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OTTAWA, March 10, 2011  —  The University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Education is proud to announce the opening of its new Virtual History Laboratory.

The Virtual History Laboratory (VH Lab), under the direction of Professor Stéphane Lévesque, is the first research centre in Canada to study the online learning of history. Innovative approaches, such as eye-tracking analysis, are used to examine the methods and quality of virtual learning, to better understand the needs of online learners and to develop the models and contexts that help improve the design, presentation and evaluation of Web sites, simulations and learning materials in history.

Through ongoing research and the development of partnerships with the Making History: Narratives and Collective Memory in Education Research Unit, the Centre de recherche en civilisation canadienne-française and Canadian museums, the VH Lab uses cutting-edge technology to study user behaviour, to improve learning and evaluation and, ultimately, to enhance the teaching of history through information and communication technologies.

This new infrastructure was made possible with financial support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation.

The University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Education, along with its commitment to the promotion, advancement and dissemination of knowledge in the field of education, is actively involved in the pre-service and professional development of teachers. The Faculty is also a leader in educational research.