BC DL Conference 2010 - State of the Nation: K-12 Online Learning in Canada

Michael Barbour
Michael BarbourProfessor of Instructional Design, College of Education & Health Services
State of the Nation: K-12
   Online Learning in Canada



Michael K. Barbour, Wayne State University
Background
• K-12 online learning began in British Columbia in 1993 with
  the creation of New Directions in Distance Learning and the
  EBUS Academy (Dallas, 1999)
• Followed by district-based online programmes in Manitoba,
  Ontario, Alberta, and Newfoundland and Labrador (Barker &
  Wendel, 2001; Barker, Wendall & Richmond, 1999; Haughey
  & Fenwich, 1996; Stevens, 1997)
• Wynne (1997) described few online learning programmes
  outside of British Columbia and Alberta and even less
  government regulation in this area
• The Canadian Teachers Federation (2000) that there were
  approximately 25,000 K-12 students enroled in online courses
  during the 1999-2000 school year
Background
• O’Haire, Froese-Germain and Lane-De Baie (2003) reported
  that Alberta had the most students engaged in online
  learning, but British Columbia also had a significant number of
  district-based and consortium programmes
• Plante and Beattie (2004) found that almost 30% of schools –
  and almost 40% of secondary schools – in Canada were using
  the Internet for online learning
• Haughey (2005) indicated that the growth of virtual schooling
  in Canada was slower than in the United States
• The Canadian Council on Learning (2009) stated that “delivery
  of resources, however, does not guarantee learning, even
  when the initial barriers of access [to online learning] have
  been overcome” (p. 61)
iNACOL Report
• State of the Nation Study: K-12 Online Learning in
  Canada
  – snapshot study in 2008 –
    http://www.inacol.org/resources/docs/NACOL_Canada
    Study-lr.pdf
  – complete study in 2009 -
    http://www.inacol.org/research/docs/iNACOL_Canada
    Study_200911.pdf

• Virtual Schooling in Canada
  – project wiki site - http://virtualschool.wikispaces.com/
    canada/
Methodology
•   a survey that was sent to each of the Ministries of Education
•   follow-up interviews with Ministry officials
•   an analysis of documents from the Ministry of Education

•   eight of the thirteen responded
     • four of the provinces and territories ignored the request
     • e-Learning Ontario declined to participate

         these jurisdictions were based solely on the analysis of documents (and in
           some instances information provided by others involved in K-12 distance
          education in that province or territory, but not associated with the Ministry)

•   the Ministries of Education that responded were provided a draft copy of
    the profile for their revisions and

•   vignettes were solicited from suggestions made by the Ministry of
    Education contacts and existing relationships of the researcher

•   as of October 2009
National Overview
                    Single provincial online
                        learning program
                    Provincial online learning
                        program with limited
                        district programs
                    Provincial online learning
                        program with
                        significant district-
                        based & private
                        programs
                    Use district-based online
                        learning programs from
                        other provinces
Newfoundland and Labrador
• Online learning began in mid-1990s

• Single province-wide programme housed
  within MOE
  – Came from models developed in earlier district
    programmes

• Initial focus on rural students

• No specific policies for online learning, but
  work is currently being done in this area
Nova Scotia
• Online learning began around 2003

• A provincial wide pilot programme house within
  the MOE & a couple of district-based
  programmes

• Initial focus on specialized subject areas (e.g.,
  French as a second language)

• No specific policies for online learning, but there
  are 11 provisions included in the Nova Scotia
  Teachers Union agreement
Prince Edward Island
• Little online learning activity

• MOE provides access to K-12 distance
  opportunities in New Brunswick, along with a
  private online training school focusing on
  business & technology courses

• MOE has issued two directives since 2001
  containing guidelines for the use of distance
  education in K-12 environment
New Brunswick
• Online learning began around 1998
• Single province-wide programme housed within MOE
   – Grew from a single course to over 40 courses

• Initial focus on technology, then all grade 11 and
  12, & other optional & advanced courses
   – Used frequently by face-to-face teachers too

• No specific policies for online learning, but the
  Ministry has established a policy handbook that
  outlines the administrative procedures
Quebec
• Networked Remote Schools or Écoles
  éloignées en réseau
  – Designed to connect rural and remote schools via the
    Internet to allow them to share curricular resources

• Learn Quebec
  – English language, synchronous online learning programme

• Province-wide programme for adult students
  – Société de formation à distance des commissions scolaires
    du Québec (SOFAD)
      Three English & 37 French school boards manage their own
       programmes
Ontario
• Online learning began around 1994

• Primarily district-based programmes using the
  provincial CMS and course content
  – Some private school activity

