BCcampus BCcampus Website Updates

Media Releases

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:43:02 -0800

October 27, 2009
ITA releases RFP for development of more E-PPRENTICE programs

September 21, 2009
E-PPRENTICE Information and Networking Session

June 25, 2009
TRADES TRAINING GOES ONLINE First E-PPRENTICE Programs Announced

E-PPRENTICE Backgrounder Announcement of RFP winners

March 10, 2009
$2M Investment in BCcampus for New Online Projects

BCcampus Funds 21 Innovative Online Projects

February 3, 2009
ITA - New Release Feb 2009

NANSLO demonstrates online labs at North Island College gathering

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Published September 30, 2011

Soon after Albert Balbon turned on the spectrometer, three images come up on the big screen at the front of the lecture hall: one is what the technician running the lab sees, one is what the instructor would see, and one replicates what the student would see. With the click of a mouse, the “student” moves the spectrometer, releases some gas, and the same read-out appears on all three screens. That “student,” Balbon explains, could be anywhere in the world, running this lab equipment in collaboration with several other students all joining in at the same time.

As he explains the mechanics of setting up a physics, biology or chemistry labs for use on-line, the room starts to buzz.

This two-day meeting is showcasing the work of the North American Network of Science Labs Online (NANSLO) project, which has received a $750,000 grant from the Next Generation Learning Challenge. The room (at North Island College on Vancouver Island) is full of about 40 international educators from British Columbia, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and California. They’re here to see hands-on technology pioneered in B.C. and now being scaled for use in the western United States.

The promise of web-based science labs immediately becomes apparent to the participants. An infrastructure could be built to bring distance learning to the hard sciences: to have well-equipped labs in different educational institutions shared by all in the network, so that every institution doesn't have to replicate the same set-up, and so that students in rural areas have access to a richer learning experience and lab equipment their local college otherwise could not afford.

The buzz in the room is excited but cautious at the same time: is this on-line lab experience as good as, or better than, a real-life lab experience? Could someone who took a college science course online transfer that course to a four-year degree? How much money could the post-secondary system save by using web-based technology? How many rural or remote students could be served by a remote web-based science lab? Yes, we have the technology, but are web-based labs pedagogically sound?

Pat Shea from WICHE, one of the principal investigators in the NANSLO project, explains to the group that a shortage of science teachers, especially in rural areas, especially for medical professionals, is a real problem in Montana, Wyoming, and other western states. That's why online science labs are such a priority. “We want to keep people in their communities,” she says. “[As part of this project] we want to address transfer and articulation issues in moving from college to a four-year program.”

“We invited faculty here to get hands-on with the equipment early on, to imagine what's possible with online science labs,” says Paul Stacey of BCcampus, a co-investigator in the NANSLO project. “We are hoping for some good word of mouth among educators, evaluators and credentialing bodies around these courses. This is an ambitious project with a short timeline for what we want to accomplish.”

Stacey goes on to explain that three discipline panels have been created for Physics, Chemistry and Biology, to create a “best of breed” version of courses for the NANSLO project. The lab at North Island College is being replicated in Colorado, to see how science labs online will be scaled from dozens to hundreds or even thousands of students.

Judging from the optimism in the room, science education from a distance could be coming to North American post secondary institutions sooner rather than later.

Front page image of Albert Balbon and Ron Evans by North Island College, used with permission.

Feature image of Rhonda Epper, Assistant Provost, Colorado Community College System and Pat Shea, Director of ICE, The Forum, The Alliance, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, by David Porter.

Science targeted in this year's Online Program Development Fund

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 10:24:54 -0700

The Online Program Development Fund, this year totaling $750,000, is now accepting proposals. BCcampus invites B.C. public post secondary institutions to send their submissions by December 14, 2010. (Find the Call for Proposals and related documents here.)

New this year: a portion of the available funding is targeted for online science curricula, in support of Year of Science.

An evaluation committee made up of peers drawn from across the post secondary system will review the proposals, and awards will be announced near the end of January 2011. This year's fund will give preference to:

fully online courses and course components,
proposals that increase access to BC's public higher education through multi-institution enrollment and provision of credit,
partnerships between multiple public post secondary institution,
development of for-credit online courses and course components that build out complete online programs leading to a credential,
integration of new online learning resources with previously funded OPDF resources to construct credentials,
use of effective and engaging online teaching and learning pedagogies, and
proposals that are cost effective.

Each year since 2003 BCcampus has provided Online Program Development Fund (OPDF) to help the B.C. public post secondary sector develop for-credit online learning resources. These resources give students access to more programs leading to complete degrees, diplomas and certificates.

The OPDF is targeted to public post secondary institutional partnerships where each institution contributes to the development of the online learning resource and uses it when development is complete.

From 2003 through 2009, 131 grants have been awarded for development of hundreds of online courses and course components such as textbooks, videos, and labs. All resources are licensed for free sharing and reuse across B.C.'s public post secondary system, and 41 credentials have been developed in whole or in part to date.

