Government Policy Impact on K-12 e-Learning

in British Columbia

Sandra Tice
UBC
ETEC 520 Assignment #3
March 20, 2014
Student #92576123

Word count: 3,435

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Introduction
Government has an important role to play in providing e-Learning policy for K-12
education. The BC Ministry of Education defines e-Learning as the use of educational
technologies to support distributed, or online learning. However, for the purposes of this
paper, we will use components from the Bates & Poole (2003) definition of the eLearning continuum, which includes blended learning, digital literacy, e-Learning,
distance education, as well as technology-enhanced physical classrooms. The BC
Ministry of Education develops legislation, policy, and standards for K-12 schooling and
provides support for the infrastructure needed for increased access and delivery.
Legislation and policies for e-Learning are needed to guide a number of key
implementation areas including: equity and access, education quality, curriculum
standards, administration and management, certification of both teachers and students,
professional development and support, costs and funding of education, and technology
usage (Bates, 2001). The BC government is responsible to create policies for e-Learning,
which in turn will provide a sound framework for local school boards and educators to
use in program delivery.
Context
British Columbia covers a vast area of nearly 945,000km2 with a population of
almost 4.5 million people. The provincial K-12 system currently serves approximately
564,000 public school students, 74,300 independent school students, and 2,100 homeschooled children. There are a total of 1,949 K-12 brick-and-mortar schools as well as 73

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(55 public and 18 independent or private) distance education programs servicing 78,650
distance education students. (International Association for Online Learning, 2012)
The provincial government, together with 60 elected Boards of Education,
throughout the province, manages B.C.s educational system. The province (Ministry of
Education) establishes the amount of funding for public education annually and uses a
funding formula to allocate funds to the various Boards of Education. The Boards have
discretion to manage and allocate their allotment based on locally identified spending
priorities, while the provincial government oversees capital costs and funding for special
programs through supplemental government funds (BC Govt. 2011)
Two unique challenges for BC include providing educational service access to
people spread out over a vast area, and who live in rural areas, 600,000 people or 14% of
the total population (StatsCan 2011), and finding ways to assist the 153,000 children, or
more than 18% of children under the age of 18, living in poverty within the province.
The current unsettled political climate between BC government and the BC
Federation of Teachers (BCTF) union is a major challenge for both policy makers and
educators, as they try to implement a rapidly changing educational system that leverages
technology to the best possible advantage. Buy-in from key stakeholders is necessary for
effective change, but trying to legislate major education policy change during a labour
dispute is a distinct problem for all parties.
Current economic development goals also impact policy creation. A government
with a liberal majority such as exists at this time in BC, with its job creation focus, states
they are strengthening public education so students are prepared for the jobs of
tomorrow. (BC Govt. 2012) Governmental job creation and skills training goals will

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continue have a huge impact on educational funding disbursement and planning for the
province.
Ministry of Education documents relating to e-Learning and technology
British Columbia does not have just a single document outlining a provincial eLearning plan. Instead, there are two primary documents including the BC Education
Plan, and the 2013-14 Ministry of Education Transformation Plan, both of which contain
embedded e-Learning strategies and objectives available for review. In addition to these
documents, references to e-Learning are available in a variety of places including in the
Standards for Digital Learning Content in British Columbia (2010), and Standards for K-12

Distributed Learning in British Columbia (2010) and, The Vision for Education in the
21st Century (2010), a report produced by Premier's Technology Council (December
2010) which describes what an educational system might look like transformed to meet
future needs of the province. This widely disbursed array of content makes it difficult to
find policy information, and to assess whether or not the government or the educational
system is meeting their objectives in implementing and providing effective e-Learning.
BCs e-Learning Vision
The BC Ministry of Education includes three main goals as part of its overall BC
Education Plan: a personalized, flexible education that enables students to be successful;
effective support for teachers; and an effective, accountable and responsive education
system. The BC Ministry of Education recognizes the need for educational
transformation, and states that it is important to keep pace with the rapidly changing
technology environment we now live and work in. To foster the development of 21st

