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College Faculty Development Program Awarded Grant for Faculty Cyber Connections

January 14, 2011

Proposed enhancements to a one-of-a-kind faculty development program have received a boost from the Educational Developers Caucus (EDC) in the form of a $2,500 grant. The grant will be used to further the work being developed by a team comprised of representatives from each of the Ontario Eastern Region Colleges. The team put forth a proposal for development of a workbook for developers of Faculty Cyber Connections (FCC) modules— a unique faculty development program that is an emerging collaborative initiative between colleges.

The workbook will guide the developer through a process designed specifically to meet the unique needs of the FCC program, which was conceptualized and initiated by an Ontario Colleges Eastern Region planning team in 2007.  Through the FCC modules, participants build teaching and learning strategies while exploring emerging technologies within an online community of practice. Modules are developed and facilitated by college faculty across the eastern region, exploring issues of contemporary teaching practice such as: academic integrity; formative assessment; educating the millennials; group work; and, universal design for learning.

As Jo Anne Wilson, Loyalist College Professor of Media Studies, and member of the Eastern Colleges Cyber Connections team explained, “Over the few years that FCC has been operating, best practices have been emerging in how the modules are designed and delivered. The Cyber Connections team would like to further research these best practices and support them with the appropriate theoretical foundation and framework. This will help ensure the continued success of the FCC program as the committee membership evolves over time. With that in mind, we sent a funding proposal entitled Faculty Cyber Connections: Building on Best Practices (Phase One) to the EDC. I am pleased to say that we were awarded the entire amount requested.” She went on to say, “It’s a pleasure to work with this team and we are all proud of the work that has been done. We’re the first college-only team to be awarded a grant from EDC.”

John McMahon, Vice President Academic at Loyalist College, was very pleased to hear about the award. “I would like to congratulate Jo Anne Wilson and her Cyber Connections colleagues on receiving this important grant which will help the team as they work to ensure the continued success of the FCC program. Being granted this award by the EDC is a result of much hard work and collaboration, and college faculty across the eastern region will benefit from the team’s success.” 

Other members of the Faculty Cyber Connections Program team include: Christine Foster, Centre for Organizational Learning, Algonquin College; Janice MacMillan, Manager Faculty Development, Durham College; Faith Ratchford, Centre for Learning and Teaching, Fleming College; Francine Chartrand, Coordonnateure, Perfectionnement professionnel,La Cité Collégiale; and, Danielle van Dreunen, Coordinator, Development Centre, St. Lawrence College.

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Media Contact:  Edina Cappuccitti, College Advancement & External Relations, ecappuccitti@loyalistc.on.ca, (613) 969-1913, ext. 2392

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