All resources developed through the OPDF are licensed for free reuse, revision, remix, and redistribution. Resources licensed this way are known around the world as "Open Educational Resources" (OER). When OPDF resources are fully developed they are put in the BCcampus Shareable Online Learning Repository where they become available for review and download.

The 2010 OPDF Call for Proposals, application form and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) are all available on the BCcampus OPDF workspace wiki.

For further information on OPDF, contact Paul Stacey: pstacey [at] bccampus [dot] ca

NGLC Grant Awarded to Online Science Consortium

Thu, 12 May 2011 12:10:09 -0700

The following is the text of a news release issued by Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) on April 7, 2011. We are pleased to be part of this consortium of higher education organizations.

Boulder, Colorado — The North American Network of Science Labs Online (NANSLO) has been awarded a grant from Next Generation Learning Challenges, an initiative working to improve U.S. college readiness and completion, especially among low-income individuals, by identifying and accelerating the growth of effective education technology. The 15-month project, funded at just under $750,000 and including a consortium of institutions in the Western U.S. and Canada, aims to add a powerful new component to online science courses: students will have access to a remotely located science lab and the ability to control remote instrumentation, allowing them to perform experiments, practice scientific observation, and conduct data analysis, as students in classroom-based courses do.

NANSLO builds on the success of the Remote Web-based Science Laboratory (RWSL) developed by BCcampus, a consortium of 25 postsecondary institutions in British Columbia that will be participating in the project. NANSLO will also serve students attending Colorado Community College System (CCCS) institutions. Students enrolled in the 13 CCCS community colleges will have access to three freshman-level gatekeeper courses, with labs modeled after those developed by BCcampus: physics will be offered in spring 2012 and chemistry and biology in summer 2012. The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) is the fiscal agent and coordinating partner for the grant. Other partners, in addition to BCcampus and CCCS, include the Colorado School of Mines, Montana State University Bozeman, Montana State University-Great Falls College of Technology, University of Wyoming, and Laramie County Community College. Representatives from these institutions will serve on the NANSLO advisory board and discipline panels.

“This international project has the potential to deepen student engagement in online science courses and enable more students, especially those who find it difficult to take classes on campus, to persist in science-related programs,” said Pat Shea, WICHE’s principal investigator for the grant and director of the WICHE Internet Course Exchange (WICHE ICE). The project will be led by Shea and co-principal investigators Rhonda Epper, assistant provost at CCCS, and Paul Stacey, director of communications, stakeholder, and academic relations at BCcampus.

“One of the challenges of online instruction has been how to provide the clinical and laboratory experience required in many STEM fields,” says Epper. “This project builds on an already tested model and gives CCCS institutions a way to offer their students a rich, full experience in these courses today––and the ability to share their expertise with other institutions in the future.”

Scientists have been using remotely controlled instrumentation for years: deep sea submersibles and the Mars Exploration Rovers are just two examples. But the application of this technology to education has lagged. By integrating the Remote Web-based Science Laboratory, which BCcampus has licensed for reuse and sharing via Creative Commons, into gatekeeper biology, physics, and chemistry courses, NANSLO will provide students with a new learning experience.

“We are thrilled to enter into a consortia partnership to improve and scale BC-developed OER online science courses and associated Remote Web-based Science Lab into the U.S.,” says BCcampus’s Paul Stacey. “Working together collaboratively will enhance and sustain the development and delivery of deeply engaging online science courses while at the same time producing a best-of-breed OER that others can adopt and localize.” All courses, software, manuals, and other deliverables developed by NANSLO will be openly licensed to encourage the widespread adoption of these courses and RWSL (learn more about RWSL at http://rwsl.nic.bc.ca/about.html).

NANSLO, which was selected from a field of more than 600 preproposals and 50 finalists, also aims to improve access to and success in science courses, especially for students at risk of failing or not completing their degrees, including low-income, first-generation, and rural students, who often face barriers of time and distance, ranging from geography to work and family obligations, that may prevent them from attending classes on campus.

About WICHE & Next Generation Learning Challenges

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (www.wiche.edu) and its 15 member states work collaboratively to expand educational access and excellence for all citizens of the West. By promoting innovation, cooperation, resource sharing, and sound public policy among states and institutions, WICHE strengthens higher education’s contributions to the region’s social, economic, and civic life. Our programs—Student Exchange, the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies, Policy Analysis and Research, and Mental Health—are working to find answers to some of the most critical questions facing higher education today. WICHE’s 15 member states include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Next Generation Learning Challenges (www.nextgenlearning.org) is a multiyear, collaborative initiative focused on identifying and accelerating the growth of effective education technology that can help improve college readiness and completion in the United States, especially among low-income individuals. NGLC is focused on early-stage innovations. It invests in technology applications with emerging results that look promising but need more support to reach more students. EDUCAUSE, an organization dedicated to advancing higher education through the use of technology, leads Next Generation Learning Challenges. Organizations collaborating on the initiative include: the League for Innovation in the Community College, the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, and The Council of Chief State School Officers. Each offer deep, practical expertise in education, leadership, and innovation. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation helped design Next Generation Learning Challenges and fund the initiative.

