1 Together at a Distance Pan-Arctic E-Learning Project Final Research Report to theGovernment of Nunavut Iqaluit, Nunavut Canada Prepared by: Elizabeth A. Childs, PhD & Collene Armstrong February, 2011 2 Acknowledgements The Together @ a Distance Project would like to acknowledge the support, knowledge and resources shared with the project from the following people: xJoy Suluk xCarolyn MacDonald xShirley Tagalik xNunia Qanatsiaq xJoe KaretakxMarg Joyce xSonia Hodge, Student xLucien Kabvitok, Student xEric Anoee xMichael Angalik xDepartment of Education, C&SS xDr. Doug MacLachlan xDr. Ron Windrim xTia Martini xJanice Reid xChris TurnbullxNunavut Literacy CouncilxNWT Literacy Council xCayla Chenier xDoug Bowes - Set BC xRobert Boates xDr. Norm Vaughan xLayla Didmon xLetters of Support provided by: Monica Ell (Nunavut Economic Forum); Cindy Cowan (Director, Academic Studies Trades and Community Programs); Darlene Thompson (Secretary-Treasurer, Nunavut Association of Community Access Sites); Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation; Alexander McAuley (University of Prince Edward Island); Joanne McGrath (NWT Department of Education, Culture and Employment); and Mr. Tim McNeill (Government of Nunatsiavut) xExternal Programs and Learning Technologies, University of British Columbia) xAll pilot participants (Taloyoak, Arctic Bay, Nain, Iqaluit, Fort Simpson and Rankin Inlet) xAll NTEP staff and Arctic College participants xThe Together at a Distance Advisory Committee Chris McCarthy, Joanne McGrath, Darlene Thompson, Toni White, Cayla Chenier, Helen Balanoff 3 xThe Together at a Distance team including Collene Armstrong, Neil Burgess, Malcolm Campbell, Elizabeth Childs, Nilambri Ghai, Murray Horn, Gwen Frankton, Cah-Ling Lew and Terri MacDonald. xNunavut Department of Education Staff xGovernment of Canada xAnd others who have given permission for their resources to be used. A special acknowledgement to the Elders and the Elders Advisory Committee - Department of Education, (C&SS) for their advice, their valuable insights and for reinforcing the importance of IQ throughout this process. 4 Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 6 Online Workshop Design Assumptions ........................................................................................... 8 Design Assumption 1: Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) ................................................................... 9 Design Assumption 2: Use of a Social Constructivist Instructional Design Paradigm .............. 11 Design Assumption 3: Role of a Supportive Learning Community ........................................... 12 Design Assumption 4: Varied Audience Characteristics ........................................................... 13 Design Assumption 5: Need for Content Integrity ................................................................... 14 Design Assumption 6: Requirement for Interoperability to Maximize Learner Access to the Content ..................................................................................................................................... 14 Research Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................. 16 Definitions Used ........................................................................................................................ 16 Research Questions .................................................................................................................. 17 Research Methodology ................................................................................................................. 17 Research Sites ............................................................................................................................... 18 Taloyoak, Nunavut September 21 25, 2009 ........................................................................ 18 Arctic Bay, Nunavut November 4 5, 2009 ........................................................................... 18 Nain, Nunatsiavut December 7 10, 2009 ............................................................................ 19 Iqaluit, Nunavut February 22 26, 2010 ............................................................................... 19 Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories (NWT) April 13 15, 2010 .......................................... 20 Rankin Inlet, Nunavut May 10 14, 2010 .............................................................................. 20 Research Findings ......................................................................................................................... 20 General Demographics ............................................................................................................. 21 Themes from Workshop 1/Workshop 2 ................................................................................... 22 Themes from W4, W5 and W6 ................................................................................................. 29 Key Findings .................................................................................................................................. 33 Key Finding 1: Holistic Design Model ........................................................................................ 34 Key Finding 2: Learner Support ................................................................................................. 39 Key Finding 3: Move from E-Learning to Distributed Learning ................................................ 40 Next Steps ..................................................................................................................................... 40 References .................................................................................................................................... 43 Appendix A: Facilitators Guide ...................................................................................................... 46 Appendix B: W2 Survey Questions ............................................................................................... 50 5 Appendix C: W4 Survey Questions ............................................................................................... 50 Appendix D: Focus Group Protocol ............................................................................................... 