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To get a better understanding of how networked technologies are impacting teachers and their teaching practices, in 2015 MediaSmarts partnered with the Canadian Teachers' Federation to survey 4,043 K-12 teachers and school administrators who were teaching in classroom settings across the country. The survey explored the extent to which networked technologies are available in the classroom, the ways teachers are using networked technologies to support learning, the knowledge and skills teachers have developed to make the most of networked technologies as learning tools and creative uses of networked technologies for learning activities. The following are appended: (1) Survey Questionnaire; and (2) Methodology and Background Demographic Information.

Alberta's education system is a leader in the use of technology in teaching and learning. New information technologies create options for how teachers teach, how students learn, and how classrooms look and operate. This document chronicles the history of computer technology in Alberta from 1975-2009. The information is arranged in a tabulated form. The information is organized under the following column headings: (1) the year; (2) the associated initiative; (3) the description; and (4) status and comments along with the names of Education Minsters.

The introduction of inter-school electronic networks has added a new dimension to education in Canada that has many implications for students who attend schools in rural communities. Collaborative internet-based teaching and learning and the creation of virtual classes within regional intranets now complement traditional on-site instruction in many schools that are located beyond major centres of population. Five stages in the advent of virtual educational environments can be identified starting with the introduction of computers in schools as a foundation for the development of collaborative teaching and learning environments. Inter-school collaboration in rural Canada and the extension of curriculum options for senior students has, in turn, provided a basis for the integration of virtual classes and traditional face to face instruction. Instruction in classes that are electronically linked to other classes requires different skills from traditional face to face teaching and the development of new strategies and protocols. The implications of open and flexible teaching and learning for the future organization of classes, the preparation of teachers, articulation with higher education and, in particular, regional economic development, are now significant educational policy issues. The linking of virtual and face to face classes through cybercells is a possible next step in the development of virtual educational environments.

This literature review is intended to provide practical information; lessons learned and promising practices which have been drawn from recent Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-12) one-to-one mobile computing research reports and related articles. The information is presented in the form of answers to the following questions: (1) How is one-to-one mobile computing defined? (2) What research has been and is being done? (3) What does the research say? And (4) What are the implications of this research for Alberta? Overall the research indicates that successful one-to-one computing initiatives are those that take a holistic approach with an emphasis on educational goals. Successful one-to-one mobile computing requires: leadership and commitment at all levels from those involved; thorough and long term planning; technology-infused curricula designed for the 21st century learner; current, relevant, engaging, and curriculum-matched multimedia resources; ongoing and embedded professional development, sufficient and well-functioning hardware and software; reliable broadband connectivity; timely technical support; community support; and sustainable funding. The review suggests that further investigation of one-to-one mobile computing is warranted and provides some of the information necessary to begin planning for additional research. The focus of research in Alberta could be to determine how one-to-one mobile computing improves learning, promotes innovative professional practice, and supports the acquisition century skills. One-to-one mobile computing technical merits and best practices could also be identified and models for technical support, hardware and software acquisition, and sustainability could be explored. A list of relevant web sites is included. (Contains 113 footnotes, 1 figure, 1 graph, and 8 tables.) [This document was prepared for Alberta Education by Learning Cultures Consulting Inc.]

This paper examines the use of network technologies in higher education and explores how adaptable network tools are for particular learning and teaching environments. The study included a review of the literature describing World Wide Web use to support learning in postsecondary courses in the United States and Canada. Additionally, interviews were conducted with 16 students in three classes at two institutions in which Web technology was used, as well as with four instructors. Data examined included student profiles, class topic, network tool, pedagogical tool, context, adaptable system components, educational purpose, and evaluation. The study found Web-based learning at all levels (undergraduate, graduate, professional) and in many different kinds of institutions, with the majority of courses concentrated in scientific and technical subject areas, which do not include many students with identified special needs. Instructors most often use the Web to enhance communication with students; to provide links to outside resources; and to post course information. Teachers struggle to meet students' differing needs because development of Web-based material is so time-consuming. Appended are a list of the literature reviewed, questions applied to the literature review, and interview protocols. (Contains 35 references.) (SM)