Photo Credit: WoodleyWonderWorks, used under Creative Commons license

Spring 2011 brings system upgrades and changes to BCcampus

Thu, 12 May 2011 12:08:06 -0700

Published April 7, 2011
Updated April 26, 2011

Photo Credit: WoodlyWonderWorks,
Creative Commons-licensed

This spring and summer, several changes and upgrades for many BCcampus services have been planned in consultation with BCcampus stakeholders and clients. These improvements to BCcampus services will result in new ways of working and a different look and feel for some online services.

Following is a list of the upgrades and changes, along with a short summary of each. We’re doing everything we can to ensure a smooth transition and are preparing for any hiccups should they arise. Please bear with us as we do our best to keep services running smoothly during the transition.

April 26 | Moodle Upgrade

Due to increased participation in the Moodle shared service, the Moodle hosting infrastructure is being improved to accommodate increasing institutional participation (e.g., Vancouver Island University) as well as improve performance and redundancy.

Affected User Groups: Institutional participants (enterprise and local) of the Moodle shared service

April 28 | Adobe Connect Upgrade

The Adobe Connect upgrade from version 7.5 to 8.02 will offer server performance and stability improvements, and a user interface overhaul. Users of Adobe Connect will experience many improvements in ease of use and ability to collaborate. The complete list of improvements is here: http://www.adobe.com/products/adobeconnect/whats-new.html

Affected User Groups: Collaborative programs, institutional participants of the Adobe Connect shared service

May 5 | Collaborative Program Web Sites

The Applied Business Technology (ABT), Northern Collaborative Information Technology (NCIT) and Aboriginal Early Childhood Education (AECE) will each have an improved web site with a consistent look and feel for collaborative programs:

ABT - https://abt.onlinecollaborative.ca
NCIT - https://ncit.onlinecollaborative.ca
AECE - https://aece.onlinecollaborative.ca

There is a beta version of the ABT site now running (https://abt.onlinecollaborative.ca) that we invite faculty, administrators and student to try. Please send your suggestions through the ‘Feedback’ link on that site or email helpdesk@bccampus.ca.

Students: Please see your Welcome Letters for details on these new sites.

The new NCIT and AECE site URLS will not be available until May 5th.

The institutions involved in collaborative programs have requested improvements in the technical services that support the programs' online delivery. For each collaborative program, a self-contained site will better represent the multi-institutional nature of the program and meet the needs of all users (current and prospective students, administrators, instructors,) and better market the collaborative programs.

Affected User Groups: Collaborative programs

May 4-5 | Desire2Learn Upgrade

The D2L upgrade from version 8 to 9.1 will provide better functionality for students, instructors and institutions participating in the D2L shared service like Camosun, NLC and NWCC. This upgrade plan has been developed over the last several months, and May is the time recommended by institutions that use the shared service.

The upgrade will run from 9 pm May 4th to 6 am May 5th. During this time, students and faculty will not be able to access their courses. (This information has also been posted in D2L, on the student portal and on program administrators' site.)

Affected User Groups: Collaborative programs, institutional participants (enterprise) of the D2L shared service.

June 16 | BCcampus web portal

We are moving all services to discrete, self-contained web presences, because these services serve very different purposes and user groups. The existing portal URL (portal.bcampus.ca) will be replaced with a web-page that provides links to the replacement versions of the previously included services. These services include PASBC, Course Finder and program administration and reporting access functions for the Collaborative Programs, and access to online courses offered as part of the Collaborative Programs.

June 16 | PASBC becomes ApplyBC

The Post-secondary Application Service (PASBC) name and URL are changing to ApplyBC and applybc.ca. ApplyBC will provide a streamlined user experience as a single-purpose site. The existing pas.bc.ca URL will redirect users to the newly named service, and the service banner will indicate “Formerly known as PASBC”.

Affected User Groups: Users applying to any of the 26 B.C. post-secondary institutions that participate in this service.

June 16 | Course Finder becomes CoursesBC

The Find Online Courses service will be replaced by CoursesBC on June 16, 2011 (a beta version of Courses BC is already available at coursesbc.ca). The registration suite of student transactions will not be available on the new CoursesBC for the time being. Program information will be provided from BCCAT Education Planner, accessed via a link on the CoursesBC site. The manual entry of program and course information will no longer be required.

Affected User Groups: Users who previously accessed this service via the portal, who will be redirected.

