An International Perspective of K-12 Online Learning

1. An International Perspective of K-12 Online Learning

2. Panelists • Allison Powell, iNACOL • Michael Barbour, Wayne State University • Randy LaBonte – Destiny Enterprises • Michael Larbalestier, Prospects Services Ltd • Dale Pearce, Bendigo Senior Secondary College • Stephen Harris, Sydney Centre for Innovation in Learning • Sid Rao, Emantras • Steve Baxendale, World Health Organization

3. Alternative energy Desalination of water Precision farming Biometrics Quantum computers Entertainment on demand Global access Virtual education or distance learning Nanotechnology Smart Robots World Future SocietyThe Futurist: Top 10 Breakthroughs Transforming Life over the next 20-30 yearsBest forecast data ever assembled

4. US Online Learning Facts • 27 states have state virtual schools (KP 2009) • 6 state have online learning initiatives (KP 2009) • 46 states have significant state policies (KP 2009) • 25 states allow 200 full-time virtual charter schools with over 175,000 students (CER and KP 2009) • 30% of all employers use e-learning for training, in 5 years it will be 50% • 1 in 5 undergraduate and graduate student enrolls in an online course in higher education • More than 70% of school districts in the United States offer online courses to students (QED, America’s Digital Schools 2006) • More universities are offering K-12 courses online • MIT open courseware for K-12 students • Stanford, Northwestern programs for gifted • K-12 Online Learning enrollments growing 30% annually nationwide with over 2 million enrollments in 2008-2009

5. Summary of key online learning activity

6. State Examples (a few) • Florida Virtual School: Tax Watch Report • Virtual School students have higher student achievement; Serves a higher proportion of minority and underserved students; New model of data and accountability; “Better use of taxpayer dollars that works” • New Mexico • PK-20 Online Program • Idaho • Endorsement on teaching license for online teaching • Michigan & Alabama • Graduation requirements for online learning

7. International Trends in Online Learning • Results of theiNACOL International Survey • 2006, 15 countries responded • 2009, sent to over 100 countries • http://tinyurl.com/iNACOLSurvey

8. International Trends • Turkey: 0-15 million students in K-12 taking online courses in 3 years • South Korea Virtual School • Hong Kong – Continuity in case of disasters • Mexico: • Digitized curriculum for all schools • K-12 academic content online • all teachers trained to use online content

9. China • China: 1.3 billion people • Digitized K-12 curriculum • Training Master Teachers to teach online • With online learning: increase educational opportunities to 100 million new students

10. “Web opens world for young Chinese . . .”-Christian Science Monitor, May 14, 2007 • Bejing -- “Excited and emboldened by the wealth of information they find on the Internet, Chinese teens are breaking centuries of tradition to challenge their teachers and express their opinions in class. . . .” • “Students at Tianjin’s No. 1 Middle School are encouraged to challenge their history texts.” • “The Internet has given Chinese children wings,” says Sun Yun Xiao, vice president of the China Youth and Children’s Research Center. • 137 million online in China at the end of 2006 (in 1999 there were just 4 million connections in China) • 87% of urban youth in China use the Internet

11. How will they scale innovation with limited Internet access? • WiMax - everything is going to change. • WiMax has a 50Km/30 mile radius for high-speed, wireless broadband. • WiMax is going prime time in 2009 - 2010. • They will start putting towers up and expand broadband, mobile access, all over the country.

12. Singapore • Singapore: 100% of Secondary schools use online learning • All teachers trained to teach online • Blended Learning Environments • E-Learning Weeks

13. India • India: • Universal Access for K-12 Education in 10 years • Need 200,000 more schools • Shortage of good teachers • “Leverage teachers using technology to bring to scale” • Educomp Program digitizing learning resources (online content) in K-12 education • View as export opportunity

14. EU • EU: • EU E-Learning Action Plan • IB Diploma Programme Online (125 countries) • UK: E-Learning Exports - 29 billion pounds annually; deal with China • Education as an export

15. Online Learning in Canada

16. iNACOL Canada Study

17. iNACOL Canada Study

18. iNACOL Canada Study • Newfoundland and Labrador • single province-wide program • no regulations (currently being created) • Nova Scotia • single province-wide and district-based programs • regulations in Provincial Teachers’ Agreement • Prince Edward Island • uses distance education from other provinces • two Ministerial Directives • New Brunswick • single province-wide program • series of Ministry policy documents

19. iNACOL Canada Study

20. iNACOL Canada Study • Quebec • district-based programs (provincial level content provider) • non-DE focused province-wide program for sharing curricular resources that is used for DE in limited ways • no provincial regulations • Ontario • province-wide CMS and course content, used by district-based programs • does allow private virtual schools • series of Ministry policy documents

