NEWS RELEASE
DOUG DOWNEY, BARRIE-SPRINGWATER-ORO-MEDONTE MPP
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The Ontario government is supporting four innovative virtual learning projects at Georgian College to help provide students with more choice and access to high-quality post-secondary education and retraining opportunities.
“These projects will help ensure our post-secondary institutions have the tools they need to create great curriculum online,” said Doug Downey, MPP for Barrie—Springwater—Oro—Medonte. “By increasing virtual course offerings, we’re helping the next generation of workers, innovators, researchers, and leaders develop the skills and training they need to succeed in their careers, when and where they need it most.”
The projects are part of the province’s Virtual Learning Strategy announced last December and support key priority areas that include creating or adapting digital content, equipping faculty and students with skills and resources to teach and learn online and identifying educational technologies to support online courses and programs. Projects include:
- Georgian is creating an Open Educational Resource (OER) textbook in Conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI) and combines traditional text interactive activities to test a learners’ knowledge, and micro-simulations to teach students how to build conversational AI solutions using tools such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
- To help students in the Interior Design industry learn how to design floor and layout plans for kitchens and bathrooms, Georgian College is creating video guided tutorials to teach students how to use computer software programs 20/20 and Chief Architect to help them succeed in their future careers.
The province is investing more than $70 million to implement Ontario’s Virtual Learning Strategy, including $21.4 million announced in the 2021 Ontario Budget, Ontario’s Action Plan: Protecting People’s Health and Our Economy.
“Ensuring that Ontario’s postsecondary institutions offer responsive and flexible digital courses and programs will help students build the skills and competencies they need to be competitive in today’s economy,” said Ross Romano, Minister of Colleges and Universities. “Our Virtual Learning Strategy is aimed at creating a platform that will allow all post-secondary institutions to compete in the new and necessary environment of learning from home.”
The Ontario government is transforming virtual learning across the province by supporting nearly 400 innovative projects at colleges, universities and Indigenous Institutes.
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