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This discussion paper explores the extent to which new learning technologies can help make learning more available, accessible, and compatible with women's needs and goals. The following topics are discussed: the paper's framework and data sources (discussions with individuals from all regions of Canada whose experience encompasses a range of formal and nonformal education and training, a review of literature on women and new learning technologies, and a review of public policy documents related to technology and learning); expectations and educator provision of access for women and the four levels of access (infrastructure and community, institutional, and individual access); costs and use of resources (values and cost, payment for education and training in Canada, and comparative costs of "old" and "new" technologies); quality and equality of learning (perspectives on learning, different learning tasks, instructor perspectives, keeping a holistic approach in the forefront, the economic rationale); opportunities for learning (nonformal learning and information sharing, formal learning, good examples, the global picture); and tools and strategies (finding and sharing information, evaluating programs, discovering real options, exploring underlying values, conveying concerns to decision makers). A 21-item annotated bibliography and 99-item bibliography are included. (MN)

The challenges and opportunities presented by fiscal constraint, new technologies and an information "explosion" require that universities and their libraries develop a system by which scholars and students can access information when it is needed. This discussion paper in English and French, is the first of a series of papers intended to raise awareness of important issues in academic libraries' support of scholarship in Canadian universities, to describe initiatives which address these issues, and to propose strategies for dealing with them. The ability of Canadian academic libraries to provide access to scholarly information is increasingly constrained by the worldwide proliferation and high cost of scholarly publications and the limitations of Canadian copyright legislation and copyright practices. This has a significant impact on the role of research within the academic community and on university promotion and tenure practices. Any new system that seeks to replace the current paper-based scholarly communication system will be expected to: restore scholar centricity; be network-based; be able to support all formats; protect the copyright interests of both scholars and institutions; be responsive to the values of peer review; base prices on actual costs; be timely; and provide the tools to create, convert, and organize the available information. A number of projects are underway among the academic community and by the federal government that address these needs. Appendices provide a list of task force representatives, descriptions of the roles of the National Library of Canada and the Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information of the National Research Council of Canada, and a discussion of academic library studies in the United States and the United Kingdom. Suggested readings, Internet and UseNet newsgroups and a listserver are also provided. (AEF)

This working paper is the culmination of a number of meetings of the Task Force on the Community College with people in community colleges and their communities, as well as with people in noncollege communities, to obtain views regarding the nature of community colleges and the functions that they should perform in British Columbia. Special areas of concern were the following: New college and college facilities development; college role in media/communications; continuing education; community education and development; student services; extracurricular activities; admissions policy; fee structure; worker study leave; professional development; college hiring policy; and bargaining relationships. Recommendations of the task force are made as to regions, finance, governance--council and internal--college/department of education relations, and college/university relations. Appendixes provide: a Map and Table of Present and Proposed College Regions and Lists of School Districts; Sites for May Hearings; Information Regarding Presentation of Briefs and Statements; and List of Those Who Were Contacted by or Contacted the Task Force. (DB)

Defining adult education in a very broad sense, the paper is an historical survey of the opportunities that were available for both the formal and informal education of adults from the 1860's to 1914. It presents information (drawn to a great extent from contemporary newspaper accounts) about the educational services provided by libraries; literary, cultural, art, and debating societies; public schools (through night and extension classes); national and regional organizations; special interest groups (for sailors, women, Oriental immigrants, various trades, businesses, and professions); private tutors; commercial schools; and newspapers. It also deals with the involvement of industry and labor unions in the education of its personnel, and with in-service training for teachers and other professionals. Whenever it is available, information about the number and kinds of courses, enrollments, fees, and lecturers is also included. (PR)

The paper reviews the growth of Canadian Adult Basic Education (ABE) with emphasis on the role played by the Federal government. It considers major events leading to an awareness of the disadvantaged and their inability to function adequately, without necessary opportunities and skills, in the mainstream of an industrialized society. The author describes the various Federally sponsored projects--the Technical and Vocational Training Assistance (TVTA) Act, the Basic Training for Skill Development (BTSD) Program, The Adult Occupational Training (AOT) Act, and the New Start Program. Innovations in ABE established life skills and basic literacy training and an ABE course based on individualized learning and a behavioral objectives "systems" approach. For continued effectiveness and expansion, the author emphasizes the need for active student involvement in the learning process. A bibliography is provided. (Author/JB)

This paper is an extended series of appendices to the report "Exploring the T.R.Q.: An Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Teachers' Rating Questionnaire," Report Number 123. It should be most useful to those familiar with multiple regression analysis and factor analysis and wishing a more complex record of the statistical procedures originally employed. This supplement takes a precise look at estimation of reliability coefficients from delayed retest data, indices used in evaluating theoretical distributions and analysis of the correlation matrices of the TRQ questions. (Author)