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Century skills, BCs Education Plan has identified 5 key standards:

1- Personalized Learning for Every Student
2- Quality Teaching and Learning
3- Flexibility and Choice
4- High Standards
5- Learning Empowered by Technology
The fifth standard regarding learning empowered by technology includes:
encouraging smart use of technology in schools, giving students and teachers the tools
they need to help improve student success, as well as better preparing students to thrive in
an increasingly digital world. (BC Education Plan, 2010)
Providing a personalized, flexible education with access to appropriate technology
such as mandated by BCs Education Plan, would provide students with numerous ways
to achieve learning outcomes. Gardners (1999) theory of multiple intelligences suggests
that students have many intelligences, and possess different learning styles. Technology
would allow students to use tools that best suit their learning styles and interests and
provide students with skills that help prepare them for the workplace. The challenge for
the education system in the coming years will be to provide and to help students identify
and use tools to express themselves more effectively and creatively with appropriate
technology. A strong government statement of technology usage support is a good
starting point for providing a variety of ways to achieve learning outcomes in the schools.

Factors influencing policy development

Some of the key influences on B.C.s educational K-12 system to innovate and
change existing practices includes: changing demographics, economic fluctuations and
increased global competition, rapidly changing technology, recognition of student future

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needs as well as recognition of a new skill set that will improve communication,
collaborative work and critical thinking abilities in graduates.
Kuehn (2011) identifies several areas of concern regarding BCs education plan.
Since additional funding is not part of the BC education plan, the first concern relates to
inequality and access. If new sources of funding are not part of the plan, cuts to existing
services are to be expected as well as finding creative ways to bring technology into
learning environments. As Bates (2001) says E-Learning is not an option that comes
without additional costs. To save provincial money on technology for students, BCs
Minister of Education proposes that students will be able to bring their own devices
(BYOD) to school. Because not all students have smart technology (phones and tablets)
and with 18% of BCs children living in poverty (StatsCan, 2011), the plan neglects to
address the digital divide (Cullen, 2001), or just how those students, as well as others
who do not have their own devices, will be included. Another of Kuehns concerns
regards personalized learning for every student. Without specific resources, this vision is
simply is not sufficient to allow teachers to fully empower learning by technology.
Another area of concern is the lack of specifics in the plan regarding students with special
needs. For comparison, Ontarios Learning for All Plan (2011), recommends utilization
of Universal Design principles among other best practices, included to help meet the
needs for all students. In BC, the only reference for special needs students is to provide
personalized learning with no mention of how this should be accomplished. Kuehn also
notes two other problems, in that the plan calls for significant change without teacher
consultation, and does not outline the additional funding sources required to implement
all of its broadly defined and recommended changes.

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Legislation increases flexibility and e-Learning options in BC

Planning is not ever easy, but the lack of a comprehensive and specific provincial
e-Learning plan makes it very difficult for educators to implement sound practice from
policy.
Bates & Sangra (2011) describe planning and decision making as messy
processesdriven as much by personalities, departmental priorities, empire
building, and plain jealousies, as they are by logic, vision, the desire to improve
services, or other lofty goals (p. 94).
However, even so, the province has addressed a number of important areas within
its vision of e-Learning, and which steps will be taken to influence and adapt the
educational e-Learning process in K-12 schools. The B.C. Ministry of Education has
prepared a number of initiatives to try to provide a more personalized, flexible education,
which are intended to make the system more individualized for students in a number of
ways.
Recently, new legislation has been introduced that allows districts to adapt
their calendars to meet local needs such as through a flexible Distributed Learning
schedule (DL), which is a method of instruction that relies primarily on indirect
communication between students and teachers, including internet or other
electronic-based delivery, teleconferencing, or correspondence (BC Standards,
2010). DL is an option available to BC residents who need or want to take courses
online or at a distance through a DL school. The LearnNowBC.ca web portal is a
single point of entry to information for DL (online) in British Columbia for
students, parents and educators. The School Amendment Act (Bill 36), enacted in

