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About Us

The Centre for Distance Learning and Innovation is a division of the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District, NLESD, and has been in existence since 2001. CDLI’s mandate includes the development and delivery of senior high school distance education programming to students attending high schools in rural, remote and isolated regions of the province, resource and technical support for the delivery of online teacher professional learning, and the oversight of K-12 technology integration initiatives. Our belief is that learners should have equitable access to educational opportunities in a manner that renders distance transparent. Our day-to-day operations reflect that belief.

CDLI has forty-four (44) staff including, two program specialists, two training specialists, a connectivity and communications specialist, an IT systems manager, twenty-nine eTeachers, a guidance counsellor, and eight administration and support staff. The staff members are located in seventeen (17) office locations that span the entire province.

CDLI works to provide courses and programming to students where the programming may not be available at the local school. CDLI offers forty-two (42) senior high school courses that cover a range of curriculum areas including advanced and academic mathematics, sciences, English and French languages, technology education, social studies, skilled trades, French first language and fine arts. Educators using web-based technologies deliver CDLI courses. More than one hundred ten (110) schools offering senior high programming in the province avail of CDLI.

CDLI offers educators and students in the province access to web-based objects that support provincial curricular learning outcomes. CDLI also provides free access to course review materials in various courses, plus free, "live" online tutoring to students throughout the school year.

Testimonials

CDLI learning facilitated by ability to access a full range of courses and a quality education. With a plan to complete an Engineering Degree, it was important that I had access to essential courses such as Physics, Advanced Math and Calculus. Taking online courses provided me with endless resources. From getting free online tutoring to being able to re-watch a lecture, there was never a question that couldn’t be answered.

After high school, I began studying Mechanical Engineering at Memorial University and without the opportunity to take these courses by distance, it would have been much more difficult to get where I am today. Being from a small town and attending a small school, CDLI provided me with the same opportunities that larger schools in the Province could offer in class. By taking courses online, I was also provided with course independence which helped prepare me for my University studies. By taking Calculus 3208, I could challenge the Calculus Placement Test and qualify for credit transfer to University.

Overall, my experience with CDLI opened my eyes to virtual learning which in turn opened many doors to a bright future.

Kimberly Jarvis - Holy Name of Mary Academy - Lawn

Mechanical Engineering Student – Memorial University

Husky Energy Employee

As a high school student from a rural community, CDLI afforded me the opportunity to take courses that were not otherwise offered. Little did I know that it would teach me study habits, self-discipline, and responsibility that would transcend the jump to my university career. Through both my undergraduate Bachelor of Science and my Doctor of Medicine degrees, I used the inquisition and organizational skills that I gained during my CDLI courses to best position myself for success.

Early in my university career, the CDLI tutoring program was launched. I quickly jumped on as a math tutor and eventually became the tutoring coordinator. This service provides not only academic advice, but also study skills and mentorship to high school students across Newfoundland and Labrador. Being able to give back to a program that gave so much to me has been one of my most rewarding endeavors. To this day, I still meet and hear from students who were once only known to me through the online tutoring portal. As they tell me the difference I made to their academic success, they are surprised to realize how much I have learned from them about perseverance, determination, and a will to succeed. This province has a great future ahead, and CDLI is fostering that human potential every day."

Desmond Whalen – Southwest Arm Academy – Little Heart’s Ease

Doctor of Medicine currently enrolled in Family Medicine in Grand Falls-Windsor