SPECIAL EDITION
votre référence en formation des adultes
CONVERGENCE
WINTER 2021
ta b l e o f c o n t e n t s INTRODUCTION ONTARIO
4 5
4
A Word from the Editor in Chief
6
The Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) program: An Important Asset for Using Digital Government Services
8
Ontario in the Digital Age
10 Digitally Divided: Access Inequalities are Pandemic 12 Literacy in Ontario: Some Statistics 13 Ontario's Digital Divide 17 Digital Technology and Literacy: a Contact North | Contact Nord Perspective 18 Distance Education Providers in Ontario 20 Contact North/Nord: Supporting Distance Education 21 “Our Success is Their Success.” 22 Fonce.ca: A New Digital Resource for Francophone Adults in the Context of Ontario’s Economic Recovery
CANADA 25
26 The Canadian Online Training Platform for Essential Skills (PCFAD): A Winning Combination for Learners in Official Language Minority Communities 28 Digital Pedagogy: At the Heart of the Pandemic Response 30 Digital Data Privacy and Security in Community Organizations
REFLECTION 31
32 Digital Equity and Community Solidarity During and After COVID-19 36 “Digital Training Platforms: The Tip of the Iceberg, a Maze … or an Archipelago?” 38 Telework: Will it Protect our Homes and our Rights? 41 Promoting employment is a question of economic prosperity and social justice.
editor in chief
translation
Proofreading
Gabrielle Lopez
bianca cesario
Freynet-Gagné Translation and Consulting
Graphic designer
printing
marie-eve séguin
Bradda Printing Services inc.
In this publication, the masculine is used solely for stylistic purposes and includes all genders. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Coalition ontarienne de formation des adultes (COFA).
a word from the
EDITOR IN CHIEF convergence
[KUHN-VURJ-UHNSS]
Working together toward the same goal. A convergence of efforts.
Gabrielle Lopez
This issue focuses on literacy and the digital environment, an important topic at the turn of the century that was critical in the last decade and has become even more prominent since the outset of the pandemic. In the wake of this recent crisis, those of us who were not experienced Internet users were forced to learn fast and move into higher gear. But, in reality, were all of us able to keep pace with the changes? Or have we instead contributed to increasing the number of people left behind, those adults with low literacy levels, from urban or rural areas, with no Internet connectivity and insufficient means to join the “connected club”? Are we further marginalizing these adults?
This edition provides a brief history of the development of public policy regarding the digital environment and govern ment services in Ontario, Canada and beyond, while addres sing several issues surrounding digital literacy. This content actually inspired the title Convergence. Convergence between in-person and online learning, potentially becoming excellent partners; convergence between our working and living environments; and finally, convergence within a single publi cation, of the various outlooks and experiences conveyed by our authors, who will hopefully inform your reflections about the future of lifelong learning for all.
However, as with any crisis, the current one also brought its share of opportunities, if we are the least bit optimistic. It allowed us to take full account of existing gaps, improve connectivity for many, discover innovations in online learning, appreciate the benefits of working from home, explore the world of distance learning platforms and become proficient in the area of cybersecurity.
Happy reading! t
1
Évolution du réseau
ONTARIO
5
THE LITERACY AND BASIC SKILLS (LBS) PROGRAM: AN
Important Asset FOR USING DIGITAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES B y G u y L e v e s q u e / / P ro j e c t C o o rd i n a t o r , C O FA
In the last 30 years in Canada, and particularly in Ontario, digi tal strategies and policies for private and public sector services have been developed at the speed of light.
policies have been developed to put in place an architecture that meets the requirements related to data security and blocks any intrusion by digital hackers.
In the late 1990s, we first realized the importance of the digital infrastructure when people around the world were frightened that computers might stop working on December 31, 1999, before moving into the year 2000. Governments around the globe invested astronomical sums of money in their computer systems to ensure that their databases would continue to func tion in the new millennium and that data would not be erased.
In 2008, both levels of government offered the community sector financial incentives to transform websites into informa tion portals, accessible to all communities using the Web. Then, they had to accelerate the pace of digital transformation in the delivery of services and programs, as well as the collection and use of confidential data for public statistics, which leads us to the process adopted by these two levels of government.
Since this event, major transformations have occurred in the Canadian and Ontario governments, particularly in the deli very of programs and services in digital format. Strategies and
At the federal level, the Treasury Board Policy on Service and Digital was published as part of Canada’s 2018–2020 National Action Plan on Open Government.1 This action plan
1 Government of Canada, “Canada’s 2018-2020 National Action Plan on Open Government,” last modified September 18, 2019, accessed January 23, 2020, https://open.canada.ca/en/content/ canadas-2018-2020-national-action-plan-open-government.
convergence: ontario
incorporates requirements with respect to services, infor mation technology, information and data management and cyber security components, and highlights the importance of following “the principles of transparency, accountability, and accessibility in implementing new and evolving government digital technologies and services”2 and to continue to focus efforts on citizens. At the provincial level, the Treasury Board Secretariat of Ontario is responsible for implementing digital technology. Since 2012, the Government of Ontario has made significant progress with launching its platform, the Ontario.ca site, and creating in 2018 the Ontario Digital Service “with a bold government-wide mission to improve the online experience of government and make services simpler, faster and better.”3 On August 6, 2019, the Simpler, Faster, Better Services Act came into effect to improve the way government operates and the services it provides to individuals. In addition, the Ontario Digital Service launched digital service standards for online service delivery with respect to policies, programs and services provided by the Government of Ontario. At the international level, “governments around the world have realized the need for more responsive, people-focused online services”,4 and rightly so. According to the Ontario Digital Service, 92% of Ontarians use the internet and 66% of Cana dians feel technology saves them time.5 It is true that techno logy makes it easier than ever to use applications in real time, particularly to monitor traffic, book appointments, pay invoices, share photos, find information and communicate with one another. But what does this mean for individuals with low digital skills? The public must now use many services that are only available digitally. In spite of government action plans and policies for simplification, while we encourage individuals to use digital technology more and more, we need to make sure that training is available, as not all citizens have the digital skills required to access such services. So, how can we ensure that individuals with poor digital skills are able to use all online resources?
USING THE LBS PROGRAM TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ENSURES THAT CITIZENS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AND MAKE FULL USE OF DIGITAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES. As we can see, significant changes have been made since 2000. The transformation of digital technology in the public sector and in government has affected both users and developers of services and programs. Public and community organizations wanting to deliver their services digitally must adopt principles that promote the development of technological skills within their organizations. Customer service, while meeting the needs of adult learners, represents new values that organizations must adopt in order to navigate the digital realm. The Coalition ontarienne de formation des adultes has made this one of its central priority through its network of LBS centres, the Programme de formation à distance and, especially, with the FONCE.ca pilot project, which provides adult learners in Northern Ontario with online information, assessments and referrals in the field of adult education, and training for Francophone adults in Ontario. t
This is where the LBS program plays an important role. Its online courses help improve “access for Ontarians who choose or are in need of independent distance learning. In particular, e-Channel provides better access for persons with disabilities and those who live in rural and remote communities.”6 Most importantly, LBS training organizations provide opportunities for individuals seeking continuing education to acquire or upgrade technological skills. Training programs and the way educators teach fit well with the needs of the population with lower levels of digital literacy. Using the LBS program to educate the community ensures that citizens take advantage of and make full use of digital government services. 2 Ibid. 3 Government of Ontario, Start with users. Deliver together. Ontario’s path to simpler, faster, better government (2018), https://d2khazk8e83rdv.cloudfront.net/books/digital_action_plan.pdf. 4 Ibid. 5 Ibid. 6 Ministry of Colleges and Universities of Ontario, “Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS),” last modified October 1, 2018, accessed January 23, 2020, http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/eopg/programs/lbs. html.
