E-Learning in Canada
IDEA GROUP PUBLISHING ITJ3462 701 E. ChocolateJournal Avenue, of Distance Suite 200, Education Hershey Technologies, PA 17033-1240, 5(1), USA 1-6, January-March 2007 1 Tel: 717/533-8845; Fax 717/533-8661; URL-http://www.idea-group.com This paper appears in the publication, International Journal of Distance Education Technologies, Volume 5, Issue 1 edited by Shi-Kuo Chang; Timothy K. Shih © 2007, Idea Group Inc. E-Learning in Canada Rory McGreal, Athabasca University, Canada Terry Anderson, Athabasca University, Canada A principal characteristic of the belonging to numerous diverse First Canadian experience with e-learning Nations communities. Moreover, almost is the uniquely Canadian feature of 25% of Canadians speak French as a first provincial jurisdiction over education. language and are mostly resident in the Canada is the only country that does not province of Quebec. Finally, Canada is have a national department or ministry an immigrant nation with major pockets of education. Therefore, any investiga- of immigrants residing in communities tion of e-learning in Canada must focus within the major metropolitan areas. more on specific provincial initiatives This creates geographic and cultural, in technologically enhanced learn- as well as linguistic, barriers that make ing rather than a Canadian overview. it difficult for people to communicate. In the best sense, Canada’s e-learn- These obstacles vary from province to ing programming can be viewed as a province and in the far northern territo- patchwork quilt made up of interesting ries. Addressing them requires different projects, programs, and initiatives. In approaches in different regions with the worst sense, it is a set of disparate diverse communities.
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