B10 G THE GLOBE AND MAIL • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2017 • REPORT ON BUSINESS T en years ago, Lisa Lalonde, now a professor in the faculty of ear- ly childhood education at Algon- quin College in Ottawa, was cautioned by a friend about her choice to pursue an education almost exclusively online. “When I first started this journey, someone asked me about what my career objectives were in the long- term … and they warned me that some of the upper crust of academ- ia don’t look highly upon this [online education],” she recalls. “Whereas, I’m finding that is defi- nitely not the case any more.” Prof. Lalonde completed her mas- ter of arts in educational leadership and management from Royal Roads University in Victoria in 2014 and is pursuing her PhD online in applied psychology and human develop- ment at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute of Studies in Edu- cation. “I have never been faced with, in any of my job prospects, having someone say [dismissively], ‘Oh you did online learning.’ That’s nev- er happened once,” says Prof. Lalonde. According to students who stud- ied online and employment recrui- ters alike, Canada’s employers do not see a digital education as inferi- or to its on-campus counterpart – as long as the courses are through a reputable university. Online postsecondary learning is a growing global phenomenon and shows no signs of slowing. But there are still cautionary tales. The University of Phoenix – a for-profit institution that offers online educa- tion – has a history of being investi- gated for overstating results and other issues, along with other pri- vate institutions. It’s clear that caution needs to be taken when pursuing online stud- ies, but ensuring courses are from a public, Canadian postsecondary institution is a good place to start, says Prof. Lalonde. “I did my research,” she explains, “and I was confident with my choice of school because I had done my due diligence and I would tell others to do the same.” Canada’s postsecondary institu- tions are expected to continue to increase their online offerings to keep up with demand from stu- dents who like the convenience and affordability of online learning. According to a 2015 study, Online and Distance Capacity of Canadian Universities, commissioned by Glob- al Affairs Canada, 361,000 members (nearly 30 per cent) of the student population in Canada took online courses in 2015. And it is this growing popularity that is helping to garner approval of online studies by Canadian employers, explains Mary Barroll, president of TalentEgg, a student and recent-graduate career resource company. “I think there is a growing accept- ance of online learning, but it fun- damentally comes down to the reputation of the program, the institution offering it and the ac- creditation attached to it,” says Ms. Barroll. “It doesn’t have the same stigma attached to it as it did 10, 15 years ago.” While employers are not balking at a candidate’s online education if it is from a recognizable source, they may question if the person has the interpersonal skills that many jobs require. “Employers tell me frequently that they are looking for leaders and because of the nature of online learning, you have a harder job to prove that you have those soft skills that employers are looking for,” explains Ms. Barroll. “So it’s crucial that people have other experience – in the community or the workplace – that can demonstrate that sort of capacity to lead, collaborate and work in a team.” However, e-learning often requires self-discipline, drive and other skills that are attractive to employers, so online students should not be afraid to play up those on an appli- cation, says Ms. Barroll. Online studies “are a really good way to show you’ve got time man- agement skills, the dedication, the discipline and initiative that it takes to be involved in an online learning experience,” she adds. Kelly Edmonds, an e-learning spe- cialist, echoes the call for caution when it comes to online courses. “There are all sorts of courses – non-credit, recreational – out there now and the quality is all over the place,” says Dr. Edmonds, who received the majority of her train- ing online and says there was a negative perception of online stud- ies in previous years. “I think we’ve worked so hard in the e-learning field to contribute research, papers and articles, and have studied how students can learn better online that the e-learn- ing field is very much behind this concept of ‘how can we do this bet- ter?’” The availability and variety of online courses makes them acces- sible, but it does mean the onus is on the student to research the course to ensure it is going to be positively viewed by employers. “It makes sense that employers would question where a program is from and place a value based on that assessment,” she explains. “I think employers would be skep- tical if they saw an online degree from ABC University,” says Dr. Edmonds. “But when they know the university, they can determine the calibre of the program and the rigour of the content.” ................................................................ Special to The Globe and Mail ONLINE EDUCATION How employers view an online education Opinions have changed about digital learning, but students need to research where they get their instruction ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Lisa Lalonde, a professor at Algonquin College in Ottawa, pursued her studies online. BLAIR GABLE/THE GLOBE AND MAIL DAINA LAWRENCE ................................................................ I think there is a growing acceptance of online learning, but it fundamentally comes down to the reputation of the program, the institution offering it and the accreditation attached to it. Mary Barroll President, TalentEgg T he title alone, Death 101, sug- gests something other than typi- cal University of Toronto fare. But Death 101 is no horror show. It is an online course, now archived, on global health risks, death and disease, and their effect on policy, developed by the University of Toronto for EdX Inc. And that makes the course even less typical. EdX is a third-party platform on the web (another popular service is Coursera Inc.) that is in the business of hosting MOOCs, or massive open online courses. Sometimes the courses have a prerequisite, such as prior knowledge of the topic. Some- times they are part of professional certification programs. MOOCs have become another option, along with the plethora of online courses already offered directly by postsecondary institu- tions, for busy adults looking to dip into online learning, whether for work or pleasure. And as a result, this has led to rap- id changes in adult learning. The design of online classes has evolved dramatically in the past five years. And what is required of students online has also changed dramatical- ly. Prospective students who choose to study online have a few key issues to consider. ................................................................ Expect to be busy Simply signing up, doing some read- ing and dabbling in a class anony- mously are not enough. That is no more effective than sitting in a lec- ture and watching a professor speak for one, two or three hours, says Gregor Kiczales, executive director of the University of British Colum- bia’s extended learning department and a professor of computer science. Online courses are about conci- sion. Each lecture tends to be short, about 10 minutes, accompanied by exercises sprinkled throughout the course. They aren’t about daydream- ing through long classes and weeks of plowing independently through vast texts. “What’s interesting is that the online courses, in a funny way, have a real advantage, because it’s so easy for them to intermix presenting content with activity. It’s so easy for them to say to the learner, ‘Hey, you haven’t solved a problem in a day. Why don’t you do this now?’ ” Dr. Kiczales says. “It’s so easy for them to encourage the kind of activities that we know promote learning.” ................................................................ Shop around for the right class This isn’t as obvious as it may sound. There are many different ways in which online classes are designed to engage students, from continual assignments to little nudges by an algorithm or directly from an instructor. Consider your preferences. “Look for signs that the online course is well designed for learning, not that it’s well designed to be effi- cient for the institution providing it. Does it have a clear sense of what’s going to happen each week? Does it have real activities that are going to be interesting to engage in? Does it check back in with you to see how you’re doing, and keep you up to date? When you post questions online, do they get answered quick- ly? All of those are quality indica- tions,” Dr. Kiczales says. ................................................................ Expect a ‘flipped’ learning experience The traditional method of doing the reading, attending the lecture and then doing some exercises later is now frequently flipped. The empha- sis with online courses is often on the exercises. This creates a more sequential learning experience – baby steps – different than the go-it- alone experience that some courses offer. “I have them do a little bit of read- ing, a little bit of video [watching], and a little bit of exercises on which they get feedback. And that process repeats until they get all their skills,” says Saul Carliner, a profes- sor and interim chair of the depart- ment of education at Concordia University. This flips the learning ex- perience by emphasizing activity rather than passive listening. This is spilling over into how many tradi- tion classroom courses are taught, too, often with a hybrid, online-off- line approach. “There is a fair amount of evi- dence that this is quite a successful means of teaching. It may be more entertaining, that’s great. But ideal- ly, it’s more engaging,” he says. “It’s doing what you’re supposed to do with effective instruction, which is, I introduce a skill and I verify that you understand it before I move you on to the next skill.” The question, though, is whether this flipped method, this step-by- step approach of sequential exercis- es online, suits the way you like to learn. Not everyone is so linearly minded; not every subject is as suit- ed to linear teaching. ................................................................ Think about what you want from the online class, not just what it offers Are you looking for a new profes- sional skill, or obtaining a prerequi- site for further study, or looking to earn a certificate? “That self-assessment of what’s appropriate for you, and what you’re looking for, is probably the most important thing, so that you follow a path that’s not going to be frustrating for you,” says Laurie Harrison, director of online learning strategies at the University of Toron- to. Remember, too, that even if the class is a good fit for your needs, the way it is delivered online can alter what it provides. For instance, some MOOCs are free, but certain things like a completion certification or study aids are likely behind pay- walls. So assessing your needs often means plowing through options of which class to choose. “It’s a double-edged sword. You could almost say that with so much choice, where do you begin? But with so much choice, there’s a right fit for everyone,” Dr. Harrison says. Four tips for adult digital learners When considering online classes, e-learners need to decide what they want to get out of a course before choosing ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... GUY DIXON ................................................................ UBC’s Gregor Kiczales.