June 23 | Connector Upgrade

BCcampus’ Connector system will undergo an upgrade that, once deployed, will allow for additional capabilities (especially with respect to network management tools) and will be vendor-supported (the version we’re using now is open-sourced and community-supported). The upgrade will involve a brief but widespread outage in which all Connector systems and related websites will be unavailable for approximately four hours.

If you have any questions about the above, please contact:

Collaborative Programs: Lawrence Parisotto or Greg Link
Shared Services: Lawrence Parisotto
Connector: John Sampson [update October 2011: please contact Lauri Aesoph laesoph [at] bccampus [dot] ca for Connector questions]
Student Services (ApplyBC, CoursesBC): Randy Bruce

Transcript Exchange Pilot Project

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 08:13:08 -0700

BCcampus has been involved in the Transcript Exchange pilot project since 2009. It started as a proof-of-concept initiative to replace the older, EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) method for exchanging post-secondary student transcripts. Three institutions have been involved: Simon Fraser University, Kwantlen University and Douglas College.

The British Columbia Registrars Association (BCRA) had initially approached BCcampus in 2008 with a request to replace the EDI method with a transcript exchange mechanism that would avoid the need to route transcripts through the University of Texas, which has been providing the hub for North American EDI transcript exchanges. B.C. privacy laws, and the aging EDI communications method make continuing with the existing mechanism undesirable.

At one time, nearly all B.C. colleges and universities were prepared to use the EDI method, but today there are only five institutions actively using this original process for sending and/or receiving electronic transcripts. The BCcampus Connector system has proven itself capable of supporting secure, immediate (within Canada) transfer of information between institutions, and was designed with the flexibility to provide transcript exchange functionality.

At first this seemed like a quick and easy pilot: demonstrate that a transcript can be exchanged between the three participating institutions. However, the team realized more work was required after studying similar initiatives in other jurisdictions and after reviewing the technical capabilities of the various student information systems in use in B.C. A key challenge has been to design a solution that supports the various versions of transcript standards.

BCcampus has engaged the services of a project manager to lead the team to successfully complete the three phases of the pilot project: implement the Connector-based transcript exchange mechanism at the pilot institutions, explore potential solutions for other, widely used student information systems in B.C. and prepare a plan for extending the solution to all B.C. post-secondary institutions.

For now, BCcampus has formed a small steering committee to oversee completion of the existing transcript exchange pilot project. Once the project nears completion, this committee will determine the best ways to take the project into full-fledged service.

For more information on Transcript Exchange, contact Randy Bruce: rbruce [at] bccampus [dot] ca.

Silverstripe developers needed

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 10:43:10 -0800

BCcampus seeks the services of independent contractors proficient in Silverstripe development to make make occasional custom feature enhancements to our Silverstripe web properties, including www.bccampus.ca.

Please send us a brief proposal outlining your rate structure and your experience and qualifications in Silverstripe development including:

examples of custom modules developed
experience in integrating Silverstripe with other software and data sources
a brief background of your experience in web development.
Resume of programming experience, including specific role and work performed within team projects

Please email proposals and quotes to: communications@bccampus.ca

Posted March 7, 2011

Shared Services Meeting Nov 5

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 11:43:46 -0700

Thank you for attending and making our events such a success. We have established a Shared Services Forum on our corporate wiki page - please head over there for presentations and meeting notes, and to participate in the ongoing discussion.

1. ETUG fall workshop

Date: Nov. 4 (There is a social the evening before, Nov 3).
Location: Inn at the Quay, Hyack Rooms (North & South).

ETUG's popular one-day workshop includes informative sessions, continental breakfast, refreshments and lunch for $25 plus HST.

To register and for more details: please see etug.ca (BCcampus contact: Leva Lee)

2. Shared Services gathering:

Date: Nov. 5, 2010, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Location: Inn at the Quay, Hyack North and Riverside Rooms (yes, same as the ETUG conference).

We've got a different approach in mind for BCcampus' next Shared Services gathering. The day will start with a general session that will be a "View from 10,000 feet," discussing the broad framework of the Shared Service concept and business model arising from BCcampus strategic directions.

After that, each Shared Service will have its own 45 minute to 1 hour session in turn with presentations and discussion on its individual model, licensing, issues, support roles, links with Collaborative Programs, institutional updates and future directions.

Alternatively, a second strand activity or work/network area will be provided for those who don't want to attend the individual service meetings.

For a complete agenda, see the web page here or download the Shared Services Meeting Agenda pdf.

For further information, contact Lawrence Parisotto: lparisotto [at] bccampus [dot] ca.

To register for the Shared Services meeting, download the attached PDF, fill out the form and email it to Christy Foote (cfoote@bccampus.ca).

Lunch will be provided; there is no charge for registration. Please join us for all or appropriate portions of this event, or forward to those at your institution who may be interested.

