Barbour, M. K., Wenmoth, D., & Davis, N. (2012, March). Virtual learning in New Zealand: Achieving maturity. A paper presented at the annual conference of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education, Austin, TX. 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. Virtual Learning in New Zealand:
Achieving Maturity
Michael Barbour, Wayne State University
Derek Wenmoth, CORE Education
NikiDavis, University of Canterbury

2. New Zealand

3. New Zealand
• 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

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

5. 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.

6. Research Visits

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

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
• Funding and resources
• Lack of vision
• Lack of consistency
between clusters
• Lack of co-operation
– inter-cluster
– intra-cluster

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

19. Davis (2007)

23. Wenmoth (2010)

24. 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

25. Your
Questions
And
Comments