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Access, Quality and Affordability:How Technology Can Transform

Education in Ontario

Presentation for theMinistry of Training, Colleges & Universities

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Access, Quality and Affordability:How Technology Can Transform Education in Ontario

Stephen Murgatroyd, PhD. Chief Innovation OfficerJanuary 2009, Thunder Bay

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About this Presentation• Outline current state of e-learning in Canada / worldwide

• Look at implications for key policy issues, especially:– Access– Affordability– Quality– Completion Rates– Costs per Student– Skills Shortages

• Look at some “residual” social policy questions

• Encourage discussion

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General Context• In Canada, it is estimated that there are some 500,000+

e-learners at the post-secondary level (2.5 million e-learners at this level in the US)

• Broadband access is a critical requirement for 21st century learning, commerce and social networking

• All Universities and Colleges in Ontario and across Canada are engaged in e-learning activities– Ontario is a powerhouse for such activity – 10,000 courses and 1,500 programs are

available online

• There are ranges of “between institutions” providers that support e-learning in Ontario– Contact North/ Contact Nord, e-Channel Literacy, e-learnetwork.ca, e-Leaning Ontario ,

Independent Learning Centre, OntarioLearn, SAMFO are examples – there are related organizations in other Provinces.

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General Context (con’t)

• The costs of powerful and fast computing capacity in real terms is declining (Moore’s law) and access to digital devices is increasing.

• The current generation of elementary school students are largely digital natives– they use digital technologies intuitively and share/collaborate– they expect their formal learning to embrace such technologies

• e-learning and technology enhanced learning is playing an increasingly important role in company based and professional training and skills development.– e.g. nurses, engineers, trades all use e-learning to support upgrading and continuing

professional development

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Five Key Developments1. Blended learning

2. Mobile learning

3. Immersive learning

4. Open Educational Resources (OER)

5. Emergence of semantic web and machine learning supports for learning

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Blended LearningWHAT: Students take one or more courses in their on-campus

program via online learning and utilize online components in their class work.– 20% of all post-secondary students take one course or more for their post-secondary

education as an e-learning course– Over 80% of courses taught at Colleges/Universities have digital components (search,

simulation, collaboration etc)– Growing use of simulation and interactive technologies for courses and programs,

especially at the graduate level

• Implications: Steady growth of digital content and opportunities for collaborative course development. Increase of faculty familiarity (though take up by Faculty is at 18%-20%).

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From Classroom to Fully Integrated On Line Learning

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Mobile Learning (mLearning)WHAT: Use of Smartphone's and hand-held wireless devices for

learning.– UOIT a leading user of mobile learning in North America– iTouch / iPhone (and similar, such as the HTC Smartphone) have a Learning

Management System available for course content and other learning functions– Blackberry also used extensively for learning activities– Significant growth of mLearning for apprenticeship and skills development– Many “support functions” (careers guidance, registration, finance etc) can operate on a

smartphone

• Implications: Access aided by anytime/anywhere as is collaboration. Short course components easily available. Watch for mobile based video conferencing in 2010.

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Immersive Learning“School didn't teach me to read – I learned from my games.” Student

WHAT: Use of virtual reality (e.g. Second Life), serious gaming and interactive technologies (ex. simulators) for

learning.– 75% of UK Universities are working with Second Life– 50% of EU Universities have some use of serious gaming– Gradual growth of immersive learning in Canada– Harvard Law School uses Second Life to teach aspects of legal practice– Significant use of virtual reality and simulation in applied studies (especially health,

engineering) and apprenticeship

• Implications: Though initial development costs are high, more learners can access applied learning and apprenticeship and complete in shorter time periods

10

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Open Educational Resources (OER)WHAT: Use of “commons license” to share courses, educational

objects and learning resources– MIT, Yale, Notre Dame, UC Berkeley, OU (UK) and many others openly share courses and

course components (over 3,000 courses available from these alone)

– Open Courseware Consortium seeks to globalize this development (over 100 institutions are sharing)

– Wiki University and iTunes University are making resources freely available– Digital text books becoming freely available online

• Implications: accelerated course development, global collaboration on courseware, new courses in half the time – role of faculty member more that of “hunter gatherer” than creator.