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Spring 2012, establishes this new legislative framework for school calendars.
Beginning with the 2013-14 school year, there will be no standard school calendar
and each board will establish calendars for schools in its district. There are no
prescribed minimum hours of instructions that a board must offer to students
enrolled in a distributed learning school. The Distance Education Programs known
as BC Open Schools presently operates on a cost-recovery fee basis, but planned
changes include free and open access for the future. These positive changes to
course delivery will increase access to students who need it most.
New Markets and Potential Skill Gaps
BCs education plan identifies the need to find new markets and potential new
skills and address training gaps in education. Bates (2001) makes the point that the most
effective government strategy is building strong internal e-Learning programs through all
existing public sectors. Since provincial policy regarding education is tied to social and
economic goals, the BC government hopes to develop programs that will help produce
knowledge-based workers that will become the future workforce in a global-based and
highly competitive environment.
With an aging population and shrinking workforce, British Columbia is facing
skills shortages in its labour market, particularly in high-skill occupations and
high-growth industries, putting added pressure on B.C. graduates. (BC Education
Plan, 2010)
Out of the most recent BC Budget proposals, within the Service Plan 2013/14 (BC
Govt. 2014), is a new program operated by the Ministry of Advanced Skills and Training
proposed to work with the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and the Ministry
of Education, called the 10-Year Skills Training Plan for Youth. This program will

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address skills and provide funding to BC high schools to help students to transition from
K-12 to post-secondary job training and then straight into the workforce.
BC is uniquely positioned to attract foreign students and thereby increase sources
of revenue to fund education. Recognizing the market potential of students from outside
provincial boundaries, the government has written legislation that allows development of
off-shore for-profit business within schools. School District 73, via Thompson-Rivers
Open University can offer degrees and certificates to foreign students under this business
model. According to the BC Education Plan, BC is to be promoted in key target markets
to increase the number of international students in our schools. To meet the needs of
international students, the Ministry is also working to create an inclusive, safe and
globalized environment for international students through personalized learning and antibullying programs. (Kuehn, 2012, BCs Ed Plan, Free the kids and control the
teachers)
British Columbia legislation provides the opportunity for provincial boards of
education (i.e. school districts) to form business companies in order to pursue
independent operations beyond funded education services for students residing in
the province. Barbour (2012) State of the Nation p. 21
Another area for market development is recruitment of international students to
study within BC schools. This influx of foreign students provided an additional source of
revenue in 2010, estimated at $66 million to local school boards, with an additional $1.8
billion spent on tuition, accommodation and other living expenses (Hyslop, 2012).
Overall, enrolment of non-resident students increased by 271 students since 200708
(when it was 9,512 students) to 9,783 students in 201112. Although enrolment of
international (non-resident) students decreased in the years after the 2008 global

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recession to a low of 9,014 students in 200910, it is once again on the rise increasing to
9,300 students in 201011 and to 9,783 students in 201112. (BCTF, with data from BC
Ministry of Education (2012)
Opening up BCs educational system to attract foreign students and bring an
additional source of funding to education seems to be an effective and timely venture for
the province at present.

Technology Standards
The B.C. Ministry of Education, along with a committee of educators, has begun
identifying digital literacy standards as the interest, attitude and ability of individuals to
appropriately use digital technology and communication tools to access, manage,
integrate, analyze and evaluate information, construct new knowledge, create and
communicate with others in order to participate effectively in society. These standards
spell out the knowledge and skills learners need to be successful in the 21st century.
Basic elements of these standards include: participation, access, integration, analysis,
evaluation, management, creation, communication, and empowerment. The groups goal
was also to identify how to better use technology as teaching and learning tools and to
develop a number of draft standards for digital literacy, which are at the draft stage of the
government website awaiting further educator input.
Growth in emerging electronic technologies and expanding internet use has led to
tremendous growth in online, electronic learning as an integral part of British Columbias
K-12 learning and Distributed learning (DL), as well as becoming an increasingly
important element of regular classroom instruction.