50 6 Together at a Distance Pan-Arctic E-Learning Project We discussed how a course on igloo building could be structured between Moodle, Elluminate and the use of the LOR as a warehouse for the resources. We discussed the value of video recording the Elders demonstrating how to determine snow quality to have it available to others as well as the supporting Inuktitut terminology. We discussed how Elluminate could be used as a tool to bring the students together from different parts of the Arctic to share how this is done and what words are used in their region. The value of recording, saving, reusing and sharing these resources through e-learning had the Elders very excited (Elders, 2010) Mr. Speaker, I believe online learning will help us develop and make new courses and learning resources available to adult learners across northern Canada. Online or as it is better known, e-learning, will help us share our culture, maintain our language, and increase our ability to participate in the world economy by helping to improve literacy levels and teaching essential skills to adult learners (Tapardjuik, 2009). Introduction The Together at a Distance project was a three year (2008 2010) project aimed at developing e-literacy skills for adults in Inuit Nunaat (homeland) across the Canadian Pan Arctic. It was C L L S Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) and was led by the Nunavut Department of Education with support of the Northwest Territories, Nunavik, and Nunatsiavut. As the leading quotations above illustrate, this project had strong support from both the Inuit Elder 1 C critical that Aboriginal communities continue to explore ways of adopting and using learning (Greenall & Loizides, 2001) A collaborative design model, based in the principles of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ), which involved Inuit Elders, adult Inuit learners and northern educators not only informed the Together at a Distance project but provided the framework for the six online workshops that were created. The content of the first two online workshops introduced e-learning and examined how to effectively take an e-learning course from the perspective of Inuit adult learners. The additional four online workshops examined in more detail how to facilitate, teach, adapt and design e-learning. These online workshops were targeted at educators, community access point facilitators or trainers whom would be working with, or creating content for Inuit adult learners. 7 As part of the collaborative design model employed in this project, meetings were held with adult educators, content experts and the Elders from the Arviat Department of Education Office. Six pilot sites (Taloyoak, Arctic Bay, Nain, Iqaluit, Fort Simpson and Rankin Inlet) were solicited from the various geographical areas in the north with each agreeing to host a pilot. The pilot consisted of face-to-face workshops that focused on introducing adult Inuit learners to the online workshops. These were conducted in six locations across the north to nine different audiences by members of the project team. Eighty-six (86) adult Inuit learners participated in l Each face-to-face pilot workshop was a minimum of two days in duration with one being conducted synchronously via Elluminate (Fort Simpson, NWT). A facilitators guide was created for use at the face-to-face pilots to ensure consistency of message as well as technical support protocols. Data collection included a 46 item online survey at the completion of W2 which addressed the content of W1 and W2 as well as a separate 46 item online survey at the completion of W4, focus group interviews, and individual reflections captured in the individual participant online journals. The survey questions covered the following broad areas depending upon the workshop: (1) general demographic information, (2) motivation, (3) e-learning and digital literacy skills, (4) awareness of e-learning opportunities, (5) online workshop design, (6) Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ), (7) awareness of facilitation and workshop preparation skills of e-learning design and delivery. These areas were developed from a review of the literature, the research questions and the design philosophy informing this project. Two websites were created to support the project: (1) an online portal (www.togetheratadistance.ca) and (2) the Moodle site (Http://ndlp.ca). The online portal was created as a web-based access point for the online workshops and additional tools and resources that participants identified as useful throughout the pilots. Links were provided tothe Moodle version of the workshops from the portal as well as to download the web-based stand-alone option that was created for each of the online workshops. All project content was made available free of charge via the Together at a Distance portal and additional communication materials were created including quarterly e-newsletters as a way of increasing awareness of the project. This report examines and discusses the research findings that emerged from the Together at a Distance project across the nine pilot sites. It consolidates key themes from the data, identifies considerations and recommends a model to guide future work targeted at using the online learning environment to build digital literacy with adult Inuit learners. A formal project evaluation report was also completed on this project in a separate document and can be accessed through the Nunavut Department of Education. There is a long standing tradition in the North of effective action-based, community-based research and its ability to drive policy development. As a result, a participatory, inquiry based 8 action research framework guided the research conducted on this project. Using this research framework created space for the project team to (1) directly involve and build on existing relationships with the Elders, northern educators, and content experts; (2) ground the project design model in IQ, and (3) to remain dynamically responsive to the online learning experience and associated needs of the adult Inuit learners provided to them via the pilot workshops. Prior to discussing the research findings, it is necessary to examine the design assumptions that underpinned the creation of the Together at a Distance online workshop series. This will facilitate an appreciation of the depth and breadth of the content covered and develop a sense of the online learning environment that was experienced by the end users in the online workshop(s). Online Workshop Design Assumptions The design of online courseware is fraught with decision points about content, context and the needs of the learners (Crichton & Childs, 2008). Without clearly defined deign assumptions to guide the creation of online courseware it can be quite difficult for the designer(s) to navigate the complex decisions they are faced with in a manner that is consistent across courses and meets the needs, expectations and requirements of the learner, the content and the context. There were several online workshop design