News Article

College of the North Atlantic (CNA) has been recognized with two awards from the National University Technology Network (NUTN).
 
NUTN’s much sought after global awards program recognizes significant contributions, innovation and leadership by individuals and organizations in applications of technology to teaching and learning in higher education.
 
CNA claimed the Shirley Davis Award for Excellence in Blended Learning which recognizes the work of individuals, organizations and institutions of a superior nature in providing blended learning, as well as the Student Recognition Award which recognizes students whose use of distance learning has been both exemplary and impactful in providing opportunities for personal or professional advancement. It is the first time these awards have been given to institutions outside of the United States.
 
The college received the Shirley Davis Award for the delivery of a block of advanced training for heavy duty equipment apprentices at its campus in Labrador West. In the new model, HDET apprentices from Labrador West remained in their community to complete all classroom studies and a portion of their practical training under the direct supervision of a HDET program instructor at the Bay St. George campus in Stephenville Crossing, some 1,600 kilometers away.
 
Apprentices at both campuses, and their instructor, were brought together via a state-of-the-art blended learning environment which included two-way video conferencing, use of an interactive SMART Board, a high resolution document/imaging camera, as well as the learning management system Desire2Learn, which housed course notes and materials to ensure apprentices could access them on-demand.
 
The program was an impressive success with 100 percent of students passing a provincial exam that typically has a 58 percent pass rate. Instructor Greg Ryan attributes this to the interactive and engaging tools utilized for the program and says he is proud it has been recognized by a NUTN award.
 
“Thank you to the college for its support from the beginning,” said Ryan. “I can have all the visions I want, but none of them leave the ground until I receive support from the institution. This is an incredible award and I’m really proud to see our institution get the recognition it deserves for taking on challenges and succeeding.”
 
Business Administration graduate Rebecca Anderson took home the Student Recognition Award. She was nominated by CNA for her dedication to achieving her ambitious academic, personal and professional goals.
 
Anderson, whose studies focused on the Human Resources Management option, demonstrated a high degree of academic success during her enrollment in CNA Distributed Learning (online), but was also a very conscientious individual dedicated to advancing herself both personally and professionally.
 
Despite working full-time and being avidly involved in extra-curricular activities, she maintained an honors standing during her first year of study at CNA and a 3.82 GPA upon graduation in 2012. This is a testament to her abilities and determination to overcome obstacles and realize her strong potential.
 
"Winning the NUTN 2013 Student Recognition Award is a great honor. Juggling life and school is not easy for any student, on campus or through distance,” said Anderson. “To have peers and leaders in distance and technology-based learning notice the hard work I put into the program, and how I used it to reach my goals, is an amazing feeling. These people help shape the way in technical based learning, and having them recognize ‎what I've been able to accomplish, well, it feels like a giant pat on the back with the phrase 'you’ve done us proud'. You can't ask for more than that as a distance student.”
 
The awards were presented to Ryan and Anderson during the NUTN Network conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Sept. 17.
 
Ann Marie Vaughan, CNA’s President and CEO, says being recognized for distance learning and innovative use of education technology is a wonderful accomplishment and she looks forward to continuing the delivery of CNA programs in innovative ways.
 
“I’m very proud of the leadership and innovation by our instructor Greg Ryan and the personal commitment to learning by Rebecca Anderson,” said President Vaughan. “The recognition from NUTN   is a testament to the calibre of instructors and students we have at CNA. These awards are much sought after and for our institution to have received two international awards speaks to the quality of the learning experience we provide at CNA.”
 
For more information about Distributed Learning at CNA, visit http://dls.cna.nl.ca.
 
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Media Contact:
 
Glenda McCarthy
Public Relations Specialist
College of the North Atlantic
709.643.6408
glenda.mccarthy@cna.nl.ca