This paper outlines a detailed research investigation of Web information systems (WIS), such as intranets, extranets, and the World Wide Web, and their capacity to facilitate organizational knowledge work. The objective was to conduct a case study evaluation of WIS usage that examines the information needs and uses of major sets of users and the information ecology in which WIS are utilized. Data collection involved several techniques: namely interviews, Web usage tracking software, field observations, document review, and questionnaires. Both content and transaction log analysis served as primary modes of data analysis. The study hypothesized that as a means to support organizational knowledge work, WIS need to serve three broad functions: (1) foster the context in which information is created, shared, and used across the enterprise; (2) address employee information needs and users; and (3) incorporate features and functions within the interface design that enhance the potential usefulness of information to users. (Contains 33 references.) (Author/AEF)

This paper provides a snapshot of the computer network security industry and addresses specific issues related to network security in public education. The following topics are covered: (1) security policy, including reasons for establishing a policy, risk assessment, areas to consider, audit tools; (2) workstations, including physical security, protecting workstation components, and computer viruses; (3) the local network, including the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) reference model, protocols, network segmentation, network management, network sniffing, and data encryption; (4) servers, including UNIX and other server operating systems; (5) remote access, including technologies, remote access servers, protocols, and authentication/authorization; (6) crackers and hackers, including threats and hacking tools/techniques; (7) Internet firewalls, including functions, issues and problems, types, rules, logs, firewall accessories, buying a firewall, and firewall administration; and (8) applications, including e-mail, directory services, the World Wide Web, and single sign on. Each section highlights unique requirements of school jurisdictions and contains a list of relevant web sites. A glossary of terms is provided, and appendices include descriptions of Windows NT Workstation and Server, Novell NetWare, and Apple Macintosh, as well as a security checklist and evaluation form and a list of related Alberta Education resources. (AEF)

This report examines subsections of the computer network topology that relate to end-to-end performance and capacity planning in schools. Active star topology, Category 5 wiring, Ethernet, and intelligent devices are assumed. The report describes a model that can be used to project WAN (wide area network) connection speeds based on user traffic, describes end-to-end performance issues, characterizes and identifies tools for online analysis, describes how network traffic has an impact on network design as well as computer architectures, provides basic metrics where available, and identifies industry trends. The introduction discusses end-to-end performance, WAN connection, and bandwidth model. A WAN analysis is then presented, describing: tools; packet size; performance monitor; WAN traffic; WAN equity; shared bandwidth; cache server; multiple WAN connections; subnets and filters; case analysis; pornography, hackers, and other problems; and diagrams and documentation. A section on layers and computer performance covers the central processing unit, memory, network interface card, greening, hard disk subsystem, graphics subsystem, and motherboards. A glossary of terms is provided. Links to relevant World Wide Web sites, the structure of the Alberta Education home page, and a list of related Alberta Education resources are appended. Also appended are several configuration diagrams and illustrations of displays. (AEF)

This study examined how technology funding is planned, deployed and managed in six Alberta school jurisdictions and identified best practices and recommended strategies. Specific objectives were to research and examine, via interviews with technology personnel in each jurisdiction, the funding frameworks in place, and to report on commonalties, problematic areas, and recommended practices with respect to establishing and managing technology funding. The use of site-based, moderately site-based, and centralized funding models to equip schools with modern technology infrastructures is discussed. Best practices and recommended strategies are summarized in the following areas: (1) technology governance (establishing clear guidelines for managing technology, thereby maximizing return on investment and minimizing support costs); (2) managing the impact of computer networking (reshaping technology management and expenditure streams to reflect changes in how computers are used); (3) technology planning; (4) technology investment (addressing the major challenge of ensuring the long-term viability of technology investments); (5) accounting for investment (identifying the other costs involved in technology investment); and (6) technology funding sources (ensuring consistency across jurisdictions regarding sources of funding). A list of related Alberta Education resources is appended. (AEF)