7
8
Ontario
convergence: ontario
IN THE DIGITAL AGE By Susanne Bergmann // Freelance Writer
In 2018, the Ontario's digital plan (the Plan), “Start with users. Deliver together. Ontario’s path to simpler, faster, better,” 1 was published. Within the scope of the Ontario Digital Service, the Plan is designed to deliver simpler, faster and better end-to-end services within a people-centred government, provide a consistent, inclusive and delightful experience online, and increase opportunities for savings. The Plan is timely, given the expansion of online services and their use, and the facts speak for themselves: › Some 92% of Ontarians use the Internet;2 › There are more than 175,000 daily visits to Ontario.ca; › A total of 66% of Canadians believe technology saves them time.3 The Plan is based on guiding principles that drive the work of the roughly 60,000 people striving to bring digital opportunities to all levels of government.
THE FIVE GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR A CONSISTENT, INCLUSIVE AND DELIGHTFUL EXPERIENCE 1 › People are at the centre of service and policy design, actively participating in government program development by telling us what they need and will use.
2› People have a common way to identify who they are when they interact with us online through a single digital identity across government.
3› People don’t have to inform multiple ministries every time they move or change information—government uses a ‘tell us once’ approach to data and information.
4› People have an easier time completing a task with government because common transactional elements are in
place for all online services (e.g., payments, notifications, etc.), and designed to be interchangeable and built with open standards.
5› People
can track the progress we’re making because open performance metrics are available online for all services.
1
Government of Ontario, “Start with users. Deliver together.,” last modified January 12, 2021, https://www.ontario.ca/page/start-users-deliver-together. Statistics Canada, “The Internet and Digital Technology,” last modified November 14, 2017, https://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-627-m/11-627-m2017032-eng.htm. Statistics Canada, “Life in the fast lane: How are Canadians managing?, 2016,” last modified November 27, 2017, http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/171114/dq171114a-eng.htm.
2
3
convergence: ontario
SPARKING A NEW VISION For Ontario's digital plan, becoming digital means being people-centric and results driven, exemplifying a new way of delivering products, services and outcomes that are based on meeting end-user needs. This vision includes the following: People-centered services and programs: At the heart of this vision are simpler, faster and better online services for the people, communities and businesses of Ontario. Inclusion, equity and access: In a digitally inclusive Ontario, all people can access and benefit from digital technologies in their lives — regardless of skill, ability, location or socio- economic situation. Only 62% of Ontarians in the lowest income quartile have access to the Internet at home, compared to 93% in the highest income quartile.4 Government as a platform: The government’s goal is for the Ontario.ca platform to become a single destination for govern ment information and services. A new kind of leadership: Digital organizations are open and collaborative. In the Internet age, digital literacy has become an essential leadership skill. Leaders with technical expertise in Internet-era practices and approaches need to be cultivated and empowered. Partnering with digital suppliers: Procurement must become more flexible in the digital age. This is needed to enable speed and agility, and to ensure that any online product or service that is built can be changed as user needs shift or technologies evolve.
large. Creating new pipelines and partnerships to inject these skills government-wide will help to speed up change, and pro vide new opportunities to deliver digital products and services. Service design at the Ontario Digital Service (ODS) Lab: In 2017, the provincial government opened the Ontario Digital Service (ODS) Lab at the Communitech Hub, in the heart of the Waterloo Region’s innovation and technology community. The lab operates as a dedicated space for experience design and user research, inspiring public service teams to start with users, and think and work in more digital ways.
PROGRESS CONTINUES5 Ontario’s April 2019 Digital Plan includes the new Simpler, Faster, Better Services Act, 2019,6 and amendments to a number of other pieces of legislation. The government is also removing barriers to digital service delivery by updating 15 pieces of legislation - and five regula tions - that currently require paper-based processes or formats. The initiative includes improving the government's digital plat forms to make high-volume services that are already available online easier to use and putting more services available online. The government is starting with enhancing ServiceOntario's top 10 transactions. This makes Ontario the first province in Canada to implement a digitally-driven approach to government. t
Mobilizing innovation: Ontario is an internationally reco gnized technology hub, an innovation ecosystem designed for next-generation startups and global companies. The province ranks second in North America in the number of information and communication technology (ICT) establishments. Code for Canada: In 2017, Ontario co-founded Code for Canada, a new not-for-profit organization that connects government innovators with the technology and design com munity to build better digital services for people. The province’s inaugural fellowship team is working with the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development to build a digital tool that improves the adult education experience and makes it easier for learners to navigate the adult education system. Specialized talent: As a diverse organization, we need to recruit for newer in-demand skills in specialist domains that are under-represented (or not represented) in government at Canadian Internet Use Survey by location of use, age group, household income and geography (table 358-0154), Statistics Canada (2012). Government of Ontario, “Ontario Delivers Simpler, Faster, Better Services for Ontarians with New Digital Plan,” last modified April 30, 2019, https://news.ontario.ca/en/backgrounder/52026/ ontario-delivers-simpler-faster-better-services-for-ontarians-with-new-digital-plan. 6 Legislative enactment available at https://www.ontario.ca/fr/lois/loi/19s07. 4
5
9
10
convergence: ontario
DIGITALLY DIVIDED:
ACCESS INEQUALITIES ARE PANDEMIC By Matthias Sturm //
PhD Candidate in Education, Simon Fraser University
a n d C h r i s t i n e P i n s e n t - Jo h n s o n / / O r g a n i z a t i o n a l D e v e l o p m e n t Consultant, AlphaPlus The COVID-19 pandemic and limited face-to-face interactions with community organizations, education providers, govern ment services and consumer services have raised concerns that marginalized citizens may not be able to mitigate the effects of the digital divide on their lives. More and more of our interactions with government and community services, our workplace, financial institutions and other businesses are taking place online. But differences in income, age, education, immigration and migration status, as well as urban or rural location, lead to disparities in our Internet access.1
devices, rather than home computers, as the primary means by which they access the Internet.3 Complex activities, such as filling out an online form, using a learning management platform or conducting online research, are challenging. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Ontario Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) centres have estimated that 55% of learners likely had no Internet access at home, while 27% had limited connectivity, using cell phones and limited services.4
LIMITED INTERNET ACCESS AMONG LEARNERS
In Ontario, a 2018 TrendSpire survey had already identified issues related to online connectivity, activities and advantages. The experiences of low-income adults can also be seen in some of the centres they turn to for support. Prior to the pandemic, 39% of centres were experiencing connectivity issues. More than half (52%) of the approximately 280 respondents reported that they needed additional training and support to integrate educational technology. An even greater number (62%) ex pressed a need for training to integrate mobile technology, the devices that many learners rely on. They also reported not be ing able to make good decisions about new devices and soft ware because they had not had the opportunity to use them.