Transcript
B10 G T H E G LO B E A N D M A I L • W E D N E S DAY , N O V E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 1 7• REPORT ON BUSINESS
Ten years ago, Lisa Lalonde, nowa professor in the faculty of ear-
ly childhood education at Algon-quin College in Ottawa, wascautioned by a friend about herchoice to pursue an educationalmost exclusively online.
“When I first started this journey,someone asked me about what mycareer objectives were in the long-term … and they warned me thatsome of the upper crust of academ-ia don’t look highly upon this[online education],” she recalls.“Whereas, I’m finding that is defi-nitely not the case any more.”
Prof. Lalonde completed her mas-ter of arts in educational leadershipand management from Royal RoadsUniversity in Victoria in 2014 and ispursuing her PhD online in appliedpsychology and human develop-ment at the University of Toronto’sOntario Institute of Studies in Edu-cation.
“I have never been faced with, inany of my job prospects, havingsomeone say [dismissively], ‘Ohyou did online learning.’ That’s nev-er happened once,” says Prof.Lalonde.
According to students who stud-ied online and employment recrui-ters alike, Canada’s employers donot see a digital education as inferi-or to its on-campus counterpart – aslong as the courses are through areputable university.
Online postsecondary learning isa growing global phenomenon andshows no signs of slowing. Butthere are still cautionary tales. TheUniversity of Phoenix – a for-profitinstitution that offers online educa-tion – has a history of being investi-gated for overstating results andother issues, along with other pri-vate institutions.
It’s clear that caution needs to betaken when pursuing online stud-ies, but ensuring courses are from apublic, Canadian postsecondaryinstitution is a good place to start,
says Prof. Lalonde.“I did my research,” she explains,
“and I was confident with mychoice of school because I had donemy due diligence and I would tellothers to do the same.”
Canada’s postsecondary institu-tions are expected to continue toincrease their online offerings tokeep up with demand from stu-dents who like the convenience andaffordability of online learning.
According to a 2015 study, Onlineand Distance Capacity of CanadianUniversities, commissioned by Glob-al Affairs Canada, 361,000 members(nearly 30 per cent) of the studentpopulation in Canada took onlinecourses in 2015.
And it is this growing popularitythat is helping to garner approval ofonline studies by Canadianemployers, explains Mary Barroll,president of TalentEgg, a student
and recent-graduate career resourcecompany.
“I think there is a growing accept-ance of online learning, but it fun-damentally comes down to thereputation of the program, theinstitution offering it and the ac-creditation attached to it,” says Ms.Barroll. “It doesn’t have the samestigma attached to it as it did 10, 15years ago.”
While employers are not balkingat a candidate’s online education ifit is from a recognizable source,they may question if the person hasthe interpersonal skills that manyjobs require.
“Employers tell me frequentlythat they are looking for leadersand because of the nature of onlinelearning, you have a harder job toprove that you have those soft skillsthat employers are looking for,”explains Ms. Barroll. “So it’s crucial
that people have other experience –in the community or the workplace– that can demonstrate that sort ofcapacity to lead, collaborate andwork in a team.”
However, e-learning often requiresself-discipline, drive and other skillsthat are attractive to employers, soonline students should not beafraid to play up those on an appli-cation, says Ms. Barroll.
Online studies “are a really goodway to show you’ve got time man-agement skills, the dedication, thediscipline and initiative that it takesto be involved in an online learningexperience,” she adds.
Kelly Edmonds, an e-learning spe-cialist, echoes the call for cautionwhen it comes to online courses.
“There are all sorts of courses –non-credit, recreational – out therenow and the quality is all over theplace,” says Dr. Edmonds, whoreceived the majority of her train-ing online and says there was anegative perception of online stud-ies in previous years.
“I think we’ve worked so hard inthe e-learning field to contributeresearch, papers and articles, andhave studied how students canlearn better online that the e-learn-ing field is very much behind thisconcept of ‘how can we do this bet-ter?’”
The availability and variety ofonline courses makes them acces-sible, but it does mean the onus ison the student to research thecourse to ensure it is going to bepositively viewed by employers.
“It makes sense that employerswould question where a program isfrom and place a value based onthat assessment,” she explains.
