Alberta Advanced Education and Career Development, in a continuing move
towards restructuring Alberta's adult learning system, has just released another
discussion paper called Vision for Change: a concept paper for the
development of a virtual learning system. It's central premise is that
linking learners to traditional and non-traditional places of learning via
technology will assist us to meet the four goals of increased accessibility,
cost-effectiveness, responsiveness and accountability outlined in the previous
paper New Directions for Adult Learning in Alberta.Those of you already
surfing the Internet can access the entire 20 page document via this address:
http://www.gov.ab.ca/dept/aecd/vision/index.html
Visions for Change describes a coordinated system of interdependent
educational bodies linked together by a number of different technologies that
provide a seamless web of opportunities for learners in every corner of the
province (and beyond). It calls for a massive reinvestment and re-allocation of
resources to develop these technology-supported learning opportunities, while
removing most of the traditional barriers that now block access for many adult
learners.
One opportunity provided for such a discussion was on November 3rd at the
ADETA/AACE fall workshop in Calgary. Key concerns expressed by those present
appeared to center on these four issues:
- The need for institutional interdependence - as a central condition for the
development of a "virtual" system - was stressed in the paper, but
currently there are no incentives for institutions to collaborate. The current
funding mechanism promotes competition for FTE's among traditional institutions,
and for funding for community-based programs among the non-traditional
agencies.
- The need for a strong network of learner support systems is a critical
condition for the success of this new system; but learners who have grown up in
the old paradigm of learning (ie. in "real" classrooms with "expert"
teachers up at the front) will require a great deal of assistance to shift to
the new paradigm (ie., in "virtual" classrooms with "facilitator"
teachers whom they do not even meet).
- The need to develop new curricular materials and new education models that
meet the needs of students both on-campus and at a distance is essential if we
are to shift from "teacher-centered" to "learner-centered"
learning. Moreover, such a shift will require a dramatically new way of
perceiving both the teachers need to become "facilitators" but
learners need to become very "self-directed". Teachers living in the
old paradigm will need to overcome their gear of obsolescence and get on with
creating new materials and models driven by excellence in teaching and planning
and NOT by the technology alone. Finally, learners living in the old paradigm
will need to learn "how to learn" from these new materials and models.
This is where community-based learning bodies (such as adult learning councils)
have a very important and indispensable role to play that will require support
(in the form of money and guidance) from AE & CD.
- While Visions for Change outlines a number of strategies that AE &
CD proposes to develop to "enable" the development of this new "virtual"
adult learning system, it does not describe how AE & CD will consult with
its partners, the various adult learning institutions/community agencies or the
adult learners in Alberta. If this is a truly collaborative and interdependent
system, an authentic and continuous consultative process must be put in place
immediately. Otherwise, institutional interdependence will not develop and this
new "virtual" system will be in jeopardy before it even has a chance.
These comments, distilled from the November 3 workshop notes and
conversations with other AACE members not in attendance, will form the basis of
AACE's response to AE & CD. Any AACE member who has additional/alternative
comments is encouraged to contact me (Ph: 403-220-7471; FAX: 403-284-9242;
e-mail: fwiesenb@acs.ucalgary.ca). AACE's responses is due December 15.