assumptions that informed the creation of the online workshops. These included the: (1) need to ground the online workshops in Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ); (2) use of a social constructivist instructional design paradigm, (3)role of a supportive learning community, (4) varied audience characteristics (5) need for content integrity, (6) requirement for interoperability to maximize learner access to the content. These key components evolved from discussion with the Elders, the adult Inuit educational community, past experiences of project team members and applicable best practices in the field of online learning. The project recognized that best practices for southern online learning may be different than those required when designing for a northern adult Inuit audience and as such, the collaborative design model was essential to ensuring relevance. Inuit world view has gone from learning from the family, from the community and then from the world in a matter of few years. During this short or nonexistent transition period; methods, timelines and best practices are usually the last topics considered. This is usually due to the urgency of people's needs; using the analogy of the fisherman, fish is given to the population, without teaching them how to fish for themselves. It is good to take an inventory of best practices and what methods can produce the best outcomes. It is even better to identify and set values, standards and principles that are meaningful to the target group instead of imposing a set of standards from another group (Suluk, 2010). In order to avoid the trap eluded to in the above quote, the Together at a Distance online workshops had an emergent and participatory design philosophy which was continually informed by Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) . This was also reflected in the organizational 9 structure of the online workshops which is discussed below. Examples are provided from the workshops to illustrate the learning experience that was created for the participants. Design Assumption 1: Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) Inuit society has survived and successfully adapted to one of the harshest climates in the world. Inuit attribute this accomplishment to the highly organized social system that has been developed over generations and which is commonly referred to as Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ), the Inuit world view or that which Inuit have always known to be true. This IQ system is grounded in principles, values, beliefs and practices that are commonly held across Inuit populations (Together at a Distance, 2010) As evidenced by the above quotation and Suluk (2010), it was critical that the online workshops be designed using the IQ framework. This was achieved in part by the structure of each online workshop as well as in the language and examples used in the content itself. Each workshop began with a Workshop Foundation module that provided a contextual base for the workshop that is informed by IQ and set within the expectation of continuous learning, and the relationship between the workshop and lifelong learning. Each module was framed with anOpenersection which directly connected IQ to the content, and a Real World Connector section, which set the context of the content within real world applications. Within the content section, opportunities for reflection, discussion, activities and a variety of tasks supported the student toward the expression of their developed competency in the Follow Up section. The series of modules in each online workshop worked together to provide opportunities not only for the learner to develop competencies but contextual and relevant meaning for themselves. The completion of the final module in each workshop provided the learner the opportunity to express their gained understandings and knowledge in a meaningful and personal manner. The organizational and instructional structure of the online workshops supported the expectation that the learner, while supported by an online community of learners,would generate their own learning path through the content in order to derive the greatest relevance toward future application. The structure of the online workshopsis discussed below and the connection to IQ is provided using examples from various modules of the online workshop entitled How to Teach an e-course. Opener Workshop Foundation In this section of the online workshop the learner is oriented to the various aspect(s) of IQ that are relevant and connect to the workshop content. In the Being an e-teacher module, the Opener connects the content of the module (relationship building) to the two IQ concepts of inuuqatigiitsiarniq and aajiiqatigiingniq as seen below. Inuit teaching and learning has always taken place through a relationship. The concept of inuuqatigiitsiarniq- working together in a relationship through mutual support in a 10 respectful and nurturing atmosphere, is central to the expectations for teaching and learning.

Also implied in the teaching and learning context is the concept of aajiiqatigiingniq. This means to cooperate, and to develop shared understanding in order to arrive at decisions through consensus. All Inuit are expected to become contributing members of their community and to participate actively in building the strength of the collective. Being able to think and act collaboratively, to assist with the development of shared understandings, to resolve conflict in consensus-building ways, and to consult while respecting various perspectives and world views, are cultural expectations established in the earliest learning contexts (Armstrong, Being an e-teacher Building Relationships, 2010, para 1, 3, 4) Real World Connection In this section of the online workshop IQ is directly applied to a real life issue representative of and modeled by an Inuit learner. In the module Being an e-teacher, a detailed student profile is used to highlight a real world issue (language learning) and learners are asked to consider their expectations of e-learning and the responsibilities of being an e-teacher as this scenario unfolds. The student profile introduced here is referred to throughout the various modules that make up the How to be an e-teacher online workshop and is used to prompt reflection on various aspects of the content. Opportunities for Reflection Due to the need for multiple entry and exit points for the learner, reflection activities are woven throughout the content as the learner progresses through the workshop. Promotion of self reflection and the its connection to lifelong learning is created through various journal activities and the use of discussion forums.