“I think employers would be skep-tical if they saw an online degreefrom ABC University,” says Dr.Edmonds. “But when they know theuniversity, they can determine thecalibre of the program and therigour of the content.”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Special to The Globe and Mail
ONLINE EDUCATION
How employers view an online education Opinions have changed about digital learning, but students need to research where they get their instruction
The title alone, Death 101, sug-gests something other than typi-
cal University of Toronto fare.But Death 101 is no horror show. It
is an online course, now archived,on global health risks, death anddisease, and their effect on policy,developed by the University ofToronto for EdX Inc. And thatmakes the course even less typical.
EdX is a third-party platform onthe web (another popular service isCoursera Inc.) that is in the businessof hosting MOOCs, or massive openonline courses. Sometimes thecourses have a prerequisite, such asprior knowledge of the topic. Some-times they are part of professionalcertification programs.
MOOCs have become anotheroption, along with the plethora ofonline courses already offereddirectly by postsecondary institu-tions, for busy adults looking to dipinto online learning, whether forwork or pleasure.
And as a result, this has led to rap-id changes in adult learning. Thedesign of online classes has evolveddramatically in the past five years.And what is required of studentsonline has also changed dramatical-ly.
Simply signing up, doing some read-ing and dabbling in a class anony-mously are not enough. That is nomore effective than sitting in a lec-ture and watching a professor speak
for one, two or three hours, saysGregor Kiczales, executive directorof the University of British Colum-bia’s extended learning departmentand a professor of computer science.
Online courses are about conci-sion. Each lecture tends to be short,about 10 minutes, accompanied byexercises sprinkled throughout thecourse. They aren’t about daydream-
ing through long classes and weeksof plowing independently throughvast texts.
“What’s interesting is that theonline courses, in a funny way, havea real advantage, because it’s so easyfor them to intermix presentingcontent with activity. It’s so easy forthem to say to the learner, ‘Hey, youhaven’t solved a problem in a day.Why don’t you do this now?’ ” Dr.Kiczales says. “It’s so easy for themto encourage the kind of activitiesthat we know promote learning.”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Shop around for the right class
This isn’t as obvious as it maysound. There are many differentways in which online classes aredesigned to engage students, fromcontinual assignments to littlenudges by an algorithm or directlyfrom an instructor. Consider yourpreferences.
“Look for signs that the online
course is well designed for learning,not that it’s well designed to be effi-cient for the institution providing it.Does it have a clear sense of what’sgoing to happen each week? Does ithave real activities that are going tobe interesting to engage in? Does itcheck back in with you to see howyou’re doing, and keep you up todate? When you post questionsonline, do they get answered quick-ly? All of those are quality indica-tions,” Dr. Kiczales says.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Expect a ‘flipped’ learning experience
The traditional method of doing thereading, attending the lecture andthen doing some exercises later isnow frequently flipped. The empha-sis with online courses is often onthe exercises. This creates a moresequential learning experience –baby steps – different than the go-it-alone experience that some coursesoffer.
“I have them do a little bit of read-ing, a little bit of video [watching],and a little bit of exercises on whichthey get feedback. And that processrepeats until they get all theirskills,” says Saul Carliner, a profes-sor and interim chair of the depart-ment of education at ConcordiaUniversity. This flips the learning ex-perience by emphasizing activityrather than passive listening. This isspilling over into how many tradi-tion classroom courses are taught,too, often with a hybrid, online-off-line approach.
“There is a fair amount of evi-dence that this is quite a successfulmeans of teaching. It may be moreentertaining, that’s great. But ideal-
ly, it’s more engaging,” he says. “It’sdoing what you’re supposed to dowith effective instruction, which is, Iintroduce a skill and I verify thatyou understand it before I move youon to the next skill.”
The question, though, is whetherthis flipped method, this step-by-step approach of sequential exercis-es online, suits the way you like tolearn. Not everyone is so linearlyminded; not every subject is as suit-ed to linear teaching.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Think about what you wantfrom the online class, not justwhat it offers
Are you looking for a new profes-sional skill, or obtaining a prerequi-site for further study, or looking toearn a certificate?
“That self-assessment of what’sappropriate for you, and whatyou’re looking for, is probably themost important thing, so that youfollow a path that’s not going to befrustrating for you,” says LaurieHarrison, director of online learningstrategies at the University of Toron-to.
Remember, too, that even if theclass is a good fit for your needs, theway it is delivered online can alterwhat it provides. For instance, someMOOCs are free, but certain thingslike a completion certification orstudy aids are likely behind pay-walls. So assessing your needs oftenmeans plowing through options ofwhich class to choose.