• Online learning not officially recognized by MOE
  – Masked within brick-and-mortar system
  – e-Learning Ontario has issued numerous memos
    regulating online learning
Manitoba
• Province offers three forms of distance
  education
   – MOE manages correspondence and audio teleconference
     systems
   – Districts manage their own web-based programme using MOE
     content

• All districts appear to participate in web-based
  option to some extent
• Ministry’s distance learning policy is still in draft
  form & awaiting final approval, but will be
  implemented in 2010-11
Saskatchewan
• Ministry devolved their responsibility
  for distance education to school divisions
   – Provided additional transition funding in 2008-09 to assist
     school divisions

• Fourteen school divisions created the
  Saskatchewan Distance Learning Course
  Repository to provide capacity to other divisions
• No specific legislation or regulations that govern
  K-12 online learning
Alberta
• Online learning began around 1994-95

• Numerous district-based, several private, and
  a province-wide programme

• MOE has no specific online learning policies
  (simply advises school-based programmes to
  consider how they will treat online learning)
  – Had been in the process of creating a province-
    wide framework, but that process has stalled
British Columbia
• First online learning programmes around 1993

• Substantial public and private activity

• MOE uses term distributed learning
  – Refers to all forms of K-12 distance education,
    much of which is still not online

• Only province where MOE has concrete
  separate policies for distance education
Yukon
• Utilizes programmes from British Columbia
• MOE active in this provincial-territorial
  agreement
  – With the Northern British Columbia Distance
    Education School (NBCDES)

• Involved 141 students in 51 courses in 2006-
  07 (<5000 students in territory)
  – up from 87 students in 49 courses the previous year
Northwest Territories
• Utilizes programmes from Alberta
• MOE active in this provincial-territorial
  agreement
   – With the Alberta Distance Learning Centre (ADLC)
   – Online Northern Studies 10 course offered during
     the second semester through Aurora College

• Involved 179 students in 38 courses from 18
  schools in 2007-08 (~10,000 K-12 students in
  territory)
Nunavut

• No active K-12 distance education
  programmes
  – Piloted programmes in the past and had plans for
    further pilot projects
  – Past have utilizes programmes from Alberta

• No specific reference to distance education in
  the legislation & no individual regulations
State of the Nation 2010 Study
• Received additional funding
  – Update provincial profiles
      Attempt to add level of activity
  – Continue with new vignettes
  – Add new brief issue papers section

• Areas of Concern
  – French language programmes
  – Quebec
  – Northern Canada
Bibliography
•   Barker, K., & Wendel, T. (2001). e-Learning: Studying Canada's virtual secondary schools. Kelowna, BC: Society for the
    Advancement of Excellence in Education. Retrieved from
    http://web.archive.org/web/20040720185017/http://www.saee.ca/pdfs/006.pdf
•   Barker, K., Wendel, T., & Richmond, M. (1999). Linking the literature: School effectiveness and virtual schools.
    Vancouver, BC: FuturEd. Retrieved from
    http://web.archive.org/web/20061112102653/http://www.futured.com/pdf/Virtual.pdf
•   Canadian Teachers Federation. (2000). Facts sheets on contractual issues in distance/online education. Ottawa, ON:
    Author.
•   Canadian Council of Learning. (2009). State of e-learning in Canada. Ottawa, ON: Author. Retrieved from
    http://www.ccl-cca.ca/pdfs/E-learning/E-Learning_Report_FINAL-E.PDF
•   Dallas, J. (1999). Distance education for kindergarten to grade 12: A Canadian perspective. A presentation at the Pan-
    Commonwealth Forum, Brunei. Retrieved from http://www.col.org/forum/PCFpapers/PostWork/dallas.pdf
•   Haughey, M. (2005). Growth of online schooling in Canada. In C. Howard, J. Boettcher, L. Justice, K. Schenk, P. L. Rogers
    & G. A. Berg (Eds.), Encyclopedia of distance learning, (vol. 2, pp. 984-989). Hersey, PA: Idea Group, Inc.
•   Haughey, M., & Fenwick, T. (1996). Issues in forming school district consortia to provide distance education: Lessons
    from Alberta. Journal of Distance Education, 11(1). Retrieved from
    http://www.jofde.ca/index.php/jde/article/view/242/454
•   O'Haire, N., Froese-Germain, B., & Lane-De Baie, S. (2003). Virtual education, real educators: Issues in online learning.
    Ottawa, ON: The Canadian Teachers' Federation.
•   Plante, J., & Beattie, D. (2004). Connectivity and ICT integration in Canadian elementary and secondary schools: First
    results from the information and communications technologies in schools survey, 2003-2004. Ottawa, ON: Statistics
    Canada.
•   Stevens, K. (1997a). The place of telelearning in the development of rural schools in Newfoundland and Labrador.
    Prospects, 4(4). Retrieved from http://www.cdli.ca/Community/Prospects/v4n4/telelearning.htm
•   Wynne, S. D. (1997). An overview of virtual schooling in North America and Europe. Victoria, BC: Open Learning Agency.
Your
Questions
  and
Comments
Assistant Professor
  Wayne State University, USA
     mkbarbour@gmail.com
http://www.michaelbarbour.com
1 of 23