Continuing with the example above of the student profile, guided reflection questions are posed to the learner as they finish reading and examining the various aspects of the student profile. These questions are designed to leave the learner with areas to consider as they work through the module content and are built on as the learner progresses through the module. Content Presentation A variety of formats were used for content presentation including multimedia interactions, text, video and audio files. Elders and actual adult Inuit e-learner video and audio files were used to reinforce the connection to IQ as well as the relevancy of the content and mode of learning. In the Being an e-teacher module, one of the subsections of content explores what e-learning is. An excerpt is highlighted below to illustrate the combination of techniques (text, audio, video and reflective questioning) that are used in the content presentation. 11 Have you been an instructor in a regular classroom? If so, what was it like? As you think about this, remember that whatever your past experience, it will shape the way you approach teaching an e-course. Have a look at the following video. This Arctic College instructor talks about some of the benefits of e-learning and some of the possibilities that are emerging as a result of new technologies. Are some of his thoughts new to you? Does he confirm some of what you already know or might have expected? (Armstrong, 2010) Follow Up This section of the online workshops included a variety of activities that were based on the content examined in the workshop an encouraged the learner to actively explore what they have learned as a result of participating in the online workshop in the context of the workshop aim. In keeping with the IQ component of pilimmaksarniq (skills and knowledge acquisition), the workshops were not only designed to be learning environments for participants but were also designed to be models of how to create an IQ based online learning environment for learners. As a result, the instructional design paradigm that informed the design of the workshops was constantly being reinforced by the activities, reflection and the way in which the content was presented to the learner. In addition to using the structure of each online workshops as a way to infuse IQ throughout the learner experience, the use of language and vocabulary lists was another strategy that served to reinforce the IQ presence in the online workshops. Even though the terminology used to describe the principles of IQ may be slightly different across the various regions of the Arctic, the premise behind the concepts is the same. The inclusion and support of the IQ terminology provides a contextual anchor for the content and a framework for the online workshops. Icons, stories and visuals were all chosen based on their ability to reflect and represent the IQ principles and offer a connection between the familiar (IQ) and the new. Design Assumption 2: Use of a Social Constructivist Instructional Design Paradigm In many ways, the IQ framework predetermined the instructional design paradigm that informed the design of the online workshops. Social constructivism and active learning theory supported the characteristics and components that IQ endeavors to develop in learners and thus were natural fits as the instructional design paradigm. Social constructivism was defined in the online workshops as follows: Social constructivism highlights the importance of collaborating, sharing and reciprocal learning with the members of a learning community to advance meaningful knowledge and skill application. This approach begins with the recognition that knowledge transfer is most effective and most often sustained when learning is mutually supported and 12 applied in a relevant, purposeful application. The learning community shares a common set of learning goals and expectations and agrees to certain mutual commitments in order to sustain successful learning outcomes (Armstrong, Being an e-teacher Building Relationships, 2010, p. 4) Active learning was defined in th uClnC A basic assumptions: (1) that learning is by nature an active endeavor and (2) that different people lear M ! (Armstrong, What is Active Learning, 2010, para 2)

As a result, the combination of IQ, social constructivism and active learning theory enabled the content to be presented in a manner that was in keeping with the traditional Inuit approach to learning and how people learn. Inuit have developed, over generations, an approach to learning that is grounded in the expectation that everyone has the ability and obligation to become skilled in an area so that they can contribute these skills back to their community. Highly skilled people were an asset to their community because they could contribute these skills to work for the common good. This is considered by Inuit Elders to one of the four main maligait (big laws) for Inuit (Together at a Distance, 2010) While there are a variety of dialects and groups across the Pan Arctic, the components of IQ are ones that transcend geographical boundaries and resonate with Inuit from across the north. Using social constructivist and active learning approaches allowed for the content to be presented primarily from a Nunavut centric parameter but designed in a manner that Inuit across the Arctic could relate to. The content design and delivery modalities also supported the future customization of the online workshops to support the language and cultural differences that may exist between jurisdictions. Design Assumption 3: Role of a Supportive Learning Community Based on IQ and the influence of the social constructivist instructional design paradigm, creating a supportive learning community was a key component of the project design philosophy. This was defined in the online workshops as follows: An educational community of inquiry is a group of individuals who collaboratively engage in purposeful critical discourse and reflection to construct personal meaning and confirm mutual understanding. The Community of Inquiry theoretical framework represents a process of creating a deep and meaningful (collaborative-constructivist) learning experience through the development of three interdependent elements - social, cognitive and teaching presence (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000, pp. 87-105) 13 This was a key aspect of IQ and resonated with the Elder would have their own path through the learning environment and yet still be part of the supportive (Elders, 2010). It was initially assumed there would be facilitated online support for the interaction between the participants, the content and the instructional strategies employed in the online