Uwindsor gets $1.5 million to beef up virtual classes
The University of Windsor has received $1.5 million in government grants to develop and create digital content for virtual learning.
Through the new Virtual Learning Strategy grants from the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities, Uwindsor received funding for 19 projects.
The province is investing $50 million in the program to drive growth in online and hybrid learning across the province. The new strategy will be facilitated through ecampus Ontario, and is built on the principles of collaborative, learner-driven and digital-by-design education.
A total of 394 projects aimed at creating digital content, building digital capacity, supporting digital delivery and enhancing digital fluency were funded across colleges and universities. All final products of these projects will be openly licensed and available for reuse or adaptation in Ontario through the ecampus Ontario open library
“This means that we don't just benefit from what is created here at Uwindsor, but from everything that is created across all projects in the province” said Nick Baker, director of the Office of Open Learning.
Baker said despite a very short deadline to submit applications, and the ongoing pandemic, the campus showed significant interest in exploring the potential of virtual learning through the VLS funding, with more than 50 applications submitted.
Learning specialist Ashlyne O'neil said the campus community has settled well into online teaching and learning.
“We're seeing a lot of instructors who are significantly rethinking their approaches to teaching in ways that start to address gaps made evident by the pandemic,” O'neil said.
Among the gaps is equitable access to resources, as well as accessibility, diversity, and inclusion within all aspects of higher education. A key goal of the Virtual Learning Strategy is to facilitate collaboration across institutions and sectors.
Uwindsor is a partner institution on 13 additional projects from across the province, many of which aim to make sector-wide change in how education is provided.