eLearning Ontario


I have returned to my previous role as an eLearning consultant after being an elementary classroom teacher for the past five years. As a result of my experiences in the classroom I think I have become a better educator, especially in the area of literacy instruction. I have gained a new appreciation for the realities and challenges classroom teachers face (i.e. access to technology, differentiating instruction, inclusivity, equity..,). I think it is important for me to keep those realities and challenges in mind whenever I consult with educators.

Prior to working as an eLearning consultant at the University of Toronto and the University of Guelph, I began my secondary teaching career in the late 90's as part of a distance education consortium (6 school boards in Ontario) that developed and delivered courses via the internet. Eventually the consortium folded because we did not have the financial resources to sustain the technical infrastructure and personnel required to support such a large project.

It is very encouraging to see the degree of support and coordination that is now in place with the Ministry of Education's elearning strategy. In addition to providing a province wide Learning Management System (Waterloo's Desire 2 Learn) to deliver the courses there is an Ontario Education Resource Bank that teachers can use to access materials aligned with specific learning strands and expectations. Both of these resources also help to facilitate a blended learning delivery model which seeks to help teachers to integrate instructional technology and elearning as part of regular classroom instruction. Homework Help is a service that allows students to receive real-time math tutoring by certified teachers using chat and whiteboard functions. A critical piece is providing the funding for a District eLearning consultant in each school board to facilitate and support educators that wish to use these resources.

The questions that come to mind are what metrics will be used to determine if this strategy is successful? Adoption and utilizations rates? Learning impact studies or evaluating the actual resources themselves? Some type of testing? Given the amount of investment that has taken place it will be critical to continue to evaluate the outcomes in order that the strategy continues to evolve to meet the needs of educators and learners.

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