workshops. It was also assumed that the participants would enter the online workshop(s) as a cohort group and as such, would be able to interact from different physical locations across the north via the online discussion forums and activities embedded in the workshops. Based on the evolving parameters of the project, neither of these assumptions were realized. The result was that many of the participants had a standalone (use case 3 below), self paced,self study experience in the face-to-face workshop setting of the pilots and in essence, did not have the experience of being an online learner truly at a distance. However, there were unexpected participant and project benefits that were a direct result of how the pilots were executed that are further discussed in the research findings section of this document. Design Assumption 4: Varied Audience Characteristics Key to the design philosophy guiding the creation of the online workshops was the characteristics of the end user audience. The Together at a Distance project had two target audiences: (1) adult Inuit learners and (2) trainers, facilitators and educators of adult Inuit learners. There are four Inuit Regions in Canada: Nunavut, Nunavik (Northern Quebec), Nunatsiavut (Labrador) and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region(Northwest Territories). Together these four regions are called Inuit Nunaat (homeland) and this broad area was the focus for the audiences of the Together at a Distance project. By way of context, in 2006, there were 50,480 Inuit in Canada. Of these, 78% (39,475) living in Inuit Nunaat, approximately two-thirds lived in Nunavut. Of those living outside the homeland, 8,395 lived in large and small urban centres and 2,610 Inuit in rural areas. Thirty-five percent of the Inuit population is under the age of 15 compared to 18% of the total Canadian population (Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, 2008, p. 2). Until 2031 a population increase of 70% is expected (Murray, Jones, Willms, Shillington, McCracken, Glickman, 2008, p.17). Inuit share cultural, linguistic and traditional values, however they are distinct within Inuit communities. There are four main language dialects used in Canada: Inuinnaqtun, Inuktitut, Inuttitut and Inuvialuktun. It was not in the scope of the Together at a Distance project to provide the online workshops in the four main Inuit dialects however, throughout the pilot workshops participants were encouraged to add resources and create their own online courseware in their main dialect. The first two online workshops were designed for an adult Inuit learner audience. These were defined as those adult Inuit who had completed high school and were in a pre-trades, pre-employment or workplace learning setting. The remaining four online workshops were designed for adult Inuit learners who had taken on an educational role in their current work 14 setting as either a facilitator, trainer or community based educator. However, it is important to note that based on the ability to secure face-to-face pilot site locations, the pilot audiences did not always match the above descriptions. This is discussed further in the research methodology section of this document.Design Assumption 5: Need for Content Integrity It was a necessary component in the design philosophy that the content for all the online workshops be at a level of knowledge that was consistent regardless of the multiple audiences for this content. Inuit have always understood that each individual has a unique way of processing information and a unique set of interests and aptitudes that leads them to learning and, l acquisition) is about enabling a person to have the skills and knowledge to w Once our knowledge base has been established, our knowledge base will be there for us to keep putting in the new things we are learning, c 55 Elder Advisory Meeting, August 2008: Together at a Distance, 2010) The Inuit Elders were very clear that they did not want the content written and developed to the lowest common denominator but rather, counseled that techniques to address multiple learning styles be used to accommodate the intellectual capabilities of the potential learners. They particularly liked the manner in which the content is structured through instructional design and how differentiation and choice is built into the workshop. They appreciated that the content was not dumbed down and that students are encouraged and scaffolded toward understanding and competency. Theyalso noted that students must take ownership and responsibility for their learning path as well (Elders, 2010). The wide range of literacy skills and capabilities present in the potential audience(s) were accommodated for by basing the content and the structure of the online workshops on IQ and by addressing and incorporate multiple learning styles and entry points. To date, much of the southern courseware that is retrofitted for the north attempts to reduce the complexity of the content and insert token northern examples to address the perceived difference in audience characteristics. By having multiple entry points for content and learners, and more importantly, by having IQ infused in each online workshop, the Together at a Distance online workshops attempted to offer the learner a contextually rich and authentic learning experience that recognized and valued the experience the learner brought to experience.Design Assumption 6: Requirement for Interoperability to Maximize Learner Access to the Content Given the open source parameter of the Together at a Distance project, interoperability was a key component in the design philosophy for the online workshops.15 It was initially assumed that the online workshops would be built in Moodle - which was the LMS of choice for the project. However, this would have severely limited the ability for the online workshops to be imported into other LMS or used in delivery modes like a CD or a standalone website. This is due to the fact that designing specifically for Moodle, in Moodle, produces proprietary based content that is limited in where else it can be used even though Moodle itself is an open source application. u LMS M lMS as a hierarchical menu that cannot be expanded or collapsed. This can result in long navigational menus that can be confusing for the user. Therefore the development model had to be altered slightly in that each workshop was divided into modules which were then converted into their own IMS content packages. This then resulted with an issue for the end user who wanted a link to take them to the next module. Breaking up the workshop modules into discreet experiences for the user eliminated the overwhelming length of the sidebar navigation