Athabasca University
http://www.athabascau.ca/
Context
Slogan is - Canada’s Open University: Claims to deliver distance education to students around the world. Its ‘openness’ is based on ‘removing the barriers’ to a university education in various contexts. Like Empire State College offers distance learning, and face to face. unlike our college is not distributed. Similar to the College there are low fees & admissions is not based on prior academics. Unlike the College, enrollment is at any time of the year. There are opportunities to Prior Experiential learning & comprehensive credit recognition. Does not appear to focus on adult learners.
Interesting Practices relating to Faculty Development:
- Most of the faculty development opportunities relate to distance learning or developing teaching using technology. EG ‘The Canadian Institute of Distance Education Research - CIDER - is the research arm of the Centre for Distance Education at Athabasca University. Fellows, Students, and Staff conduct original research, undertake evaluation and training consultancies, publish reviews and summaries, and undertake professional development activities’.
- Lists conferences of particular interest to those in distance education http://cider.athabascau.ca/events/conferences/
- Research interests and partnership opportunities for research are listed http://cider.athabascau.ca/events/researchopportunities/
- Publishing opportunities are linked http://cider.athabascau.ca/events/publication/
- Journal of Distance Education/Revue de l'enseignement à distance (2002) e.g. ISSN: 0830-0445 Building It So They Will Come: Assessing Universities’ Distance Education Faculty Training and Development Programs http://cade.athabascau.ca/vol17.1/irani.html