They are:

1. continuous student intake
2. large, multi- level classrooms, and
3. funding pressures

For these reasons, it was felt that the study was ‘professionally relevant’ to LBS college practitioners. The study was also chosen for a very practical reason. Dr. Beder agreed that the CSC could make a limited number of copies. One of the challenges of e- learning is to ensure that all participants have easy access to printed materials and that they receive their materials on time.

The Response

Nineteen participants from 9 colleges agreed by e-mail to participate in the pilot. The College Sector Committee also extended an invitation to the Acting Co-Executive of the Ontario Literacy Coalition. Each participant was sent an information package which included:

• A description of the project
• An explanation of the participant’s role
• A brief rationale for the choice of topic
• Instructions for reading the report
• Instructions for registering with AlphaCom
• Instructions for logging on to the discussion group
• Instructions for adding messages to the discussion (added after the pilot)

See Appendix 2 for the Information Package.

Evaluation of the Pilot

An evaluation survey was also included in the package although participants were instructed that an e- version would be forwarded on the final day of the discussion. See Appendix 3 for a copy of the Evaluation Survey. Participants were instructed to use the paper survey only if they had difficulty completing the e-survey. The survey asked participants to comment on the potential of e-PD using AlphaCom. It was designed to elicit feedback on key factors that might influence participants’ feelings about e-PD. Some of these factors were: use of technology, time frame, facilitation, interest in the topic and relevance of the study. The data from the survey would be analyzed to discover correlations between these factors and practitioners’ opinions about the potential use of e- PD. It would also be used to determine the overall success of the pilot.