TEN MULTIMEDIA POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION PROJECTS GET FUNDING

Released on May 22, 1998

Post-Secondary Education and Skills Training Minister Joanne Crofford

today 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)