Recently, increasing reliance on Web technology by end-users in organizations has encouraged corporate libraries to provide Web user training. To understand the effects of this new service, a case study was conducted on 17 participants at a large Canadian utility company. After an initial questionnaire, participant usage of the Web was unobtrusively monitored for two tracking periods through use of a custom-developed software application before and after the provision of an advanced Web training course. After both monitoring periods, one-on-one interviews were held with individual participants. Analysis of the results showed several key findings: improved Web use in terms of more substantial and efficient searches, increased comfort with Web technology, and greater appreciation for the services and resources offered by the corporate library. Results suggest the provision of Web user training may be a proactive way for corporate libraries to raise the profile of their departments within the firm. (Contains 15 references.) (Author/AEF)

This report briefly describes and analyzes three interrelated areas of reform of post-school education and training in the United Kingdom (chiefly England and Scotland) within the wider historic and political-cultural context. These areas are the subjects of the first three report sections. Section 1 addresses the lifelong learning initiatives of the United Kingdom Government, the Campaign for Learning of the private sector, and Nongovernmental Organizations alliance. Focus of Section 2 is on the reforms in both higher and further education sectors from the perspectives of policy development, quality assurance, and enabling greater coherence. Section 3 contains a cluster of four case studies that illustrate the scope of reform in such disparate fields as further education, application of learning technologies, modern apprenticeship, and a University for Industry. Several common themes run through the cases: concern for enabling greater recognition and transferability of learning; ensuring wider access to learning; and strengthening the economic fabric of the nation. Section 4 has summary observations pertaining to the lesser priority Canada gives to reform of education and training. A 21-item bibliography is appended. (YLB)

A distributed union catalog is a network of bibliographic systems that cooperate to enable their users to discover sites that hold copies of known items. Some participating systems will be traditional union catalogs, others will be single sites with comprehensive collections, and others will be local or regional resource sharing systems. A principal goal of the distributed union catalog is to allow the user to obtain a useful number of locations for an item with a minimal number of searches. Z39.50 (an information protocol standard) is a vital tool in enabling libraries and their patrons handle resource sharing in libraries and the computing environment. For Z39.50 to be used effectively for resource sharing, implementors, particularly library system vendors, must begin to support agreed-upon mechanisms transferring locations, holdings, and circulation information in a standardized way. Various approaches and issues surrounding the electronic transfer of library holdings information through union catalogs are discussed. Appendices include a definition of an OPAC record; and USMARC for "holdings" field list. (SWC)

The virtual Canadian union catalog (vCuc) project is a project among Canadian libraries to use Z39.50 (an information protocol standard) for searching distributed individual library catalogs and union catalogs. This paper summarizes the major technical, vendor, bibliographic data, and administrative issues that must be resolved before the distributed catalog environment will be able to provide the functionality which is available with a centralized union catalog. Solutions and the parties who are responsible for implementing them (librarians, vendors, national libraries and library organizations, library customers, or a combination) are identified. Issues discussed include: retrieval of locations and holdings information; the variety of attributes supported by vendors; inconsistency in vendor and library mapping of use attributes; ability to link from client system to other applications; merging result records of multiple systems; non-standardized use of library symbols; searches for specific serials issues; item level data and need for linkage of circulation and bibliographic records; incomplete cataloging; search terms supported by library; placement of location information and ease of user retrieval; description of Z39.50 features and options available in target system; and charging for the service. Vendors, technical developers, and librarians must continue to work together to find solutions which will assist libraries in providing service to their clients. (SWC)

This paper reports preliminary findings from an ongoing longitudinal study of preservice teachers mathematical knowledge and confidence. The subgroup for this study consists of 11 preservice teachers from a group of 60 students enrolled in the 2-year teacher education pilot program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), Toronto (Canada). The learning environment is designed to promote a sense of community and includes the following elements: small group discussions in which participants work on math investigations, workshops on cooperative learning techniques, experiences with collaborative learning in a variety of subject areas, and access to shared electronic databases which includes conferences of commentaries on mathematics. There is also a program-wide emphasis on constructivist approaches to learning, and students are introduced to a number of different technology-based and cognitively-oriented approaches to learning. The interpretive framework of community "glue factors" (identity, function, discourse, and shared values) is used to relate the data to the development of a learning community. The preliminary results suggest that the use of a shared electronic database facilitates a learning community for the majority of participants. The different participation patterns also suggest a need for more variety in approaches to accommodate the variety of learning styles and need. (Contains 45 references.) (JLS)

