| Description: |
As part of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Technology Assisted Training Initiative, the Ontario Provincial Police Academy is using E-learning and video conferencing technology to offer training to deployed members across the province. The Ontario Provincial Police Academy has worked with the Ontario Justice Video Network and the Ontario Police College to advance the this initiative, which has been expanding since 2009. The OPP E-learning platform was officially launched in March 2010. The OPP has also developed a network of 14 virtual classroom locations across the province, which is linked using HD video conferencing technology. The first phase of this virtual classroom platform was installed in October 2010. While this initiative is currently limited to the OPP and the Ontario Police College, expansion of the system has been discussed with a number of other police agencies. |
| Objective: |
The Technology Assisted Training Initiative seeks to enhance training options and make training more available to deployed OPP personnel throughout the province of Ontario. This initiative also seeks to reduce travel costs. |
| Outcomes: |
The new delivery methods have allowed the OPP to better meet the demand for police training. Training is more accessible to OPP members and is delivered more efficiently.
The reduced travel requirements for employees have resulted in cost savings. Ongoing evaluation and assessment mechanisms show that the virtual classroom platform led to savings of over 804,000 km in travel and 11,833 hours of travel time for OPP members attending training. This translates to approximately $575,000 in savings to date. The figure is projected to increase to $827,000 by the end of 2012/13 fiscal year.
The E-learning platform has recorded over 51,000 online course completions since 2010, which represents a considerable cost savings compared to other modes of training delivery (a savings of $11 million compared to in-class delivery, or $2.5 million compared to a hosted online course provider). |
| Resources: |
The introduction of the Technology Assisted Training Initiative required both financial and staffing resources. The staffing model for the initiative includes four full-time positions, which were reallocated from within the police service. The overall cost of launching the initiative was approximately $400,000. Annual maintenance and networking costs amount to approximately $150,000. |
| Pillars: |
|
| Province: |
Ontario |
| Keywords: |
|
| Record Entry Date: |
2013-08-01 |