National statistics do not reflect the unknown number of Canadians accessing the Internet using pay-per-use and limited data plans or public WiFi. A regional survey found that 23% of adults in Kitchener used public WiFi. 2 When public WiFi is the primary means of connecting to the Internet or when it is used to supplement limited access, people have to spend a great deal of time, effort and planning to get online. They are also more vulnerable to security and privacy violations. They are taking risks by exposing their personal information and trans actions online. Low-income individuals rely more on mobile
LIMITED INTERNET ACCESS AMONG EDUCATORS
Michael Haight, Anabel Quan-Haase and Bradley Corbett. “Revisiting the Digital Divide in Canada: The Impact of Demographic Factors on Access to the Internet, Level of Online Activity, and Social Networking Site Usage,” Information, Communication & Society, Volume 17, Number 4 (2014), pages 503–519. 2 Jackie Sharkey, “Wi-Fi hotspot loans from Kitchener, Ont. library a Canadian first,” CBC News, October 8, 2015, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/kitchener-library-lends-portable-wifi-1.3258791. 3 Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, “Communications Monitoring Report 2018,” last modified July 29, 2019, https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/publications/reports/policymonitoring/2018/cmr1.htm. 4 Christine Pinsent-Johnson, “Results from our remote delivery survey now available,” AlphaPlus, October 7, 2020, https://alphaplus.ca/download/shift-remote-delivery-report/. 1
convergence: ontario
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, ONTARIO LITERACY AND BASIC SKILLS (LBS) CENTRES HAVE ESTIMATED THAT 55% OF LEARNERS LIKELY HAD NO INTERNET ACCESS AT HOME, WHILE 27% HAD LIMITED CONNECTIVITY, USING CELL PHONES AND LIMITED SERVICES. THE SITUATION IN RURAL AREAS
ACCESS INEQUALITIES ARE PANDEMIC
In April 2020, rural download speeds were nearly 12 times slower, and Internet speeds have fallen for rural users and in creased for urban users.5 Jane Wouda, an instructor at a regional training and learning centre, says, “It feels like a lot of the world is managing to get going, but a lot of our learners feel stuck.”6 According to the AlphaPlus summer 2020 survey, LBS centre educators had to use several different modes of com munication and instruction, including print and electronic assignments, phone calls, emails and online instruction. 7
The pandemic has exposed underlying social inequalities in Canada. “When something like the COVID-19 pandemic hits, we really see what happens when you don’t prioritize it [social inequalities],” says Laura Tribe, OpenMedia’s Executive Director.9 The opportunities that allowed people to supplement their limited and precarious digital access disappeared during lockdown. People who are most in need frequently have to choose from among the basic needs they can afford. The CRTC declared broadband Internet access as a basic telecommuni cations service in 2016.10 We join Laura Tribe in hoping that, “At the end of all of this, we’re going to see a really big shift in people’s understanding of what that digital divide looks like.”11 t
For example, the Centre de formation pour adultes de Greenstone uses Zoom and Google Meet to allow learners to continue their courses virtually. But those who don’t have Internet access at home can no longer connect to a network at other institutions because of lockdown. France Martineau, the centre's director, said that their staff was working tireless ly, even during COVID-19, and Inoussa Pempeme, an educa tor at the centre's Geraldton location, said that he was able to adjust well with respect to delivering training. He noted that "the biggest challenge was to move from in-person learning to the online-only learning environment required in light of the circumstances." and that they were able to meet this challenge by anticipating connectivity issues, helping learners to connect and showing them how to turn off their cameras to optimize the quality of their connection. The centre gives learners who are not comfortable with the virtual delivery method practical assign ments to do at home and bring back for correction. The centre also calls learners once a week in an effort to break isolation.8
Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), “New internet performance data shows the staggering scale of Canada’s urban-rural digital divide,” GlobeNewswire, May 8, 2020. http://www. globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/05/08/2030417/0/en/New-internet-performance-data-shows-the-staggering-scale-of-Canada-s-urban-rural-digital-divide.html. 6 Giacomo Panico, “Without internet, rural adult students feeling shut out,” CBC News, June 3, 2020. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/rural-students-training-internet-challenges-renfrew-1.5595519. 7 See footnote 4. 8 Individual communications with France Martineau and Inoussa Pempeme, January 26 and February 1, 2021, respectively. 9 Adam Jacobsen, “Internet is the only lifeline they have: Canada needs to confront ‘digital divide’ amid COVID-19 crisis,” CBC Radio, March 27, 2020. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/spark/workingfrom-home-data-surge-a-balancing-act-for-isps-tech-expert-1.5511650/internet-is-the-only-lifeline-they-have-canada-needs-to-confront-digital-divide-amid-covid-19-crisis-1.5513206. 10 Matthew Kupfer, “CRTC declares broadband internet access a basic service,” CBC News, December 21, 2016, https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/crtc-internet-essential-service-1.3906664. 11 See footnote 9. 5
11
12
convergence : ontario
LITERACY IN ONTARIO: some statistics
Literacy is an essential skill in 21st century Ontario. However, many people in our province do not have the literacy skills that they need for home, work, and life.
Literacy in Ontario 15% of Ontarians aged 16 to 65 scored at, or below, Literacy Level 1. People scoring at this level struggle with very serious literacy challenges, and have trouble reading even the most basic text.1 A further 32% of Ontarians scored at Literacy Level 2, meaning they can read, but with difficulty and will likely have problems with basic forms and directions encountered in everyday life such as employment or rental agreements, medication instructions, and more. 2
Digital Literacy in Ontario An international survey measured “Problem Solving in a Technology Rich Environment” (PS-TRE). In our province, 44% of Ontarians scored at the lowest levels (at, or below, PR-TRE Level 1), while 38% scored at Level 2 or 3 (the two highest levels), and 18% did not respond to the survey.3
Level 1 or below
Level 2 or 3
Didn't respond
Currently, almost 100% of the population under 45 years of age are using technology and computers. But, even with rising digital literacy, higher literacy skills are still needed to see positive outcomes in life such as self-reported health and political efficacy.4
Source: More than words can say, Community Literacy of Ontario.
Literacy and Ontario Francophones Ontario Francophones have a similar level of literacy skills as their Anglophone counterparts. According to the Statistics Canada report, Competencies in literacy among Ontario Francophones: current situation and emerging issues (2015) :
Literacy
Numeracy
Digital literacy
13.2% Level 1 34.6% Level 2
18.6% Level 1 37.2% Level 2
46.8% Level 1 31.0% Level 2
Skills in Canada: First Results from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). 2013. Statistics Canada. (Page 17). Ibid. 3 Ibid., 84 4 The Health and Social Dimensions of Adult Skills in Canada: Findings from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies. Council of Ministers of Education, Canada. 2018. Linda Jacobsen and Andrea Long. (Page 29). 1
2
Ontario’s Digital Divide A Spotlight on the Differences in Online Connection, Activity and Benefits ore and more, our interactions with government and public services, workplaces, financial institutions and businesses are online. But differences in income, age, education and immigration status, and whether we live in an urban or rural community, mean differences in our online access.1 The resulting digital divide has three interrelated layers: differences in how people connect to the Internet; differences in what kind of online activities they engage in; and differences in how they benefit from their interactions with services, resources and networks that are only available online.
