In order to promote the sharing and pooling of resources within the college network and to ensure the sustainability of this service offered at no cost, we have reviewed and updated the terms of use of the Web Space service.
Web Space, financed by the ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur, has been offered to education professionals in the college network since 2006. Initially managed by Profweb, the service is now under the responsibility of Collecto, through its website Eductive [in French].
The basic service, free of charge for education professionals in the college network, aims to enable users to develop and host teaching and learning resources intended to be shared for free in order to promote reuse in the network.
Thus, from January 1, 2023, an update of the Web Space service will be implemented to:
- better meet the technological needs of CEGEP teachers
- offer a secure online service to its users
- promote the sharing of educational resources
For this reason, certain uses of the Web Space service, such as the creation of private sites or sites administered by students, will no longer be offered as part of our free service. We are aware of the potential impact this could have on users, and our team will do everything in its power to support the community in a smooth transition over the next few months.
A service that better meets the current needs of the network
When the Web Space service was created in 2006, it aimed to offer a space in order to create pedagogical sites such as blogs or forums, at a time when not all institutions had digital learning environments at their disposal. In 2022, all institutions now have technology solutions at their disposal, allowing them to safely develop course websites for students. However, hosting of pedagogical resources intended to be shared in the network is an increasingly urgent need.
The update of the Web Space service primarily aims to meet the current needs of the network. Since the service is financed by the ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur, Collecto is committed to providing the service in the most beneficial way across the college network.
Increased security for all users
Over the years, the Web Space has been used by some people as a place of exploration and experimentation to host virtual environments or “sandbox” sites for students learning how to program. The Web Space was not designed for such uses. Unfortunately, these sites compromised the Collecto server integrity several times or created service breakdowns for the other users.
In 2022, cybersecurity issues are more relevant than ever. The revision of the terms of use reinforces the Web Space service’s security by limiting the uses that pose security risks.
For easy sharing of educational resources
In addition to the Eductive website, Collecto’s Digital Pedagogy Services team supports and leads other projects aimed at sharing educational resources for education and higher education networks.
The repositioning of the Web Space service is consistent with this vision of sharing relevant teaching and learning resources developed in the college network, for the college network.
Many teachers receive grants or release time to develop resources and hope to extend the use of these resources to their colleagues in the network. Although these resources can be shared within an institution, local security measures do not always allow for wider distribution.
By offering a hosting service free of charge for teachers who wish to share their resources or to make their pedagogical website publicly accessible without limitations, Collecto supports resource pooling initiatives, the free culture, and the perpetuation of college-level pedagogical resources.
To know everything…
To learn more about the free-of-charge Web Space service, see the new Terms of Use [PDF].
Still have questions? Please consult our Frequently Asked Questions. If you don’t find the answer you are looking for, don’t hesitate to contact us.
