Presentation to the "Consultation on Anglican Theological Education in the First Nations Context"

1. Preliminary Findings
22 May 2009
Thorneloe University

2.  David Macdonald, B.Mus, B.Ed, TBDL Cert.
 Distance Learning and Educational Technology
Coordinator @ Thorneloe U
 Student, Master of Educational Technology @
UBC
 Parochial Layreader @ Church of the
Epiphany, Sudbury
 Music teacher
 Avid canoeist

3.  Thorneloe College School of Theology
 Need
for trained, ordained ministry in our
communities
 Rethink how we deliver theological education
to students in non-urban communities, both
First Nations and non-First Nations

4.  Tothose of us in urban Canada, anyone living
far away from us is “remote”
 Toanyone living in a northern
community, we’re the ones who are
“remote”
 Northerncommunities are anything but
remote to the people who live there
 We need to find educational solutions that
are local to all theological students

5. Can we achieve a
distributed local solution
through eLearning?

6.  Keewaytinook internet High School (ON)
 http://www.kihs.knet.ca/
 Bearskin Lake, Deer Lake, Fort Severn, Fort
William, Keewaywin, Mishkeegogamang, North Spirit
Lake, Poplar Hill, Sachigo Lake, Saugeen, Weagamow
 Offices in Balmertown, Sioux Lookout
 Established in 2000
 Sunchild Elearning Community (AB)
 Virtual high school, with post-secondary partners
 http://www.sccyber.net
 Sunchild First Nation, northern Alberta
 Established in 2001

7.  Students stay in their communities
 Community-generated initiatives, with buy-in
from band council, elders
 High school courses follow provincial
curriculum
 Students attend class in a central location:
community centre, band council, school
house – somewhere with space and
broadband internet connection
 Each group of students is guided by a
mentor who has at least finished high
school or a qualified teacher

8.  Students connect with fellow students on the
internet, broadening their sense of
community
 Students connect with members of their own
community through mentors
 Students maintain traditional
activities(hunting, fishing) instead of giving
them up to go away to school in an
unfamiliar, remote community like Thunder
Bay, Sudbury or Edmonton
 KiHS video (5:08):
http://www.kihs.knet.ca/drupal/node/83

9. Thompson, MB
Bearskin Lake
Webequie
Wapekeka
Fort Hope
Kenora (unorganized twp)
© 2009, Google Maps

10.  Pop. 459*  Pop. 1144
 64% over 15 yrs  56% over 15 yrs
 Median income: $37,376  Median income: $22,720
 Language at home:  Language at home:
English – 220 English – 1015
Other – 235 Other – 130
 Education (15 yrs +):  Education (15 yrs +):
HS diploma – 70 HS diploma – 20
Trades cert - 0 Trades cert - 45
College – 45 College – 10
Some University – 10, Some University – 35,
3.4% 5.5%
University – 0, 0% University – 0, 0%
None completed - 170 None completed – 535
* All data from 2006 Census, Statistics Canada (http://www.statcan.ca)

11.  Pop. 614  Pop. 350
 67% over 15 yrs  64% over 15 yrs
 Median income: $25,024  Median income: $16,352
 Language at home:  Language at home:
English – 65 English – 70
Other – 545 Other – 285
 Education (15 yrs +): Both - 10
HS diploma – 55  Education (15 yrs +):
Trades cert - 50 HS diploma – 10
College – 15 Trades cert - 0
Some University – 10, College – 0
2.4% Some University – 0,
University – 0, 0% 0%
None completed – 290 University – 0, 0%
None completed – 205

12.  Pop. 13,595  Pop. 7041
 73% over 15 yrs  84% over 15 yrs
 Median income: $77,130  Median income: $69,396
 Language at home:  Language at home:
English – 12,670 English – 6765
French – 45 French – 40
English + French - 20 English + French - 10
Other – 570 Other – 225
English/French English + Other - 10
+ Other - 235  Education (15 yrs +):
 Education (15 yrs +): HS diploma – 1730
HS diploma – 2560 Trades cert - 720
Trades cert - 1075 College – 1135
College – 1505 Some University – 170, 2.9%
Some University – 370, 3.7% University – 680, 11.5%
University – 1030, 10.4% None completed – 1490
None completed – 3385

13.  Smaller communities have generally younger
populations
 A significant portion of the population in
each of these communities is most
comfortable communicating in a “non-
official” language
 Even in larger communities like Thompson
and rural Kenora, very few residents have
ever taken a university course, let alone
completed a degree

14.  Cora Voyageur (2001) “Ready, Willing, And Able:
Prospects For Distance Learning In Canada’s First
Nations Community”
 Athabasca U Technology Usage Project
 Questionnaires, f2f & phone interviews
 10 interviews at each of six sites
 Cites Monaghan (1991): “Students who were forced to
leave the community to attend postsecondary
institutions often dropped out before completion for
many reasons including loneliness, intimidation, and
an alien, competitive environment.”
 Suggests that distance learning is a viable solution

15.  Regular access to/use of:
 Telephone, 98%
 Fax machine, 90%
 Computer, 85%
 VCR, 60%
 Computer networking, 25%
 E-mail, 23%
 Internet, 22%
 Teleconferencing, 18%
 Electronic Bulletin Board, 13%

16.  Regular access to/use of (by frequency):
 Telephone
 Computer
 Fax machine
 VCR

17. The availability of technologies and the
willingness of the potential students to gain
academic credentials make the reserve setting
a perfect location for distance learning
program delivery. Delivering distance learning
programs makes sense. Many obstacles … can
be alleviated when students can remain in the
community. … having an appropriate
experienced student support network in place
is essential.
 Voyageur, C. 2001 Aug 10. Ready, Willing, And Able: Prospects For Distance Learning
in Canada’s First Nations Community. The Journal of Distance Education/Revue de
l’Éducation à Distance [Online] 16:1. Available:
http//www.jofde.ca/index.php/jde/article/view/174/131.

18.  Students must be able to learn in their own
communities
 Students must be able to connect with fellow
students and faculty to build a theological
learning community
 As educators, we need to find a way to
provide our students with university-
experienced mentors in their own
communities
 We need to provide our students with a
bridging process to help them learn how to
learn at a university level

19.  Visit northern communities to meet with
potential theology students and their community
leaders face-to-face
 Determine what resources are available to
students, what resources need to be provided
 Investigate adaptation of existing theology
program, courses to take advantage of online
delivery and build a theological learning
community
 Study State of E-Learning in Canada report
released by Canadian Council on Learning
on 21 May 2009

20.  Please
share your questions, experience and
knowledge
 DavidMacdonald:
dmacdonald@laurentian.ca
1-866-846-7635 ext.33
Thank You!