The Online Activity Divide Differences in why, when and how people access and use online resources are shaped by income and education. In 2012, Canadians with lower incomes and education used the following fundamental services at half the rate of those with higher incomes and education. High income, bachelor’s degree or more BANK ONLINE ACCESS GOVERNMENT WEBSITES RESEARCH COMMUNITY EVENTS
The cost of Internet service, cell phone data plans or owning the right device, combined with other factors, means that a surprising number of Ontarians do not have a household Internet connection.2
Low income, high school or less
88%
48%
81%
41%
74%
The Online Connection Divide
38%
DOWNLOAD APPS AND SOFTWARE
49%
25%
MAKE PHONE CALLS
49%
26%
Canadians with lower incomes and education are also less likely to search for medical or health-related information or to use the Internet for education or training.
The Online Benefits Divide Society grows more polarized when not all citizens are digitally included. Those who are excluded or have limited access do not have the digital means to take part in increasingly online-only interactions. They are unable to fully engage with technology and benefit from this access. As a result, our public services, workplaces and businesses operate with an incomplete understanding of Ontario citizens, employees and customers. Because some cannot participate, survey and usage data may not be representative.4 So the benefits divide hurts not just those with lower incomes and education — taxpayer-supported public services are less effective and businesses have lower returns.
of Ontario’s adults don’t have an Internet connection at home —that’s 1.76 million people!3
of Ontarians with low incomes don’t have an Internet connection at home, compared to 1% of those with high incomes.
A Day in the Life of an Ontarian with Seamless Access Eva uses a smartphone to check and respond to emails while on the bus to work. Her employer covers the cost for an unlimited text-and-talk plan with 5 GB of data. Afterward, she reads travel reviews in preparation for booking a vacation.
8:00 a.m.
At work, Eva spends most of her time on a computer. The company recently upgraded the software and hardware she uses and paid for her to take a weeklong training session. She also has access to IT support if any issues arise with the new system.
9:30 a.m.
Eva’s teenage son is going on a school trip and she needs to sign a permission form. In a few minutes while she is at work, she downloads, prints, signs, scans and emails the form. Then she texts her son to tell him it’s done. She also texts her daughter to remind her of a dentist appointment after school.
11:00 a.m.
12:45 p.m.
EJKL 103 RENEW
2:30 p.m.
On her lunch break, Eva renews her licence plate online. While on the Service Ontario site, she also downloads the official Driver’s Handbook for her daughter, who just turned 16.
On short breaks, Eva looks for an app that will help her daughter practise for her written G1 driver’s test. She finds a few highly rated apps and downloads them to their family sharing account for her daughter.
As she leaves the office, Eva checks the transit app on her phone and sees that her bus is running late. Once on the bus, she checks her Facebook account and notes an upcoming event she’d like to attend. She then reads the news using apps for two different newspapers she subscribes to.
5:30 p.m.
8:45 p.m.
Eva streams a couple of episodes of a TV series she likes. She prefers to use her tablet in her downtime, whether she’s streaming a movie, reading an e-book borrowed from the public library or browsing photography blogs.
Everyday seamless access means people: spend
have more devices and the resources to pay for them
are more than twice as likely to use the Internet for personal use from work
5-20 HOURS per week online5
can be responsive and efficient, no matter where they are, leading to personal, social and economic benefits
A Day in the Life of an Ontarian with Limited Access Sandra’s son needs a permission form signed for a school trip. His high school recently went paperless and uses Facebook and email to communicate with parents. Since she doesn’t own a printer or have a household Internet account, Sandra will have to go elsewhere to complete the task.
8:00 a.m.
9:00 a.m.
Once her son has gone to school, Sandra takes the bus to the library. Luckily, it’s her day off. She signs up for a 60-minute time slot on a public computer. She quickly logs into her email account to print off and sign the permission form but discovers the library doesn’t have a scanner. She will have to go to a local office supply store. Sandra uses her remaining computer time to search for exercise videos on YouTube. She needs to alleviate a recent flare-up of lower back pain. She’d prefer to follow along with the videos at home, but her older, cheaper smartphone is slow and her limited data is too precious.
9:30 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
After another bus ride, Sandra waits 15 minutes for an available computer at the office supply store. She scans the signed form but has difficulty locating the file on the unfamiliar computer. She could ask for help, but the staff are busy and she’s aware of the time charges accumulating. She finds the file, attaches it to an email and logs off. The task costs her $6, which will have to come out of the grocery budget. Sandra needs to contact the Ontario College Application Service (OCAS) regarding a problem with her transcripts. When she called the 1-800 number yesterday, the wait time was estimated at 10 minutes. She hung up, worried about wasting minutes on her pay-as-you-go plan. She could use the public phone by the subway, but it’s too noisy and she won’t be able to take notes.
2:30 p.m.
2:45 p.m.
Sandra decides to return to the library to make the call online. She walks to the bus stop and heads to the library for the second time today. She’s nervous about calling online as she has done it only once before. After the library, Sandra plans to go grocery shopping and then prepare meals her son can have while she works evenings the next few days. After dinner, Sandra leaves her son at home and visits a nearby coffee shop that offers free Wi-Fi. She checks her email to see if the form she needs from OCAS has come in. Then she checks her Facebook account for updates on her son’s school trip and downloads a new word-game app to her phone that she can play offline.
8:15 p.m.
Everyday limited access means people: spend
are more dependent on public access in libraries and public spaces
<5 HOURS per week online6
often use pay-as-you-go cell phone plans that are cheaper to purchase but more costly per minute
spend a higher percentage of their budget on communications and sacrifice other basic needs7 to pay for them, particularly if they have school-age children8
16
convergence: ontario
Addressing the Digital Divide The three layers of the digital divide—connection, activities and benefits —need to be addressed if the Ontario government is to achieve its goal of making this an “inclusive, equitable and accessible digitally enabled province.”9 We need sustained, substantial and coordinated efforts that recognize the right to affordable, universal Internet access and to digital learning opportunities for all.
rs of the Digital D e y a ivid eL e r e fi n t s e e B Th Act i v i ty
Connection
Provincial and federal governments have a role to play in helping people respond to rapidly changing and expanding digital demands, particularly when governments add to that demand by moving more essential services online. Digital learning and access opportunities provided by Ontario’s libraries and by adult learning programs can make a difference, but they are uncoordinated and inconsistently supported.
Supporting Digital Access and Learning Opportunities for Adults Ontario’s Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) program works directly with adults who are digitally excluded and have limited access. Nearly 45,000 participants engage in some form of digital learning each year in 274 locations and through five online learning portals.10 The program is well-situated to support digital inclusion efforts with some select policy adjustments aimed at expanding participation for adults over 65, supporting professional development opportunities focused on digital learning and relieving programs of some of their time-consuming and repetitive reporting demands.11
42% of LBS participants receive some form of income assistance, mostly from Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program—nearly seven times the rate of the overall population. Others are in low-wage and precarious jobs or are living in low-income families.12 Close to half of participants are 25-44 years of age. About one-quarter are under 24 and one-quarter are 45-64. Only 4% of participants are over 65.
