global awards presentation 4

Taking Ontario’s Learning System To

the Next Level

Becoming a World Leader in Building Engaged Learning Communities and

Networks: Learning for an Open Ontario

Learn Where You Live

My Name is Shaun Baron. I am an employee of Contact North. The World’s largest Distance Education network.

Today, I’m going to tell you who we are.

But, ladies and gentlemen, more importantly, today I want to challenge you, like we are being challenged.

We are being called to imagine and to build an Ontario that will harness the diversity, the talents and economic potential of all our people – and I want to talk about that.

In 2010, Ontario is..

Canada’s leader in online learning –

8,000 courses and 800 programs

online and thousands of

students studying using online learning…

In 2010, Ontario is..

Canada’s leader in community support for online learning with Contact North| Contact Nord and elearnetwork.ca – over 115 centers

supporting learners making choices in

their own communities

ONTARIO’S NETWORK

CONTACT NORTH&

ELEARNNETWORK.CAA Department of Contact North

1. Bracebridge

2. Cornwall

3. Exeter

4. Georgina

5. Haliburton

6. Hawkesbury

7. Kincardine

8. Madoc

9. Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation

10. Orléans

11. Port Hope

12. Shelburne

13. Six Nations

14. Stratford

15. St. Thomas

16. Thorold

17. Wallaceburg

18. Windsor-Tecumseh

It’s all about Partnerships

Ontario's Colleges and Universities• design, develop and

instruction of online courses.

Community Host Partners• Variety of community

partners provide space free of charge.

Continuum of Local Support for Education• Local partnerships with

service organizations• Literacy Networks• High Schools• John Howard Society• Adult Learning Centres• Community-based

vocational learning Centres (GTTI)

• Regional campuses of Colleges and Universities

Continuum of Local Support for Employment• Chamber of Commerce• Local Business• Job Connect• Business Development

Corporations• Community Futures• Second Career• WSIB

Contact North

• Created in 1986.

• Northern Ontarians have enhanced access to College and University courses

• Today’s Contact North has 94 centers and serves over 5,000 students annually in Northern Ontario

• Ontario Government funded expansion to Eastern, Central and Western Ontario.

• Genesis of elearnnetwork.ca

• We opened in 2007 and now have 18 Centres across Eastern, Central and Western Ontario.

“No matter where a student may live in Ontario, they deserve access to opportunity through post-secondary education” - Minister of MTCU, 2007

elearnnetwork.ca

Institutions•24 colleges•20 universities•Develop and offer over 10,000 online courses in over

800 online programs

OntarioLearnA consortium of 22 Ontario community colleges who have partnered to develop and deliver on-line courses

OCULLDevelops and delivers degree and non-degree continuing education programs in Ontario universities

Independent Learning Centre•Offers Ontario credit courses in English and French for Grades 9 to 12

•GED Testing Program•English as a Second Language (ESL) courses

elearnnetwork.ca

&

Contact North•Ontario's distance education and training network•Facilitates the delivery of college, university, secondary school and essential skills training through 112 centres across Ontario

ORION•Ontario's ultra high-speed network•Connects Ontario's colleges, universities and research

organizations

Ontario’s Building BlocksOnline learning in Ontario’s post-secondary system is built on a foundation of six building blocks that can be leveraged to help build the 21st century post-secondary system.

Ontario’s colleges and universities play a leadership role in that Ontario currently leads all Canadian jurisdictions in terms of the number and range of online (synchronous, asynchronous, blended) programs and courses available to students.

This is a key building block in the 21st century post-secondary system.

NOW.......

LET US IMAGINE OUR FUTURE

In 2010, Ontario is..

Calling on its educational

institutions and partners to take

online learning to the next level…

A call to action and a call to lead

Imagine Ontario 2015..

4,500 – 5,000 additional students

studying online from home, work,

community, college or university in quality courses that are highly

engaging

Imagine Ontario 2015..

Students now study from literacy and essential skills

to a college certificate or a

PhD/Professional Doctorate largely

through online learning at many

Ontario institutions.

Imagine Ontario 2015

No student now leaves post-secondary

education in Ontario without

completing one or more courses

through blended learning – we’re

building the capacities for lifelong online

learning

Imagine Ontario 2015..

A growing portion of targeted students –

Aboriginal, First Generation,

Francophone and Persons with

Disabilities – study at home or close to

home with peer networks and local

support using online learning.

• “Just-in-time learning” supports student to complete courses and challenge exams at their own pace (ie complete the course material in 4 weeks and challenge the exam without having to wait for the exam to be scheduled)

• Student satisfaction with choice, quality and their learning experience in Ontario among best in the world.

Think How These Organizations Think How These

Organizations Become One

Source for Open Learning for Every Adult

in Ontario

Imagine a coordinated, focused effort by these organizations to rapidly develop courses and programs of quality so that affordable online

education can quickly expand to meet the needs of Ontario’s adult learners….

+ =Online

LearningStudents

but there is more….

Imagine Ontario 2015

Smart community support for learners throughout

Ontario – help with learning choices,

technology, study skills…connecting to peers…

Leveraging existing networks – Contact North|

Contact Nord &

elearnnetwork.ca

Imagine Ontario 2015

Being able to access quality

video conference in your own

community…Making advanced

learning technologies

accessible and affordable locally

Imagine Ontario 2015

Getting that local help just when you need it – keeps you

engaged and reduces drop-out…

Imagine an Open Ontario in which learning took

place, anytime, everywhere with local support…

+ + =

Ontario Online Community Institutes

WORLD CLASS

That’s How we Imagine Ontario…2015

THANK YOUShaun Baron

Director of Partnershipselearnnetwork.ca

(613) 302-5201shaun@elearnnetwork.ca