The role of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) in serving the aboriginal (indigenous) peoples of Canada, especially those in the Northwest Territories (NWT), is described, and the possibilities for future library delivery systems are discussed. The right of these peoples, and of all blind and visually impaired persons, to self-determination is a guiding principle in the CNIB service-delivery system. CNIB, which has provided vision services that are called eye patrols in the NWT since the 1930s, established the CNIB Library for the Blind in 1918. This privately funded library is the largest national production and distribution network for information to blind and visually impaired Canadians. Works are distributed in English and French because a comprehensive braille code has not been developed for the aboriginal languages. Funding and access problems mean that blind and visually impaired people in the NWT are not well served. Recognizing the potential of the electronic highway for improving services, CNIB has responded by establishing an Information Resource Center to serve as a library without walls that uses computer terminals and telephones to increase access to information for those who are unable to read print. Two maps illustrate the service areas. An eye test chart is included. (SLD)

A study was conducted at the Cumberland Campus of Nova Scotia Community College to determine the effect of a computer-based learning system on the academic and personal growth of adolescents with learning disabilities. Eleven learning disabled students, with an average age of 16.1 years, and one observer were chosen to participate in an 8-week summer program utilizing the INVEST integrated learning system, a networked system of basic instructional software offering lessons in reading, writing, mathematics, and life skills. Results of the study, based on pre- and post-standardized tests and feedback from participants, parents, and the observer, included the following: (1) positive gains were registered in both reading and math, with the group's average reading score moving from below average (29th percentile) to average (40th percentile) and average mathematics score moving from the 32nd to the 49th percentile; (2) improvement in mathematics was more in numerical operations than in reasoning; (3) 70% of the participants thought that the computer approach was better than traditional high school courses, and 80% indicated that they had learned more than with traditional methods; (4) the instructor indicated that the system accommodated a wider range of learner levels than traditional curricula; and (5) parents of the participants reported positive changes in attitudes toward school work. Contains 16 references. Tables, graphs, and the questionnaires are appended. (KP)

In 1991, the Cumberland Campus of Nova Scotia Community College established a literacy research and development project to survey local industries and the community regarding training needs and to develop workplace and community-based programs to meet those needs. One effort involved the implementation of a computer-assisted learning program to help the area's adult learners. The college purchased the INVEST Computer Assisted Learning System, a networked system of basic instructional software offering lessons in reading, writing, mathematics, and life skills and arranged a pilot project to evaluate the system. Specifically, the project sought to determine whether a heterogeneous group of adult learners could make significant gains in academic achievement over an 11-week period, and how such gains would compare to more traditional learning approaches. In the project, student journals were used, one private to encourage writing and a second to converse privately with the teacher. Results of standardized skills tests and evaluation questionnaires indicated the following: (1) positive gains were made in all areas of reading and math, with gains of more than 1.5 years realized for mathematical concepts and problem-solving; (2) 73% of the participants felt the project should have been longer; (3) 80% indicated that they became more highly motivated; (4) 73% felt that they were better and more confident learners; and (5) 80% indicated that they wanted more instructor input. The overall consensus was that there were many positive features to the program which could serve as a successful adjunct to traditional models. (KP)

Information technology is having a profound effect on higher education in North America, and Brandon University in Manitoba (Canada) is in a position to join this movement in its early stages. The case for integrating information technology into the curriculum is argued, and the potential role of the new library complex in the teaching function is outlined. The recent expansion of the campus information network, MONET, has enhanced opportunities for faculty members, but this technology has yet to be extended to students. The new library is planned to allow the incorporation of information technology into the curriculum, should the university and the community elect to move students into the information technology age. Practical suggestions are offered to accomplish this. A first step is to begin developing courses that apply information technology to the specific research assignments required of students. A second, longer-range task is to create new courses on the history, sociology, and psychology of the information society, so that students gain an intellectual context in which to place contemporary events. It will also be essential to ensure that the technological infrastructure of the campus does not become progressively obsolete because of financial constraints. An appendix provides an annotated bibliography that lists 45 sources of additional information. (Contains 42 references.) (SLD)