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The Standards for BC (BC Govt, 2010) are based on those developed by ISTE,
International Association for K-12 Online Learning, and the Standards for K-12
Distributed Learning in B.C. (2006/2010). These digital literacy standards for our
learners help identify the knowledge and skills learners will need to be successful in the
21st century. The ISTE National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators
(NETS*A) were updated and released in June 2009. Specifically, the NETS*A articulate
Standards and performance indicators around the following ideals:
Visionary leadership
Digital-age learning culture
Excellence in professional practice
Systemic improvement
Digital citizenship
Funding
As Bates (2001) mentions in National Strategies for e-Learning in postsecondary, most institutions will not be able to afford the high investment and
operational costs needed to support the use of e-Learning within previous funding levels.
K-12 faces the same difficulties in operations if not funded appropriately by federal and
provincial governments. Current funding shortfalls have been addressed with the advent
of a new program known as Learning Improvement Funds (LIF funds). In 2012, the B.C.
Ministry of Education introduced a Learning Improvement Fund totaling $165 million to
address class composition issues, comprised of $30 million in 2012-13, $60 million in
2013-14, and $75 million in 2014-15. This was a response to the removal of class size
composition provisions from the teacher contracts, which occurred ten years earlier.
(BCTF, 2014) Additional forms of revenue to fund the many recommendations outlined
in BCs education plan will most certainly be required.

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Standards for B.C. Curriculum, Accreditation,

Assessment and Professional Development
The B.C. Ministry of Education sets the standards of learning for Kindergarten to
Grade 12. Currently, the BC Curriculum is undergoing significant changes and is inviting
input and encouraging buy-in from key stakeholders through its online portal at
https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/ as well as inviting review for its digital literacy standards.
The BC Ministry of Education is responsible for assessment methods, and the
granting of degrees, certificates and diplomas to graduates throughout the educational
system. As well, it creates to policy to prevent duplication of services across the province,
and identifies educational targets. The Teacher Regulation Branch oversees legislation of
teacher training, teacher accreditation and professional regulation. Additionally, numbers
of teacher training openings in universities are regulated.
Overall professional development is addressed in the BC Education Plan (but
does not specify e-Learning goals), but the language is combative and suggests that
teachers, who are professionals, need to be managed in their choice of professional
development and that the government will make sure that Professional Development
Days are used appropriately. This approach is not appropriately supportive to gain buyin from teachers. To make matters worse, the Ministry continues in a confrontational
manner, along with the statement that parents make alternative arrangements for their
children, and need to be assured that these days are used as intended. Professional
development and support is crucial for effective technology initiatives.
However, a more positive approach to provide on-going professional development
support and networking for educators is now also available online through a Community

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of Expertise in Educational Technology (CEET) a new initiative started in 2008 for K12 educators. Currently, registration stands at only a few thousand, but online discussion
groups, webinars, and technology courses for teachers are available through this online
community. CEET is not well advertised and would benefit from some communication to
teachers about its existence.

Addressing access and physical infrastructure

It is important for government to provide the technology infrastructure that will
increase access to all students. In B.C.s Transformation Plan, current technology
planning strategies relating to physical infrastructure include:
(1) Updates to a robust network infrastructure
(2) Changes to current identity management system
(3) Improve collection and use of student information, and
(4) Improve personalized learning and teaching tools by:
-

development and defining standards for digital literacy

expanding access (Open School BC conversion from fee-for-service to freeof-charge; increase support to LearnNowBC, Educational Resources
Acquisition Consortium (ERAC), and Open School BC)

The government has entered into an agreement for network upgrades with TELUS
which proposed to: upgrade approximately 450 schools to high speed fibre-optics as part
of the new TELUS agreement; establish a province-wide technology forum to support the
new K-12 education program; work with districts to pilot the use of personal devices in
classrooms; and identify and quantify opportunities to lower district costs for voice and
data services through the new agreement with TELUS. (BC Govt. 2012)
The BC Ministry of Education is also moving towards a new system to manage

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student information, from one which recently crashed, due to being outdated and overcapacity, and is now taking inventory of what is still relevant, and what needs to be
replaced. To improve the usability of the student information system BCeSIS a new
tool will be offered to school districts during 2013/14, intended to provide better access
to student and achievement information, potentially linked to district and provincial level
data.

