Released on May 22, 1998
Post-Secondary Education and Skills Training Minister Joanne Croffordtoday announced $250,000 in assistance for ten projects through the
provincial Multimedia Program Development and Support Fund. The
purpose of the fund is to help the universities and SIAST in the use
of digital technology for teaching and learning.
"By using technologies such as the Internet, CD ROM and satellite
television, we can make more information available to more students in
rural Saskatchewan," Crofford said. "Whether you need to improve your
first year math or take the advanced courses required to become an
Emergency Medical Technician, these new technologies can help no
matter where you live."
Of the ten projects funded, four are from the University of Regina,
four from the University of Saskatchewan, and two from SIAST.
University of Saskatchewan
Math Foundations Course(MFC)-Adult/Aboriginal Learners $37,340
JAVA Applets for Computer Science $18,000
Reflections II -
Multimedia Resource for Teacher Education Programs $8,540
Multimedia Cardiorespiratory Assessment Module II $16,520
University of Regina
Math 101 Online $24,000
Intelligent Petroleum Waste Management Courseware $12,000
Internet-Based Environmental Sciences Courseware $19,500
Internet-Based Electronics Engineering Education and
Training $24,000
SIAST
Multimedia Emergency Medical Technician -
Advanced (Wascana) $45,100
Numeracy II CD-ROM (Woodland) $45,000
The Multimedia Program Development and Support Fund supports projects
that focus on collaboration and improve learning through appropriate
use of technologies.
"An investment in education and training is an investment in the
people of Saskatchewan," Crofford said. "Modern communications
technologies, including applications developed in Saskatchewan, are
helping to make distance irrelevant, both in education and in work.
This allows creative Saskatchewan people to compete on equal terms in
the global economy while enjoying a lifestyle that has been recognized
as the best in the world."
A description of each project, with contact name, is attached.
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For more information contact:
Ken Alecxe
Associate Deputy Minister
Post-Secondary Education and Skills Training
Regina
Phone: (306)787-6056
Using Applets to Learn Computer Science Concepts
Drs John Cooke and Jim Greer, Computer Science Department, U of S;
Dr Cyril Coupal, Computer Science Technology Program, SIAST Kelsey
Campus.
Funding awarded: $19,900; completion date: June 1999.
This project will develop a series of Java Applets to help
introductory level students at universities and other post-secondary
institutes learn basic concepts in Computer Science.
Many university classes use the web as a medium for distributing
information to students, whether the students are local or remote.
Web sites can be interactive and used to access databases or give on-line quizzes. Unfortunately, interaction between web server and
client browser can be unreliable and subject to delays. Java applets
offer the possibility of continuous and reliable interaction between
the two.
A Java applet is a program that can be downloaded to a client's
workstation, where the program runs independently. It allows
interaction with the user, and provides a dynamic display of the
results.. Java applets can allow simulation and experimentation in a
way that is highly conducive to learning. Students are able to change
values and manipulate the variables to control the demonstration.
Java applets mean that each demonstration can have a start, stop and
step-through feature, allowing the student to set the pace of the
demonstration. These techniques can be applied to any field of
learning involving dynamic and complex relationships, such as
mathematics or any of the sciences.
Undergraduate students from both the University of Saskatchewan and
SIAST will be involved in experiments to determine the effectiveness
of applets for both local and remote use. These applets can then be
used by Computer Science students to help them learn basic concepts,
and will be particularly useful for distance education.
This project will develop high-quality learning resources that will be
available to educators and students at no cost. It will also foster
co-operation between two different institutions offering programs in
information technology and illustrate a novel approach to self-learning.
CONTACT: John Cooke, Department of Computer Science,
Tel: (306) 966-4911
Development and Evaluation of a Prototype Multimedia
Cardio respiratory Assessment Module An independent
Study/Distance
Learning Tool for Health Professionals
C. Kelm, Associate Professor, School of Physical Therapy (College
of Medicine), U of S; and Adjunct Professor, School of
Physiotherapy, Dalhousie University.
Funding awarded: $26,280; completion date: April 2000.
This is phase 2 of a project begun in 1997. This funding enables
completion of the master assessment module, integration of the
learning evaluation phase of the project, and finalization of the
pilot module which will be implemented within the physical therapy
curriculum at the U of S, and possibly other centres, next year.
The educational resource materials under development are unique in
their mix of media and clinical applications. No similar resources
are available to physical therapists in CD-ROM or World Wide Web
format.