AlphaPlus, an LBS support agency, is focused on raising awareness of the digital divide, mobilizing digital learning knowledge, curating resources for educators and, importantly, providing direct support to Ontario’s LBS programs through its technology coaching services. Content developed by Christine Pinsent-Johnson and Matthias Sturm. Also available are a literature review and webinar to examine the digital divide in Canada and Ontario. Report: https://alphaplus.ca/download/digital-opportunities-review/ Webinar: https://alphaplus.ca/event/digital-opportunities-barriers-ontarios-disconnected-adults/ ENDNOTES: (1) Michael Haight, Anabel Quan-Haase, and Bradley Corbett, “Revisiting the Digital Divide in Canada: The Impact of Demographic Factors on Access to the Internet, Level of Online Activity, and Social Networking Site Usage,” Information, Communication & Society 17, no. 4 (2014): 503–519. (2) The majority (61%) of Canadians without an Internet connection stated they have no use or interest and 20% stated cost was a factor. Statistics Canada, “The Daily: Canadian Internet Use Survey (CIUS), 2012” https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien /131126/dq131126d-eng.htm (3) Unless noted, data describing Internet connections and online activity are from an analysis of 2012 CIUS data in Tables 22-10-0007-01 and 27-10-0016-01. Although data from the 2018 CIUS is available, we have chosen to refer to the 2012 data due to a change in methodology. For the 2012 survey, people could participate by phone. However, the 2018 survey was online. Results may not be representative of those with no or limited access. Also see note 4. Statistics Canada, “Canadian Internet Use Survey (CIUS), 2018” http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb /p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=4432 (4) The 2018 CIUS is an example of the benefits divide. Canadians with limited or no access are far less likely to participate, and our understanding of the digital divide is incomplete. (5) Ipsos Public Affairs, “Public Perspectives: Participation in the Digital Economy 1.0,” (2015). Accessed November 1, 2019, https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ publication/2015-12/7086-ppt.pdf (6) Ibid. (7) Matthew Kupfer, “CRTC declares broadband internet access a basic service,” CBC News, December 22, 2016, https://www.cbc.ca/news/ politics/crtc-internet-essential-service-1.3906664 (8) ACORN, “Internet for All: Internet Use and Accessibility for Low-income Canadians,” (2016). Accessed November 1, 2019 https:// acorncanada.org/sites/default/files/Internet%20for%20All%20report_0.pdf (9) Government of Ontario, “Sparking a New Vision.” Accessed November 1, 2019, https://www.ontario.ca/ document/start-users-deliver-together/sparking-new-vision (10) Government of Ontario, “Literacy and Basic Skills,” Employment Ontario. Accessed November 1, 2019, http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca /eng/eopg/programs/lbs.html (11) Reporting demands were identified as an issue by Cathexis Consulting in “Executive Summary: Evaluation of Ontario’s LBS Programs,” (2016). Accessed November 1, 2019, www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/eopg/publications/lbs-exec-summary-report-2016-en.pdf (12) LBS data from 2017-2018 annual aggregate data report. Available from authors. Graphics and presentation developed by Idea Nest. © 2020 AlphaPlus. This work is copyrighted. It may be reproduced in whole or in part for educational use subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgment of the source.
convergence: ontario
Digital Technology and Literacy: A CONTACT NORTH | CONTACT NORD PERSPECTIVE
By Sarah Stocker // Literacy and Basic Skills (e-Channel) C o o r d i n a t o r , C o n t a c t No r t h
As Ontarians look ahead hopefully to a post-pandemic resumption of their “normal” lives, the experiences of the “new normal” since March 2020 underscore the needs we all share. Now more than ever, we must be able to learn about and adapt to our evolving digital technology tools, and to develop the literacy skills to use these fully. Most of us can think of people we either know or have heard about who had to push themselves into the digital world in the last year and develop a literacy entirely new to them. Participating in our daily lives as employees, parents, caregivers, consumers and responsible citizens, we all face challenges that exercise learning and technology skills. Never has the capacity to incorporate digital technologies using strong literacy skills been more urgent. From our need to connect virtually with family, friends and service providers, to searching and evaluating news media to get accurate infor mation about the pandemic, our digital literacy and technology skills are in constant demand. The American Library Association (ALA) defines digital literacy as “the ability to use information and communication techno logies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills.” https://literacy. ala.org/digital-literacy/ “Digital literacy goes much further beyond simple technolo gical literacy. It includes how one interacts in an environment saturated with media and technology, as well as the societal and social contexts created by this technological and digital immersion.” https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec540sept12/2012/11/11/ technological-vs-digital-literacy/ The Ontario Adult Literacy Curriculum Framework (OALCF) guides Ontario’s Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) programs’ development of content and tasks to enhance their lear ners’ literacy competencies. While the OALCF competency "Use Digital Technology" addresses this most directly, all of the OALCF competencies, from "Find and Use Information" to "Engage with Others" employ a host of technologies and promote learners' digital literacy. All LBS programs strive to develop learning plans that help their learners achieve their employment, education, training and job readiness goals. The five online LBS “e-Channel” providers: ACE Distance/Online, Deaf Learn Now, Programme formation à distance, Good Learning Anywhere and the LearningHUB have used digital technologies since e-Channel's inception.
Furthermore, each program has developed digitally adept practi tioners who mentor learners in their literacy development. The e-Channel Curriculum Map’s digital and computer courses include an introduction to technologies for computers and mobile devices, Internet safety and tips, guidance on using a range of tools to accomplish everyday life and employment goals, social media, and options for developing digital literacy. Contact North | Contact Nord provides technology platforms to support the e-Channel providers’ digital delivery and strives to make the technology as comprehensible and accessible as possible to learners and their practitioners. Those familiar with Gartner’s Hype Cycles of technology adoption (see https:// www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/gartner-top-strategic-technology-trends-for-2021/) know that the challenges, even for those with strong literacy skills can go beyond the scope of digital technical know-how. Contact North | Contact Nord posts resources and maintains a technical Help Desk, but, more importantly, it approaches the challenges for digital tool users with a learner-centred approach. Helping e-Channel providers support their literacy learners' progress using evolving technologies and offering recommendations on content design as well as professional development will help improve learners' prospects on an ongoing basis. Let's stay optimistic about using the digital technologies of the future that will best support learners in developing the com petencies they need to thrive as digitally literate Ontarians, whatever the new normal brings! t
17
18
convergence : ontario
This Employment Ontario project is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the
E-Chan
FREE online lite
“Supporting a blend
5
Organizations ACE Distance Deaf Learn Now Formation à distance Good Learning Anywhere The LearningHUB
7000+ Learners Served
Serving 7000+ learners across all of Ontario each year!
