As the new year unfolds, the Atlantic Police Academy in Summerside, Prince Edward Island is venturing into new territory. In January, the APA integrated a new e-learning component into their cadet training curriculum. As one of six nationally recognized police training academies, the APA's 35 week Police Science (Cadet) program will train more than 80 cadets in the coming year for careers in police agencies across Canada. For the first time in the APA's history, cadets will now access five mandatory training courses in an online format.

"As the first regional police training facility in Canada to integrate e-learning into our cadet curriculum, the APA is very pleased to take the lead on this new learning approach," says Chief Edgar MacLeod, Executive Director of the APA. "We're confident that this initiative will enhance the cadet experience, providing them with better access to information, while allowing instructors to spend more time on other aspects of classroom and practical training sessions."

In preparation for this new learning approach, instructors at the APA worked with instructional designers at CPKN to assess the cadet training syllabus to determine which CPKN courses could be used to support existing classroom programming. Based on that review, APA selected several online programs from the CPKN catalogue to integrate into the program.

Under this new blended curriculum, cadets will now access CPIC Query/Narrative, Collision Investigation Level II, Basic Investigation Skills, and Recognition of Emotionally Disturbed Persons at various points throughout the program. Cadets will also be participating in the Aboriginal and First Nations Awareness free learning event.

"E-Learning is the new way to do business within Canada's policing sector," explains Eric Fiander, Deputy Director and Learning Manager at the APA. "And with more and more services adopting the technology for in-service training, we feel exposure to e-learning technologies at the cadet level will better prepare them for the continual training they will receive throughout their careers."

In addition to this initiative, APA subject matter experts are currently collaborating with CPKN on Coaching and Mentoring: The Field Trainer. This new online offering is expected to be released in late 2009.