This paper is part 3 of Research Department Report Number 123, "Exploring the T.R.Q.: An Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Teachers' Rating Questionnaire," which gave questionnaire users information necessary to tailor the instrument to their own needs. Retention of TRQ questions which generated good distributions of teacher ratings and which were nonredundant in relationship to other questions resulted in a standard form suitable for general applications. This supplement presents information about item selection along with a complete set of the four TRQ administration booklets as revised for (1) kindergarten, (2) grade 1, (3) grade 2, and (4) grade 3+. (Author)

The paper describes and analyzes the changes in the University of British Columbia extension program in the 60's resulting from action by the university administration. The history of the program is surveyed through an examination of its three directors and their accomplishments and policies. The role of the department was to promote and foster adult education in British Columbia. The program has expanded into areas of professional continuing education and has created closer ties with other faculties within the university. The early 60's experienced growth, development, and increased emphasis on programs for professional people. Much of the data are drawn from department reports and reviews. The late 60's experienced budget cuts and new directions in which nondegree work was visualized as lower in priority than graduate programs. However, the emphasis moved toward upgrading the intellectual content of the program as well as establishing new programs designed for Indians and women. Priorities under a new director were aimed at cooperation in policy decisions, broadening part-time study, developing professional continuing education, easing budget cuts in nondegree courses, and furthering cooperation with other faculties. Recommendations for the 70's include changing the term "extension education" to "continuing education" and stress continued response to public interests. (Author/JB)

The steps involved in tailoring a periodical and monograph price index to a university library are examined, as are the difficulties involved in applying a simple methodology such as a price index when the data base has not been organized to play an active role in the decision-making process. The following topics are addressed: the shifting of library funds from books to periodicals, the price increase differential between domestic and foreign titles, and prices paid by the library and those advertized by publishers. University, library, and acquisition budget data for the University of Montreal for 1971-72, 1975-76 and 1979-80 are examined, as are the Canadian consumer price indexes for postage, book and printing paper, and other specific commodities. Findings include the following: a drastic shift of library funds from books to periodicals has occurred in the past years, but the number of titles is declining in both categories; foreign periodical titles are much more expensive than domestic titles; and periodical prices paid by the university library are higher than those advertised by publishers. (SW)

This paper reviews selected research projects which focus on creating learning environments for special education, including those for handicapped, disadvantaged, and gifted children. Technologies that are applicable for gifted, retarded, blind or visually impaired, and deaf or hearing impaired students are discussed, as well as those for students who have poor motor coordination or communication difficulties. Appendices include information on the following technologies: computers, microcomputers, videotapes, videodiscs, the Kurzweil reading machine, and microcommunicators. (LLS)

This report outlines alternative directions for urban social planning in Canada, taking into account the growth of the welfare state, alternative economic developments, and urban demographic trends. Based on a theory of increasing social convergence/diversity between the United States and Canada, a proactive model of planning is recommended. Urban demographic and household trends that are considered in planning include the following: (1) growth of the proportion of elderly people within a relatively stable population base; (2) increase in the multicultural composition of neighborhoods; and (3) deinstitutionalization and return to community life of many physically, mentally, and emotionally impaired people. Planning must also include the loss of an urban labor pool as the mobile unemployed move to new locations in search of jobs; and the immobile chronically unemployed, who require social services. Alternative models discussed include the following: (1) proactive; (2) reactive; and (3) conversational. A list of 29 references is included. (FMW)

The papers related to Canadian language policy at an international conference are presented: "Language Policy in Canada: Current Issues" (Juan Cobarrubias); "Multiculturalism and Language Policy in Canada" (Jim Cummins, Harold Troper); "Defining Language Policy in a Nationalistic Milieu and in a Complex Industrialized Region: the Quebec Case" (Jean-Denis Gendron); "The Impact of Minority on Language Policy and the Impact of Language Policy on Minority in Quebec" (Don Cartwright); "Facts and Fancies in Language Education of Ethnocultural Minorities" (Bruce Bain); "Language Education for Northern Canadian Native Students: A Case Study of Fort Albany, Ontario" (Kelleen Toohey); and "Multiculturalism as De-acculturation" (Claudia Persi-Haines, Ian Pringle). (MSE)