50
Cou
500+ unique courses specifically designed for online learnin
***2019-20 Data-Num
acedistancedelivery.ca
deaflearnnow.ca
• Post-secondary admission
• Plays a role of integrating community & reduces social isolation for individuals to connect with one another
Offers grade 12 equivalent e-learning courses to help learners qualify for: • Apprenticeship registration
• Employment/promotion
• The first fully online literacy program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Adults in the world
• Deaf-First - in program and course design
sefad.ca
• Online m offered o independ blended COFA me communi
• 2016 reci Associati d’éducat des unive française Excellenc
convergence : ontario
19
e Government of Ontario and through the Canada-Ontario Job Fund Agreement.
nnel.ca
eracy education for adults living in Ontario
ded delivery model with Face-To-Face programs.”
00+
urses
ng.
700+ Years of
Experience Over 700 years of practitioner experience combined developing and delivering online courses.
ipient of the ion canadienne tion des adultes ersités de langue e Business ce Award
Goal Paths
45% Employment 4% Apprenticeship 5% Secondary School Credit 30% Post-Secondary
5% 16%
4%
45%
30%
16% Independence
mbers approximate
micro-courses are on an individual dent basis, or via learning with embers and other ity partners
5
goodlearninganywhere.com • Launched in 2003
• Provide a culturally supportive and flexible online learning environment for Indigenous individuals, communities and organizations to improve quality of life at home, work and in the community • 2015 recipient of the Employment Ontario Leadership Award for Collaboration
learninghub.ca
• Part of the e-Channel Strategy project starting in 2007; established as a program in 2010
• 2013 recipient of the Great-West Life and London Life and Canada Life Literacy Innovation Award Colours have been grouped with their equivalent swatch
PMS C 124 yellow PMS C 717 orange PMS C 3248 blue/green
• 2017 recipient of the Council of the Federation Literacy Award for Ontario
20
Ontario’s Community-Based Bilingual Distance Education and Training Network That Helps Underserved Residents in
convergence: ontario
800
GET JOBS
SMALL, RURAL, REMOTE, INDIGENOUS AND FRANCOPHONE COMMUNITIES
by by making it possible for them to access education and training without leaving their communities.
It provides 5 Local Support Services for Ontarians Delivered at 116 Locations (Online Learning Centres) and the Student Information Hotline 5 Local Support Services for Ontario's Education and Training Providers
SERVICES DELIVERED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 24 22 9 76 200 50 170 188 114 4 282
Public Colleges Public Universities Indigenous Institutes District School Boards Literacy and Basic Skills Providers Skills Development Training Providers Ontario Works Offices Employment Ontario Offices Community Organizations Hosting Our Online Learning Centres Community-Based Organizations
ANNUAL RESULTS FOR ONTARIANS
62 000+ 1 000 000 40 295 000+ 92%
student registrations generated and supported in online courses from Ontario’s education and training providers requests for services fulfilled, including inquiries to the Student Information Hotline and Technical Support Hotline
province-wide campaigns to recruit students for online programs and courses from Ontario's colleges and universities visitors generate 920,000 pageviews of Contact North | Contact Nord portals of clients satisfied with their experiences with Contact North | Contact Nord ONTARIO’S ONLINE LEARNING PORTALS HOSTED BY CONTACT NORTH | CONTACT NORD • • •
contactnorth.ca
studyonline.ca for information for Ontarians on 1,000 online programs and 18,000 online courses e-channel.ca for information for Ontarians on online literacy and basic skills courses teachonline.ca for resources for faculty and instructors teaching online
Funded by the Government of Ontario
convergence: ontario
“Our Success is their Success.”1 By Susanne Bergmann // Freelance Writer The way we think about learning and working may change both in urban and rural areas. Through her interviews with Peggy Morin, Coordinator at the Centre d’éducation des adultes (CEA) in New Liskeard, and Renaud Saint-Cyr, Executive Director at Alpha-Toronto and three educators at his centre, namely Aziz Nachit, Mario Pierre and Mame Cheikh Ndiaye, the author of the article found that working remotely could become a learning and working asset.
What advantages have you seen from working remotely?
RURAL AREAS: PEGGY MORIN, CEA IN NEW LISKEARD2
What disadvantages working remotely?
The CEA in New Liskeard is an adult education centre that pro vides a range of free educational services in French. The centre also hosts an alternative school for learners who want to graduate from high school. Its clientele is composed primarily of seniors.
What advantages have you seen from working remotely? According to Peggy Morin, people usually communicate with her through the centre’s Facebook page. She then follows up privately to maintain confidentiality for future clients. Previously, the process was very informal and people would simply walk into the centre. Another important component is providing training to prac titioners. On a more personal level, working remotely has allowed Ms. Morin to invest more time in her work because she spent less time travelling to and from the office. As a result, she spent more time with her family members, some of whom were also working remotely. She had access to a quiet place and the tools she needed to work, which was another significant advantage.
What disadvantages working remotely?
have
you
seen
from
In the beginning, Internet connectivity was her biggest challenge and she had to upgrade to better services. Less human interactions and seeing the learners on a daily basis were also a disadvantage.
Do you believe remote work should continue? Not everyone enjoys working remotely and not all occupations are suitable for telework. Her preference remains to be at the office, surrounded by her great team and incredible learners. For Peggy, human contact is more important than working remotely.
URBAN AREAS: RENAUD SAINT-CYR, AZIZ NACHIT, MARIO PIERRE AND MAME CHEIKH NDIAYE, ALPHA TORONTO Alpha-Toronto is an adult education centre that provides trai ning services tailored to the needs of learners. Its clientele is composed of adults. Quote from Renaud Saint-Cyr, Executive Director at Alpha-Toronto, https://alpha-toronto.ca/. CEA in New Liskeard’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/CEANL1/ [Available in French only]. 1
2
The greatest advantage is that people have resumed courses that they were previously unable to attend (e.g., due to transpor tation issues). Currently, the barriers of transportation and the associated costs are no longer there. In addition, the spread of COVID-19 is less likely because learners are not travelling. More over, we noticed that some individuals are more comfortable pursuing their learning at home than at the centre.
have
you
seen
from
Working remotely requires a lot more from practitioners. In addition, there are no longer limits as to when they can be contacted (late at night or on weekends). Other challenges are technology-related, such as access to and use of the Internet and computer equipment like cameras or headsets. Another disadvantage is learner isolation. Socialization is definitely different because people interact less with each other. Even practitioners work longer hours because they have to answer questions in writing instead of taking five minutes to explain the same thing in person. But the biggest obstacle is confidentiality. Disclosure of personal information to practitioners continues to be a challenge. It should also be noted that the administrative burden has increased since the beginning of the pandemic. According to Renaud Saint-Cyr, there are many more forms to fill out for privacy purposes. He also mentioned that the centre is receiving funds that are currently being used to help some clients with the required computer equipment, whereas these funds used to contribute to transportation costs. The goal is to help people get out of poverty and to offer them alternatives so that they can avoid having to re-apply for social assistance, and to encourage them to complete their skills upgrade in order to transition successfully towards post-secondary studies.
