An Action Research Approach to ICT Literacy in a Distance Education Program

The delivery of higher education to remote and rural communities is the hallmark of the Brandon University Northern Teacher Education Program(BUNTEP). The program has graduated hundreds of teachers since its inception in 1974, and continues to prepare a new generation of Northerners for the 21st century. BUNTEP's approach to distance education has been a traditional one. Travelling professors venture into the communities to teach face-to-face, essentially mirroring the on-campus experience of BU students. The micro-campuses are akin to diplomatic embassies for Brandon University, and have given the university a presence in Northern Manitoba for nearly four decades. The goal of the program is to offer university degrees to a previously disenfranchised segment of the population. BUNTEP provides an opportunity for people in the remote and rural areas of the province to remain in their communities, an important consideration for many individuals. The program allows the student to stay at home, where the ties to family and community are critical to the academic success of the those studying to become teachers.
However, BUNTEP has challenges to face as it approaches its fifth decade of teacher education. The University College of the North is poised to take over its mandate north of the 53rd parallel in the near future. One way the program might remain viable is to establish a southern presence. Another option, one that could work in concert with the existing model, would embrace technology as a means of delivering higher distance education. The development of Web 2.0 applications has increased the average user's ability to communicate in a collaborative environment. Distance education programs that integrate these social software programs into their organizations can increase their impact and scope. Presently, BUNTEP has five centres operating in the north and rural Manitoba. Courses are offered in four or five week blocks, from September to July (this adds up to ten course per academic season). The purpose of this post is to outline an action research project for BUNTEP instructors and students. I propose a survey of both groups to establish the level of sophistication within the organization. The survey will address how comfortable travelling professors are with new technologies, including measuring their attitudes to adopting web-based applications in the classroom. The student body will also be asked similar questions regarding their own use of social software, as well as their thoughts on integrating the technology into everyday classroom use. Finally, I hope to employ the survey as barometer of the acceptance of the virtual classroom into the BUNTEP model. I hope to illustrate that the model will be enhanced by technology, and that the human component can be maintained in a manner that allows for increased participation in the education experience.
The survey model employed will be one familiar with the document Literacy with ICT Across the Curriculum, a Manitoba Education document available online. There are several self-assessment questionnaires associated with the document. These assessment tools are available on the Government of Manitoba website (http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/tech/lict/index.html). My goal is to establish what general comfort level instructors and students possess in terms of ICT literacy. The data will allow me to craft an approach to increasing the ease of operation that both groups are able to attain. When there is sufficient ICT literacy in the groups, we will able to discuss how the new technology can provide services that are unavailable at present. I propose that there are several steps that can be implemented to increase the program's effectiveness. Initially, BUNTEP could introduce tutoring on-line for students requiring extra assistance with course work. Students in remote areas could remain in their homes and continue to receive course instruction without missing out on the face-to-face element inherent in the BUNTEP model. After degree(AD) students are those individuals with a first degree taking the education courses in their local centre. They attend on a part time basis, owing to the need to offer Bachelor of Arts classes to the majority of participants in BUNTEP. AD students would be able to link up to other BUNTEP centres offering education courses during teaching blocks that are dedicated to BA courses in their own centres. There are also opportunities for offering graduate classes to individuals in these communities and beyond. Previous BUNTEP graduates and those interested in furthering their education have expressed a desire to study graduate level classes at a distance. These are several examples of ICT solutions that would allow the program to remain viable and vital in the higher education landscape of Manitoba.