About this Site

The Learn Together Collaboratory is funded by BCcampus and developed by Vancouver Island University in partnership with several participating organizations that have provided invaluable support in the site's conceptual design. It has been created using Drupal, an open source content management system.

Background
In spring 2008, BCcampus convened three meetings with representatives of the Educational Technology Users’ Group (ETUG), Northern Educational Developers Network (NEDNET) and the University, College and Institute Professional Developers (UCIPD). These are professional development organizations developing capacity for excellent teaching and learning across British Columbia’s post-secondary system. The ETUG, NEDnet and UCIPD representatives met to determine how best to allocate BCcampus professional development funding. Based on lengthy discussions, development of professional development principles, and an inventory of BC post-secondary professional development priorities, the representatives completed a ranking process. The highest priority identified by the representative BC post-secondary professional developers was creation of an online PD collaboration site.
 
The key components­ identified were:

  • An expertise inventory,
  • A conferences and events database,
  • An inventory of post-secondary recognition awards, and
  • A database of post-secondary funding sources, most particularly related to research on teaching and learning.

Discussions with BCcampus staff and ETUG, NEDnet and UCIPD representatives resulted in the working name of the Learn Together Collaboratory (LTC), defined as a BC based professional development network that supports networking, sharing, collaboration, communication, and partnerships for the enhancement of teaching and learning in higher education.

The Vancouver Island University Teaching and Learning Centre was awarded the contract to research and create the LTC and commenced work in late summer, 2008. From this time to the present, the LTC has been enhanced through beta-testing and gathering of feedback from UCIPD representatives and BCcampus staff, and will be ready for full launch during the Educational Technology Users’ group conference, to be hosted at Vancouver Island University on November 6th and 7th, 2008.

The overall Learn Together initiative is collectively a “collaboratory”.

 Six areas of development were identified for inclusion in the collaboratory:

  • Communication and dissemination
  • Shared resources
  • Expertise inventory
  • Learning Paths
  • Research (scholarship)
  • Leadership, Advocacy, & Celebration (showcase)

Based on  these principles and areas of development, the Learn Together Collaboratory  proposal and website was developed.