Do you believe remote work should continue? After COVID-19, Mr. Saint-Cyr is planning to rotate practi tioners' schedules, as all learners can attend courses virtually at any time, with transportation and other barriers. He says the choice is clear, otherwise he risks losing clients. Practitioners at his centre believe that the hybrid model may be useful for some learners, particularly those who are work ing. Taking all this into consideration, learners must have the option to choose which model best suits their needs. After all, the future lies in technology. In spite of the challenges, Mr. Saint-Cyr expects that his centre will be offering hybrid services in the future. In light of comments made during the interviews, distance learning will undoubtedly remain at the heart of discussions and transformations with respect to Francophone adult educa tion in both urban and rural areas. t
21
22
convergence: ontario
FONCE.CA: A NEW DIGITAL RESOURCE FOR FRANCOPHONE ADULTS
IN THE CONTEXT OF ONTARIO’S ECONOMIC RECOVERY B y G u y L e v e s q u e / / P ro j e c t C o o rd i n a t o r , C O FA
2017 – AT A CROSSROADS The Coalition ontarienne de formation des adultes (COFA) is at a crossroads with respect to French-language adult education and training in Ontario. As the flagship in this area in cooperation with colleges, school boards and communi ty skills centres, the COFA serves as a beacon of knowledge for adults and meets their needs by implementing training services for adults in Ontario, in line with the objectives of Employment Ontario’s Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) program. In particular, the F@D online training program, implemented in 2011, addresses the call for digital innovation to support the demand from its members, the community skills centres. You will see that the choice was strategic and beneficial given the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020 and the lockdown, which required a digital infrastructure to sustain the need for training and, especially, course delivery. In October 2017, another digital pilot project for assessments and referrals was introduced and a portal was created to en hance accessibility for various French-speaking adult learn ers. This multi-service portal is intended for communities in
Northern Ontario and represents the culmination of research conducted over a period of three years (2014-2017) on the development of a model for a centre that provides informa tion, assessment and referral, called Centre d’information, d’évaluation et d’aiguillage (CIÉA). This model was developed in response to a desire to align the strategies, priorities and objectives sought by all government authorities dedicated to French-language adult education and training in Ontario. The COFA uses this aligned approach to ensure the effec tiveness and sustainability of its activities with learners. Aligning and coordinating services are paramount to de velop the French-language education and training contin uum with enhanced access to education and training for all Francophone adults in Ontario. Moreover, this alignment will help reduce duplication, promote complementarity of services, and optimize resources.
convergence: ontario
Phase 1 — Implementation Established in November 2017 and rolled out in May 2019, the CIÉA became essentially a virtual centre for Northern Ontario called FONCE.ca. Its goal is to coordinate the assessment and referral of adult learners to three networks of program and service providers (community skills centres, college centres and education centres). What is FONCE.ca? It is a COFA-led pilot project aimed at ensur ing that learners have the most successful experience possible as they move through the following five key steps: › Introduction: approximately 10 short and simple ques tions for orientation purposes; › Research: access to lists of resources and services; › Contact: follow-up call within 24 hours of site visit; › Assessment: conversation and diagnostic assessment to establish the person’s profile; › Referral: neutral and objective referral towards appro priate training or services. The COFA began leading this project in October 2017. A mana gement committee composed of representatives from all three levels of services (colleges, school boards and community adult education centres) has been established and is responsible for the interim governance of the Centre.
Phase, in which the question, “Who can use this digital tool locally, regionally and provincially?” is addressed. “The CIÉA and the FONCE.ca website provide French-speaking adults with a point of access to reliable information and personalized support to help them pursue their continuing education goals. For LBS and adult education service providers, this resource serves as an alternative way to identify potential clients at an early stage and offers online tools to simplify and accelerate the assessment process. For provincial departments, it allows for client follow-ups beyond specific program limits and serves as a relationship-building tool with adult learners throughout their continuing education journey.” This new resource in support of the provincial government’s first Digital Plan needs to be at the forefront of technology and continuously reviewed to improve its operating structure (platform) with regular upgrades and maintenance. After six months of operation, a major finding was made, namely that the promotional value of the portal requires daily atten tion. Given that the pilot project is new, the portal cannot be promoted through traditional media to recruit new clients. This is a key issue for the continuation and recognition of the project in its next critical phase.
An evaluation of this phase was undertaken and com pleted in December 2019. Below is an excerpt from the Final Developmental Report on the Pilot Project Implementation
Phase 2 — Operational Analysis The current status of COVID-19, combined with the transfor mation of Employment Ontario, is changing the practices of at least six networks of adult education and training service providers, including: › Community skills centres; › Education centres within school boards; › College service centres; › Employment services centres; › Municipal Ontario Works centres; › Settlement and immigration service centres. Online services, including the FONCE.ca project, will be in creasingly in demand and accessible to more adult learners, 1
enabling the provincial government to meet its digital services policy objectives. To carry out this operational analysis, the COFA has hired a consulting firm to not only define how the evaluation frame work will be developed, but also to conduct a 12-month oper ational analysis of the FONCE.ca project for Northern Ontar io. From this analysis, the consulting firm will identify lessons learned and operational improvements, and validate, as appro priate, this initiative across all of its components. The evaluation report of the second phase must be submitted by the end of March 2022. At that time, the COFA will know whether the FONCE.ca for Northern Ontario will continue ser ving as a government-recognized regional service provider.
Final Developmental Report on the Pilot Project Implementation Phase, February 5, 2020, Brynaert, Brennan et Associé.e.s, page 52.
23
24
convergence: ontario
MOVING FORWARD Implementing and launching FONCE.ca in Northern Ontario is the first step in achieving the COFA’s vision to open a centre in Eastern Ontario and a third centre in Central Southwestern Ontario. In the next few years, we envision that there could be three regional centres and a provincial virtual referral site (FONCE.ca) for French-speaking communities in Ontario, which could lead to a provincial Table of regional centres. This Table could become the expertise hub to meet the needs of adult learners, a Fran cophone resource comprised of the six networks of service providers related to education, training and employability, in close cooperation with government authorities. t
PROJECT BACKGROUND First activities of three Regional Partnerships for Francophone Adult Education and Training (PFEAT/PEFA)* [translation] were completed.
A Regional PFEAT/PEFA, comprised of French-language school boards and colleges, community skills centres dedicated to Francophone adult educa tion and the COFA, was established.
March 2011
March 2011
The first Symposium ontarien de l’éducation et de la formation des adultes francophones (Ontario seminar on French adult education and training [translation]) took place.
October 2014 to March 2018
March 2013
The Centre FONCE opened on May 1, 2019 (March to November 2019).
May 2019
October 2017
Beginning of the pandemic and lockdown.
October 2020
March 2020
Preparation of the FONCE.ca management team.
December 2020 to February 2021 Implementation
The final developmental evaluation report on the implementation of the CIÉA du Nord (governance structure, management, portal, sustainability), which became FONCE.ca, was submitted.
December 2019
Positive response to begin phase 2.
Progress
October 2011
15 regional forums were held to inform stakeholders on the concept of multi-service access brought forward by Regional PFEAT/PEFAs.
First phase for developing the Centre d’information/accueil, d’évaluation et d’aiguillage des adultes apprenants du Nord de l’Ontario (CIEA du Nord).
Creation
The first meeting of the provincial round table with three Regional PFEAT/PEFAs to develop a common vision was held.
Functions and Operations
Basic centre operations and portal enhancements took place, pending funding for phase 2 of the project.
January to September 2020
Operations at FONCE.ce to resume.
