Barbour, M. K., Wenmoth, D., & Davis, N. (2012, November). Sustainability and maturity of K-12 online learning organizations in New Zealand. A paper presented at the annual convention of the Association for Educational Communication and Technology, Louisville, KY. This session describes a study into the development of K-12 online learning in New Zealand, specifically the obstacles e-learning clusters face to achieve sustainability and maturity through the lens of the Learning Communities Online Handbook. Using a variety of data collection methods, the researcher identified three common barriers and four examples of networked schools. Based on these findings, it is recommended e-learning clusters encourage greater collaboration between clusters and greater consistency of activities.

1. Sustainability and Maturity of
K-12 Online Learning
Organizations in New Zealand
Michael Barbour, Wayne State University
Derek Wenmoth, CORE Education
Niki Davis, University of Canterbury

3. Virtual Learning Network
VLN Primary
Te Kura
Several tertiary's

4. Research Purpose
To capture, in a range of ways, information that
will contribute to the knowledge base about the
development of virtual schooling in New
Zealand, in particular, how the Learning
Communities Online Handbook is being used
to assist and inform this development.

5. Research Questions
1.(a) What common barriers do e-learning
clusters face in their development towards
maturity and sustainability?
(b) How have mature and sustainable clusters
overcome those barriers?
2.What are some examples of how networked
schools are emerging in the New Zealand
context?

6. Research Visits

7. Research Visits
• 9 current or emerging clusters
• 3 VLN-related projects
• 13 schools
• 1 health school
• Te Kura
• 9 tertiary institutions

8. Data Collected
• Interviews
– 10 current & former ePrincipals
– 8 Principals & Deputy Principals
– 12 eTeachers, eDeans & Facilitators
– 18 Students
• Observations
– 12 video conferencing session
– 10 asynchronous work locations
• Document Analysis
– reports, courses, data, school newsletter, cluster info, etc.

9. Learning Communities Online Handbook, 2011

10. Research Questions
1.(a) What common barriers do e-learning
clusters face in their development towards
maturity and sustainability?
(b) How have mature and sustainable clusters
overcome those barriers?
2.What are some examples of how networked
schools are emerging in the New Zealand
context?

11. Common Obstacles
• Lack of vision
• Funding, resources
and the role of the
ePrincipal
• Lack of inter-cluster
and intra-cluster co-
operation

12. Lack of Vision
• process of creating a vision
for an e-learning initiative is
critical and was clearly
evident in this data
• clusters with greatest
support were those able to
articulate a vision that went
beyond the provision of
distance education courses
& opportunities that the
tools could provide
• sustainable vs. mature

13. Resources, Funding & Role of the ePrincipal
• technology-based
initiatives require
resources (e.g., tools,
leadership, teachers, PD)
• funding e-learning
o put in a teacher, get access to
enrolments
o contribute money or % of a
teacher for cluster leadership
• little consistency in job
description (i.e., principal
of an online school)

14. Lack of Inter- & Intra-Cluster Co-operation
Art History 5 Clusters + Te Kura
Level 3 Calculus 5 Clusters
Level 2 Physics 4 Clusters
Level 3 Physics 4 Clusters
Level 3 Spanish 4 Clusters
30 courses 2+ Clusters

15. Research Questions
1.(a) What common barriers do e-learning
clusters face in their development towards
maturity and sustainability?
(b) How have mature and sustainable clusters
overcome those barriers?
2.What are some examples of how networked
schools are emerging in the New Zealand
context?

16. Wenmoth (2010)

17. Pockets of Innovation
• Changing teacher
practice
• Opening classrooms
• Mentor teacher
• Considering student
learning space

25. Davis (2007)

29. Moving Forward
• E-Learning Clusters
– coordinate activities between
clusters
– examine the role of VLN
leadership & whether there is
geographic or like-minded
rationalisation that can occur
• Ministry of Education
• continue services
• create content repository
• fund regional leadership

30. Future Research
• a national survey of
distance education
activity & processes
– # of students
– # of teachers
– # of courses
– which courses
– resource model
– technologies/software
• include VLN clusters,
Loops, Te Kura, health
schools, tertiary groups

31. Your
Questions
And
Comments