Thursday, December 3, 2009 Nunavut Hansard

Minister’s Statement 073 – 3(2): Together at a Distance

Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): Good afternoon. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to announce a three-year adult literacy online distance learning project titled Together at a Distance. This pan-arctic, Internet-based e-learning project is led by the Department of Education with associates in the Northwest Territories, Nunavik, and Nunatsiavut, and is supported by the federal government’s Office of Literacy and Essential Skills of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC).

Mr. Speaker, I believe online learning will help us develop and make new courses and learning resources available to adult learners across northern Canada. Online or as it is better known, e-learning, will help us share our culture, maintain our language, and increase our ability to participate in the world economy by helping to improve literacy levels and teaching essential skills to adult learners.

The first two workshops will provide information to adults who want to know what e-learning involves and what types of skills they need in order to take an e-course. The remaining four workshops target educators in a variety of roles, including teaching and participants how to create e-learning resources for northern adult learners. Inuit elders and northern educators worked in close collaboration to ensure Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit principles formed the framework for this groundbreaking project. Workshops have been piloted in Taloyoak and Arctic Bay.

The six free online e-learning workshops, related learning materials, and published project research will be available from [www.togetheratadistance.ca] upon completion of the project in July 2010.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Ron Elliott, MLA for Quttiktuq. His participation, support, and dedication to this project and his continued support while promoting the importance of education in Nunavut have been invaluable. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

>>Applause

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