“It’s a double-edged sword. Youcould almost say that with so muchchoice, where do you begin? Butwith so much choice, there’s a rightfit for everyone,” Dr. Harrison says.
Four tips for adult digital learnersWhen considering online classes, e-learners need to decide what they want to get out of a course before choosing
“The AU MBA journey allowed me togrow my career and build my HealthcareExecutive tool kit, all while expandingmy family and working full-time. Thebroad student backgrounds and networkscombined with the opportunities totranslate theory into practice made mea more well-rounded health leader –there was no shortage of opportunityto bring my learnings into the work-place. The AU MBA experience notonly opened up new career ‘doors’ butalso led me down the right path.”
For more information on our MBA:1-800-561-4650business.athabascau.ca/mba
Duane Leedell, MBA ’17, CHE candidateOperations Manager, Genetic Laboratory ServicesAlberta Health Services
T H E G LO B E A N D M A I L • W E D N E S DAY , N O V E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 1 7 G B11REPORT ON BUSINESS •
S ix years ago, Kyle Trumpour andhis wife moved to Little Red River
Cree Nation, a small Indigenouscommunity about 800 kilometresnorth of Edmonton. The idea was tostay for a year and save money fromtheir teaching jobs, but the pair fellin love with the community anddecided to extend their stay.
But as Mr. Trumpour moved intoan administrative role at Kayas Cul-tural College, he realized that his dai-ly tasks were almost exclusivelymanagement-oriented – from actingas the housing manager to bringingthe latest technology into the class-rooms.
It was at this point that Mr. Trum-pour decided to pursue his master ofbusiness administration (MBA). Buthis remote location dictated that hisschooling be done online, so the 32-year-old turned to Athabasca Univer-sity’s MBA program.
“Definitely the primary reason wasthe location, where we were in a veryremote, isolated community,” saysMr. Trumpour, but it wasn’t the onlyreason. “We had started careers and atraditional classroom experiencewasn’t going to work for us, but a dis-tance-learning environment allowedfor a little bit more flexibility.”
More of today’s business studentsare turning to online courses, andbusiness schools around the worldare embracing the idea. With this in-creased demand from business pro-fessionals to access e-learning,course developers, professors, andpostsecondary institutions in Cana-da are streamlining the process toboth attract and keep pace withonline learners.
Online studies can be divided intotwo categories: synchronous andasynchronous. Sychronous onlinelearning usually involves real-timechats or video linkups, meaning thestudent is accessing the course ma-
terial and resources at the same timeas his or her cohorts. Asynchronouse-learning means the student canaccess the course material any timeand learn on his or her own sched-ule, and this is what appeals to manybusiness students like Mr. Trumpour.
“With Athabasca’s program, theymarket it as asynchronous, meaningthat everyone can participate in it ontheir own schedule at any time,whether that’s at midnight or 7 in
the morning,” he explains. “And thisis critical when you’re working atyour day job at the same time you’repursuing your MBA.”
Indeed, the flexibility of onlinebusiness courses is what makesthem so appealing and why thedemand is growing, says Heidi Eris-man, executive director of the Cana-dian Virtual University consortium.
“Usually people who are doingMBAs are in their 30s and they’vecompleted their first postsecondary[program] and have started othermilestones that include families andmortgages, but there is also the needto grow professionally,” says Ms. Eris-man, who also completed her MBAstudies online. “People are [often]mature students and they don’t havethe luxury of attending universityfull-time, so online [education] isvery accommodating.”
To date, the Canadian Virtual Uni-versity Consortium is made up of 11universities across the country andhas nearly 250,000 students register-
ed in online degrees, double thenumber since the group’s inceptionin 2000. Business courses are themost widely accessed.
“Online business certificates, shortprograms, undergraduate and mas-ters degrees dominate the onlinecourse and program offerings, andthey are in high demand,” says Ms.Erisman. “Increasingly, employersare linking professional and academ-ic development with advancement,and for those interested in movingup the career ladder, they chooseonline and distance learning togrow.”
Alongside this growing demandfrom the business learner fore-courses, the concept of a specificonline pedagogy, or method ofteaching, has emerged. Experts rec-ognize the need for online courses todiffer from their on-campus counter-parts in order to reach and teach theoften asynchronous audience.