The accessibility of these materials any time, anywhere, makes them
valuable tools for health practitioners in remote locations.
Technological advancements make pictures and sounds of real
patients in real clinical situations an exciting alternative to
textbooks and classroom-based learning.
A specialist certification process is being developed within the
physical therapy profession for cardio respiratory clinicians,
creating increased demand for these web-based learning tools.
This project will provide resources for generalist physical therapy
clinicians in Saskatchewan communities and across Canada.
Students will work through the assessment sequence in an
interactive linear fashion or access web-based clinical resources
(i.e. medical definitions, pathology concepts, tables of normal
values) by following appropriate links. A CD ROM is required
because of the full package size and design, but representative
components of the module will also be made accessible from the web
site.
Students will complete self-evaluation components within each
module. Proficiency will be assessed through the existing PT
program examination structures (presently a combination of written,
oral, and case study assignments).
CONTACT: Cheryl Kelm, School of Physical Therapy,
Tel: (306) 966-6586
A Multimedia Resource for Teacher Education Programs
Dr Richard Schwier, Coordinator of the Centre for School Based
Experiences;
Todd Zazelenchuk, Instructional Designer, Extension Division; Roger
Graham, Instructional Designer, College of Education; Division of
Audio Visual Services.
Funding provided: $8,540; completion date: August 1998.
This project will upgrade a multimedia program conceived and
developed in 1994 for students in the College of Education. The
CD-ROM program, Reflections, was in response to students' requests
for background on the field practicum experience. The goal was to
provide students with personal accounts of what to expect, how to
cope, things to consider, and the importance of reflecting on the
entire internship process.
The original program included a brief summary of the College's
Guide to the Internship, along with information on placement
options, and an online notebook for students to record their
reflections as they considered the material. The primary feature
of the program was its collection of digital video interviews,
featuring four interns placed in rural, urban, elementary and
secondary settings and spanning four different stages of the
internship period.
In addition to several technical improvements, this project will
make the original program compatible with both Macintosh and
Windows computers, supplement the content for both interns and
cooperating teachers, and improve the interface and World Wide Web
links. The finished product will be an enhanced dual platform
CD ROM program.
The program's primary goal is to provide Saskatchewan's Teacher
Education programs with a resource that helps students prepare for
their internship experience. It will also be a resource for
participating schools in the province and will help teachers in
their preparation for working with interns.
The priority of the original Reflections program was to provide
pre-interning teachers with an effective, high-quality learning
resource that would help bridge the gap between theory and
practice.
The program will be promoted through conferences and site visits.
Subscribing institutions will be able to link from the CD ROM to
their own Internet resource material to supplement their own
programs.
CONTACT: Richard Schwier, College of Education, Tel: (306) 966-7641
Math Foundations Course Development
Professor Keith F. Taylor, Department of Mathematics and
Statistics, College of Arts and Science; Keith Jeffery, Manager,
Innovative Teaching and Learning Centre, College of Engineering.
Funding awarded: $37,343; completion date: April 2000.
A Math Foundations Course (MFC) for adult learners is to be
developed for delivery through the Internet, providing a richness
of teaching techniques and faster interaction with tutors. The
Internet course will be supplemented by print materials and
tutorial support available electronically and/or locally.
Skills in mathematics are critical to a technologically literate
workforce and a prerequisite for entry into post secondary programs
in science, engineering, and technologies. This project will
develop a tool to enable more people to enter post secondary
programs in science and technologies. It will also provide
training and employment experience to a number of university
students in a rapidly growing industry, and experience in
educational technologies to faculty and staff in a number of
university departments.
Active consultation with Northern aboriginal leaders and educators
continues and collaborative links are already established with
Northern employers, SaskTel, NORTEP/NORPAC, and the Saskatoon
Tribal Council.
The course's primary goal is to establish foundation skills in
arithmetic, geometry and elementary algebra. Together with the
Math Readiness Course (MRC), it will form a programme designed to
enable adult learners to recover or strengthen their mathematics
skills to the entry level into post-secondary studies.
The bulk of the learning will centre on a set of mathematics
experiments in a Virtual Mathematics Laboratory (VML). These
components can also be adapted for the standard classroom. The
central computer program will direct each student through an
individualized set of experimental tasks and, via frequently posed
questions, continuously monitor the student' s understanding.