Links:

Inn at the Quay hotel website
ETUG website
ETUG Fall workshop social networking website

2010 Online Program Development Fund Awards

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 21:31:20 -0800

Growing BC's public post-secondary online learning is one of our goals at BCcampus. Starting in 2003 BCcampus has issued an annual Online Program Development Fund (OPDF) Request for Proposals (RFP) to all of BC's public post secondary institutions. The OPDF call for proposals emphasizes inter-institutional collaboration and partnerships for development of online learning courses. Development is focused on for-credit online learning that give students access to more programs leading to complete degrees, diplomas and certificates.

The 2010 OPDF was the eighth consecutive annual round of OPDF bringing the cumulative total of OPDF funding 2003-2010 to $9 million.

A summary of the grants awarded is listed below.

2010 OPDF Awards

Title: Indigenous Technology Career Access Program
Partners: Camosun College, Emily Carr University of Art and Design, WSÁNEĆ School Board, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Hawaii
Grant: $47,3782^S
Project: Develop 6 online course components (1. General introduction to the Alice programming language, 2. Objects, 3. Properties, methods & functions, 4. Decisions & loops, 5. Events, 6. Data structures) for the programming portion of computer science courses. Course components will be made available through a YouTube format and designed to be culturally relevant and respectful of traditions.

Title: Collaborative Mining and Mineral Exploration Technology Program
Partners: BCIT, College of New Caledonia, School District 91, Northern Lights College, Northwest Community College, Yukon College
Grant: $82,120^S
Project: Develop 6 online courses; 1. MINE 1101 Physical Geology, 2. MINE 2101 Mineralogy and Petrology, 3. MINE 2105 Surface Mining and Blasting, 4. MINE 2106 Environmental Applications, 5. SURV 1140 Surveying for Mining 1, 6. SURV 2240 Surveying for Mining 2. This will allow students to take the first year of BCIT’s Mining and Mineral Exploration Technology Program at their home institution and then transfer to BCIT to complete the second year of the program.

Title: Aboriginal Early Childhood Education Infant and Toddler Diploma
Partners: College of New Caledonia, Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, Northern Lights College
Grant: $50,000*¹
Project: Develop 7 online courses leading to an AECE Infant and Toddler Diploma. 1. AECE 201 Child Development III, 2. AECE 210 Working with Families, 3. AECE 220 Programming for Infants and Toddlers, 4. AECE 230 Guidance for Infants and Toddlers, 5. AECE 250 Advanced Health Safety and Nutrition, 6. AECE 253 Administration & Licensing, 7. AECE Infant & Toddler Practicum

Title: Embedded Critical Thinking in Distributed Learning Course Design: Advanced Placement Physics
Partners: University of British Columbia Okanagan, BC Learning Network, Cool School, The Critical Thinking Consortium
Grant: $46,500S*
Project: Develop 5 components involving 50 lessons including a justifying the decision module, science specific critical thinking teaching video, and three science specific Flash based tutorials along with an assessment data base. Course components will be used in an online Advanced Placement Physics course.

Title: Online Virtual Patients
Partners: University of Northern British Columbia, Justice Institute of BC
Grant: $8,000
Project: Install and host OpenLabyrinth application and develop 2 workshops that produce virtual patients responsive to the needs of rural, and remote nursing education.

Title: Situated Learning with Mobile Technologies
Partners: Langara College, College of the Rockies, University of Northern British Columbia
Grant: $43,500*²
Project: Develop 4 components; 1. a mobile platform that works across a wide range of mobile devices, 2. a mobile pedagogical delivery model, 3. three courses that use mobile platform and model and 4. evaluate the effectiveness and provide recommendations for other BC public post secondary adoption.

Title: Early Learning and Care Diploma
Partners: Camosun College, Vancouver Island University, The South Island School District Partnership (SD 61, SD 62, SD 63, SD 64, SD 79), Coast Salish Employment Training Society
Grant: $162,000*¹
Project: Develop 7 online courses in phase 2 of an Early Learning and Care Diploma. Courses are: 1. CFCS 160 Family and Community 1, 2. ELC 230 Infant and Toddler Care, 3. ELC 111 Supportive Relationships 1, 4. ELC 112 Supportive Relationships 2, 5. ELC 220 Inclusive Child Care, 6. ELC 130 Early Childhood Profession, 7. ELC 212 Supportive Relationships 3.

Title: Conversion of upper level Bachelor of Business Administration courses to online delivery
Partners: Langara College, College of the Rockies, Douglas College, Camosun College
Grant: $105,000*
Project: Phase 1 collaborative development of 10 online upper level Bachelor of Business Administration courses: 1. BUSM 4200 Strategic Management, 2. BUSM 4300/RECR 4300 Applied Project, 3. Management Information Systems, 4. The Politics of Sustainability, 5. Environmental Science of Sustainability, 6. Project Management, 7. Operations Management, 8. BUSM 2300 Employment Strategies for Current Labour Markets, 9. Taxation, 10. International Global Business.

