Industry News

The following request was received by CeLEA on September 10, 2008. 

(Please note that the attachment referred to in the message below is not included as part of this email.  Please contact info@celea-aceel.ca or call 902.488.6326 to request a copy.)

________________________________________________________

I am Lisa Figuccio, I am working for the Embassy of France, French Trade Commission in Toronto. The mandate of the French Trade Commission in Toronto is to promote French exports and to assist French companies in establishing business partnerships in Canada.

I am writing to you on behalf of Mr. Sébastien Beck, CEO of the French IT company Daesign, I would like to know if you can help me to find partners in Ontario.

Daesign is a specialist provider of game-based, interactive training solutions. The company is a market-leading European provider of « Serious Games », the application of video gaming technologies and “game-plays” for serious, non-entertainment activities that can improve teams’ performance and increase productivity. The training can be adapted to cover several situations such as: interpersonal behaviour, performance evaluation, project management, negotiation, sales, CRM, etc.

Daesign’s services are used by several corporate customers such as: Orange, Ernst and Young, AXA, La Poste, Manpower,

Alcatel-Lucent, Caterpillar, etc. For more information about Daesign expertise and services, I invite you to have a look at the company’s brochures in attachment or check their website www.daesign.com

Mr. Beck is planning a visit to Toronto October 8 (afternoon) and 9 and is using our market investigation services in order to find business partners in Ontario.

Thank you very much in advance for your reply and please feel free to forward this message to the concerned person(s) within your company.

Best regards,

Lisa Figuccio

FRENCH ECONOMIC COMMISSION

Embassy of France

20, Queen Street west. Suite 2004

TORONTO, Ontario, M5H 3R3

Tél.:  (1) 416 977 12 57, Ext. 225

Fax : (1) 416 977 79 44

www.missioneco.org/canada

K-12 Public School Educators Can Qualify to Win over $10,000 in Classroom Technology

 Mississauga, Ontario: Wednesday, September 3, 2008: The MindShare Learning Report today announces the official launch of the HP MindShare Learning Report™ 21^st Century Interactive Classroom contest. This inaugural event aims to create greater awareness around 21^st century learning skills and the need to prepare students for the global knowledge-based economy.

Through a video submission, K-12 educators from publicly funded schools across Canada are challenged to share their interactive classroom technology success stories or vision of the 21^st century classroom. Qualified entrants will be eligible to win one of three classroom technology prize packages, each valued at more than $10,000, from leading classroom technology providers. The first deadline for submission is Friday, October 17, 2008, at midnight. 

“We’re pushing the 21^st century learning envelope to inspire change and celebrate Canadian education innovation in K-12 classrooms,” says Robert Martellacci, president and publisher, The MindShare Learning Report—Canada’s Premier Educational Technology eMagazine.

“At HP, we are committed to offering high-quality technology designed with the needs of the education community in mind,” said Derek Merilees, national marketing manager, Education, HP Canada. “HP provides tools that enable teachers to develop the ideas, capabilities and skills needed to enrich the learning experience, integrate technology into the curriculum and prepare themselves and students for the 21^st century classroom. That’s why we have chosen to sponsor MindShare Learning Report’s 21^st Century Interactive Classroom contest.”

The HP MindShare Learning Report Interactive Classroom has attracted premier sponsors who have offered generous prizes to support 21^st Century Classroom innovation. HP is the contest’s title sponsor; prize sponsors include FrontRow, EPSON, Microsoft, netTrekker, Pearson, SMART Technologies and Texthelp. 

Classroom Technology Prize Packs listed by sponsor— Three (3) classroom technology prize packs will be awarded, one per month (October, November and December). The prize packs are each valued at more than $10,000 and include:

 Sponsor                  Product

How to enter for a chance to Win!

Teachers from publicly funded K-12 Canadian schools can go to: http://mindsharelearning.com/banner_add_aug_30_08.php for more contest details.

