This document provides an overview of K-12 online learning in Canada from the 1990s to 2010. It finds that while online learning first began in the 1990s in a few provinces, it has since grown with most provinces now having some form of online learning options. The growth has been slower in Canada than in the US. Most provinces offer a mix of province-wide and district-based online learning programs, with little standardization or regulation between jurisdictions. A 2009 study by iNACOL provided profiles of online learning for each province and territory, finding a range of implementation levels and policies across the country.

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
– current study - 2010
• Virtual Schooling in Canada
– project wiki site - http://virtualschool.wikispaces.com/
canada/

5. Methodology - 2009 Report
• 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

6. National Overview
Single provincial online
learning program
Primarily district-based
programs
Combination of provincial
online learning
program and significant
district-based
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
• 8 courses offered to 11 French-language & 23
English-language students provided by New
Brunswick
• MOE has issued two directives since 2001
containing guidelines for the use of distance
education in K-12 environment
– MOE approves all DE offerings

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 legislative or regulation 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
• No legislative regulations
– e-Learning Ontario has issued numerous memos
regulating online learning
• New teacher qualifications for Teaching and
Learning through e-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

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 (independent
schools) activity
• Only province where MOE has concrete
separate, legislative 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.

22. Your
Questions
and
Comments

23. Assistant Professor
Wayne State University, USA
mkbarbour@gmail.com
http://www.michaelbarbour.com