200 educational stakeholders from Eastern Quebec come together at the Cégep de Matane to share their educational innovations and distance learning expertise

Matane, Wednesday, October 11, 2017—On Wednesday, October 11 and Thursday, October 12, the Cégep de Matane will host the third Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine Distance Learning Partner Meeting (FADIO). This major regional event brings together over 200 educational stakeholders from eight different school boards, five CEGEPS, three national schools (ITA, IMQ and ÉPAQ), and the Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR) to share their knowledge, innovations and winning practices, and to showcase regional distance learning expertise.

FADIO: A Unique Inter-Level Model
Created in 2013, the FADIO group is the only one of its kind in Quebec. FADIO represents the eagerness to work together to innovate and create a shared vision for inter-level distance learning in the Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine regions. The group aims to establish educational and technological practices, develop distance learning training programs, and identify solutions to maximize the quality of the network by using efficient and operational technology. Finally, the FADIO group is a solution to the challenge many people face, that is the accessibility of educational programs across such a vast territory and in a context of demographic decline.

“The Cégep de Matane is very proud to welcome the FADIO community for this essential meeting where the various educational stakeholders from our regional establishments will share their experiences and work together for the future of distance learning. Over the course of two days, teachers, educational advisers, IT people, researchers, and executives will have the chance to share innovative teaching practices, new technologies, and results from studies and experiments that are beneficial to everyone involved in distance learning. They will attend conferences, participate in some of the 42 workshops on offer, visit different innovative class models used at the Cégep de Matane, and try out new technology used in each of our establishments. We hope that all participants leave with plenty of new ideas, share them with their own networks and contribute to the success of the FADIO project,” stated Pierre Bédard, Director of the Cégep de Matane.

FADIO: A Benchmark for Distance Learning
“To make our distance learning vision a reality, we have developed an action plan based on five areas of focus: training educators, promoting distance learning, technological support, collaborating, and research and experimentation. Today, we are particularly proud to announce that, since 2013, we have brought together professionals from the education sector, increased their expertise in distance learning, and, above all else, have inspired our educators to take a step toward change by adopting these new practices. This concerted effort has resulted in significant collaboration, and now our educators share their experiences and work together in communities of practice dedicated to technical and educational resources, and even resources for the youth sector,” added the Chairman of the FADIO group’s steering committee and Director of the Cégep de Rimouski, Mr. François Dornier.

“The FADIO project represents a unique collaboration that capitalizes on digital technology in education. A teaching establishment does not have the resources to develop the educational and technological aspects of distance learning on their own. Together, we have created shared educational materials for teachers; worked on research projects with the UQAR, in particular on the means of communication between supervisors of off-site work placements and professors; and participated in a research project led by the University of Sherbrooke about distance learning assessments. We have developed educational strategies linked to supervising off-site work placements, experimented with several different technologies, and developed class models adapted for high school students. The FADIO group has enabled regional establishments to implement distance learning programs and to establish themselves as competitors on the national and international distance learning market. Today, the FADIO group has become a source of inspiration for several establishments and a benchmark for Quebec’s Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur. In the future, we hope to be a leader of distance learning not only in Quebec, but also across Canada,” finished Mr. Dornier added.

Tangible Examples
Over the course of the past year, the Cégep de Rivière-du-Loup, in collaboration with the Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles, has developed a distance learning course entitled Soins préhospitaliers d’urgence (Pre-Hospital Emergency Care). “We wanted to respond to an increased need of workers in this sector and to facilitate access to training programs across Gaspésie. Through the FADIO project, we have benefited from techno-pedagogical support and a wealth of skills that have been very helpful in bringing this project to fruition,” stated Mr. René Gingras, Director of the Cégep de Rivière-du-Loup.

“We now offer distance education for the vocational diploma Santé, assistance et soins infirmiers (Health, Healthcare and Nursing) between two teaching establishments, one located in Haute-Gaspésie and the other in the Côte-de-Gaspé RMC. Becoming a FADIO group partner has enabled us to access existing expertise to help us make technological choices, train our educators and apply our educational strategies,” stated Mr. Martin Savoie, President of the Commission Scolaire des Chic-Chocs.