About The MindShare Learning Report™--Canada’s Premier Educational Technology eMagazine.  Our mission is to transform education by sharing knowledge of 21^st Century innovative best practices and success stories in the Canadian education market space and beyond. We harness the power of Web 2.0 technologies to feature engaging Vodcasts, podcasts, polling, Canadian educational technology news headlines & upcoming strategic industry events in the K-12, Higher Ed and corporate eLearning market segments. Other elements of the MSL Report eMagazine include: successful practices, ask an educator, ask a professor, research & tech tools, GreenIT and career listings, to support educators and educational technology providers in maintaining a pulse for emerging trends in Canada. http://www.mindsharelearning.com/report

 About MindShare Learning™-- MindShare Learning is a privately held company based in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada. Its hallmark is providing strategic marketing solutions to learning & technology solution providers in the K-12, HED and corporate learning markets to support new market expansion and revenue growth. MindShare Learning’s partial client list includes: Adobe (Macromedia), Blackboard Inc., EPSON, RM PLC UK, Softease Ltd. UK, THINKronize (netTrekker), IMSI (ClipArt.com), CERC (Canadian Education Resources Council), NECTAR Foundation and ERDI Canada.. http://www.mindsharelearning.com/

On August 13 of this year Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) issued a procurement notice for Learning Services on the Merx opportunity system(www.merx.com) .  Merx is the official site for distribution of procurement notices by federal departments, agencies and Crown Corporations.  Provincial government opportunities will also appear on Merx, as will private sector opportunities from time to time.

It is not CeLEA’s normal practice to notify our members about elearning opportunities posted on Merx.  We do not have the resources to do so, and we assume that companies that are doing their marketing and business development due diligence will be checking themselves.   With the release of the Learning Services opportunity, however, CeLEA’s Board of Directors felt compelled to take some action.

Through the Learning Services solicitation PWGSC will establish Standing Offers and Supply Arrangements with qualified companies.  The suppliers on these lists will then be available to PWGSC’s clients – every federal government department, agency and Crown Corporation – for procurement of services in a much more efficient and less time consuming fashion.  The Standing Offers and Supply Arrangements will be in place for a period of two years, so once the current process is finished and the lists are established, companies will have to wait for some time until the next solicitation for the opportunity to be added to the list.

It seems to CeLEA that the mandatory and point-rated criteria that have been established for this procurement strongly favour organizations that have full-service offerings.  This means that the many of the smaller elearning companies with specialized products and services that make up our industry may not have the breadth of experience to qualify, and would therefore be excluded from the list of potential suppliers to what is a major segment of the elearning market in Canada.  

One approach that smaller firms could take to qualify for the list is the establishment of joint ventures or similar cooperative arrangements with companies that have complementary skills and experience needed to create a full-service offering.  Unfortunately, the solicitation closes on September 23, so there may not be sufficient time to form such cooperative ventures for the first time.

CeLEA has posed questions to PWGSC regarding the possibility of changes to the criteria to enable more, smaller companies to qualify.  We have also enquired as to the potential for an extension to the procurement date to enable companies who would like to establish cooperative efforts the time to do so.  As of yet, we have not received responses to those questions.

To access the solicitation document please visit www.merx.com .   If you are not already registered with Merx, you can register under their basic subscription service at no cost, to access federal opportunities only, including the Learning Services solicitation.

We will post additional information as it comes available regarding this issue. 

Desire2Learn Facilitates eLearning Roundtable on Eve of ACODE Conference

SYNOPSIS: Desire2Learn hosts inaugural annual eLearning Roundtable event leading into the ACODE Conference in Wellington, New Zealand.

Kitchener-Waterloo, ON and Wellington, New Zealand, August 28, 2008 – Desire2Learn Incorporated (Desire2Learn), a leading provider of mission-critical enterprise eLearning solutions, recently hosted a roundtable event on the evening before the Australasian Council on Open, Distance and E-Learning (ACODE) conference at Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.  This invitation only event provided an opportunity for eLearning thought leaders in Australia and New Zealand to discuss crucial issues in the educational use of social software tools.

Keynote speaker, Leigh Blackall, an Educational Developer for Otago Polytechnic who specialises in the use of socially networked media and communication and its relationship to socially constructed learning, led the foundational discussion.  Mr. Blackall addressed the current advantages and pitfalls to educational institutions of using free social software tools (such as MSN, Skype, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and Second Life) as well as presented a perspective of how peers are adopting, implementing and taking advantage of these tools.

Twenty-five eLearning managers and directors from 20 institutions in New Zealand and Australia participated in the deliberations, on using Web 2.0 tools in online learning courses, providing their input and experience to uncover how these technological innovations play an important role in educating their students. Outcomes from the forum will be presented in a forthcoming co-authored whitepaper, promoting further understanding on this topic.

