The eighth edition of the State of the Nation: K-12 Online Learning in Canada found a great deal of consistency in the field of K-12 online and blended learning over the past year. During the 2014-15 school year there were approximately 6.1% K-12 students enrolled distance education courses. Similarly, in most jurisdictions there have been no or only minor changes to the regulation.
Students from all thirteen provinces and territories continue to participate in K-12 distance, online, and blended learning opportunities. This is not to say that all thirteen jurisdictions have individual programs in operation, as there are no programs in Prince Edward Island or Nunavut. The landscape of Canadian K-12 distance, online, and blended learning continues to change – but only in slight ways. The total K-12 population in Canada for 2014-15 was approximately 5.2 million students. Based on actual and estimated enrollment data, the number of students engaged in K-12 distance education was approximately 320,000.
Table 1. Summary of the K-12 distance education regulation by jurisdiction for 2014-15
Province/Territory
# of K-12 students
# enrolled in distance education
Percent involvement
NL
67,293
947
1.4%
NS
119,383
~2,300
1.9%
PE
20,131
44
<0.1%
NB
98,906
~2455
2.4%
QC
1,132,506
~43,736
3.9%
ON
2,003,253
~87,000
4.3%
MB
182,073
~9,500
5.2%
SK
175,202
~15,000
8.6%
AB
616,375
~75,000
11.4%
BC
633,428
78,499
12.4%
YT
5,122
421
8.2%
NT
8,204
150
1.8%
NU
9,728
96
1.0%
Federal
106,500
~2,000
1.9%
Total
5,178,104
317,148
6.1%
The highest level of activity in distance education by raw numbers is in Ontario (based on recent estimates), but by proportion of students involved British Columbia continues to lead the country. In both jurisdictions there are a substantial number of district-based public programs, along with a significant number of independent or private programs. Estimates also continue to indicate that Alberta also has a higher than average level of participation in K-12 distance education. It should be noted that the level of activity in both Ontario and Alberta are estimates, which were derived from extrapolating data received through the individual program survey (as well as comparing that data from previous years to determine if any or what level of growth has occurred). As such, these estimates may be inaccurate without the collection of reliable data by the Ministry. Significant growth continues to be seen in the Yukon, which is likely due to the continued development of its own K-12 distance, online, and blended learning programs. Other jurisdictions remain relatively consistent with their level of participation.
It should be noted that 317,148 or 6.1% K-12 students enrolled in some form of distance education during the 2014-15 school year represents a slight decrease from the previous school year (i.e., 332,077 or 6.2% students). We do not believe that this slight decrease represents a slowing of the growth of distance education and e-learning. We believe that this slight decrease represents the variability in the accuracy of data collection by the individual provinces and territories, as well as by the researchers for this study. For example, if you compare the level of activity in Quebec from 2013-14 (i.e., ~70,500 students) to 2014-15 (i.e., ~43,736) (see Table 3 below). Both of these figures were approved by the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport at the time. However, during the data collection phase for 2014-15 the Ministère indicated that the 2013-14 figure of ~70,500 represented the total number of enrollments, not the total number of students. This difference of 26,764 students represents more than the 14,929 student decrease in overall level of activity from 2013-14 to 2014-15.
Based on our data, we believe the use of K-12 distance, online and blended learning continues to increase in Canada (see Table 2).
Table 2. K-12 distance education student enrollment in Canada
Year
# of distance education students
% of students engaged in distance education
1999-2000
~25,000
0.5%
2008-09
~140,000
2.7%
2009-10
150,000-175,000
2.9%-3.4%
2010-11
207,096
4.2%
2011-12
245,252
4.9%
2012-13
284,963
5.2%
2013-14
290,1851
5.4%
2014-15
317,148
6.1%
1 Revised based on feedback from the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport
As the data indicate, it is difficult to ascertain the exact level of growth. Note that the first two levels of activity surveys generated estimated totals and the third survey provided a range of totals. While the total from 2010-11 to the present have been provided as a specific figure, this data is no less an approximation than the earlier estimates.
The fact is that better data are needed. The number of jurisdictions that track and are only able to provide specific data concerning the level of activity of distance education and online learning continues to decrease.
Interestingly, one area where jurisdictions are beginning to track data at a higher rate is blended learning. Some jurisdictions have always been able to report some level of blended learning activity. For example, New Brunswick has always tracked the number of classroom-based student users in their learning management system that were accessing the Ministry’s course content. Since the addition of a blended learning focus to their Provincial e-Learning Strategy, Ontario has been able to provide an approximate figure to represent the number of unique blended learning logins in their system. Within Quebec, the LEARN program has always tracked the number of students accessing their blended learning asynchronous services. However, this past year we have seen the addition of several jurisdictions begin to track this information. For example, Nova Scotia has begun to provide the number of users for their Google Apps for Education and their blended learning platform. Similarly, the Yukon is now tracking and providing data on the students accessing both of the blended learning program options. The level of blended learning activity from just these five jurisdictions was approximately 361,517 students or 7.0% of the total K-12 student population in Canada, but 10.8% of the K-12 students in those five particular jurisdictions.
There has been little change in the nature of regulation governing K-12 distance education, online and blended learning over the past school year.
Table 3. Summary of the K-12 distance education regulation by province and territory
Province/Territory
Type of Regulation
Nature of Regulation
NL
None
NS
Collective agreement
- Provisions related to workload, professional development and quality of life issues
PE
Ministerial directive
- Guidelines for the use of distance education
NB
Policy handbook
- Outlines responsibilities for distance education stakeholders at all levels
QC
None
ON
Ministerial contracts and policy handbook
- District school boards agree to follow the policies outlined in the Provincial E-Learning Strategy
MB
Legislation and policy handbook
- Minister of Education can approve distance education
- Regulations are related to the use of the Ministry distance education options
SK
None
AB
Legislation and policy handbook
- Minister of Education can make regulations related to distance education
- Regulations primarily focus on amount of instructional time
BC
Legislation and Ministerial contracts
- Substantial regulations related to funding, quality and almost all other aspects of the delivery of distributed learning
YT
Legislation and memorandums of understanding
- Minister of Education can approve distance education and charge student fees for such courses
- Individual agreements are between the territorial government and individual distance learning providers
NT
Legislation, policy handbook and memorandums of understanding
- Allows education authorities to create or engage in distance education programs
- Provides series of requirements for distance education programs
- Individual agreements are between the territorial government and individual distance learning providers
NU
Legislation and memorandums of understanding
- Defines what constitutes distance education
- Individual agreements are between the territorial government and individual distance learning providers
Federal
None
Many provinces and territories continue to have some reference to distance education in the Education Act or Schools Act. In most instances these references simply define distance education or gives the Minister of Education in that province or territory the ability to create, approve or regulate K-12 distance education. Many of these references have also become antiquated, given the present realities of K-12 distance, online, and blended learning.
In many jurisdictions there exist no additional regulations beyond those contained in the Education Act or Schools Act. In jurisdictions where regulation does exist, one trend is the use of contracts or policy handbooks to regulate K-12 distance, online, and blended learning. In most instances these handbooks are in jurisdictions where schools participate in some form of province-wide program and the handbook outlines the requirements for participation in that program.