University courseware set to go global
Media Release, Friday 1 June 2007
AN after-hours dash to find information for a chemistry tutorial has led to a major new distribution deal for the University of Melbourne’s exciting range of educational courseware products.
The University has signed a deal with DA Information Services, Australia’s largest full service library supplier, to market, sell and license its wide range of courseware material to customers worldwide.
The partnership will ensure that a global audience will now be able to benefit from new-generation teaching resources such as The Patient Under the Microscope and the interactive CD-ROM package Going to Hospital which helps children and their families cope with the anxiety and complexities of an impending hospital stay.
DA executive chairman Richard Siegersma first became aware of the depth and diversity of the University’s e-showcase of educational courseware products when he searched the University website on a weekend to help his son (an undergraduate student) who was frantically seeking information for an upcoming chemistry tutorial.
“I came across the catalogue of courseware material and immediately thought to myself ‘there is so much great work here, how can we go about shipping this to the rest of the world?’’ Mr Siegersma said today.
He initiated a meeting with Julie Rodman, the University of Melbourne’s general manager (Curriculum Licensing Services), and the mutually-beneficial partnership was born.
Professor Vijoleta Braach-Maksvytis, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Innovation and Development) at the University of Melbourne welcomed the new agreement.
“This partnership creates a powerful means to propagate the University's work across the globe, leading to a much higher reach of knowledge transfer than we would have been able to achieve alone,’’ Professor Braach-Maksvytis said.
“DA is an excellent match because of the innovative thinking it provides in this field.’’
Ms Rodman added: “DA has impressive international relationships and mailing lists that are discipline specific and will enable targeted selling of product.’’
“The new partnership will provide additional international visibility for University courseware materials, as a complement to existing distribution partnerships, and will provide new opportunities for community engagement.
“DA is also evolving its content aggregation models. The new arrangement will provide the opportunity for the University to participate in content aggregation activity via a well-regarded major international library supplier, and for the University to influence, at an international level, the evolution of these content delivery models, and to commercially benefit from its participation in such activities.
“The arrangement is a good exemplification of knowledge transfer. We appreciate the enthusiasm and commitment already demonstrated by DA and look forward to a strong collaboration.’’
DA has appointed two experienced consultants to work directly with the University on this project to ensure that the material receives exposure through the company’s global networks.
Mr Siegersma said DA’s unique ability to deliver a complete range of printed and electronic products and services to other universities, government departments, bookstores, public and specialist libraries via subscription or one-off purchases meant the University could strengthen its international profile within the new teaching technology.
“While books and journals will continue to play an integral role in education, the next generation of learning aids is destined to be material that contains value-added content,’’ Mr Siegersma said.
“The learning outcome can become so much more effective through the use of a multi-media experience, for example, because it enables the recipient to see, hear and read rather than simply study words on a page.’’
“The quality of education can improve if we can get these new forms of delivery out there.
“We are looking to prepare for the next generation of educational research, and we are delighted to work closely with the University of Melbourne to deliver that.’’
Note – full details of the University of Melbourne’s e-showcase educational courseware products are available at:
eshowcase.unimelb.edu.au/eshowcase/index.htm
For further information please contact:
Richard Siegersma
Executive Chairman
DA Information Services
648 Whitehorse Rd
Mitcham 3132 Australia
P: +61 (0) 3 9210 7793
M: +61 (0) 413 947 301
Email: richards@dadirect.com.au
Web: www.dadirect.com.au
Julie Rodman
General Manager
Curriculum Licensing Services
Innovation and Development
The University of Melbourne
Tel: +61 3 8344 2081
Fax: +61 3 9347 6739
Email: jrodman@unimelb.edu.au
Web: www.unimelb.edu.au
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