recognized the needs of the audience and their level of comfort with technology. In taking the direction to develop the online version to the IMS cp standard, it provided future flexibility for the package to be imported into Moodle or any other LMS and be displayed with a consistent integrated left navigation frame. This created a more intimate and logical experience for the user as opposed to the traditional Moodle user interface which is link driven. In addition, the IMS content packages can be imported into any other LMS that supports the IMS standard. Given that one of the stated project aims was to support open source access to the workshops, interoperability became the means to achieve that aim so that the end produce was flexible and could meet the needs of any other Pan Arctic jurisdiction. By designing and creating the workshops to the IMS interoperability content standard (IMS 1.2.2) there was a greater LMS future. Four use cases were created to guide the scope of interoperability necessary for the Together at a Distance online workshops. Use Case (1)- Stand Alone Version This use case assumed that participants would need to access the course content with no internet connectivity. This could be done via DVD or CD or on a flash drive. In several of the pilot workshops, flash drives were used to enable participants to access the content when the server was slow loading or on their home computers in the evening. Use Case (2) Import Content Packages into Users LMS This use case assumed that other jurisdictions would need to be able to take the IMS content packages created for this project and import them into their specific LMS. Given that some territories are moving in the direction of a territory-wide license to an LMS, this use case allowed for the LMS of choice to be transparent and not the limiting factor to use. 16 Use Case (3) Limited Connectivity This use case assumed that there would be several participants that would be enrolled in the Moodle or LMS course but would have limited bandwidth. As a result, they would rely on a standalone version for their primary access to the content and only go online via their LMS for the discussion forums or the journal activities. In many of the pilot sites, this use case was the norm given the strength of the wireless signal and the number of users in the room. Use Case (4) iFrame Interface For communities with limited bandwidth and/or for participants that had limited or no access to the internet, a iFrame navigational interface was developed to utilize the html content from the IMS content packages to produce a fully standalone version that could be accessed through an internet browser either offline or online. The navigational style of the iFrame mimicked the left hand navigation for the Moodle users. The participant still required Internet access should they choose to view some of the embedded links however, the social constructivist aspects designed into the fully functional course were limited in this use case. Based on the above design assumptions, the Together at a Distance series of online workshops were created. This document reports, examines and discusses the research findings that emerged from the Together at a Distance project across the nine pilot workshops in six pilot sites. Research Theoretical Framework There is a long-standing tradition in the North of effective action-based, community-based research and its ability to drive policy development across a wide range of fields. As a result, it was essential to approach the research on the Together at a Distance project using a participatory, inquiry-based action research framework. Using a participatory, inquiry-based action research framework created space for the project team to (1) directly involve and build on existing relationships with the Elders; (2) ground the project design model in IQ, and (3) to remain dynamically responsive to the online learning experience and associated needs of the adult Inuit learners provided via the pilot workshops. Definitions Used The following definitions were used throughout this project. E-learning encompasses all learning that takes place online, including distance learning and lifelong learning, facilitated by an e-teacher or on your own. Digital Literacy is the ability to locate, organize, understand, evaluate and create information using digital technology. It involves a working knowledge of current high-technology, and an understanding of how it can be used. Digitally literate people can 17 communicate and work more efficiently, especially with those who possess the same knowledge and skills.Research Questions This research project initially began investigating the following two areas: 1.The change in access and awareness of literacy opportunities for the Inuit population in NWT, Nunavut, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut as a result of the Together at a Distance online workshops on e-learning. 2.The capacity for facilitators and trainers to prepare adult literacy e-learning in the Pan-Arctic as a result of their participation in the Together at a Distance online workshops. However, the recursive nature of the project design model provided opportunities for a further refinement of the research/project goals while the project was developed and implemented. The revised research goals include the above as well as the following: 1.The relevance of IQ to the online learning experience of the adult Inuit learner (including learner, facilitator, designer and teacher). 2.The functional and instructional design requirements of e-learning for the adult Inuit learner to enhance accessibility and relevance. 3.The support for the development of mastery and an individualized toolset of resources and tools for future real world application.Research Methodology Inuit from all four main Inuit population geographical areas (NWT, Nunavut, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut) were approached to participate in this research project via online newsletters, posters, advertisements, personal communications from members of the project team, and a formal project launch. As of May 2010,members of the project team had facilitated 9 face-to-face workshops at 6 locations across these 4 geographical areas. Eighty-six (86) adult Inuit target audience group and 76 representing t l group. Each face-to-face pilot workshop was a minimum of two days in duration with one being conducted synchronously via Elluminate. A facilitators guide was created for use at the face-to-face pilots to ensure consistency of message as well as technical support protocols (see Appendix A). Data collection was done through a 46 item online survey at the completion of W2 which addressed the content of W1 and W2 as well as a separate 46 item online survey at the completion of W4. For W1/W2, the survey questions covered six broad areas: (1) general demographic information, (2) motivation, (3) e-learning and digital literacy skills, (4) awareness of e-learning opportunities, (5) online workshop design, (6) IQ. These areas were developed from a review of the literature, the research questions and the design philosophy informing this project. 