as effective agents for lifelong learning.

By focusing on these three areas, we will assist Northern Ontario to continue to develop as a very strong regional cluster of innovation, and a key building block in the 'Made in Ontario' comprehensive vision and strategy for technology in learning.

As is the case in all other jurisdictions, the consolidation of strong regional clusters of innovation is without a doubt the single most critical element in the strategic integration of technology in learning that will allow us to meet the needs of Ontario's learners no matter where they are.

Provincially: Excellence in Videoconferencing, Next Generation Internet Network, Research in e-Learning

To determine how we might make a contribution provincially, we reviewed the elements and areas of action identified during the January 7, 2002 session of the working group:

We also referred to The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, Priorities for Action, as noted in their Vision Statement on On-Line Learning. This statement was developed under the leadership of our Minister, the Honourable Dianne Cunningham, as the Chair of the Council. With minor revisions noted below, this statement can serve very well for Ontario.

Those priorities include:

1. Ensuring that online learning is of high quality, reflecting a high standard in content and the ongoing adoption of best practices in online education pedagogy.

2. Promoting the development of high quality online learning content.

3. Providing access to quality online learning opportunities in all parts of Canada Ontario.

4. Promoting collaboration among the provincial post-secondary educators to develop and support online learning.

5. Promoting research and the identification and adoption of best practices in online learning.

6. Sharing of information among provinces / territories Ontario educators and institutions on best practices for online learning curricula and curriculum development.

7. Promoting and sharing of best practices in professional development among instructors and course developers.

8. Helping to competitively position provincial / territorial Ontario online post-secondary educators internationally.

We believe that we can make a contribution to several of these key priorities including:

1. In the field of providing access to quality online learning opportunities
(Priority #3), we will share our vast knowledge, gained over our 15-year history, on providing and increasing access to education and training. We have much experience to share with our partners in Ontario on how to provide and increase access in an efficient manner.

2. Promoting collaboration (Priority #4) is another area that we can once again share our knowledge and best practices in developing tripartite partnerships and collaborative relationships with communities, secondary and post-secondary educational institutions, and the private sector.

Throughout its history, Contact North/Contact Nord has developed and maintained strong partnership relationships with Northern Ontario's secondary and post-secondary educational institutions. We currently partner with 11 post-secondary educational institutions and 17 district school boards in both official languages.

Based on our impressive number of academic registrations (11,222 in 2001), clearly this model works very well, and we are pleased to share this experience to further advance collaboration in other parts of Ontario.

3. On the priority of promoting research and the identification and adoption of best practices in online learning (Priority #5), we believe that the key to moving forward is to systematically provide opportunities for practitioners (professors, faculty and administration) to be made aware of and learn about new and emerging technologies in the learning and training field.

Contact North/Contact Nord has been a leader in this area for many years through our Learning and Training Technology Labs, located in our Regional Coordinating Centres in Thunder Bay and Sudbury. The Labs, opened by the former Minister of Education and Training, David Johnson, provide the hardware and software for applied research in advanced technology applications to learning and instruction. The Labs are an excellent example of public - private partnerships, as they are equipped with next generation technologies from thirteen private sector organizations.

4. In the area of promoting and sharing of best practices in professional development among instructors and course developers (Priority #7), Contact North/Contact Nord has been undertaking similar activities for many years.

We have learned that for instructors to effectively make use of our distance education Network, they need training and support in the area of technology, and in understanding the principles of instruction at a distance. We offer ongoing professional development, including technology and pedagogy in distance education, and training sessions for instructors using our Network.

Through our experience, we are keenly aware that new learning technologies will not work effectively and efficiently, if we are not constantly updating those instructors who use the technology, and constantly testing the technology.

We will collaborate with the universities and the colleges to exchange and share our experiences in faculty training.

In addition to the priorities developed by the Council of Ministers of Education, under the Chair of our Minister Cunningham, we see three key areas where
Contact North/Contact Nord will make a significant contribution at the provincial level.

