News Article

College has first WebCT trainers in Canada


2/27/2001 2:34:15 PM


Kevin Deveau


Maisie Caines

February 27, 2001 – Kevin Deveau, Instructional Design Specialist, and Maisie Caines, Faculty Development Specialist at College of the North Atlantic, have become Canada’s first WebCT Certified Trainers.

WebCT is the world’s most popular Web-based learning system. More than 148,000 faculty members at nearly 1,600 colleges and universities are using WebCT products and services enrolling some 6 million students world-wide.

Both Caines and Deveau have been using WebCT since its inception and have presented papers on its use at international conferences. Caines was a college pioneer in online course development using WebCT. Her role involves the delivery of WebCT training and support to college faculty as well as external clients and partner institutions. She is currently researching international examples of best practice in online course delivery in a project funded by WebCT.

Deveau's main role as instructional design specialist is to assist faculty and clients in the conversion of classroom learning to an online environment. He is currently working on a project with North Atlantic Refining as well as providing support and guidance to college instructors who are developing or delivering online courses. Through the Distributed Learning Centre, Deveau has also done instructional design and multimedia consulting work for international clients in Ireland, India and Africa. Deveau has also developed a WebCT course designed to teach faculty how to use the online service and explore teaching strategies.

In their roles at the Distributed Learning Centre, Caines and Deveau have offered training to college faculty at a number of campuses, the Centre for Nursing Studies, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Telemedicine, Marine Institute, STEM~Net, and Discovery Collegiate High School.

In July, 2000, College of the North Atlantic became one of only six certified WebCT Institutes in the country and the only institute in Atlantic Canada. To fulfill the institute designation, the college was required to have two certified trainers available to the region it serves. The certification process was rigorous involving comprehensive testing, online and face-to-face components led by Master Trainers, and critical reviews during an actual WebCT training session.

WebCT identifies Certified Trainers as, "…product experts who have exhibited superior presentation skills and respect for differences in learning abilities." Having the first two WebCT Certified Trainers in Canada makes College of the North Atlantic a leader in the delivery of internet-based learning.

There are currently more than 160 courses available through Distributed Learning with another 30 in development. Programs offered through the college’s Distributed Learning Centre include: Administrative Writing for Office Communications, Carpentry Enhancement Program for Red Seal Examination, Continuous Quality Improvement Specialist Program, JAVA programming, Occupational Therapists Assistant and Physiotherapists Assistant, Office Administration – Medical, and Teleworking Progam. Currently under development are programs in Computer Support Specialist, Heritage Guiding, Oil Burner Mechanics and more.

To find out more about the programs offered through the college's Distributed Learning Centre, visit their website at dls.northatlantic.nf.ca, visit any College of the North Atlantic campus, or call 1-877-465-2250. For more information about WebCT's products and services, visit their website at WebCT.com.

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For more information contact:

Stephen Lee
Communications Officer
College of the North Atlantic
Phone: (709) 643-7928
Fax: (709) 643-7932
Email: stephen.lee@northatlantic.nf.ca