The Alberta Video Co-Acquisition Consortium (COAC) is a formal partnership of some Alberta school districts, regions, learning resource centres, regional resource centres and Alberta Education. Together, we purchase provincial licensing for educational videos so that all COAC member teachers and students have free online access to more high quality resources and all Alberta teachers and students have affordable access to teacher reviewed, curriculum connected video programs.
The consortium is confident that pooling resources provides the best means to address current needs as well as meeting the challenge of changing technologies. Working collaboratively ensures quality-learning resources will continue to be available to Alberta teachers and students at the lowest possible price.
In addition to accessing steamed video programs from this web site, Alberta COAC teachers may have access to DVD's through their school district or regional media resource centres. Member school district and regional resource centres and their member schools can purchase copies of licensed COAC video programs for their own use at minimal cost.
COAC is committed to:
- Evaluating and selecting the best "curriculum fit" videos available
- Purchasing provincial licenses for these videos for use by COAC members
- Providing COAC members with reduced cost for resource duplication
COAC recognizes the dynamics of change, especially the development of new technologies to support learning and the use of multimedia.
Not all Alberta school districts are members of COAC. Those wanting more information are invited to click on the Contact bookmark.
COAC History: 1987-2007— Twenty Years in Operation
Prior to 1987, Alberta school regions/jurisdictions/districts, learning resource centres, and regional resource centres each acquired video programs independently.
A recognition of this costly duplication led, in 1987, to the formation of the Alberta Video Co-Acquisition Consortium. COAC members pool funds and with support from Alberta Education, are able to purchase provincial copyrights (licenses to use) for a large number of teacher-recommended video programs each year. This consortium has proven over the past twenty years that working together co-operatively is an effective way to maximize funding potential.
Annually, over one hundred Alberta COAC member-teachers view and complete standardized evaluation forms on a wide variety of educational videos made available by leading Canadian media distributors. Only titles that are highly recommended by a minimum of four COAC teacher-members are initially short-listed. The short-listed titles undergo further scrutiny and a final list of video programs is tendered for provincial licenses. In this way hundreds of timely learning resources have been obtained in a cost effective manner.
In 2008 the Alberta Education Learning Resources Centre (LRC) took over negotiation of licenses and distribution of materials from ACCESS.
From the purchase of 16mm film to VHS to DVD and to the present-day option of streaming media, COAC has evolved to meet the video needs of teachers and students in Alberta.