Barbour, M. K., Wenmoth, D., & Davis, N. (2013, April). Virtual learning in New Zealand: Examples of networked schools. A poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA.

1. Virtual Learning in New Zealand:
Examples of Networked Schools
Michael Barbour, Wayne State University
Derek Wenmoth, CORE Education
Niki Davis, University of Canterbury

3. New Zealand

4. • two main islands separated by the Cook Strait.
• closest neighbor is Australia (over 1200 miles
away)
• 4.4 million people in 2006 (1% increase from
2001)
o 67.6% European
o 14.6% Maori
o 9.2% Asian
o 6.9% Pacific Peoples
• three official languages: English, Maori &
American Sign Language
New Zealand

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

6. 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.
Research Purpose

7. 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.

8. Research Visits

9. Research Visits
• 9 current or emerging clusters
• 3 VLN-related projects
• 13 schools
• 1 health school
• Te Kura
• 9 tertiary institutions

10. Learning Communities Online Handbook, 2011

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

12. Pockets of Innovation
• Changing teacher
practice
• Opening classrooms
• Mentor teacher
• Considering student
learning space

13. Wenmoth (2010)

21. Davis (2007)

25. 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

26. 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, Te
Kura, health
schools, tertiary groups

27. Your
Questions
And
Comments

28. http://www.vln.school.nz/mod/file/download.php?file_guid=114023