The development and delivery of online courses has moved to the forefront, as the pandemic has underscored its importance over the past two years. In an effort to give instructors and learners as many high-quality resources as possible, eCampusOntario is hosting a Virtual Learning Strategy (VLS) Collection Open House May 2-6.

The VLS Collection is the result of an investment by the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) intended to drive growth and advancement in virtual learning across the province’s postsecondary institutions. This collection provides eligible Ontario educators and learners with access to free, high-quality online educational resources that support hybrid learning, while enabling pathways toward flexible lifelong learning and supporting system-wide collaboration.

Queen’s, one of more than 50 Ontario postsecondary education institutions to participate in VLS,  is developing 32 projects to improve online education at the university after receiving approximately $2.1 million in funding from eCampusOntario’s Virtual Learning Strategy initiative. Any instructor interested in using the resources in the Open Library is eligible for the VLS Open House.

The VLS funding enables Queen’s to produce a variety of new online educational resources, including full courses and training modules, that will benefit students at many levels and in many different areas of the university. The Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, the Faculty of Arts and Science the Faculty of Health Sciences, the Faculty of Education, the School of Graduate Studies, and the Regional Assessment and Resource Centre all submitted successful projects.

The digital educational material will teach students about a wide array of topics, including robotics, artificial intelligence, race and migration in Canada, and sustainability.

The funded projects will also support several areas of focus across the university, including equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigenization (EDII). One project, “Modular Supports for Underrepresented Individuals to Access Internships and Work Integrated Learning,” will create modules that can be strategically integrated into relevant programs across Ontario to improve equitable access and inclusivity. The project is a joint initiative from FEAS, FAS, Career Services, the Human Rights and Equity office, and external collaborators.

The eCampusOntario Open Library, which launched in 2017 in partnership with BCcampus, make available more than 600 free and openly licensed educational resources to educators and learners.

Learn more about the VLS on the eCampusOntario website.