This paper describes the development and current state of videodisk technology in Canada. The first section focuses on the technology itself, i.e., the disks, disk players, and the possibilities they offer for interaction between learner and machine. The current costs of the technology and the probable effect of these costs on the market are also discussed. The second section reports on a survey of the research and production of videodisks in Canada, and includes a discussion of the contents, educational design, costs, and features of projects completed by ACCESS Alberta, the Univesity of Alberta in Edmonton, Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, among others. Issues involved in most of the projects include: (1) the effective design of interactive learning programs; (2) coordination of the team producing the videodisk; and (3) cost of the technology both to produce and to use. It is concluded that, although the potential of the educational videodisk is widely recognized in Canada, its wide acceptance as a valid, affordable alternative for educational delivery is still open to question. A list of contact individuals and references is included. (DB)

This paper identifies some of the major developments and activities in cable television in relation to education in Canada. It begins by providing a general overview of the cable industry from 1952 to 1983, including the revision of the Broadcasting Act in 1968 to give jurisdiction over the cable television industry to the newly created Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The discussion covers licensing regulations before and after CRTC, pay-TV, and the use of communications satellites to deliver television signals. The report concludes by describing and providing examples of services provided via educational channels and opportunities for community programming offered by cable television systems, including CRTC regulations governing these activities. (10 references) (DB)

This paper discusses the use of the new technologies in noncredit courses for adults who are interested in learning about a particular subject or in developing skills without concern for formal accreditation, whether the course is designed for professional upgrading, loosely related to work, or taken for purely personal satisfaction. Uses of satellite/telephone technology and teleconferencing in noncredit programs through the university system are briefly described to provide background information for the major part of this report, which focuses on two examples of educational programs outside the university system. These two programs are described in detail: (1) the TVOntario Academy, which consists of a combination of television programs, print materials, and computer-managed instruction; and (2) the Adult Basic Education Centre in Toronto, which uses the PLATO system to offer computer-assisted instruction to adults whose reading and arithmetic skills are at the elementary school level. (DB)

This paper presents a collection of experiences from the Canadian educational institutions that offer distance education. The first of four major sections defines the need for an alternative to traditional, classroom-based education, and describes the characteristics of distance education. The second section discusses the three institutions in Canada that are dedicated to providing distance education: Athabasca University in Alberta, the Open Learning Institute in British Columbia, and Tele-universite in Quebec. The third section focuses on the four provincial educational communications authorities in Canada and the educational programs they offer to their audiences: Radio Quebec, TVOntario, ACCESS Alberta (Alberta Educational Communications Corporation), and the Knowledge Network of the West. The fourth section looks at applications of various technologies in distance education: print, radio, audiocassettes, television, videotape, computers, videodisc, videotex/Telidon, teleconferencing, and satellites. A discussion of issues and problems that have arisen in connection with the application of information and communication technologies to distance education in Canada and a brief final statement on the current status of and opportunities offered by distance education conclude the report. (54 references) (DB)

This paper examines the history, functions, and impact of the four existing educational communications organizations in Canada: (1) TVOntario; (2) Radio Quebec; (3) ACCESS Alberta; and (4) the Knowledge Network of the West in British Columbia. It is noted that, while broadcasting and communications have always fallen under federal jurisdiction, education is the sole responsibility of each provincial government. The overlap between these two, in the form of educational broadcasting, necessitated the formation of new regulatory policy. A discussion of the new policy reveals that, while the four authorities may share similar purposes in the provision of educational opportunities to the public, and adhere to a common national programming definition, there are distinct differences among them that are reflected in their roles and functions: (1) TVOntario produces and distributes all educational programs on its television network; (2) ACCESS Alberta (Alberta Educational Communications Corporation) produces educational programs and operates radio stations, but has no television network of its own; (3) Radio-Quebec distributes educational programming and produces programming relevant to the region's cultural concerns; and (4) the Knowledge Network distributes programming produced elsewhere. It is noted that the Agency for Tele-Education in Canada (ATEC) is an umbrella organization designed to facilitate interaction among the four educational communications authorities, including communication, information sharing, and co-production of programs. This report provides a brief introductory overview of the four communications organizations together with a detailed description of each of the four. (17 references) (DB)

This paper reports information received from responses to a survey questionnaire from the presidents of 46 universities and their affiliated colleges across Canada. The questionnaire (circulated to all member institutions of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada) included queries about the experiences of the universities with communications and information technologies, and about the use of computer technology as a research tool in libraries and for distance education. The first section reports on use of the established technologies of film, television, videotape, radio, and audiotape. The second section explores the uses of computer technologies for instruction, research, networking, and conferencing. Comments on potential changes in higher education resulting from new technologies are discussed in the final section. The research questionnaire and list of responding colleges are provided. (DB)