"It is through the passion and expertise of the individuals that we have gathered together in this forum that education and innovation will partner to place students at the forefront of learning," said John Baker, President & CEO, Desire2Learn. "Open discussion of new media and its role in education enables educational professionals to determine how they can incorporate informal with formal learning modalities and facilitate student success through increased accessibility."

To learn more about the Desire2Learn Roundtable sessions and participating in upcoming events, contact Kristin Greene at Kristin.Greene@Desire2Learn.com  ; call 1.888.772.0325 or email Info@Desire2Learn.com for details.

About Desire2Learn Incorporated

Desire2Learn Incorporated is a world-leading provider of enterprise eLearning solutions that enable institutions and other organizations to create teaching and learning environments that reflect their vision, values, goals, pedagogical approaches and branding. Desire2Learn supports more than five million learners worldwide and clients include higher education, K-12, as well as associations, government and other leading organizations. For more information, visit: www.Desire2Learn.com or call 1.888.772.0325.

John McLeod
Director of Marketing
Desire2Learn Incorporated
(519) 772-0325 ext. 378
PR@Desire2Learn.com

Desire2Learn Announces 2008 Desire2EXCEL Award Winners

SYNOPSIS: Users of Desire2Learn products exemplifying outstanding leadership and innovation recognized at FUSION 2008, ‘Connect & Inspire,' Memphis, Tennessee.

Kitchener-Waterloo, ON, July 23, 2008 – Desire2Learn Incorporated, a leading provider of mission-critical enterprise eLearning solutions, today announced the winners of its 2008 Desire2EXCEL Award program. The Desire2EXCEL Award program encourages development and sharing of best practices using the Desire2Learn eLearning Suite. The awards recognize users of Desire2Learn products who have demonstrated leadership and innovation in the education community.

The 2008 Desire2EXCEL nominees were outstanding and three awards, in the categories of Teaching and Learning, Program and Community Service, were handed out at the FUSION Desire2EXCEL Award Presentations yesterday evening at the Memphis Cook Convention Center.

Steve Rossini and Dr. Benjamin Smith, of Hibbing Community College, won the Teaching and Learning Award for developing the completely online course “America’s Popular Music.”  The course is designed to effectively integrate an interactive learning experience for students in a course reliant on audio files. The course exemplifies the innovative use of online tools. The Awards Committee commented: “This course is a good example of a teacher-created vs. content expert course.  The focus is on delivering a quality course engaging the senses with active instructor engagement.”

In the Program category, Barry Dahl of Lake Superior College (LSC) received the award for his work with the Online Student Mentor (OSM) program, a first of its kind in higher education.  The program has successfully employed 120 online student employees over its five years of operation.  A sense of community within the LSC Virtual Campus has been fostered by providing online students with a peer connection. The course specific mentor has proven to be a greater resource for a student than a mentor/peer/advisor who is more of a generalist. The mentoring experience provides the mentor with a solid means of giving back to the college as well as providing employment opportunities for off-campus students.

The Community Service award was presented to Sue McKnight of Nottingham Trent University (NTU), for gaining university-wide acceptance of a new virtual learning environment along with the promotion of online and blended learning and teaching. NTU has an in-house virtual learning portal with a cottage-based approach to eLearning.  This project has created wide acceptance and commitment to both the new virtual learning environment (VLE) and eLearning opportunities, through a strong collaborative process based in pedagogy.  By relying on the Desire2Learn technology, NTU has created a truly unique educational opportunity for distance learners that fully addresses accessibility issues in both selection and implementation of the technology.

"We were overwhelmed with the creativity, innovation and caliber of the award submissions from this year's nominees," said John Baker, President& CEO, Desire2Learn. "The Desire2EXCEL Awards Committee conducted extensive reviews before selecting the winners from the pool of nominees who have made enormous contributions to their organizations, to the Desire2Learn User Community and to eLearning as a whole."