21. iNACOL Canada Study

22. iNACOL Canada Study • Manitoba • three province-wide programs (for online province provides CMS and course content, used by district-based programs • Ministry policy documents currently being updated • Saskatchewan • district-based programs (since 2009-10) • no regulations since devolution from Ministry • Alberta • province-wide and district-based programs • limited Ministry policy documents (more extensive policies currently being formulated) • British Columbia • district-based and private (independent) programs • several legislative items (additional Ministry policy documents)

23. iNACOL Canada Study

24. iNACOL Canada Study • Yukon • utilize a program from British Columbia • referenced in legislation, largely governed by an inter-provincial agreement with BC school district • North West Territories • utilize a program in Alberta • several Ministry policy documents • Nunavut • past and future plans for pilot programs (may utilize services in Alberta) • no regulations

25. iNACOL Canada Study Overview • Some distance education activity in each province and territory • many still utilize traditional forms of distance education • district-based programs seem more common than province-wide programs • Most jurisdictions have some form of regulations • typically in the form of Ministerial policy documents • several are in the process of creating or revising regulations • British Columbia is leading the way in both level of activity and extensiveness of their regulatory regime

26. Online Learning in British Columbia

27. British Columbia • 35,000 educators • 600,000 students • 60 school districts urban/rural • 53 public DL schools • Courses provided to Yukon (follow BC curriculum) • 13 independent DL schools • Declining enrolment • Online Choice: Open boundaries

28. Enrolment Growth: Headcount

29. 2006 Legislation, Bill 33 • Recognizes DL in legislation • Each Board requires a DL Agreement with the Ministry • Only one enrolling school for K-9 • Cross-enrolment in Gr. 10-12 (supplemental courses) Distributed Learning Bricks and Mortar Public Independent

30. Participation and Completion

31. Compliance Processes Distributed Learning in BC Legislation Policy DL Agreements Achievement Data DL Audits DL Standards

32. Quality Review Model Student Success (engagement, achievement & satisfaction) External Review -Observing, Validating, & Recommending Emerging Practice -Sharing & Applying New Strategies Implementing Quality Instructional & Leadership Practices Internal Review (part of school planning process) Data DL Standards Research

33. Links • BC Ministry of Education Distributed Learning • http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/dist_learning/ • BC Distributed Learning Agreement • http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/dist_learning/documents/dist_learn_agmt.pdf • BC Distributed Learning Standards • http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/dist_learning/documents/dl_standards.pdf • BC Distributed Learning Audit Criteria • http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/compliance/0708-dl-audit-program-final.pdf • LearnNow BC • http://www.learnnowbc.ca

34. Online Learning in England

36. England: background • 4 different education systems in UK • 12m pupils in school system Government funded • 3,000 secondary schools (age 11-16/18) • 18,000 primary schools (age 5-10) Privately funded • 2,500 Independent Schools (age 5-18)

37. England: public investment • Already funded a VLE in every school • E-learning credits funded approved digital content purchase by schools (2006-2008) • Home Access programme $500m in 2008 • ENGLAND has Harnessing Technology for Next Generation Learning - Implementation Plan 2009-12 $1b

38. England: Harnessing Technology Strategic Objectives: • Technology confident schools (e-maturity) • Engaged empowered children & families • Confident system leadership & innovation • World class joined up technology

39. England: where are we now?

40. England: BESA Survey June 09 • School spending on curriculum software and digital content 2009-10 • Primary (ages 5-10) $65m • Secondary (11-18) $75m Well-equipped with technology? • 21% UK primaries VLE • 34% UK secondaries VLE

41. UK Primary Teacher Confidence

42. UK Secondary Teacher confidence

43. Online Learning in Australia

44. Part of the Australian Story Australia’s geography has brought about some unique programs such as the Alice Springs School of the Air.

45. Part of the Australian Story The Alice Springs School of the Air provides an educational service for about 120 children living on properties or settlements covering over 1 million square kilometers of Central Australia. These children grow and develop in a peculiar situation, isolated in a unique environment and their formal education must of necessity be unorthodox.

46. Part of the Australian Story The Le@rning Federation, a project of Curriculum Corporation, manages the national resource pool and infrastructure of digital curriculum resources. These resources are aligned with the curriculums of the Australian states and territories and will be aligned with the Australian Curriculum as it develops.

47. Part of the Australian Story

48. Part of the Australian Story Since 2001 these resources have encouraged and supported schools to move into 21st-century education and to implement the government’s Digital Education Revolution. The different states and territories are currently responsible for their own assessment and curriculum – although the process to develop a national curriculum is underway. The Le@rning Federation provides resources to all schools.

49. Part of the Australian Story New South Wales has allowed for online learning since 2004. Only a few institutions have taken up the challenge of developing and delivering online courses. Northern Beaches Christian School is one of those.

50. Part of the Australian Story The Sydney Centre for Innovation in Learning (SCIL), the research, development and innovation unit of Northern Beaches Christian School, has been delivering online courses since 2006. In 2005, SCIL undertook a study, in part supported by a Macquarie University Partner School Study Fellowship, in order to develop a framework for successful delivery in the online environment.