Much of the curriculum design and experiments for the VML were
completed in the last year. Work remaining includes: writing the
course, creating computer programs, constructing the test bank and
developing the interface to direct the student's progress.
CONTACT: Keith Taylor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics,
Tel: (306) 966-6100
University of Regina projects
Math 101
Math 101 is a first-year course which satisfies a degree requirement
in both the Faculties of Education and Arts. It is currently delivered
through lectures to students at the U of R and through regional
colleges around the province. This initiative will improve the
accessibility of Math 101 to prospective students in rural, northern
and small communities. It will also eventually make Math 101 a
resource-based course with the major resources designed by faculty at
the U of R tailored to the needs of Saskatchewan learners.
Contact: Dr. Harley Weston, Department of Mathematics and Statistics,
585-4355
Intelligent Petroleum Waste Management Courseware
This project will develop multimedia software to teach the petroleum
engineering component of an integrated delivery system planned for
science and engineering. It will allow the U of R to examine how it
can utilize multimedia as well as artificial intelligence technologies
(including expert systems, neural networks, approximate reasoning,
intelligent simulation, etc.) to effectively represent complex science
and engineering information. Software engineers will be able to use
this research to improve their design of new computer assisted
programs and potentially save on both construction and maintenance
costs of this type of instructional software.
This is a short training course designed for engineers, scientists,
technologists, managers, government officials and regulators working
on or interested in pollution prevention, environmental protection and
remediation as well as chemical and petroleum waste management.
Contact: Dr. Amit Chakma, Faculty of Engineering, 585-4160
Internet-Based Environmental Sciences Courseware
This program will develop an on-line version of Geography 221 for
delivery over the Internet, initially to sites in southeastern
Saskatchewan and then to educators and learners throughout the
province. Geography 221 is an introductory course in physical
geography, the spatial expression of earth and atmospheric processes.
Since graphics are essential for conveying the diversity and dynamics
of the earth, multimedia is a powerful means to distribute up-to-the-minute environmental data and graphical materials. The course will be
adapted by creating an Internet site and CD-ROM containing all the
course contents, including a large amount of graphic material such as
slides, videos, diagrams, satellite images and maps. The course will
be linked to other educational and environmental Web sites, providing
further access to the results of Canadian-based environmental
monitoring and scientific projects.
Contact: Dr. David Sauchyn, Department of Geography, 585-4030
Internet-Based Electronics Engineering Education
This initiative will develop Internet-based learning resources and
courseware to support training and education in introductory
electronics, electronic devices and electronic systems. The material
is part of the second-year program of study in Electrical/Electronics
Engineering at the U of R as well as the Electronics Technology
Programs at SIAST. The overall objective is to build multimedia
applets (WEB based applications or programs) which will run from
within a WEB browser. These applets are intrumented models of the
major devices and circuits normally presented and discussed in these
courses. This will allow students to affect their own learning by
being able to manipulate and experiment with actual models of the
fundamental building blocks of a course.
Contact: Dr. Raman Paranjape, Faculty of Engineering, 585-5290
SIAST Projects
Woodland Numeracy IICD ROM Project
This project will develop an interactive CD ROM to aid in the
instruction of basic math in the area of fractions, decimals, ratios
and percents. Experience with adult learners shows that this is a
fundamental area of weakness for most students, one that is difficult
for learners to master and yet, an area essential in the workplace.
This integrated multimedia learning approach will serve to enrich the
learning environment, support the learning experience and augment
instructional resources. The interactive aspect of this CD ROM
encourages student participation. It is seen as a companion to
existing adult education programs, as well as a bridging to further
studies in math. It is intended to help prepare students so that they
may be successful in further work-based training opportunities.
Partners: New Careers Corporation, Youth Futures, Northlands Regional
College, Northern Lights School Division, National Literacy
Secretariat, U of S Math Foundations Course.
(contact name and number coming)
Multimedia Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) - Advanced
The objectives of this project are to convert the EMT-Advanced program
curriculum into a multi-media distance education format and to develop
a post-basic work/study model that can be used throughout Saskatchewan
to train workers in other occupations.
This project develops state-of-the-art learning resources which will
serve the needs of EMTs employed with rural ambulance services in the
province. The curriculum conversion includes the development of audio
clips, still graphics, animated clips and video clips. By using the
curriculum in a multi-media distance education format, people will be
able to learn without leaving their job or community.
Partners: ambulance industry, Health Boards, Regional Colleges
(contact name and number coming)