Why is e-learning crucial for Canada?

Re: Why is e-learning crucial for Canada?

by Nalin Abeysekera -
Number of replies: 4

E-learning is important to Canada because ,knowledge is an asset to all the people. If you are in a private sector you can use e-learning for training and development of your organization. That’s why some people taking about learning organizations. If it is education then e-learning always helps you to share and produce (generate) knowledge.

As a developed country Canada can be a benchmark for other courtiers in e-learning. Especially in research.E-learning policy should go in line with ICT policy.

 

In reply to Nalin Abeysekera

Re: Why is e-learning crucial for Canada?

by Nabi Bux Jumani -

Hi Nalin

I slightly agree with your point of view but dveloping countries should also utilize ICT for educating their people where there is problem of thick population. I know that it will take time to get optimum benefit from ICTs by developing nations. Open university Pakistan is one of the maga universities of the world and has shifted its approach of education from traditional distance education to e-education. But the destination is.........

Canada is a dveloped country and on the other hand its literacy rate is high and has all amenties of ICT but I think ICT is global value and equally important for each nation on the globe.

Jumani

In reply to Nabi Bux Jumani

Re: Why is e-learning crucial for Canada?

by Nalin Abeysekera -

Hello Jumani,

Yes  it will take time(introducing ICT and expecting fully online environment ) once we are considering about developing countries…then the responsibility of intellectuals will come in to play. Human element is very important in this sense..resources should manage well with proper planning….to curtail the time period (distance to fully e-learning environment)I think the role of intellectuals (professors like you) is very important. This is a much needed demand in this decade…development of the country depends on the development of ICT as well as development of research on theses sectors….academics, intellectuals together with entrepreneur should join hand with government(partnerships) for this journey.
In reply to Nalin Abeysekera

Re: Why is e-learning crucial for Canada?

by Virginia Yonkers -
Interesting that you should bring this up. I did a comparative study on ICT, education, economic development, and R & D policies that was presented at the AERA Conference in NY this year. I had wanted to include Canada as one of the countries to look at. However, I found 1) very few comparative studies on Canada (perhaps I was looking in the wrong places) and 2) very few studies that looked at these four factors more in-depth for Canada. While I could find statistics, I found very little in the way of policy analysis. I did find a lot of analyses about Western Europe, Africa, and Asia, but very little about the Americas (North, Central, and South) with the exception of the US.

You can a find a copy of the paper here. (Yonkers, V. (2008) Creating the Knowledge Economy: A model of technology, economic development, education, and research & development policies. American Educational Research Association Conference: International Education SIG. Presented March 26, New York City, NY. ) I am wondering if any of you know of any comparative studies on e-learning which includes Canada (apart from the OECD, TIMMS, or PICA studies).
In reply to Virginia Yonkers

Re: Why is e-learning crucial for Canada?

by Nalin Abeysekera -

Thanks..as you suggested comparative study will bring better results.I think researchers can use quantitative as well as qualitative data.(some time I wonders some qualitative researches come up with very good conclusions)..Triangulation of research should be the way.e-learning and research of e-learning should be number one in ICT and e-learning policy in the country. Percentage wise if you invest 100 Canadian $ for e-learning at least 10% should spend on research and development(like you invest 10% from your Gross National Income(GNP) for R&D).If you can benchmark some country then it is easy for you to have a comparative analysis.(in the future other countries will benchmark Canada!!).And more importantly I think there is a role of “promotion” which can play a good role in E-learning .In promotion we can use the AIDA model.

Attention

Interest

Desire

Action

To make you potential customers (in e-learning we can say people who do not aware about the subject) you can create their awareness by using promotions(advertising, sales promotion, personal selling etc,etc)…then for  interest, desire and action different promotional campaigns can be used. This is very important in every industry. Especially if you want to have a proper plan (or business plan) you need this.