The awards were handed out in Memphis, Tennessee, where 600 members of the global eLearning community convened at FUSION 2008, the Desire2Learn annual Users’ Conference focused on best practices and innovative breakthroughs in eLearning.

www.Desire2Learn.com/Fusion

About Desire2Learn Incorporated

Desire2Learn Incorporated is a world-leading provider of enterprise eLearning solutions that enable institutions and other organizations to create teaching and learning environments that reflect their vision, values, goals, pedagogical approaches and branding. Desire2Learn Incorporated and its subsidiaries support more than five million learners worldwide and clients include higher education, K-12, as well as associations, government and other leading organizations. For more information, visit: www.Desire2Learn.com or call 1.888.772.0325.

Desire2Learn Streamlines Integration with Respondus 3.5

SYNOPSIS: Desire2Learn and Respondus to streamline the publishing step for quizzes and testing material.

Kitchener-Waterloo, ON, July 22, 2008 – Desire2Learn Incorporated, a leading provider of mission-critical enterprise eLearning solutions, and Respondus a Select ISV Desire2Learn Partner, today announced offering Desire2Learn clients the ability to simplify the publishing of quizzes and examinations from Respondus 3.5 to the Desire2Learn 8.3 Learning Environment.

Respondus is a desktop tool that enables teachers, instructors and course designers to create quizzes, tests, surveys and other assessments in an offline environment. It also imports questions from a wide variety of formats including Microsoft Word.  Respondus then converts the assessment into a format that the Desire2Learn Learning Management System recognizes, permitting users to easily manage and transfer them directly into online courses.

This much requested collaboration saves users time and valuable resources making the creation and management of online assessments even easier.  Instructors can use Respondus 3.5 to upload assessments individually or in bulk directly to courses within their Desire2Learn Learning Management System.

"This collaboration provides strategic benefits for the partners and for educators at every level," said David Smetters, President, Respondus.  "The seamless publishing of quizzes between the two systems means educators and administrators will save significant time by using Respondus 3.5 in conjunction with the Desire2Learn Learning Environment."

To learn more about the Desire2Learn Learning Environment, visit: www.Desire2Learn.com/LearningEnvironment.

To learn more about Respondus 3.5, visit http://www.respondus.com/products/respondus.shtml

About Desire2Learn Incorporated

Desire2Learn Incorporated is a world-leading provider of enterprise eLearning solutions that enable institutions and other organizations to create teaching and learning environments that reflect their vision, values, goals, pedagogical approaches and branding. Desire2Learn and its subsidiaries support more than five million learners worldwide and clients include higher education, K-12, as well as associations, government and other leading organizations. For more information, visit: www.Desire2Learn.com or call 1.888.772.0325.

About Respondus
Respondus, Inc. develops assessment applications for the e-Learning market. Thousands of instructors at over 2,000 colleges and universities in over 50 countries use Respondus software to enhance the capabilities of their course management systems. Respondus, Inc. also licenses its "next generation" test bank delivery system to publishing companies and offers supporting services.

For more information, visit www.respondus.com.

Desire2Learn Goes Mobile with Desire2Learn 2GO for BlackBerry Smartphones

SYNOPSIS: The Desire2Learn Learning Environment can now be accessed through BlackBerry smartphones using the Desire2Learn 2GO offering, further extending the flexibility and ‘eLearning anywhere’ design of the Desire2Learn platform.     

Kitchener-Waterloo, ON, July 21, 2008 – Desire2Learn Incorporated, a leading provider of mission-critical enterprise eLearning solutions, today announced the launch of Desire2Learn 2GO, an adaptable mobile learning application (MLA) powered by the Desire2Learn Learning Environment Web Services, and accessible from BlackBerry® smartphones from Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIM; TSX:RIM).

With this release, highly flexible Desire2Learn products offer even greater reach and convenience in combination with the BlackBerry® solution, providing end users with mobile access to core Desire2Learn Learning Environment data and functionality.

 Desire2Learn 2GO is previewing at FUSION 2008, the annual Desire2Learn Users Conference, where it, along with all Desire2Learn products and services, are on display. In addition to being able to access demos at the Desire2Learn product booth, located on the exhibit floor in The Grand Lobby of the Memphis Cook Convention Center, information on Desire2Learn 2GO can be found in several other locations including the demo pods in the Foyer and at the Discovery Lounge, also on the exhibit floor.  A session on “Activating Mobile Communication Technology within Educational Institutions” will be held on Tuesday, July 22, 2008 at 1:45 p.m. in room L2 at the Convention Center.

