From New
Currents 2.1 January 1995
Technology-based learning
In 1995, the Canadian government will grant $48 million through its Centres
of Excellence Program to teams of Canadian researchers in five areas: Advanced
technologies, Environment, Health research, Technology-based learning (TBL),
and Trade competitiveness and sustainability. The mandate of the Centres
of Excellence Program is to mobilize Canada's research talent in universities,
business, and public sectors and to apply it to the task of developing the
economy and improving the quality of life" (NCE, 1994.)* The aim of
this project is to "stimulate excellent research, develop and retain
highly qualified personnel, build integrated networks and strong partnerships,
accelerate knowledge exchange and technical transfer across sectors"
(NCE, 1994.)
In September of 1994, 12 teams of researchers across Canada submitted letters
of intent to apply for approximately $10 million in the technology-based
learning category. The government then invited full proposals from four
of these teams. The initial teams were:
- Health Education for the 21st Century, headed by Penny Jennett, Office
of Medical Education, U of C
- LINCS (Learning through Interactive Networked Collaboration and Simulation),
headed by Brian Gaines from the Knowledge Institute at The U of C
- RITE (Research Institute for Technologies in Education), headed by Carl
Cuneo, McMaster University
- TeleLearning Network of the Centres of Excellence, led by Linda Harasim,
Simon Fraser University.
Representatives of all four teams met at a planning conference in Calgary
on November 10, 1994. Since the government will give the money to only one
of these research teams, many of the 12 initial teams had seen the potential
benefits of merging or at least building alliances with one another. Many
beneficial alliances were formed both before and after this meeting.
The following articles focus on the two proposals involving University of
Calgary researchers: The Canadian Network for Technology Based Learning:
Health (C-NET:TBL) and the Technology Based Learning Network Canada
(TBL.CA.)
*Information on the NCE (National Centres of Excellence) program is available
through the World Wide Web at the Internet location:
http://ksi.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/LINCS/LINCS.html