The second was arts-based education, a tool of adult learning for social and cultural change to build community, celebrate cultural identities, and assist in understanding social issues such as poverty, environmental deterioration, and racism. This tool links to the social change and empowerment work described by Maude Barlow. Community theatre is the medium most practiced and by women in particular. In comparison to adult arts education and training, this area is generally underfunded and has a bias towards work primarily with children.
A key recommendation was to focus on the conscious use of the arts and culture in adult learning. A study of formal arts and culture institutions and community-based arts organizations would assist in better understanding and conceptualizing the importance and value of their “learning” components. These findings could be shared among groups in a cross-Canada dialogue on the power and potential of arts-based adult education. The “how” could be grounded in action research methods bridging between the university and the community, another recommendation from this session.
Special thanks to recorders Sandra Germain and Shaune Walsh-Daigle.
“The technology comes before the pedagogy in a lot of instances”.State of the Field Report on E-learning
Team leader Dr. Hélène Fournier from the National Research Council of Canada (presenter) and research assistants Cornelia Dragne and Daniel Romila from University of Victoria and Anthony Roberts from Mount Allison University prepared the e-learning report. Ann Marie Vaughan from Distance Education and Learning Technologies in St. John’s provided the practitioner perspective.
There are many different terms to describe online learning including e-learning, virtual learning, web-based learning, computer-assisted learning and distance learning. Much has been written about e-learning practice but it appears to be a fragmented landscape, with inconsistent use of common terms and definitions. In addition, identifying Canadian research was a problem.
E-learning is an attractive solution for ‘lifelong learning’ in a country like Canada which covers a vast territory with a relatively low population. An example is evident in the growth of e-learning at Memorial University with a 22% increase in the past year which demonstrates the economic and social value of e-learning for rural communities in Newfoundland and Labrador.