Canadian Students Create their own Round-the-World Expedition
OTTAWA, March 10, 2004 -- Students from different parts of Canada today took part in the first virtual classroom experimental school project organized by the Department of Canadian Heritage's Virtual Museum of Canada. Participants included elementary and high school students from Buckingham and Kangiqsualujjuaq in Quebec, Ottawa in Ontario, and Gander and St. John's in Newfoundland and Labrador.Entitled "Captain Bernier's Expedition," the virtual classroom project involves imagining a virtual expedition around the world. It takes its inspiration from the exhibit "Ilititaa ... Bernier, His Men and the Inuit," presented by the Musée maritime du Québec and accessible through the Virtual Museum of Canada. "Captain Bernier's Expedition" is an innovative, large-scale school project that enables the Virtual Museum of Canada and its partners to work directly with students.
"This virtual classroom project promotes exchanges among young students from different regions of Canada," said the Honourable Hélène Chalifour Scherrer, Minister of Canadian Heritage. "It enables our youth to discover different realities and cultures, while working on a stimulating project."
The Musée maritime du Québec exhibit is the starting point for the virtual classroom project. It tells the story of Captain Joseph-Elzéar Bernier and his men, who crossed the Canadian Arctic in the early 20th century. Their journey resulted in an encounter between two cultures -- Inuit and Francophone.
The interactive project was undertaken with assistance from the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN), the Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC), and the National Research Council Canada (NRC).
The CRC and NRC have undertaken several broadband visual communications projects in different situations. A broadband system is a communications system that allow for the transmission of large quantities of data. By combining their expertise, these two organizations have been able to ensure the full effectiveness of the application used for this project.
Aided by this system, students in the virtual classroom today created an expedition on-line. Working as a team with students from other schools, they played the part of great explorers and created a virtual expedition and were able to share the different stages of their journey with other participants.
About the Virtual Museum of Canada
The Virtual Museum of Canada is a unique portal that presents a multitude of narratives and treasures from Canadian museums. This gateway was created by the Department of Canadian Heritage together with other federal organizations, educational institutions, private-sector firms, and more than 1000 museums. The Virtual Museum of Canada is part of a strategy that seeks to promote Canadian culture on the Internet. To visit the Museum, visit www.virtualmuseum.ca
Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC)
CRC is the Government of Canada's primary research and development (R&D;) laboratory in advanced communications technologies. Its collaborative R&D; focusses on rural and remote broadband access, spectrum issues, wireless and satellite communications systems, radio fundamentals, broadcast and multimedia technologies, broadband networks, network security, and photonics. For more information, visit www.crc.ca.
Canada's National Research Council (NRC)
Recognized globally for research and innovation, NRC is a leader in the development of an innovative, knowledge-based economy for Canada through science and technology. NRC operates world-class research facilities as well as information, technology and innovation support networks from coast to coast. For more information, visit www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
Information:
Anne-Sophie Lawless
Chief, Media Relations
Department of Canadian Heritage
(819) 997-9314
Mylène Dupéré
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister
of Canadian Heritage
(819) 997-7788
Sonia Mendes
Publications and Media Relations Officer
Communications Research Centre Canada
(613) 990-4575
sonia.mendes@crc.ca
Tricia Diduch
Communications Officer
NRC Institute for Information Technology
(613) 990-7117
tricia.diduch@nrc-crnc.gc.ca
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