Press Release – Ninth Annual State of the Nation: K-12 E-Learning in Canada Reports Continued Expansion Of Online And Blended Learning In Many Provinces, Particularly In The West.

Ninth annual State of the Nation: K-12 E-Learning in Canada reports continued expansion of online and blended learning in many provinces, particularly in the West.

VANCOUVER, Dec. 21, 2016
The recently released ninth annual State of the Nation: K-12 E-Learning in Canada report finds the total number and proportion of K-12 students enrolled in blended and online learning courses and programs continues to increase from year to year, with British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec leading the way. The annual report provides a unique and valuable insight into what is happening across Canada in each jurisdiction. In addition to provincial and territorial profiles, this year’s report provides several brief issue papers and vignettes that shed light on some of the successes and challenges facing educators and government leaders as they continue to embrace technology-supported education.
“The State of the Nation: K-12 E-Learning in Canada is a key benchmark for the expanding use of technology-supported blended and online learning in Canada”, said Michael Canuel, Board Chair of the Canadian eLearning Network (CANeLearn). “With the expansion of blended learning across the country in all schools, including First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) programs, the report continues to shed light on approaches that leverage open education practices and approaches.”
The report was written and developed by lead researcher Dr. Michael K. Barbour of Touro University, California; in collaboration with CANeLearn CEO, Dr. Randy LaBonte. “With the inclusion of new data from program surveys and a greater emphasis on blended learning, this is the most complete report on the state of K-12 online and blended learning in Canada that has been published to date,” stated Barbour. LaBonte noted that with expansion to the new website at http://k12sotn.ca/, “this comprehensive consolidation of research on blended and online learning practices in Canada demonstrates Canada’s leadership and managed growth based on partnerships amongst stakeholders.”
The State of the Nation report serves as a starting point for collaboration among educators eager to learn and share. Not surprisingly, two years ago this report provided the impetus for the creation of CANeLearn. Beyond the numbers, the vignettes within the report provide a glimpse into the realities of distance learning as experienced by teachers and students. The report serves as a compass for any and all interested in distance education in Canada and provides guidance and ideas for the improvement of policy and practice to provide access to high quality educational opportunities for all students through online and blended learning.
The current and past copies of the State of the Nation: K-12 E-Learning in Canada report are available at http://k12sotn.ca. Funding for the 2016 report was provided by LEARN (Quebec), Virtual High School (Ontario), British Columbia Teachers Federation, and Heritage Christian Schools (BC). Publication services provided in kind by the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre.
About CANeLearn
The Canadian e-Learning Network (CANeLearn) is a Canadian registered not-for-profit society who’s mission is to provide leadership that champions student success in online and blended learning by providing members with networking, collaboration, and research opportunities. https://canelearn.net
Media Inquiries: Randy LaBonte
CEO, Canadian eLearning Network
rlabonte@CANeLearn.net — 250-701-7485

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