Title: Behaviour Intervention Citation – Provincial Partnerhip
Partners: Douglas College, Selkirk College, Northern Lights College, College of New Caledonia, Vancouver Island University, Capilano University, North Island College, College of the Rockies
Grant: $35,000*
Project: As an equal partner collaborative develop 20 course components for use in multiple courses that relate to behaviour intervention, autism and applied behaviour analysis. Collaborative partners are working to offer a Behaviour Intervention Citation across the province.

Title: Using Mobile Devices as Learning Tools for Alternative Models of Teaching and Learning
Partners: University of British Columbia, Paramedic Academy Justice Institute of British Columbia
Grant: $43,500*²
Project: Develop 3 components; 1. instructional design solutions that allow for increased student participation in courses by using mobile devices, 2. text and videos that demonstrate innovative mobile pedagogy in practice and 3. sample assignments, activities and content that utilize mobile devices in a course.

Title: Applied Art and Design Online: Extended Studio Practice (SPACE & Communications Design)
Partners: Emily Carr University of Art & Design, North Island College, Dr. Peter Aids Foundations Centre in Vancouver
Grant: $75,000*
Project: Phase 1 development of 4 online courses and 3 learning object course components. Courses are: 1. COMD 204 Typographic Communication, 2. COMD 304 Typographic Systems, 3. CCID 3XX , 4. CCID/ENGL 3XX. Three learning objects will be for two typography courses and virtual studio.

Title: Student Orientation for Rural Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice
Partners: University of British Columbia, University of Victoria, Thompson Rivers University, BCIT, Selkirk College, College of New Caledonia, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Vancouver Island University
Grant: $12,000*
Project: Develop 1 online module course component to help students understand rural socio-cultural-economic issues, epidemiology of rural health and illness, rural health service delivery roles, and skills and knowledge common to collaborative rural health care.

Title: Community Care Licensing Officer: Online Certificate Program
Partners: Justice Institute of BC, Ministry of Health Services, BC Health Authorities, Community Care Facilities Licensing Officers of BC Association
Grant: $20,000*
Project: Customize and enhance 4 existing open educational resource online courses; 1. HSLC 105 Business Writing and Presentation Skills, 2. HSLC 200 Conflict Resolution, 3 ELC 110 Child Development 1, and 4. Introduction to Gerontology, along with a Field Practicum course as phase 1 in the development of a Community Care Licensing Officer online certificate program.

Title: British Columbia/China Contemporary Forest Topics
Partners: University of British Columbia, Royal Roads University, BC Forestry Innovation Investment, Nanjing Forestry University, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University
Grant: $20,000^S
Project: Develop a web site and 16 course components in the form of TED talks on Forestry videos featuring inspirational world leading experts in forestry and environmental studies. Components make up a credit-based course used for students in BC and as a means of preparing Chinese students for studies as undergraduate students in BC.

Notes:

^S indicates an award for proposal in science academic area

* represents only partial funding of full proposal request

¹ Funding award to these two initiatives is contingent on:

communication, consultation and coordination between the two initiatives around combining efforts into a single initiative
a report showing the curricular program relationship between the two initiatives
a commitment to reuse existing ECE courses

² indicates two initiatives that relate to one another and are asked to work together

Since 2003, the Online Program Development Fund has invested $8.25 million. The main outcomes to date are:

131 grants awarded (2003-2009)
100% participation across the post-secondary system
83% partnerships - mostly inter-institutional but also with K-12, health authorities, not-for-profits, professional associations, e-learning companies, First Nations, foundations, amongst others.
41 credentials developed in whole or part via OPDF
317 courses, 10 workshops, 18 web sites/tools and 338 course components (learning objects, labs, textbooks, manuals, videos) developed across almost all academic fields of study
100% licensed for open free sharing & reuse by all post-secondary

Data and summaries of the OPDF to date including 2003-2010 calls for proposals, summary reports on annual outcomes, data sheets showing institution OPDF awards as lead or partner, and analysis of OPDF results overall can be found on the BCcampus OPDF workspace wiki at: http://opdf.pbworks.com.

2010 OPDF Call for Proposals

The $750,000 2010 OPDF announced October 19, 2010 identified science as a priority area and targeted two types of online learning development:

Courses: Proposals are invited for development of credit-based online courses.
Course Components: Proposals are invited for development of for-credit course components such as learning objects, labs, textbooks, manuals, and videos.

Materials related to the 2010 OPDF call for proposals including the call itself, an application form, and FAQ are all available on the BCcampus OPDF wiki at http://opdf.pbworks.com/w/page/30172279/2010-OPDF.

OPDF proposals were submitted to BCcampus by heads of academic affairs at institutions on or before the closing date of December 14th, 2010.

OPDF evaluation and award is done by independent professional peer review against criteria expressed in the call for proposals.

