eLearning in Canada:Future Research Directions

Griff Richards, Ph. D.

Technology Enhanced Learning

Research Institute

Electronic KazanKazan, Russia, 26 April 2009

Canadian Provinces

60oN

49oN

Population distribution in Canada(35 Million)

Distance Learning in Canada

Distance Education in Canada is growing especially in K-12 public schools

15% of 2008 high school graduates in BC took at least one on-line course

DL designed for remote learners but gives access and flexibility to all students

Declining enrolment in

British Columbia

• http://www.walking-europe.co.uk/pictures/British_Columbia_4.jpg

French Virtual High School

2,2214,633

6,7997,991

17,275 16,876

33,000

28,317

49,000

31,500

54,100

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

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DL Student Enrolments

2,2214,633

6,7997,991

17,275 16,876

33,000

28,317

49,000

31,500

54,100

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

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DL Student Enrolments

Enrolment Growth: Headcount

BC DL Course completions(2007/8)

Level Completion Exams?

Elementary K-7 89% no exams

Secondary 8-12 65% exams

Adult finishers 60% exams

Source: BC Min Education

Question 10

0

5

10

15

20

25

Passatisfait

R2 R3 R4 Trèssatisfait

Réponses

Nombre de répondants

Q10

Would you take anotherDE course?

2006 2007

Anderson’s Equivalency Theory

Learning through meaningful interactions

CourseContent

Instructor

Other learners

Both technology + pedagogy

How to use the power of the computer

How to be a guide on the side

Teacher Professional Development

Shift to Learning Activities

• Synchronous -> leads to transmissive pedagogy

(boring lectures)

• Asynchronous -> constructive learning activities

engage learners

• Most courses have a blend 1s : 2aSynch -> pacing and presentations

Asynch -> assignments and reading

• Need to build on each other

Are we developing better learners?

• Expectations?

• Self-reliant?

• Better organized?

• Pro-active communicators?

• Social constructive learners?

• Better meta-cognitive skills?

Promote student meta-cognition

“If you build it, they will come”…But they won’t stay if it’s not good

• DL improves ACCESS and FLEXIBILITY

• As quality improves, Acceptance increases– Professional Development for teachers– Course Development to reduce lectures– Collaborative activities to increase engagement – Teach learners to learn

Technology Enhanced LearningResearch Institute

Personalization &Adaptive systems

Social Networking Mobile Learning

Technology Enhanced LearningResearch Institute

Personalization &Adaptive Systems-Kinshuk-Dragan Gasevic

Social Networking-Terry Anderson-Jon Dron

Mobile Learning-Rory McGreal-Mohamed Ally

Opportunities forsynergy-Griff Richards

Quality in Distance LearningMDDE604 = Instructional Design

Group Work (30%)Group Work (30%) Individual Project (70%)Individual Project (70%)

Do’s & Don’ts for Quality Needs Assessment

Learning Object CritiqueTeleconference

Task Analysis

Develop Unit of Instruction

Peer Evaluation (Formative)

Professor Evaluation(Summative)

Would you include collaborative learning activities…?

MDE604 Adult learners acceptance of collaborative learning

Personalization

• Follow the paths of those who have gone before

• Follow the paths of those who have similar needs or interests to me

• Optimize my learning path (POLR)

• “The right materials at the right time”

Lyrix Inc. on-line homework

• “Homework” system for most popular texts in math, economics and accounting

• Textbooks used by many universities

• 100,000 students per text

• research projecta. Compare my progress with other students

b. statistical pattern analysis {learner traits,

system usage, common problems}

M-learning & Nurses

• trials with nursing student clinical terms

• increased use of mobile devices as – job aids, – Pharmaceutical references, – Communications among peers, – Procedure checking & note-taking

• Job re-engineering – potential impact in clinical practice – training and tracking

3 pedagogies (Cummins, 2008)

• Transmission– I tell you my knowledge of X

• Social constructivism– You build your own knowledge of X

• Transformative– You decide what X is

so you can change your world

CΠΑC 6Ο