Attracting immigrants to Nova Scotia has always been complicated by the preference of newcomers for the big centres of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.
But now a groundbreaking method of getting language training to rural residents promises to help keep new arrivals in this province.
A recently completed six-week pilot project, the first of its kind in the country, demonstrated that video-conferencing technology can be used to allow one instructor to teach students at different campuses at the same time.
Working out of Halifax, instructor Carol Derby taught 17 students from 14 different countries in Halifax, Truro and Kentville.
Students could see and hear each other in real time as the sites were linked by a variety of technologies, including video-conferencing equipment, smart whiteboards and PCs. Students’ faces and the words the instructor wrote on the whiteboard were projected onto screens at each site.
Language experts were surprised by the success of the method, and longer pilot projects are planned for the fall.
Gerry Mills, executive director of the Halifax Immigrant Learning Centre, says the program demonstrated that video-conferencing is an effective alternative to face-to-face teaching.
"I’m convinced this will be a viable, cost-effective and efficient option for delivering higher-level language training outside HRM," Mills says...
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