18 For W4 the survey questions covered five broad areas: (1) general demographic information, (2) motivation, (3) awareness of facilitation and workshop preparation skills for e-learning design and delivery, (4) online workshop design, and (5) IQ. In both cases, the survey took approximately thirty minutes to complete. Principles of survey design as outlined by Seale and Filmer (1998) informed the creation of the survey instrument. The first face-to-face pilot group (Taloyoak) were used as a pilot of the survey instrument to ensure that the survey questions were interpreted as intended. Minor adjustments were made to the wording of three questions based on that feedback. See Appendix B and C for W2 and W4 survey questions. Focus groups were held with participants prior to the conclusion of the face-to-face pilot workshops. See Appendix D for the Focus Group Protocol used by pilot facilitators. The original intent had been that community members would facilitate the face-to-face pilots but due to issues of logistics and the timing of the release of the How to e-facilitate online workshop,that was not able to be realized.Research Sites Nine pilot face-to-face workshops were conducted in six communities over the course of this project. Each community is briefly described below to provide context for the participant experience in the face-to-face pilot and the online workshops as well as the focus group discussions. The workshop sites are presented in chronological order and a discussion of the audience(s) of each workshop is included as they varied from the original research plan because of participant availability. Taloyoak, Nunavut September 21 25, 2009 Taloyoak is located at 69N on the shores of Stanners Harbour on the Arctic Ocean. It is the most northern community on the Canadian mainland and has a population of approximately 850 people with 98% being Inuit. Two face-to-face pilots were held here: (1) Hamlet staff,and (2) Netsilik School Teachers. The project QINIQ modem and router were used an internet connectivity was weather dependant but reliable throughout the workshop and participation was consistent by both groups over the course of the workshop. Four project laptops (MAC Books) were used in addition to seven borrowed from the school. The pilots were held in the Council Chambers for the Hamlet staff and in the school for the teachers. A flexible attendance philosophy was assumed for both groups as the doctor was in town for four days, there was a seal lift, some participants had child care issues and the flu was going around. There was a wide range in literacy levels in each group predominantly in the area of 1 l steered most participants to the CD version of the workshop two as it is faster (not requiring Internet access) and has a more attractive menu (Burgess, 2009, p. 2 - 3). Arctic Bay, Nunavut November 4 5, 2009 Arctic Bay is located at 73 2.2' N on the northern part of the Borden Peninsula on Baffin Island. It has a population of approximately 690 people, 93% Inuit. Two face-to-face pilots were held 19 here: (1) pre-trades program and, (2) pre-employment program. There were two project team facilitators so the pilots were held concurrently in two classrooms at the Arctic College campus. The project QINIQ modem and router were used and the internet connection was slow and inconsistent throughout the workshops. Flash had to be installed on the Arctic College computers with the help of the systems administrator which took up valuable workshop time on Day 1. The connectivity was slow so the stand-alone option was favored on Day 2. The pre-trades group was generally younger, more focused on learning with computers and more -employment group had a wider age range, more literacy challenges and were not as comfortable with computers (Childs & Burgess, 2009, p. 1) Nain, Nunatsiavut December 7 10, 2009 Nain is the northernmost municipality in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador at 56N. It has a population of approximately 1,159 people who are mostly Inuit and Kablunangajuit. Two pilots were held here: (1) Cultural Centre Staff and, (2) ABE students. The internet connection was fair but using the stand alone option was not available as the USB ports on the computers had been locked down. Participants with low literacy skill struggled with the quantity of text but the younger ABE group had a comfort level with technology that helped. None had any issues with the navigation. They were overall less intimidated and more confident than the older pre-employment group in Arctic Bay but were also quicker to skim over anything they did not understand (Burgess, Pilot Report Nunatsiavut Dec 09, 2009, p. 5) Iqaluit, Nunavut February 22 26, 2010 Iqaluit is the capital of Nunavut and is located on southern Baffin Island at 62 10.4' N. It has a population of approximately 6,184 people with 58% Inuit. One week-long pilot was held here with 12 Northern Teacher Education Program (NTEP) students ranging from being in their second to forth years. The project QINIQ modem and router were used and the internet connection was slow and inconsistent throughout the workshops. To address this, all workshops were downloaded onto the project MAC laptops and one individual laptop so that when the internet was slow or down participants could use the stand-alone versions. There was a wide range of ages and literacy levels (in English) in the group but many were comfortable with basic computer use. The workshop took place during the week of K-12 school break so child care was an issue for consistent participants. However, the two students that this impacted did work on the workshops at home in the evenings prior to coming to the sessions the next day. The workshop was held in a classroom at the Arctic College campus. Given the NTEP program focus, much time was spent using some of the activities in the How to teach an e-course workshop in the face-to-face setting. l u l 20 l lC l (Iqaluit Workshop Participants, 2010). Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories (NWT) April 13 15, 2010 Fort Simpson is located on an island at the confluence of the Mackenzie and the Liard Rivers at 61 n l pulation of approximately 1,216. Due to the lack of facilitator availability and the limited time window for this pilot, this was the only Together at a Distance pilot done virtually via Elluminate a synchronous classroom.It is also the only pilot of the project to be done in NWT and with non-Inuit participants. All participants of this pilot were Dene. The pilot was held over three mornings with W1 and W2 of Together at a Distance being completed on the first two mornings and the focus group being the focus of the Elluminate session the third A A8L 1 ctor reported that all students have a moderate (MacDonald, 2010, p. 1) Rankin Inlet, Nunavut May 10 14, 2010 Rankin Inlet is located on the northwestern shore of Hudson Bay at 62 49.2' N and is the second largest community in Nunavut. It has a population of approximately 2,358 people with 82% being Inuit. The pilot was held here with seven Northern Teacher Education Program (NTEP) students over the course of four afternoons as they were occupied with an NTEP course in the mornings. The project QINIQ modem and router as well as the existing network was used and the internet connection seemed to be reasonable. Participants used their own olde Dell laptops and the workshop content was also downloaded onto the laptops directly so that they could work on the stand-alone version when connectivity was slow. The workshop was held in a classroom at the Alaittuq High School. The pilot workshop w u O orientation to the project, the T@D portal and both Moodle and the stand-alone versions of the workshops. Workshop 1 was briefly introduced with Workshop 2 being the main focus for the students. Students used an amended version of the worksheets Nw1 -learning workshops were introduced in greater detail to the participants. The How to Teach an e-course was presented as a valuable workshop towards their professional development. The How to Adapt an e-course was presented as a workshops to assist in evaluating digital learning resources for classroom or e-learning use. Many participants intended to work through the workshops during the summer (Armstrong, T@D Focus Group Rankin Inlet, 2010, p. 2). Research Findings As Table 1 outlines, all 86 participants completed at minimum, W1 (What is e-learning?) and W2 (How to take an e-course?) online with several reading through and discussing the content in W3 W6. While there were 86 participants in the pilot workshops across the six locations, only 52 online surveys were successfully completed due to intermittent connectivity when the surveys were being completed which resulted in transmission errors. There were 52 formal completions of W1/W2 course resulting in the submission of the W1/W2 online survey.21 The disparity in the number of participants versus completions of the survey is attributed to two separate factors: (1) intermittent connectivity at pilot sites when completing and uploading survey and, (2) a possible overwrite error in the Moodle online survey tool at two of the pilot sites. The findings below include the survey data of the 52 completions as well as the focus group data from all pilot cites. Of the 52 that did complete the W1/W2 online survey, 46 were Inuit, 4 were Dene and 2 were Caucasian. There was one formal completion of W4 (How to teach and e-course?) and submission of the W4 online survey and one informal completion of W6 (How to design an e-course?) with no survey completed but an informal discussion with the workshop facilitator. In addition, an unsolicited participant completed W6 in June of 2010 after data collection had concluded. Data from this unsolicited participant is not included as part of this report. Table 1: Together at a Distance Pilot Community Participation General Demographics Of the 52 participants that completed the W1/W2 online survey, 58% were female. This is consistent with the demographics of the populations in the pilot communities as well as the target groups that were represented in the pilots; predominantly education and municipal government. 73% of participants were under the age of 39 which is again consistent with the demographics of the Inuit population (ITK, 2008). The majority (50%) had completed grades 10 12 with 15% having completed Grades 7 u 8 PilotDateCommunity Number of Participants Learner ProfileWorkshops 1Sept 2009Taloyoak, Nunavut11local government staffW1, W2 2Sept 2009Taloyoak, Nunavut18school teachersW1, W2 3Nov 2009Arctic Bay, Nunavut 11 (7 students, 4 instructors) pre-trades W1, W2, W4 4Nov 2009Arctic Bay, Nunavut8pre-employmentW2 5Dec 2009Nain, Nunatsiavut2Cultural Centre StaffW1, W2 6Dec 2009Nain, Nunatsiavut 8 (7 ABE, 1 instructor ) ABE students W1, W2 7Feb 2010Iqaluit, Nunavut 15 (12-NTEP, 3 instructor) teacher ed students & instructorW1 W6 8April 2010 Fort Simpson, Nunavut 5 (4 ABE, 1 instructor for W4) ABE students & instructor W2, W4 9May 2010 Rankin Inlet, Nunavut 8 (7 NTEP, 1 instructor) teacher ed students & instructor W2 TOTAL 986 22 degree and 12% having completed a College Diploma. The majority of the 52 participants were full time or part-time students (65%) with others working for a municipality (17%).

With respect to digital literacy which was defined above, 73% had never taken an online course before but 71% of participants rated their comfort level with respect to technology prior to W1/W2 Survey, 2009/10) because of their use of the online environment for downloading music, shopping and social networking (i.e. Bebo) etc. This increased to 83% after their participation in the online workshops. When asked their comfort level with e- very uncomfortable (10%) to somewhat uncomfortable ( WWS 10) When asked to rate their comfort increase of 13%. Many commented on the value of having a face-to-face instructor there to quickly answer their technology questions Survey Participant, Iqaluit, Feb 2010). The following themes emerged from the data; (1) motivation, (2) e-learning and digital literacy skills, (3)access to e-learning opportunities, and (4) IQ and Online Workshop Design. These are discussed in detail below. Themes from Workshop 1/Workshop 2 Theme: MotivationThe top four reasons for participating in W1/W2 as identified by participants included; (1) professional growth (48%), (2) educational advancement (46%) and, (3) improve computer skills (42%); work related (42%). Table 2 illustrates the self-reported differences of participant motivation for completing the online workshops pre/post W1/W2 completion. Table 2: Together at a Distance W1/W2 Survey Motivation Data ItemExpectation (Pre completion) Experience (Post Completion) Difference Engage in learning at times that fit my lifestyle42%44%< 2% Engage in self-paced learning40%44%>4% Explore e-learning79%63%4% Achieve IQ continuous learning23%35%>12% Meet work requirements for continuous learning31%27%4% See what e-learning is out there that might be useful56%42%