This report of the Distance Education Secondary School Committee of Northern Ontario, which is composed of representatives of the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Independent Learning Centre, Native and French language components of the MOE, and Contact North, discusses the role that the Contact North distance education network can play in the achievement of the goals of the Ontario government. Government priorities are listed, and contributions of Contact North in providing residents of isolated communities increased access to formal and informal educational opportunities are summarized. Contact North services to delivering institutions are listed, and curriculum support potential is identified. Benefits for students, teachers, and school board personnel are considered, including increased curriculum options, course enhancement, cultural enrichment, guidance and career planning, educational upgrading, inservice training, and development of local programs. Background on Contact North participants, funding considerations, course delivery, and the advantages of centralization is provided. The benefits of collaboration are discussed, including cost-efficiency, a universal timetable, participation by provincially-funded schools, large school participation, stability, and minimized local differences; and recommendations are offered for release time for teachers to deliver courses on the Contact North system and funding for smaller school boards to provide inservice training, curriculum development, and supervisory services through distance education. (ALF)

A study was conducted for the Cumberland Campus of Nova Scotia Community College to determine whether a heterogeneous group of adult learners could make significant gains in academic achievement using a computer-based learning system, and how such gains compared to those associated with more traditional learning approaches. A sample of 15 students, with an average age of 32.27 and a mean education level of 9.33 years, participated in an 11-week course using INVEST, a networked system of basic instructional software offering lessons in reading, writing, mathematics, and life skills. Two groups were used for comparison, one with a younger mean age which had completed an 18-week course, and one with an older mean age which had completed a 44-week program. Study findings, based on standardized tests administered before and after program participation, included the following: (1) attendance for the INVEST sample was 92.6%, while the mean number of hours on the computer was 151.77; (2) positive gains were made by the study group in all areas of reading and mathematics, while for mathematics, gains of more than 1.5 years were made in the 11-week period; and (3) after adjusting for program length, gains in reading skills were greater for the comparison groups but gains in mathematics were greater for the INVEST group. Based on findings and positive reactions from participants, it was recommended that the program be adopted as a supplement to traditional approaches. Tables and study instruments are appended. (KP)

The Education Network of Ontario (ENO) is a telecommunications corporation creating an access and applications network for and by Ontario's 130,000-member education community. When educators register with ENO, they receive full industry-standard Internet and Intranet services in English and French. ENO/REO works from school or home. Statistics such as 100,000 teacher members, over 23,000 logins a day, 250,000,000 minutes a month of online time, and over 100,000 mail or news messages per day are commonplace. Self-nominating teachers lead projects that deal with content creation, classroom projects and technology exploration. Results are as varied as a database of parent letters to go with report cards, solutions to keep small children exercised and content in ultra-cold winter months, an Internet radio station and investigation of video and voice technologies as well as pedagogical practices to support professional development. ENO trains teachers who now understand the need for, and use of, a sophisticated variety of applications and content to support and motivate students in the online environment. The result of this support is a classroom project model that is firmly based in curriculum but created in a way that the students and teachers use access to the Internet and other technologies to enhance learning of subject matter and processes, and not the technology itself. The ENO project model is supported by an automated application so teachers need not become involved in Web functions and software operations themselves. They do not need to understand Web site creation or even negotiate Web hosting with their school or District School Board. In this way, they work from the outset with the skills and experience they already have and they add knowledge of online processes and course management only as they need them in practice. Many project leaders graduate from this initial template to major Web site creation. Because ENO is its own Internet and Intranet Service Provider, it has enabled teachers to create and use a continuously evolving "bootstrap" model to support diverse, creative activities--projects, group work, lessons and student-to-student exchanges at every level of instruction. (Author)