“The curriculums are usuallydesigned with the awareness that
people are going to be working ontheir projects and assignments atodd times,” adds Ms. Erisman.
Charles Bélanger, a professor ofmanagement at Laurentian Univer-sity in Sudbury, says when he devel-ops a business course for the onlineaudience it requires a team effort.
“On-campus you’re pretty muchthe CEO of your course,” he explains.“But each time I develop a module Iwill be in consultation with [the uni-versity’s] specialists in online coursedevelopment, and together we willsee if this fits or this doesn’t fit or ele-ments could be improved. In otherwords, it’s a team effort between theinstructional development specialistand the professor.”
Dr. Bélanger explains that businesseducation has a natural place online,as many of the courses lend them-selves to the digital model, whichinvolves breaking up the coursework into modules with learningoutcomes that specify what skills thestudent will obtain by completingeach module.
Now a grant manager with Indige-nous Relations, Government ofAlberta, Mr. Trumpour says it wasthis model that allowed him to applyhis new skills to his work environ-ment in Little Red River right away.
“There was just so much that I wasable to apply immediately to my or-ganization,” he says. “It speaks to thepower of online learning, to be ableto access that level of education in aremote community.
“Over all, the pros definitely out-weigh the cons. Being able to man-age a flexible work-life environmenton your own time and being able tocontinue your life goals, like having ason, like I did, while working in aremote community … all of thosepositives definitely outweigh thenegatives of not being in a tradition-al classroom.”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Special to The Globe and Mail
So remote, studying online was the only optionKyle Trumpour found himself about 800 km north of Edmonton, wanting to get an MBA
Kyle Trumpour, below, realized he needed a management education when he moved from teaching into anadministrative role at Kayas Cultural College in Little Red River Cree Nation, Alta. KAYAS CULTURAL COLLEGE
Enrolment rates for online stud-ies in Canada increased 10 to 15
per cent a year over the past fiveyears, according to a recent studyled by Canadian e-learning consult-ant Tony Bates, who is also distin-guished visiting professor atRyerson University in Toronto.
Dr. Bates, president and chief ex-ecutive officer of Tony Bates Associ-ates Ltd., founded in 2003, led ateam of researchers tasked with sur-veying almost 100 Canadian institu-tions about their online anddistance courses. Released in Octo-ber, the report is called TrackingOnline and Distance Education inCanadian Universities and Colleges.
“What I found interesting is howit’s affecting on-campus teachingnow, as a lot of professors are get-ting used to teaching online or at adistance,” says Dr. Bates. “They’refinding they can use the technologywithin their own classroom teach-ing.”
But Dr. Bates thinks the signifi-cant growth in online studies in thefuture will be from a blendedmodel – a combination of face-to-face and online learning – whichcomes with its own set of challeng-es.
Online learning has been a “quali-ty controlled model,” according toDr. Bates. “But we don’t really haveany standard practices for doingthis [blended model],” he adds.
He suggests the creation of onlinesupport modules for faculty. A placewhere, for instance, they can findout how to not only create an edu-cation video, but also find research-based guidance on what works inthe online world (such as: Don’tmake the video 20 minutes long).
According to the report, the mainchallenges to expanding onlinelearning in Canada’s colleges anduniversities came down to resis-tance from faculty, lack of govern-ment supports, and a lack of
resources (mainly tech supportstaff).
“It becomes a pedagogical issue:What is the best way to teach?” saysDr. Bates. “I think we need to lookat how we prepare faculty to teachin a digital age, and I think that’s abig challenge for these institutions.”
The report also found that onlinecourses are available in almost allsubject areas and that two-thirds ofCanada’s universities and collegessee online learning as very, orextremely, important to their futureendeavours.
The shift to online studies didn’thappen overnight, though. In fact,it has been developing for morethan 15 years, making Canada a ma-ture market when it comes toonline education.
Innovative teaching is just oneaspect that can account for the con-tinued draw toward online learning.According to the report, increasedflexibility and access was the mainreason students are choosing to doonline courses, which, in turn, hasincreased enrolment.
“The fully online market has beengrowing rapidly, partly because ofthe need for lifelong learning, par-ticularly those that have gone touniversity, graduated, are out in thework force, but they still need to goon learning – online works well forthis audience.”
Are faculty prepared for growingnumbers of online learners?Enrolment rates for online studies in Canadaincreased 10 to 15 per cent a year over the past fiveyears, according to recent study
