Distance Education in British Columbia:
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VOL. 8, No. 2, 77-79
The Open Learning Agency (OLA) has set out to provide an overview of the current state of distance education in British Columbia's post-secondary system using a selection of papers and case studies. By its own admission, this book "provides at best a partial view of the `current reality' of distance education in the province." The editor's observation that more information and research is needed to ensure that distance education is developed in an integrated and effective manner, while meeting the education and training needs of residents, is equally applicable in most jurisdictions.
This collection of papers is divided into three sections: Lifelong Learning, Education and Technology, and Case Studies. A range of vital and relevant topics are dealt with in each section, including, for example, a rationale for increasing lifelong learning access through distance education, a demographic profile of OLA students, and a discussion of distance education technologies. In addition, there is a section detailing 11 British Columbia distance education courses and program case studies.
A number of the papers highlight the fact that British Columbia is unique in Canada with its planned and coordinated approach to open and distance learning. The first paper, however, also observes that there is still considerable suspicion of, and resistance to, open and distance learning, "especially in British Columbia." In contrast, the next paper states that there is "definite evidence" that the initial opposition to distance education amongst universities has been overcome. Resolving this apparent contradiction - why a planned approach has led to increased resistance or if, in fact, there still exists significant resistance - would be useful to those in other jurisdictions interested in the best approach to expanding open learning.
The OLA college and university student (and graduate) demographic profile (i.e., older females who are employed and live outside the major metropolitan area) provided is consistent with that of many other studies. This profile confirms that people who are traditionally at a disadvantage in accessing postsecondary education benefit from the alternative services provided through the Open Learning Agency. The findings of the survey conducted on non-returners are of particular interest. This survey provides useful information that is not always readily available. The data, charting the course of non-returners, is especially useful to those measuring open and distance learning effectiveness as well as those planning subsequent services for this category of distance education students.
The papers included in the "Education and Technology" section are a mixed collection covering both specific technologies and policy discussions. Within the limited space available, the authors can only make readers aware of general information and key issues that require further exploration. It would be helpful to have a reference guide to more comprehensive sources of information for readers wanting to do in-depth studies in this area.
The paper on current developments in video conferencing provides a good explanation of the technology and its implementation both in Canada and the United States. The caution concluding this paper should be highlighted for open and distance learning institutions and government agencies in other jurisdictions. It states that "anything is possible" with sufficient funds but that a clear plan about how and where the teaching will take place is needed before committing to any particular delivery technology.
As in many collections, the Case Studies section contains a range of papers. The papers that provide general principles and guidelines for establishing distance education courses and programs are of greatest applicability. Those papers that provide details about the specific steps taken to prepare a course are of less general interest. Unfortunately, most of the projects have not had formal evaluations that can be included in the case studies. It would be useful for other institutions to know the outcomes achieved using a specific delivery format before considering the use of a similar model. In that vein, it would also be helpful to include addresses so that the authors could be contacted by readers interested in pursuing similar types of course development.
This is a well organized and easy to read collection of 19 papers on distance education. It is focused on defining lifelong learning within the British Columbia context and documenting the use of distance education and educational technologies to deliver this vision of lifelong learning. The contributors include teachers, administrators, and OLA staff but, interest-ingly, not students. A strictly British Columbia focused bibliography is included for further reference.
In conclusion, this book provides a reasonably comprehensive picture of open and distance learning in British Columbia. Similar publications for other provinces would provide a valuable contribution to Canada's emerging open and distance education system. Although most readers will have to spend considerable time sorting out the broad from the specific information, I would recommend this collection for policy- and decision-makers, faculty, and administrators considering initiating or expanding open and distance learning operations.