1. Expansion of the Ontario Centre for Excellence in Videoconferencing.

Contact North/Contact Nord will continue to build on the strength of the Ontario Centre for Excellence in Videoconferencing launched in partnership with ADCOM Videoconferencing in February of 2000. An excellent example of a public - private sector partnership, the Centre is at the forefront of videoconferencing technologies and their application in the field of business, education, government, and health care.

Videoconferencing is an integral part of the distributed learning approach. Through Contact North/Contact Nord's fifteen years of experience, we will assist our educational partners, from other jurisdictions in Ontario, in a number of ways:

• Showcase the latest in videoconferencing technologies.

• Providing training expertise for successful videoconferencing applications in the education field.

• Help design, develop, and introduce advanced videoconferencing systems.

• Initiate and coordinate research and evaluation in the effective use of videoconferencing technologies in education.

2. Support to the implementation of a next generation Internet network.

We will continue to actively work as a Board Member of the Ontario Regional Advanced Networks of Ontario (ORANO) over the next three years to implement the Ontario Research and Innovation Optical Network (ORION). As part of this initiative, we are helping to build the next generation, high-speed communications network that will allow Ontario's colleges and universities, as well as publicly funded research institutions, to communicate with each other, share information and collaborate on research activities in an environment without bandwidth restrictions.

The completion of ORION will encourage and facilitate the development of training applications that will ensure the maximum use of the infrastructure.

ORION allows Ontario's post-secondary educational institutions to make technology in learning a reality.

3. Expansion of e-Learning Research Program.

Over the past five years, Contact North/Contact Nord's staff and associates have been actively involved in researching the latest trends in technology in education. Initially, our research focused on videoconferencing technologies, and we have since expanded our focus to include other emerging technologies in the e-learning field.

A sampling of our research contributions include:

• THE FUTURE OF ONLINE LEARNING.
  Dr. Stephen Downes, Contact North/Contact Nord, May 2000.

   

• TECHNOLOGY OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS: A PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK.

  Dr. Douglas Knight, Contact North/Contact Nord, 1999.
   

• VIDEOCONFERENCING USING SATELLITE AND TERRESTRIAL TECHNOLOGY TO DELIVER EDUCATION AND TRAINING AT A DISTANCE.
  Wayne Sajna Hebert, Contact North/Contact Nord, May 1997.

   

• LEARNING AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES: A PROPOSED RESEARCH AND EVALUATION AGENDA, 2nd Edition.

  Dr. Douglas Knight, Contact North/Contact Nord, December 1997.
   

• USING VIDEOCONFERENCING AS A MODE OF CURRICULUM DELIVERY FOR LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN SMALL AND REMOTE COMMUNITIES.

  Elizabeth Smyth, Lois Tobin, Contact North/Contact Nord,
  December 1997.

As part of our contribution to the vision and strategy, we will actively share our research work to date, and engage our staff and associates to undertake additional research in the field of e-learning in concert with our partners. In particular, based on our experience in providing access to education and training in small and remote communities, with a special priority on Aboriginal and Francophone communities, we believe that we can make a significant research contribution to the challenges of providing access to e-learning in these areas.

Contact North/Contact Nord's outline of its contribution to Ontario's vision and strategy for technology in learning is based on a realistic assessment of what we can contribute with our existing resources and current strengths, the guidelines and directives of its Board of Directors, and the wishes and needs expressed by our key stakeholders, Northern Ontario's colleges, universities, and school boards.

We have also given careful thought to ensuring that we continue to support in every way possible our education and training partners - Northern Ontario's colleges, universities, and school boards. In addition, we will ensure that every regional and provincial initiative that Contact North/Contact Nord undertakes directly or indirectly enhances the service and support we provide to these institutions or to their students.

As those who have worked with us in the past will attest, Contact North/Contact Nord has a strong record of delivering what we say we can and will do. We are confident of our ability to make a significant contribution in this most important area by limiting our activity to the areas outlined in this submission.

Contact us at 1-800-561-2222

Northeast Regional Coordinating Centre
410 Falconbridge Road, Unit 1
Sudbury, Ontario P3A 4S4
Phone: 705-560-2710
Fax: 705-525-0136

Northwest Regional Coordinating Centre
1139 Alloy Drive, Suite 104
Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6M8
Phone: 807-344-1616
Fax: 807-344-2390