Call Response

BCcampus received a total of 21 proposals in response to the 2010 OPDF call for proposals. The combined request for funding amounted to $1.72 million dollars. Of the 21 proposals there were:

15 proposals for courses representing a combined request of $1.46 million
6 proposals for course components representing a combined request of $254K

Twenty-four of BC’s twenty-five public post secondary institutions participated in the 2010 OPDF as lead or partner.

100% of the proposals involved partnerships among BC public post secondary institutions, and/or with professional associations, health authorities, school districts, international consortia, and out-of-province institutions.

Proposal Evaluation

Proposals were reviewed by the Ministry’s of Science and Universities and Regional and Economic Skills Development and comments provided to the evaluation team for consideration prior to the group review.

Proposals were evaluated using a progressive consensus process facilitated by BCcampus. Progressive consensus involves evaluator’s independently scoring proposals first, followed by paired review and consensus, culminating in group review and award. Evaluators do not review proposals from their own institution. The eight person 2010 OPDF evaluation team included representatives from University of Northern British Columbia, Okanagan College, Royal Roads University, Camosun College, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Vancouver Community College, University of British Columbia, and an external consultant.

The evaluation team selected fourteen proposals for full or partial award. Nine grants were made for courses and five for course components.

Thanks to all those who submitted proposals and congratulations to the 2010 OPDF winners.

All public announcements and news releases associated with your grant must be coordinated through Tori Klassen Manager Communications & Stakeholder Relations, e-mail tklassen [at] bccampus [dot] ca, phone 250-405-4012, who will work with the BC’s Public Affairs Bureau.

Representatives of all projects receiving a grant are invited to an OPDF orientation day scheduled for March 4, 2011.

BCcampus is pleased to support the growing importance of online learning initiatives at all BC public post secondary institutions.

For additional information contact:

Paul Stacey, Director of Communications, Stakeholder and Academic Relations, e-mail: pstacey [at] bccampus [dot] ca, phone: 604-412-7736

Lawrence Parisotto takes on new role

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:35:41 -0700

BCcampus is pleased to announce that Lawrence Parisotto will take on a new role at BCcampus as Director of Collaborative Programs and Shared Services for the period June 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011. This role has arisen from an organizational restructuring at BCcampus to better align with BCcampus strategic goals and directions for the period 2010 - 2012.

Lawrence previously was Director for Flexible Learning for Trades Training. After the wind-down of the E-PPRENTICE program by the Industry Training Authority, we were eager to put Lawrence's talents to good use for a large portion of BCcampus' very diverse and busy portfolio of services and programs. He will be heading up our client services team consulting, developing and supporting collaborative programs and shared educational services with post-secondary institutions.

BCcampus values Lawrence's leadership and is looking forward to his continued participation in our management team.

The Future of Flexible Trades Training

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:39:23 -0700

The Industry Training Authority of BC (ITA) announced April 7, 2010 its decision to pause and wind down the current phase of E-PPRENTICE. The ITA had determined that additional E-PPRENTICE programs would not be eligible for funding under the BC-Canada Labour Market Agreement (LMA), and decided to suspend future development of the E-PPRENTICE initiative until alternate funding sources can be secured and new strategies for flexible learning developed.

British Columbia's E-PPRENTICE program was a new, more flexible way for apprentices to complete their technical training. It was funded and sponsored by the ITA, and BCcampus was responsible for leading and coordinating the initiative on its behalf. The E-PPRENTICE initiative aligned with the BCcampus goal of assisting B.C.'s public post-secondary institutions create a unified system where programs are developed collaboratively, delivered efficiently utilizing shared educational technologies, and where information and student data flow securely between institutions.

Funding for E-PPRENTICE was originally secured by ITA from the BC-Canada LMA which supports investment in labour market programs. The LMA funding was used to develop innovative, flexible delivery models including interactive and e-learning components to encourage participation of LMA- eligible apprentices for existing trades programs. Further funding for E-PPRENTICE had been negotiated by ITA from the federal Pan Canadian Innovation Initiative dependent on the continued availability of the LMA funds.

As a result of the ITA decision to wind down E-PPRENTICE, BCcampus is winding down its current phase of activity. This is an opportune time to summarize accomplishments of E-PPRENTICE, and propose future developments in the event E-PPRENTICE is revitalized.

E-PPRENTICE Accomplishments

E-PPRENTICE programs offer flexible learning options for several Red Seal trades - this is an accomplishment in itself in that apprentices can take their technical training through e-learning, reducing time away from their communities and employers.

A number of organizations, project teams, and stakeholder groups have contributed much energy and enthusiasm to E-PPRENTICE on behalf of the trades training system in B.C. Here are some of the accomplishments resulted from their activities:

Creation of a consortia approach: bringing together trades organizations, training providers, new media and e-learning companies for development and pilot delivery of E-PPRENTICE trades programs.
Funding was awarded for automotive service and auto collision repair technician, professional cook, and welding. First enrolments took place in 2009-2010.
Development of flexible learning models that enable more apprentices to take their technical training where and when it best suits them.

