2017 State of the Nation: K-12 e-Learning in Canada – Project Update

The 2017 edition of the State of the Nation: K-12 E-Learning in Canada study represents the tenth anniversary of the project.  Over the course of this month, we will be announcing various aspects of this year’s study – culminating in the release of the full 2017 State of the Nation: K-12 E-Learning in Canada report.

Provincial, Territorial and Federal Profiles Update

Each provincial and territorial profile, as well as the federal profile, have now been updated to reflect the data collected as a part of the 2017 report.  These profiles include:

• an examination of the nature of regulation of distance, online, and blended learning;
• a description of the K-12 distance and online learning activity;
• a discussion of the K-12 blended learning activity;
• links to each of the previous annual profiles;
• a history of K-12 distance education in the jurisdiction;
• a variety of vignettes related to practices within the region;
• any brief issue papers that have been produced specific to that jurisdiction;
• the most recent responses to the individual program survey; and
• a discussion of how jurisdictions treat inter-provincial and international distance education.

It is our goal that the State of the Nation: K-12 E-Learning in Canada annual published report is a shorter version of the updated changes that have occurred in each jurisdiction from the previous year. However, the online version of each provincial, territorial, and federal profile is a more comprehensive resource for e-learning in each jurisdiction.

Finally, at the bottom of each of the jurisdictional profile pages there is a section entitled “Inter-provincial and International.”  The purpose of this section is to examine policies related to students living in a given jurisdiction that may want to take a course from an e-learning program in another jurisdiction, but receive credit in the jurisdiction that they live (e.g., a student in Nova Scotia that wishes to take a course from an e-learning program in Ontario, but receive credit for the course in Nova Scotia).  Similarly, it also examines policies related to when a student in another jurisdiction wishes to take a course from an e-learning program in another jurisdiction to achieve credit there (e.g., a student living in Manitoba wishes to take a course from an e-learning program in Alberta and receive Alberta credit).  This section was originally added to the report in the 2012 edition but has not been updated until this year.

Study Methodology

The methodology utilized to collect the data for the 2017 study included:

• a survey that was sent to each of the Ministries of Education,
• follow-up interviews to clarify or expand on any of the responses contained in the survey,
• an analysis of documents from the Ministry of Education, often available in online format, and
• follow-up interviews with key stakeholders in many of the jurisdictions..

During that data collection process, officials from the provincial and territorial Ministries of Education responded. The profiles were constructed based on these survey responses, along with information provided by key stakeholders involved in K-12 distance education in each respective province or territory, and in some instances an analysis of available documents. Table 1 indicates the history of data collection for the State of the Nation: K-12 E-Learning in Canada study.

Table 1. Data collection sources for the State of the Nation: K-12 E-Learning in Canada

	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017
NL	KS / DA	MoE / DA	DA	MoE	DA	MoE / DA	MoE / DA	MoE	MoE / KS / DA	KS / DA
NS	DA	MoE / DA	MoE / DA	MoE / DA	MoE / DA	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE
PE	DA	KS / DA	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE
NB	DA	MoE / DA	MoE	MoE / DA	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE
QC	KS	KS / DA	MoE / KS	MoE / KS	MoE / KS	MoE / KS	MoE	MoE	MoE / KS	KS
ON	KS / DA	KS / DA	KS / DA	MoE / DA	MoE / DA	MoE / KS	MoE / KS	KS / DA	KS / DA	MoE / KS / DA
MB	KS	MoE / DA	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE
SK	KS / DA	MoE	MoE	MoE / KS	MoE / KS	MoE / KS	MoE	MoE	MoE / KS	MoE / KS
AB	DA	KS / DA	KS / DA	MoE	MoE / DA	MoE / DA	MoE / KS	MoE	MoE / DA	MoE / DA
BC	MoE / DA	MoE / DA	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE
YT	DA	KS / DA	MoE / DA	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE / KS	MoE / KS
NT	DA	MoE / DA	DA	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE / DA
NU	DA	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE	MoE / KS	MoE / KS	KS / DA	MoE
Federal	–	–	–	–	–	AANDC / KS / DA	AANDC / KS	INAC / KS	INAC / KS	INAC / KS

MoE – Ministry of Education; KS – Key stakeholders; DA – Document analysis; AANDC – Aboriginal Affairs & Northern Development Canada/INAC – Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada

Prior to publication drafts of each profile were provided to the Ministries, as well as key stakeholders that provided information for the profile. These individuals were given the opportunity to suggest revisions, most of which were accepted by the researchers (and all of which were seriously considered).

In addition to the data collection for the provincial, territorial, and federal profiles, the researchers also undertook an individual program survey. The individual program survey was sent to contacts from all of the K-12 distance, online, and blended programs across Canada identified by the researchers. Between the contacts that have been developed by State of the Nation: K-12 E-Learning in Canada researchers over the course of this research project, in addition to contacts provided by the Canadian eLearning Network and leads from key stakeholders, the researchers identified 285 different K-12 distance, online, and blended learning programs in Canada.

The survey was sent to all contacts on six occasions from May through October. The response rate by jurisdiction is provided in Table 2.

Table 2. Individual program survey responses

	Total Number of Programs	Number of Programs Responding	Response Rate
NL	1	0	0%
NS	2	0	0%
PE	0	–	–
NB	2	2	100%
QC	4	2	50%
ON	81	7	9%
MB	38	1	3%
SK	21	5	24%
AB	49	9	18%
BC	79	22	29%
YT	2	2	100%
NT	1	1	100%
NU	0	–	–
Federal	5	2	40%
Total	285	53	19%

Data as of the time the printed report was submitted for publication (K-12 e-learning programs can update their information at any time).

The most recent responses that the State of the Nation: K-12 E-Learning in Canada researchers have received are included in the provincial, territorial and federal profiles.