OUSA's Ontario Online Institute Submission
TORONTO, August 24 /OUSA/ – The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) today released a student vision for the design and implementation of the Ontario Online Institute. Based on consultation with students and experts in the field of online learning, the report covers issues related to the affordability, accessibility, accountability and quality of the online learning experience.
Students are in full support of the Ontario government’s decision to create an Ontario Online Institute. This endeavour will provide increased flexibility for students and has the potential to significantly improve access to post-secondary education, especially for traditionally underrepresented groups facing financial, physical, social, cultural, and geographic barriers.
After examining organizations dedicated to the provision of online learning in Ontario and around the world, students recommend that the Ontario Online Institute be designed as a consortium of universities and colleges that would share online courses, resources and infrastructure. To overcome the drawbacks of such a decentralized model, and ensure students can easily navigate the system, provider institutions should come together to create integrated systems of admissions, student support services, quality assurance, and credit transfer, as has been done at Open Universities Australia.
In addition, students are excited to welcome Dr. Grace Lynch, Senior Project Manager at Open Universities Australia, for a presentation to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities on Wednesday, August 25. OUSA and its partners have arranged the visit to learn from her extensive experience and incorporate best practices into the design of the Ontario Online Institute.