This report on technology in education has been prepared, primarily for TVOntario staff, to highlight new and growing educational applications and to summarize recent evaluations of earlier application efforts. The descriptions of trends and developments are classified by media format. Representative applications of the media include: (1) television (use of telecourses and educational programming for adults, introduction of media literacy courses, and an increasing number of television game shows for children); (2) satellite delivery (more use of satellite transmission to deliver professional and continuing education programs and academic resources); (3) teleconferencing (as a communications medium for business, as a delivery medium for medical consultation and training, and as a forum for student exchange); (4) computers (computer-based learning environments, database access, and conferencing capabilities); (5) videodisk and interactive video (for training resource provision and for teaching reading); and (6) videotex (for banking, shopping, and financial planning services). (GL)

This study investigates the differences in the degree of low academic achievement of third and fourth graders living with single-parent families from 11 industrialized countries. The United States ranks first among the countries compared in terms of the achievement gap for children in single- and two-parent families. After controlling for individual and family variables, the gap in the United States shrinks somewhat, but American single-parent children are still more disadvantaged than those in the other countries. Following a cross-national multilevel analysis, which includes family policy and demographic variables at the national level, the study finds single parenthood to be less detrimental where there are family policies equalizing resources between single-parent and other families, such as family or child allowances and parental leave. It also finds that single parenthood is most detrimental for academic achievement in those countries where the percentages of single-parent families are the highest. Findings suggest that policies aimed at increasing family income can offset the detrimental achievement consequences of single parenthood. (Contains 63 references.) (Author/SM)

A study examined what adult literacy tutors believe about literacy and how their beliefs affect the learner-tutor matches. It began with the assumptions that tutors are important actors in the tutor-learner relationship and that their beliefs and behavior will affect the tutoring relationship. The research site was a literacy program organized and funded by undergraduate students at a Canadian university. Research was conducted using case study methodology; data were gathered during semi-structured interviews with 18 tutors entering the program and being trained; those who had tutored for several months; and coordinators with 1 year of experience. An initial data analysis indicated almost all tutors said their learners had made little or no progress, yet these tutors also had made little effort to use the support and resources of the organization to encourage more learning. Tutors were found to share the following belief system: tutors believe a learner who does not succeed in a classroom learning format will be helped by one-on-one tutoring; while recognizing the wide variety of learner needs, tutors rely on individual attention rather than specific training to function in the match; tutors value good will over good training; and tutors defend their volunteer activities based on perceived needs rather than demonstrable progress and results. (Contains 13 references and an interview schedule.) (YLB)

In November 2009, the BC Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT) hosted a "Visioning Session" to revisit the framework and definitions that have been used to measure the mobility of transfer students in British Columbia. Members of BCCAT's standing committees participated along with representatives from the Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development (ALMD) and the Student Transitions Project (STP). Among the 25 present from across the province were registrars, institutional research directors, senior administrators, a high school principal, two post-secondary advisors, and a private institutions representative. After hearing presentations on the research on student mobility that has been undertaken to date by BCCAT and the STP, the Visioning Session participants were asked to develop a definition of a mobile student and to identify the top subpopulations of mobile students that they felt are worthy of future study. Some of the barriers to research about these subpopulations and policy questions surrounding them were also identified. Finally, support for continuing to focus research on the "traditional" transfer student population (transfers to research universities) was gauged. The outcomes of deliberations are outlined in a discussion paper which was then circulated more broadly across the system for further response. Feedback to this paper is outlined in this document.

The Youth in Transition Survey (YITS) is a longitudinal survey that was developed over a 3-year period by Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) and Statistics Canada in consultation with provincial and territorial ministries and departments of labor and education. The YITS is designed to provide policy-relevant information about school-to-work transitions and factors influencing pathways among education, training, and work. The YITS' implementation plan encompasses a longitudinal survey for each of two cohorts, ages 15 and 18-20, to be surveyed every 2 years. The sample design for the 15-year-old cohort is a school-based frame allowing selection of schools and then individuals within schools. The sample design for the cohort aged 18-20 is similar to that of Canada's Labour Force Survey. The survey questions examine factors influencing respondents' academic achievement and educational and career aspirations and outcomes. Pilot surveys and interviews for the younger and older cohorts were conducted in April-May and January-February 2000, respectively. Data for the YITS will be collected through computer-assisted telephone interviewing. Primary results from both age cohorts are expected to be available in late 2001. (Addresses of eight project contacts are listed. Lists of the HRDC project advisory panel and 154 references are appended.) (MN)

English and French versions of the Canadian Home Economics Association's position paper describe the place of home economics/family studies (HEFS) in education and worldwide trends indicating the need for HEFS. Suggests it is the only subject with the primary focus on preparing students for everyday life in an increasingly complex global society. (SK)