An ICTC Study
Uncharted Waters
A World-class Canadian E-learning Paradigm
Published by ICTC, December 2021
Distance learning has a long history in Canada, and online learning capabilities have greatly accelerated its adoption in recent years. The opportunities and challenges provided by distance learning have become highly relevant as the COVID-19 pandemic forced a transition from traditional in-class learning to distance learning for both students and educators who may have been unfamiliar with these systems. This education technology report builds on previous ICTC research to examine distance learning in Canada. It makes use of primary research, based on interviews with 20 education subject matter experts from across Canada, a survey of 1063 Canadian students and parents, and secondary research to explore distance learning in Canada and abroad. In addition to identifying opportunities and challenges for distance learning, it also provides a planning framework for future adoption of distance learning in the education system.
Researched and written by Maryna Ivus (Manager, Labour Market Research), Nathan Snider (Manager, Research and Stakeholder Engagement), Trevor Quan (Senior Research & Policy Analyst), with generous support from Alexandra Cutean (Chief Research Officer), Faun Rice (Senior Research & Policy Analyst), Mairead Matthews (Senior Research & Policy Analyst), Ryan McLaughlin (former Senior Economist & Research Analyst), Sylvie Leblanc (former Junior Research Coordinator), and the ICTC Digital Think Tank team.
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