The Future of E-PPRENTICE

Though E-PPRENTICE may be ‘on pause' for the next while, there is much to be accomplished when a flexible learning strategy for trades training resumes.

In anticipation of renewed funding, an updated strategy and business plan, and a new governance model, BCcampus could provide a number of services as a partner agency for E-PPRENTICE over the next few years.:

Work with institutions in a manner similar to the BCcampus Online Program Development Fund (OPDF) as a mechanism for managing innovative development of reusable trades training resources, and licensing resources within the province, nationally or internationally.
Host reusable trades resources in a shared online learning resource repository federated with the BCcampus SOL*R repository.
Provide shared educational applications and services for use in the delivery of trades programs, in a manner similar to the way BCcampus provides such services for academic institutions in B.C.
Develop automated student registration and reporting services to enable province-wide collaborative program models.
Utilizing federated identity models and BCcampus connector technologies to automate the data collection and information transfer requirements for trades programs.

E-PPRENTICE has an integral role to play in the evolution of trades training in B.C. The future of E-PPRENTICE is uncertain, but we are optimistic that the efforts of those individuals, project teams, organizations and stakeholder groups involved in E-PPRENTICE will provide a firm foundation for significant future work in flexible learning.

For more information contact Lawrence Parisotto.

Lawrence Parisotto

Director, Flexible Learning for Trades Training
Telephone: 604-412-7715
lparisotto [at] bccampus [dot] ca

Posted April 19, 2010

The Future of Educational Technology with Scott Leslie.

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:28:45 -0800

The annual Horizon Report, produced by the New Media Consortium, identifies and describes emerging technologies likely to have an impact on teaching and learning in higher education over the next five years.

Technologies to watch include:
- mobile computing
- open content
- electronic books
- simple augmented reality
- gesture-based computing, and
- visual data analysis

You can access the seventh in the series 2010 Horizon Report via the link below.

http://wp.nmc.org/horizon2010/

Congratulations to BCcampus team member Scott Leslie for his work as a member of the 2010 Horizon Project Advisory Board.

Coming soon to this page will be a short video Scott created on January 19, 2010, when the New Media Consortium (NMC) and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) released the 2010 Horizon Report at the ELI Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas.

For more information contact Scott Leslie.

Scott Leslie

Client Services Manager
Telephone: 250-415-3490
Email: sleslie [at] bccampus [dot] ca

First published April 2011

Online learning projects squeezed out as Canada expands its wireless world

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 09:33:36 -0800

The Globe and Mail story above was prompted by Inukshuk BC Learning Plan members desire for a reinstatement of the Learning Plan by Industry Canada. Here is their original letter written to Tony Clement. Hopefully this provision will be changed before final award of this spectrum is made.

For more information contact Randy Bruce.

Randy Bruce

Director, Operations and Chief Information Officer
Telephone: 604-889-3422
Email: rbruce [at] bccampus [dot] ca

You can read the archived article here

Finding Your Gifts – Real World Advice for Aboriginal Post Secondary Students

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:50:54 -0800

by Judy Smith

"Our purpose in life is to find our gifts and to use them." With these words, Gerry Oleman, an elder of the Stl'atl'imx Nation, welcomes Aboriginal students considering post secondary education to a new online resource, findingyourgifts.ca.

Among the many activities of BCcampus is the hosting of resource sites that support post secondary learning for all British Columbians. Produced by the Community Education Office and 7^th Floor Media at Simon Fraser University with the support of the Inukshuk Fund, Finding Your Gifts brings together Aboriginal students to share their own experiences as post secondary students. The site offers practical, real-life advice on how to navigate everything from band funding to time management while nurturing mind, body and spirit.

Gary George remembers the culture shock of coming to university in Vancouver from a small community in northern B.C. "My parents literally shipped us jarred salmon while we were going to school down here. They shipped us jarred salmon, they shipped us jarred moose meat and it was such a blessing to get that in. I’d get a crate from my Mom and Dad and they’d say ‘Here’s something from us to help you out down there’."

Angela Semple advises students considering post secondary to just send the application in “For me, that letter was just validation that I could do it. So send the letter and see where it takes you. You have nothing to lose, really.”

Joyce Schneider, now a PhD. Student, recalls some of the challenges of hearing racist comments in the classroom as an undergraduate and what brought her back, “It was for something bigger than myself. It was for my children, it was for the community, and I just needed to keep going and not let it get taken away by the ignorance of some. So I went back and finished.”

Finding Your Gifts brings together advice from elders, students and First Nations student centres to give Aboriginal students the best possible chance for success in post secondary education. Gerry Oleman adds,“You're building a new canoe for yourself and your family, if you have one, or the family you're going to have. And it's going to carry you if you master what you're coming here for.”

For more information contact Judy Smith at judy_smith@sfu.ca