 "Working on BlackBerry smartphones is an important next step in our eLearning offerings and in strengthening Desire2Learn’s presence in the market," said John Baker, Desire2Learn President & CEO. "One of our key goals is to help clients break down barriers to quality education and, by pairing the Desire2Learn platform with the mobility of the BlackBerry solution; we ultimately improve learner access anytime and virtually anywhere. We are pleased to continue our commitment to innovative eLearning environments for education, government and corporate markets.”

 Desire2Learn and RIM will be co-sponsoring a series of webinars on topics related to mobile online learning in the coming months.

 About Desire2Learn Incorporated

Desire2Learn Incorporated is a world-leading provider of enterprise eLearning solutions that enable institutions and other organizations to create teaching and learning environments that reflect their vision, values, goals, pedagogical approaches and branding. Desire2Learn and its subsidiaries support more than five million learners worldwide and clients include higher education, K-12, as well as associations, government and other leading organizations. For more information, visit: www.Desire2Learn.com or call 1.888.772.0325.

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 The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited.

Desire2Learn Hosts Largest International Users’ Conference in Company History

SYNOPSIS: Three-day premier event to include keynote addresses, more than 140 sessions, access to developers and key executives as well as opportunities to connect, inspire and learn.  

Memphis, TN and Kitchener-Waterloo, ON, July 21, 2008 – Desire2Learn Incorporated, a leading provider of mission-critical enterprise eLearning solutions, opens its largest-ever users’ conference today with 600 registered attendees including global clients and partners. FUSION 2008: Connect & Inspire, the premier Desire2Learn event of the year, is the fifth annual Desire2Learn Users’ Conference, held this year in the birthplace of rock n’ roll, Memphis, Tennessee.

Attendees, representing institutions and organizations worldwide, have countless opportunities to connect, learn and be inspired as they share successes, best practices and innovative uses of the Desire2Learn suite of offerings. With more than 140 sessions, five tracks and post-conference workshops, attendees have many opportunities to participate in engaging sessions offered in various formats from enriching networking events to forward thinking keynote speakers.

“FUSION is a key opportunity for our diverse and rapidly growing client base, partners, collaborators within the eLearning community and members of the Desire2Learn team to learn, expand outlooks, and experiment with new tools and technologies. Attendees invigorate, energize and inspire each other to make a difference, taking eLearning initiatives to new heights,” said John McLeod, Director of Marketing, Desire2Learn. "The stage is set for an exciting event which will spark innovation and the sharing of best practices throughout the Desire2Learn community."

FUSION 2008 kicks-off with a keynote address by George Siemens, Associate Director of Research and Development, Learning Technologies Centre at the University of Manitoba, founder and President of Complexive Systems Inc., and the author of Knowing Knowledge. Dr. Jason Ohler, President's Professor of Educational Technology and Distance Learning, University of Alaska and author of numerous books including his latest, Digital Storytelling in the Classroom, will deliver the keynote on Wednesday morning.

Additionally, attendees have the opportunity to participate in Destination 2020: Vision for Education the inaugural Executive Program at FUSION.  Academic leaders are invited to connect with their peers and inspire one another to bring their institutional visions to life. Returning in 2008 are the highly regarded Post-conference workshops to be held July 23rd – 25th, 2008 at the same location as the main conference.

Representatives from the Desire2Learn Product Management team will be available at the Desire2Learn product booth, located on the exhibit floor in The Grand Lobby of the Memphis Cook Convention Center, as well as several other locations including the demo pods in the Foyer and at the Discovery Lounge, also on the exhibit floor.  They will provide conference attendees with deep-dive demonstrations of all Desire2Learn products and services, including the new product launches to be unveiled at FUSION.

For information about FUSION 2008, visit www.Desire2Learn.com/FUSION.   www.Desire2Learn.com/Fusion

About Desire2Learn Incorporated

Desire2Learn Incorporated is a world-leading provider of enterprise eLearning solutions that enable institutions and other organizations to create teaching and learning environments that reflect their vision, values, goals, pedagogical approaches and branding. Desire2Learn Incorporated and its subsidiaries support more than five million learners worldwide and clients include higher education, K-12, as well as associations, government and other leading organizations. For more information, visit: www.Desire2Learn.com or call 1.888.772.0325.