Barbour, M. K., Wenmoth, D., & Davis, N. (2012, April). Primary and secondary virtual learning in New Zealand: Examining the process of achieving maturity. A paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Vancouver, BC. This proposal describes a study into the development of virtual learning in New Zealand, specifically the obstacles that e-learning clusters face or have faced in their journey to sustainability and maturity through the lens of the Learning Communities Online Handbook. Using a variety of data collection methods, the researchers identified three common barriers, including a lack of a coherent vision, difficulty in securing the necessary funding and resources, and a lack of collaboration and cooperation within and between clusters. Based on these findings, it is recommended that individual e-learning clusters develop specific strategies to encourage greater collaboration between clusters and work towards greater consistency between their activities, including professional and organizational development and also of the approaches to virtual learning.

1. Primary and Secondary Virtual
Learning in New Zealand:
Examining the Process of
Achieving Maturity
Michael Barbour, Wayne State University
Derek Wenmoth, CORE Education
Niki Davis, University of Canterbury

3. Virtual Learning Network
VLN Primary
Te Kura
Several tertiary's

4. Research Purpose
To capture, in a range of ways, information that
will contribute to the knowledge base about the
development of virtual schooling in New
Zealand, in particular, how the Learning
Communities Online Handbook is being used
to assist and inform this development.

5. Research Questions
1.(a) What common barriers do e-learning
clusters face in their development towards
maturity and sustainability?
(b) How have mature and sustainable clusters
overcome those barriers?
2.What are some examples of how networked
schools are emerging in the New Zealand
context?

6. Research Questions
1.(a) What common barriers do e-learning
clusters face in their development towards
maturity and sustainability?
(b) How have mature and sustainable clusters
overcome those barriers?
2.What are some examples of how networked
schools are emerging in the New Zealand
context?

7. Research Visits

8. Data Collected
• Interviews
– 10 current & former ePrincipals
– 8 Principals & Deputy Principals
– 12 eTeachers, eDeans & Facilitators
– 18 Students
• Observations
– 12 video conferencing session
– 10 asynchronous work locations
• Document Analysis
– reports, courses, data, school newsletter, cluster info, etc.

9. Learning Communities Online Handbook, 2011

10. Common Obstacles
• Lack of vision
• Funding, resources
and the role of the
ePrincipal
• Lack of inter-cluster
and intra-cluster co-
operation

11. Lack of Vision
• process of creating a vision
for an e-learning initiative is
critical and was clearly
evident in this data
• clusters with greatest
support were those able to
articulate a vision that went
beyond the provision of
distance education courses
& opportunities that the
tools could provide
• sustainable vs. mature

12. Resources, Funding & Role of the ePrincipal
• technology-based
initiatives require
resources (e.g., tools,
leadership, teachers, PD)
• funding e-learning
o put in a teacher, get access to
enrolments
o contribute money or % of a
teacher for cluster leadership
• little consistency in job
description (i.e., principal
of an online school)

13. Lack of Inter- & Intra-Cluster Co-operation
Art History 5 Clusters + Te Kura
Level 3 Calculus 5 Clusters
Level 2 Physics 4 Clusters
Level 3 Physics 4 Clusters
Level 3 Spanish 4 Clusters
30 courses 2+ Clusters

14. Moving Forward
• E-Learning Clusters
– coordinate activities between
clusters
– examine the role of VLN
leadership & whether there is
geographic or like-minded
rationalisation that can occur
• Ministry of Education
• continue services
• create content repository
• fund regional leadership

15. Future Research
• a national survey of
distance education
activity & processes
– # of students
– # of teachers
– # of courses
– which courses
– resource model
– technologies/software
• include VLN clusters,
Loops, Te Kura, health
schools, tertiary groups

16. Your
Questions
And
Comments