Organizing Distance Learning in the North; Analysing Canadian K-12 Policies for Distance Learning

Abstract

To explore what role distance learning may play in strengthening human capital in the Circumpolar North, this case study describes the development of distance learning policies on organization and facilitation in K-12 education in Canada and suggests explanations for this development. Because the decentralized structure of Canadian governance and the autonomy of the provinces and territories impact policy development in the education sector, distance learning policies can develop differently across the country. In the provinces where the student population is large enough to support distance education, several providers of distance education operate in the same market, but in some jurisdictions with smaller student populations, there are only one or two programs. Despite differences, there are also some significant similarities in how distance learning is facilitated as a learning environment in different jurisdictions. Although policy changes in the Canadian education sector often take place incrementally, there are examples of radical shifts as well, which tend to generate political debate. Investigating both governance aspects of distance learning and the facilitation of educational technology for instructional design, the thesis suggests some elements of the Canadian experience that are valuable for other areas in the rural North.