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BC DL Conference 2010 - State of the Nation: K-12 Online Learning in Canada

  • 1. State of the Nation: K-12 Online Learning in Canada Michael K. Barbour, Wayne State University
  • 2. Background • K-12 online learning began in British Columbia in 1993 with the creation of New Directions in Distance Learning and the EBUS Academy (Dallas, 1999) • Followed by district-based online programmes in Manitoba, Ontario, Alberta, and Newfoundland and Labrador (Barker & Wendel, 2001; Barker, Wendall & Richmond, 1999; Haughey & Fenwich, 1996; Stevens, 1997) • Wynne (1997) described few online learning programmes outside of British Columbia and Alberta and even less government regulation in this area • The Canadian Teachers Federation (2000) that there were approximately 25,000 K-12 students enroled in online courses during the 1999-2000 school year
  • 3. Background • O’Haire, Froese-Germain and Lane-De Baie (2003) reported that Alberta had the most students engaged in online learning, but British Columbia also had a significant number of district-based and consortium programmes • Plante and Beattie (2004) found that almost 30% of schools – and almost 40% of secondary schools – in Canada were using the Internet for online learning • Haughey (2005) indicated that the growth of virtual schooling in Canada was slower than in the United States • The Canadian Council on Learning (2009) stated that “delivery of resources, however, does not guarantee learning, even when the initial barriers of access [to online learning] have been overcome” (p. 61)
  • 4. iNACOL Report • State of the Nation Study: K-12 Online Learning in Canada – snapshot study in 2008 – http://www.inacol.org/resources/docs/NACOL_Canada Study-lr.pdf – complete study in 2009 - http://www.inacol.org/research/docs/iNACOL_Canada Study_200911.pdf • Virtual Schooling in Canada – project wiki site - http://virtualschool.wikispaces.com/ canada/
  • 5. Methodology • a survey that was sent to each of the Ministries of Education • follow-up interviews with Ministry officials • an analysis of documents from the Ministry of Education • eight of the thirteen responded • four of the provinces and territories ignored the request • e-Learning Ontario declined to participate these jurisdictions were based solely on the analysis of documents (and in some instances information provided by others involved in K-12 distance education in that province or territory, but not associated with the Ministry) • the Ministries of Education that responded were provided a draft copy of the profile for their revisions and • vignettes were solicited from suggestions made by the Ministry of Education contacts and existing relationships of the researcher • as of October 2009
  • 6. National Overview Single provincial online learning program Provincial online learning program with limited district programs Provincial online learning program with significant district- based & private programs Use district-based online learning programs from other provinces
  • 7. Newfoundland and Labrador • Online learning began in mid-1990s • Single province-wide programme housed within MOE – Came from models developed in earlier district programmes • Initial focus on rural students • No specific policies for online learning, but work is currently being done in this area
  • 8. Nova Scotia • Online learning began around 2003 • A provincial wide pilot programme house within the MOE & a couple of district-based programmes • Initial focus on specialized subject areas (e.g., French as a second language) • No specific policies for online learning, but there are 11 provisions included in the Nova Scotia Teachers Union agreement
  • 9. Prince Edward Island • Little online learning activity • MOE provides access to K-12 distance opportunities in New Brunswick, along with a private online training school focusing on business & technology courses • MOE has issued two directives since 2001 containing guidelines for the use of distance education in K-12 environment
  • 10. New Brunswick • Online learning began around 1998 • Single province-wide programme housed within MOE – Grew from a single course to over 40 courses • Initial focus on technology, then all grade 11 and 12, & other optional & advanced courses – Used frequently by face-to-face teachers too • No specific policies for online learning, but the Ministry has established a policy handbook that outlines the administrative procedures
  • 11. Quebec • Networked Remote Schools or Écoles éloignées en réseau – Designed to connect rural and remote schools via the Internet to allow them to share curricular resources • Learn Quebec – English language, synchronous online learning programme • Province-wide programme for adult students – Société de formation à distance des commissions scolaires du Québec (SOFAD)  Three English & 37 French school boards manage their own programmes
  • 12. Ontario • Online learning began around 1994 • Primarily district-based programmes using the provincial CMS and course content – Some private school activity • Online learning not officially recognized by MOE – Masked within brick-and-mortar system – e-Learning Ontario has issued numerous memos regulating online learning