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Semantic WebWHAT: Use of machine learning (and artificial intelligence) to

create personalized “smart” content – “self managing knowledge”.– Google, Yahoo and Firefox all now are using intelligent search systems which

understand what your search patterns are and automatically finds relevant material for you – TiVio for the web.

– Construction of intelligent learning resources now possible by learners– Competency based learning can be supported by rapid resource gathering

• Implications: Rapid course development and rapid access to global information – learning content easier to create. Learner created courses and supports.

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Three Other Key Developments1. Development of powerful research networks

1. ORION (Ontario Research and Innovation Optical Network ), CANARIE (Canadian Advanced Network and Research for Industry and Education) and others

2. Linking public and private research and providing network infrastructure

2. Growth of online libraries and journals 1. 25,000+ journals online (full content)2. Digital libraries aided by the emergence of standards

3. Significant growth of online student services1. Careers guidance, course selection, financial advising, etc.2. Benchmarking of online student services now available from WCET

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Three Stages of e-Learning DevelopmenteLearning 1.0 eLearning 1.5 eLearning 2.0

Main Components Courseware, LMS, instructor

Content Management / LMS, Discussion Groups

Wiki, Second Life, Web Based Resources

Ownership Top Down / One way Top Down, Collaborative

Bottom up. Learner driven

Development Time Long Rapid Almost instant

Content Size 60 mins 15 mins From 1 minute to 3 hours

Access Time Synchronous Asynchronous Mixed and Flexible

Delivery At One Time Anytime On Demand

Content Access LMS LMS + Web Semantic Web and Immersive Software

Driver Instructor Subject Matter Expert Learner

Content Creator Instructor Team Learner

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Seven Policy Consequences1. Access: frequent entry points for courses and programs

1. courses can start at anytime, more access at a lower unit cost

2. Quality: e-learning is readily accessible for peer based or expert quality review. 1. for 70% of students, e-learning is superior to classroom experiences2. standards need to embrace e-learning as normative, not an exception

3. Affordability: by accelerating the speed at which people can learn, more students can be taught with the same faculty levels without substantial capital costs1. reduces the need for text books, residence and travel costs

4. Completion: more students can access courses according to availability, flexibility and faster program completion.

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Seven Policy Consequences (con’t)

5. Costs per Student: containment of cost growth through systematic focus on blended learning and transfer credit for e-learning within and between institutions and across national boundaries.

6. Skills Shortages: focused use of e-learning to maintain skills and for lifelong learning can accelerate skills development and maintain competitive intelligence of workforce. Opportunity for competency based learning passports linked to known skill needs.

7. Other: broadband access a key social policy issue (not just for education)

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Five Related Issues1. Digital Divide

1. Who has access to what technology and by what means?2. Which communities do / do not have access to ubiquitous broadband?

2. Transfer credit becomes a key issue for learners “mixing and matching” courses to programs from a variety of institutions and a variety of jurisdictions. 1. How ready is the system for “mix and match” and what happens to residency?2. How ready are we for transfer of competency based learning (prior learning

assessment)?

3. Disruptive Technology: Competency Based Learning and Prior Learning assessment can be seen as a “Disruptive Technologies” – learners will demand more recognition for their own learning and work based learning.

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.. and4. Equity

- E-learning and distance education students expect to have equitable treatment in the system – especially in terms of financial assistance

- They also expect that their credits will be acceptable anywhere in Ontario and North America and expect their Government to ensure that this is the case

5. Quality– Students in traditional program expect their learning to be just as good as e-learning– Students expect their educational institutions to have access to contemporary

technologies that are relevant to their needs – wireless, broadband, streaming media, smart boards and relevant mobile technologies…which has implications for capital budgeting, capital asset management and professional development of faculty

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Stephen Murgatroyd, PhDChief Innovation Officer

stephen@contactnorth.cawww.contactnorth.ca

Northeast Regional Coordinating CentreContact North/ Contact Nord

410 Falconbridge Road, Sudbury ON P3A 4S4