Published by Communications and Public Affairs (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56982 or 53338
News Release
November 04, 1999
U of G, CLT team up to increase learning opportunities
The University of Guelph's Office of Open Learning and the new Canadian Learning Television (CLT) are teaming up to increase learners' access to distance education courses.
Beginning this month, CLT will feature eight U of G distance education courses on its Web site. "This is an important way of informing the public and thereby increasing access to our online courses," said Virginia Gray, director of the Office of Open Learning. "All of the courses are Web-based and we think they will be of interest to the general population."
The courses are anthropology, contemporary cinema, development of human sexuality, adolescent development, masterworks of music, world politics, serial murder and humans in the natural world.
As part of the relationship, CLT will feature the online courses on its Website. U of G will continue to produce, administer, maintain and support the courses. This includes providing academic counseling when appropriate, registering open learners, supplying resources, hosting the courses on U of G's server and providing technical support. The University is also responsible for all technical support, on-line discussion groups, feedback, design, and email accounts.
CLT, launched in September, is positioning itself as Canada's national learning television specialty service. It hopes to create a comprehensive Web site profiling online courses offered by institutions across Canada and the United States, and then help match its viewers to online learning opportunities. The online course centre web site is www.accesslearning.com/courses.html.
The channel will provide all types of educational programs, from high school equivalency to diploma, certificate and degree programs, to skills training and professional development courses.
"If CLT can attract a different group of learners than we can reach through our current efforts, that is good for us. It is another avenue for people to find out about our open learning programs," said Kelly Wilson, assistant director of the Office of Open Learning.
This is not the first relationship between U of G and CLT. The station is promoting the popular Department of Psychology distance education course "Death and Dying" and the televised series based on the course "Death: A Personal Understanding." That course includes a series of ten, half-hour documentaries that will air on CLT and also air nationally on Vision TV and in the United States on PBS. It was produced by the Toronto-based Sleeping Giant Productions. Each documentary explores a different issue evoked by death.
Contact: Kelly Wilson Assistant Director, Office of Open Learning (519) 824-4120, Ext. 3862
For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs, (519) 824-4120, Ext. 3338