  • 13. Manitoba • Province offers three forms of distance education – MOE manages correspondence and audio teleconference systems – Districts manage their own web-based programme using MOE content • All districts appear to participate in web-based option to some extent • Ministry’s distance learning policy is still in draft form & awaiting final approval, but will be implemented in 2010-11
  • 14. Saskatchewan • Ministry devolved their responsibility for distance education to school divisions – Provided additional transition funding in 2008-09 to assist school divisions • Fourteen school divisions created the Saskatchewan Distance Learning Course Repository to provide capacity to other divisions • No specific legislation or regulations that govern K-12 online learning
  • 15. Alberta • Online learning began around 1994-95 • Numerous district-based, several private, and a province-wide programme • MOE has no specific online learning policies (simply advises school-based programmes to consider how they will treat online learning) – Had been in the process of creating a province- wide framework, but that process has stalled
  • 16. British Columbia • First online learning programmes around 1993 • Substantial public and private activity • MOE uses term distributed learning – Refers to all forms of K-12 distance education, much of which is still not online • Only province where MOE has concrete separate policies for distance education
  • 17. Yukon • Utilizes programmes from British Columbia • MOE active in this provincial-territorial agreement – With the Northern British Columbia Distance Education School (NBCDES) • Involved 141 students in 51 courses in 2006- 07 (<5000 students in territory) – up from 87 students in 49 courses the previous year
  • 18. Northwest Territories • Utilizes programmes from Alberta • MOE active in this provincial-territorial agreement – With the Alberta Distance Learning Centre (ADLC) – Online Northern Studies 10 course offered during the second semester through Aurora College • Involved 179 students in 38 courses from 18 schools in 2007-08 (~10,000 K-12 students in territory)
  • 19. Nunavut • No active K-12 distance education programmes – Piloted programmes in the past and had plans for further pilot projects – Past have utilizes programmes from Alberta • No specific reference to distance education in the legislation & no individual regulations
  • 20. State of the Nation 2010 Study • Received additional funding – Update provincial profiles  Attempt to add level of activity – Continue with new vignettes – Add new brief issue papers section • Areas of Concern – French language programmes – Quebec – Northern Canada
  • 21. Bibliography • Barker, K., & Wendel, T. (2001). e-Learning: Studying Canada's virtual secondary schools. Kelowna, BC: Society for the Advancement of Excellence in Education. Retrieved from http://web.archive.org/web/20040720185017/http://www.saee.ca/pdfs/006.pdf • Barker, K., Wendel, T., & Richmond, M. (1999). Linking the literature: School effectiveness and virtual schools. Vancouver, BC: FuturEd. Retrieved from http://web.archive.org/web/20061112102653/http://www.futured.com/pdf/Virtual.pdf • Canadian Teachers Federation. (2000). Facts sheets on contractual issues in distance/online education. Ottawa, ON: Author. • Canadian Council of Learning. (2009). State of e-learning in Canada. Ottawa, ON: Author. Retrieved from http://www.ccl-cca.ca/pdfs/E-learning/E-Learning_Report_FINAL-E.PDF • Dallas, J. (1999). Distance education for kindergarten to grade 12: A Canadian perspective. A presentation at the Pan- Commonwealth Forum, Brunei. Retrieved from http://www.col.org/forum/PCFpapers/PostWork/dallas.pdf • Haughey, M. (2005). Growth of online schooling in Canada. In C. Howard, J. Boettcher, L. Justice, K. Schenk, P. L. Rogers & G. A. Berg (Eds.), Encyclopedia of distance learning, (vol. 2, pp. 984-989). Hersey, PA: Idea Group, Inc. • Haughey, M., & Fenwick, T. (1996). Issues in forming school district consortia to provide distance education: Lessons from Alberta. Journal of Distance Education, 11(1). Retrieved from http://www.jofde.ca/index.php/jde/article/view/242/454 • O'Haire, N., Froese-Germain, B., & Lane-De Baie, S. (2003). Virtual education, real educators: Issues in online learning. Ottawa, ON: The Canadian Teachers' Federation. • Plante, J., & Beattie, D. (2004). Connectivity and ICT integration in Canadian elementary and secondary schools: First results from the information and communications technologies in schools survey, 2003-2004. Ottawa, ON: Statistics Canada. • Stevens, K. (1997a). The place of telelearning in the development of rural schools in Newfoundland and Labrador. Prospects, 4(4). Retrieved from http://www.cdli.ca/Community/Prospects/v4n4/telelearning.htm • Wynne, S. D. (1997). An overview of virtual schooling in North America and Europe. Victoria, BC: Open Learning Agency.
  • 23. Assistant Professor Wayne State University, USA mkbarbour@gmail.com http://www.michaelbarbour.com