News Article

College of the North Atlantic (CNA) instructor Greg Ryan’s work in blended learning delivery has earned both him and the college more accolades, this time from the leading professional online learning society The Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C).
 
Earlier this year, Ryan was presented with an award from the National University Technology Network (NUTN) as recognition for his significant leadership in the application of technology to teaching and learning.
 
The Sloan-C awards program recognizes outstanding achievements in asynchronous learning networks. This year’s Sloan-C Effective Practice Award has been presented to the college’s advanced heavy duty equipment technician (HDET) program for a dual-site delivery model developed and implemented between the Bay St. George and Labrador West campuses.
 
In the new model, HDET apprentices from Labrador West remained in their community to complete all classroom studies and a portion of their practical training under the direct supervision of a HDET program instructor at the Bay St. George campus in Stephenville Crossing, some 1,600 kilometres away.
 
Apprentices at both campuses, and their instructor, were brought together via a state-of-the-art blended learning environment which included two-way video conferencing, use of interactive SMART Boards, a high resolution document/imaging camera, as well as the learning management system Desire2Learn, which housed course notes and materials to ensure apprentices could access them on-demand.
 
Instructor Greg Ryan accepted the award during the 19^th annual Sloan Consortium International Conference on Online Learning held from Nov. 20-22 in Florida. He believes that teaching with the student’s personal needs and interests as a focal point have contributed to the success of the new delivery method.
 
“An acknowledgment from an organization such as The Sloan Consortium is intense and motivating,” admitted Ryan, pointing out the program had a 100 per cent success rate, up from a provincial rate of 58 per cent when using a traditional classroom setting. “This award says so much with regards to where CNA stands in relation to other leading institutions that are using cutting-edge technology to effectively teach students anywhere. I am very proud to be a part of an institution that strives to be proactive to our student’s needs and the economic demands as technology allows.”
 
Whether it is academic or financial in nature, student access has long been a focus of the college. With the ever-expanding development of online learning capabilities, students are now able to access training opportunities that best suit their needs.
 
“Having the technology available to progress through the advanced block program successfully, while being able to stay at home with my family, has proven to be an amazing way to finish my schooling on route to my Red Seal,” said current student, Mark Gallop. “I truly believe that anyone who has access to the technology would benefit greatly by doing their training distantly.”
 
“We have long felt that access is the key step in having a successful learning experience, and being recognized by Sloan-C is confirmation of that,” said Ann Marie Vaughan, president of CNA. “The work that Greg Ryan and our academic team have done to make this program offering as successful as it has been speaks to the level of commitment we have for our students and the responsiveness we have in meeting the needs of today’s labour force. I am very proud of the results we have seen thus far.”