A Significant Offering of Distance Learning Programs
There is already a significant number of distance learning programs available across the region, both for continuing education and regular education. Candidates who are less mobile hoping to obtain certification and enter the workforce have many interesting choices. For example, the following programs are available: ACS: Techniques d’éducation à l’enfance (Early Childhood Education Techniques); Bureautique, comptabilité et anglais des affaires (Office Technology, Accounting and Business English); Assurance et contrôle de la qualité en génie industriel (Industrial Engineering Quality Assurance and Control); Stratégies d’intervention en zoothérapie (Animal Therapy Intervention Strategies); Transcription médicale (Medical Transcription); Écogestion des milieux côtiers (Eco-Management of Coastal Environments); Inspection municipale en bâtiment et en environnement (Municipal Building and Environmental Inspection); Inspection en bâtiment (Building Inspection); Bâtiment durable (Sustainable Building); Courtier immobilier résidentiel (Residential Real Estate); Courtier immobilier commercial (Commercial Real Estate); Services conseils en voyage (Travel Agency Services); Techniques de biométhanisation et de compostage (Biomethanization and Composting Techniques); Conseils et services financiers (Financial Advice and Services); Comptabilité informatisée (Computerized Accounting); Administration et finance (Administration and Finance); Prévention des incendies (Fire Prevention); Estimation en travaux de construction et de rénovation (Construction and Renovation Works Estimation); Officier d’opérations en sécurité incendie (Fire Safety Operations Officer); Officier de gestion en sécurité incendie (Fire Safety Management Officer); Hygiène du travail (Occupational Health); Stratégies d’intervention en développement du langage (Language Development Intervention Strategies); Techniques en administration municipale (Municipal Administration Techniques); Équitation thérapeutique (Horseback Riding Therapy). DVS: Santé, assistance et soins infirmiers (Health, Healthcare and Nursing); Comptabilité (Accounting); Secrétariat médical (Medical Secretary); Secrétariat et comptabilité (Secretarial Skills and Accounting); Soutien informatique (IT Assistance); Assistance à la personne à domicile (Home Care Support); Lancement d’entreprise (Business Creation). DCS: Soins infirmiers (Nursing); Soins préhospitaliers d’urgence (Pre-hospital Emergency Care); Comptabilité et gestion (Accounting and Management); Informatique (IT); Aquaculture (Aquaculture); Transformation des produits aquatiques (Aquatic Products Processing); Tourisme (Tourism); Sciences humaines (Humanities); Arts et lettres (Arts and Literature). Several custom training certificates, such as Perfectionnement en architecture de réseaux (Professional Development in Network Architecture) and Programme de qualification en assurances de personnes (Life and Health Insurance Qualification Program). Several college and high school level general training courses for adults; and some UQAR programs and classes offered exclusively as distance learning, including bachelor’s degrees in Enseignement professionnel (Vocational Education) and Informatique (IT); diplomas in Gestion de projet (Project Management); a short undergraduate program in Périnatalité (Perinatal Care), and a DVS-BA in Sciences infirmières (Nursing). Courses and programs run by the FADIO group’s members already reach more than 8,000 students.

“After working together for five years, we now possess a great pool of experts and highly qualified professionals across the region, and we have developed enviable skills in synchronous (live) training. Our teaching establishments have at their disposition distance education classrooms, and highly sophisticated equipment dedicated to the various distance learning models. Several businesses and organizations recognize this expertise and work with us to train their employees. We also make our resources and equipment available to them in order to respond to specific needs,” concluded Mr. Dornier.

The presentation of the 2017 FADIO group Partner Meeting was made possible with the financial support of Quebec’s Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur and the Commission des partenaires du marché du travail, and with the financial contribution of Mr. Jean D’Amour, Minister responsible for the Bas-Saint-Laurent region. The Organizing Committee for this third FADIO group Partner Meeting would also like to thank TELUS, the Ville de Matane, and La Matanie RMC for their valuable collaboration.

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Source:

Mylène Simard, Coordinator
Inter-level Distance Learning Development Project for Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine (FADIO)
418 723-1880, ext. 2189 or cell 418 318-4082
mylene.simard@cegep-rimouski.qc.ca

See the PDF (in French)