Collaboration between Government and Educators

I think there is a danger in adopting an underdeveloped education vision without
either an e-Learning Plan and without input and engagement from educators throughout
every step of the process. Kuehn (2011) clearly outlines his concern in the article BCs
Education Plan: Experiments with kids learning, where he says, While the minister has
implied that the BCTF had been consulted, teachers were not formally consulted on the
plan before it was announced. For the sweeping educational reform envisioned by the
Ministry of Education to succeed, much more work is yet needed, particularly in the area
of e-Learning management.
A good place to start would be development of a substantive e-Learning Plan for
K-12 and would include examination of several successful existing plans from other
provinces/states or countries, and a review of Barbours State of the Nation: K-12
Online Learning in Canada. It would be well worth policymakers time to work with
practicing educators to examine Virginias Educational Plan for Technology 2010-2015
as a useful and current template, as well as looking at Ontarios e-Learning plan, in
addition to other successful K-12 models that are available.

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Conclusion
There are many ways that government influences the strategic development and
management of educational e-Learning systems throughout the province. BCs Education
Plan is a good starting point, although at present it is an overly idealistic vision that
would benefit from supplementation with an accessible, detailed and specific e-Learning
Plan. At present, BC has chosen not to provide specific steps for implementation of eLearning policy into practice. An e-Learning plan will be needed to move forward and to
ensure there will be a cohesive and well-managed system, with a comprehensive
communications package of centralized information. This approach would be ease
accessibility to Boards of Education and all educators regarding the current legislation,
information and programs for e-Learning. As Bates (2012) says of BCs Education Plan,
the emphasis on personalized learning, skills development and technology integration
are all right on target, however while both sides are still immersed in a volatile longstanding feud between teachers and the government, it will continue to be difficult to
implement the curricular changes proposed until some common ground is reached. Both
the government and teachers will need to learn to work together, communicate,
collaborate and use critical thinking skills, ironically the same skills that the government
espouses as being the foundational skills of our students, to make BCs Education Plan,
and its e-Learning goals work for the long-term.

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Appendix
A Few Recommendations for BC Ministry of Education to Create an e-Learning Plan Document
(1) Identify common ground between government and educators regarding e-Learning and
involve educators in policy creation and planning at every level.
(2) Collaboratively create one cohesive and comprehensive K-12 e-Learning Plan for
British Columbia which legislators, Boards of Education and educators all can reference.
(3) Determine which levels of e-Learning should be regulated or de-regulated by government.
(4) Include an appropriate budget and funding plan for K-12 technology, that considers increased
educational access to its vast area, with remote and diverse student population, as well as a high
level of child/family poverty rate and subsequent digital divide.
(5) Identify measurable and specific goals and outcomes with relevant timelines with ways for
progress be measured and targets in which all stakeholders are invested, based on the overall
strategy and vision.
(6) Positively support educators in their professional development for e-Learning by providing
opportunities, and funding for training, including face-to-face training, webinars, and other
focused e-Learning training such as those available in other successful provincial e-Learning
initiatives.
(7) Determine how and why e-Learning and blended learning courses will be delivered.
(8) Develop guidelines for students to achieve through competencies rather than credit hours
based on class attendance (seat time).
(9) Create specific goals, objectives and assessments to monitor e-Learning initiatives and
measure success in all areas including: expanding physical infrastructure, positive support of
teacher training with technology, and other professional development initiatives, as well as
relating to student learning outcome achievement.
~ Sandra Tice, March 2014

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