"Our Foundation's trustees will definitely continue Roland Giguère's emphasis on educational institutions. Mr. Giguère had a very high opinion of the role of institutions of higher education in our society's cultural and economic development, and the current trustees also feel that university education must remain a focus of their financial support in pursuing the objectives set by the founder of our philanthropic trust," stated Robert Trudeau, Trustee and Chair of the J.A. DeSève Foundation.

The mission of the Maison is to draw on new information and communications technologies (ICTs) to develop knowledge, methods and tools for teaching and learning science, mathematics, engineering, management and related disciplines.

"New information and communications technologies are engendering far-reaching changes in teaching methods and tools. Thanks to the J.A. DeSève Foundation, our campus will have an effective tool allowing us to anticipate students' and educators' new needs and meet them efficiently. I find it particularly fitting that the Maison des technologies de formation et d'apprentissage should be named for Roland Giguère, as a tribute to one of the pioneers of the audiovisual community in Quebec," noted Luc Vinet, Rector of the Université de Montréal.

The Maison has two inseparable objectives, i.e. to develop basic and applied knowledge in this strategic field, and to integrate and use ICTs in the different study programs offered by partner institutions.

An interdisciplinary and interuniversity research centre
The Groupe thématique interdisciplinaire sur les technologies de l'information et des communications pour la formation et l'apprentissage (GTI-TICFA) will be located at the Maison des technologies.  It is a recognized research centre bringing together advanced researchers from the Université de Montréal, its affiliated schools and a number of other universities, in a wide variety of fields of expertise ranging from education science to cognitive science, computer science, communications, natural science, pharmacy, veterinary medicine and management.

To give even more impetus to ICTs applied to education and learning, three research chairs are affiliated with the Maison: the Chair in study and research in training for science teachers and technology in schools, held by Université de Montréal Professor Jesus Vazquez-Abad, the Chair in teaching university science and engineering, held by Ricardo Camarero, Professor at the École Polytechnique, and the Chair in Learning and Teaching Technologies in Management Education, held by HEC Montréal Professor Jacques Raynauld. The three chairs will pool their efforts to produce a critical mass of expertise.

"At HEC Montréal, we have been striving for many years now to optimize the integration of new technologies into all facets of learning. Professor Jacques Raynauld is a leader in developing our knowledge in this field, and I am happy that the Chair he directs, the Chair in Learning and Teaching Technologies in Management Education, was launched as part of the creation of the Maison des technologies. The Maison will be an exceptional pool of expert knowledge," said Jean-Marie Toulouse, Director of HEC Montréal.

"The founding of the Maison des technologies de formation et d'apprentissage Roland-Giguère shows how important our three institutions consider joint multidisciplinary research. I am convinced that the Maison des technologies will be a key source of innovation in coming years, and an excellent vehicle for developing co-operation among our researchers," emphasized Robert L. Papineau, Director General of the École Polytechnique de Montréal.

The Maison plans to become a centre of expertise and reference on the use of ICTs in teaching and learning, to serve secondary schools, colleges and universities. Its initiatives will involve customized training, both corporate and for individuals interested in learning with the help of ICTs.

A liaison and knowledge transfer centre
"The Maison also intends to set up a network for national and international discussions and collaboration, and serve as a technology watch centre, by seeking to transfer as much technology as possible to the education community," noted Jean-Marc Robert, Director of the Maison des technologies de formation et d'apprentissage Roland-Giguère.

Training workshops and research seminars will be developed on the basis of research and development activities at the Maison, and individuals from different educational communities will be invited for internships.  The Maison will also make a point of bringing together decision makers from these different communities to develop projects and networking tools. In this way the Maison intends to set up a liaison and knowledge transfer centre for ICTs applied to teaching and learning.

A technology showcase
The Maison will bring new technologies, their designers, developers and evaluators all together in one place. It will serve as a technology showcase, to promote convergence between evolving partnerships serving the interests of both designers and users.

Founded in 1873, École Polytechnique de Montréal is one of Canada's top engineering teaching and research institutions and first in Québec for the size of its student body and the scope of its research activities. Polytechnique offers courses and programs in 11 engineering specialties and conducts nearly one-quarter of university engineering research in Québec. The school has 220 professors, nearly 6,000 students and an annual operating budget of $85 million, in addition to a $66.7-million-dollar annual research and infrastructure fund. Polytechnique is affiliated with Université de Montréal.

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INFORMATION: 
Chantal Cantin
Communications and Public Relations Office
École Polytechnique de Montréal
Tel.: (514) 340-4711, ext. 4970
chantal.cantin@polymtl.ca