E-learning, still an abstract notion in Canada

Based on various studies, Canada is wired. Whether at home, school or work, Canadians have ready access to information and communication technologies (ICTs). According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, Canada ranked 12th globally in terms of electronic preparation in 2008, but as regards the use of these new tools, the country is lagging, particularly in the area of e-learning.

“At the end of the 1990s, a study came out that predicted that by 2003, 50% of work-related training would take place online,” remembers Marc Lachance, director of the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL). “But in 2005, another survey showed that e-learning hovered at around 15 to 20% only.” The situation, still the same in 2009, is all the more worrisome. In the International Telecommunication Union survey of 154 countries’ use of ICTs, Canada ranked 12th worldwide, dropping 10 places vs. its 2002 ranking.

State of affairs

While e-learning is used in the corporate world, “It mainly concerns large businesses,” observes André Goli, director at Edu-Perfomance, a creator of e-learning solutions. In its 2009 report titled “State Of E-Learning in Canada,” the CCL reaches the same conclusion. According to Goli, large companies account for 70% of tailored training on topics such as management, systems migration, behaviour and customer service. Large companies make optimal use of e-learning because they have understood its strengths as a tool to optimize costs, standardize backgrounds and retain employees.

A tool more than a stand-alone solution

“Unfortunately, most companies have not understood all the benefits and potential of this tool,” says André Goli. He thinks that it is all a question of vision: “In Europe, e-learning is often used alongside classroom instruction or online tutoring. In Canada, it is used alone most of the time—and yet, it is only a tool, not a stand-alone solution.”

Two major obstacles

In practice, companies buy an e-learning program that they do not relay internally. The result is that the course is not used and the experience ends in failure. Goli and Lachance agree that in order to be effective, e-learning must be supported and followed up by companies. “This requires having a training budget that includes course support and follow-up,” emphasizes Lachance.

And therein lies the problem. Most Canadian companies have relatively tight training budgets, in which they can pay for online training, but not its support.

Erin Mills, the author of the CCL’s 2009 report, identifies a second obstacle to e-learning: “Companies also have difficulty defining what their needs are and the investment that will be required.”

All have a role to play

Is e-learning doomed to continue lagging behind in Canada? The various people we talked to do not think so. They all believe, however, that enormous progress must be made by both companies and training organizations. “In each province, organizations develop tools that remain confined to a small group. At the same time, companies are using e-learning in more advanced ways, especially in the area of medicine, but once again it is not passed along,” analyzes Marc Lachance.

In order to develop e-learning, the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) recommends the creation of a national forum for discussion and sharing, and comparing best practices. Training organizations also have a role to play, in that supply stimulates demand. The CCL therefore invites suppliers to develop e-learning solutions in partnership with companies, for diagnosing their needs and developing tailored solutions.

Following universities’ lead

The business world could also look to the educational arena, which has given rise to successful e-learning initiatives. One such example is the online literacy software ABRACADABRA developed by Concordia University’s Centre for the Study of Learning Performance (CSLP), intended for all primary school students across the country.

Athabasca University (AU) was founded in 1970. It is an internationally recognized institution that offers online training exclusively. Then there is the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM), a joint initiative of Lakehead University in Thunder Bay and Laurentian University in Sudbury, which trains doctors for Indian and French rural communities in Northern Ontario—a true inspiration.