Institutional and organizational systems

Educational systems to provide physical access to learning pick up where the basic infrastructure systems leave off. For example, learners taking part in on-site programs expect a safe location and reasonable access from the parking lot or bus stop to the classroom, and distance learners expect the institution to provide them with the materials and support they need to be successful in their studies.

Learners also expect educational providers to address some of the basics of social access. They expect to be able to contact registration and counselling staff and instructors in person or over the phone. Moreover, they expect that the learning environment will be hospitable, support their needs as individual learners, provide relevant and appropriate education or training, present a reasonable challenge, and offer fair and equitable assessment of their learning achievements.

Distance education experience demonstrates that provision of access is far more than "delivery of information". The quality of the teaching/learning interaction among learners and instructors or facilitators, access to library and other resources, assistance with study skills, and access to academic and personal counselling are essential for a successful learning experience.

Addressing social barriers to learning

As mentioned above, many Canadian educational institutions have a tradition of taking the initiative in providing physical access to learning. This practice is complemented by organizational strategies to help overcome social barriers to learning.

Many people may have had limited opportunities to learn earlier in their lives, due to social factors such as gender, income, class, race, language. A number of educational providers offer either mainstream or special programs to serve those whose access to learning has been constrained by social barriers. Some institutions work closely with groups of learners and their communities to develop programs that are appropriate to their needs. One administrator emphasizes, "they're our students and we want them to be successful."

Customizing programs to learner needs

The success of customized programs offered by Canadian education institutions for learners facing social barriers reinforces the principle that providing access means more than simply providing a course or a place: it also entails offering services to students that help them achieve success. These include academic and personal counselling, community based support systems and prior learning assessment, in which learners can obtain an evaluation of previous formal and non formal learning achievements. These systems rely far more on committed and competent staff than on technology.