Evaluation report on the level of efficiency and sustainability of FONCE.ca for Northern Ontario to be submitted.
April 2021
March 2022 *Regional PFEAT/PEFAs: Central Southwestern, Eastern and Northern regions.
2
CANADA
26
convergence: canada
The Canadian Online Training Platform for Essential Skills (PCFAD): A WINNING COMBINATION FOR LEARNERS IN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE MINORITY COMMUNITIES B y Mi c h e l R o b i l l a rd / / P ro j e c t C o o rd i n a t o r , C O FA
DISTANCE TRAINING IN ONTARIO Since 1998, the Coalition ontarienne de formation des adultes (COFA) has been providing in-person skills development training services through its 26 members and 42 points of service. The organization has been providing distance training and blended training delivery services (combining classroombased and distance training) since September 2011. When the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities mandated the COFA to develop a distance training program (F@D), this new way of educating learners was seen as a unique and strategic opportunity to offer an additional educational tool to Francophone adults that would bridge the digital divide. The COFA’s intended audience consists of Francophone adults with literacy, numeracy and essential skills below level 3. The COFA and its members’ objective is to enable adults to reach a higher skill level than that at the beginning of their learning jour ney, commensurate with the targeted skill, in order to help them advance to level 3 proficiency. This level is deemed necessary to cope with the demands of daily life and work in a complex society and information and knowledge-based economy. Based on their experience and expertise in using dis tance learning platforms and developing synchronous and asynchronous online training, the COFA and its members have designed a training program tailored to network practitioners and quality online training geared to the needs of learners. The andragogical approaches used and the tools developed over the years have proven to be effective because they are focused on learners and adapted to their life experiences. The distance training platform and courses help learners develop cross-disciplinary skills. If, for example, an indivi dual completes the Du français en quelques clics [available in French] course, and more specifically the module on participle agreement, they could receive some training on Antidote in the following week, where they would be asked to write a text with participles and then correct it using a software program.
Training provided on the platform therefore allows learners to use a computer to log on, take online training and use a corrector to improve the quality of their texts. This rich and diversified experience helps learners develop new literacy and computer skills.
THE EXPERIENCE IN ONTARIO AND OFFICIAL LANGUAGE MINORITY COMMUNITIES In the 2018 report entitled Développement de l’alphabétisme et des compétences essentielles (DACE) dans les communautés de langue officielle en situation minoritaire (CLOSM) — Analyse des besoins [unofficial English translation: Literacy and Essential Skills (LES) Development in Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs) — Needs Analysis], commissioned by the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES), author Marc L. Johnson identifies issues facing OLMCs related to training on LES development, inclu ding geographic location, economic disparities, levels of educa tion, aging population, immigration levels, lack of infrastructure and training capacity. As a solution to these issues, he suggests asymmetrical policies taking into account the needs of Francophone minorities, structured support, terms and conditions of training offerings, an inte grated andragogical approach, a pan-Canadian sharing space, and the promotion and enhancement of LES development. With this in mind and based on its own experience and the identical issues facing Ontario’s Francophone community, in 2018, the COFA recommended to the OLES to develop the Plateforme canadienne de formation à distance (PCFAD) [available in French]. This OLES-funded project aims to set up a Canadian platform for distance training in LES development in OLMCs, with partners who are interested in being part of the project. This initiative is based on the principle of lifelong learning in all spheres of life and for everyone. However, special con sideration is given to the development of a component that focuses on improving essential and generic skills related to
employability and local market demand, which help prepare workers for available jobs. Similar to the F@D program in Ontario, this platform and the training it offers to learners in OLMCs is one of the tools that will help bridge the digital divide, namely the inequalities with respect to access to information and communication techno logies, as well as their use and impact. In general, there are at least two stages of digital divide that are considered as such, including access to technology (first stage) and use of techno logy (second stage). The PCFAD implementation project provides access to technological infrastructure and online training, while also bridging the digital divide for learners. Thus, this project not only addresses some of Marc L. Johnson’s findings but it also enables adult Francophones to access French training services at all times and from anywhere Internet connectivity is available. Nonetheless, it would be presumptuous to think that this platform implementation project is a panacea that alone can bridge the digital divide within OLMCs. Other initiatives are also needed to address this issue, including Internet connec tivity in remote locations. The blended delivery model used by the COFA is a practice on which we are continuing to build through this project in order to reach individuals with low digital literacy skills. Project partners working in the provinces are therefore able to welcome and accompany individuals in person or remotely to help them begin using technology.
PROJECT STATUS The PCFAD implementation project brings together adult education and training institutions and organizations serving Francophone minority communities. These partners are the Collège de l’Île in Prince Edward Island, the Collège Mathieu in Saskatchewan, the Équipe d’alphabétisation-Nouvelle-Écosse in Nova Scotia, the Learning Centre Literacy Association in Alberta, the Pluri-elles organization in Manitoba, and the Coalition ontarienne de formation des adultes in Ontario, which is running the project.
Despite the significant challenges arising due to the pandemic and the numerous sanitary restrictions facing the project team and partners, all the milestones for the PCFAD implementation project are in place. In summary: › Partners are very well placed within their sector and hold a good image in their community. › The positioning and reputation of partners ensure credi bility and trust. › Partners underline the positive dynamics of collaboration between them and the COFA, which is responsible for managing the project as a whole. › The project is defined by how it adapts the model and approaches to the various provincial realities, and by the transfer of knowledge and expertise among project partners. › Three cohorts are already active. › More learners are expected to join in the coming weeks. › The technical trial period has come to an end. The prac titioners and PCFAD team meet weekly to facilitate future learning sessions and operations related to the database’s core aspects. › Promotional and campaign materials have been produced, distributed and deployed. Consequently, the PCFAD is becoming an invaluable resource in the area of remote training for the Francophone community in Canada. t
28
DIGITAL PE AT THE HEART OF THE
convergence: canada
B y R o b e r t G ré g o i re / / E x e c u t i v e D i re c t o r , R E FA D The somewhat mysterious expression “digital pedagogy” has become part of everyday vocabulary with the introduction, in 2018, of the Digital Action Plan for Education and Higher Education in Quebec. In the past, we spoke more simply about online teaching and learning, and educational technologies. The Réseau d’enseignement francophone à distance (REFAD [French only]) is a nationwide organization that brings together institutions, businesses and professionals from all levels of education and training. Its mission is to facilitate coope ration among stakeholders and to encourage the development of innovative practices for distance learning and pedagogical approaches. The REFAD’s mission statement tasks it with being a constant presence among its members and stakeholders through the pooling of expertise, the sharing of knowledge and practices, professional development, networking and monitoring activities. The REFAD brings together more than 30 Canadian Francophone educational institutions in seven provinces and three levels of education. When it was founded in 1988, members of the REFAD worked on best practices for correspondence courses, that is, services offered to distance learners, for which the primary method of involvement consisted of exchanging educational material, feedback and occasionally evaluations by mail. This was only thirty years ago. We've come a long way since then!
TERMS FOR DISTANCE LEARNING As a result of the pandemic, the terms synchronous/ asynchronous, face-to-face/online, and hybrid have become part of popular jargon, creating healthy scepticism among some. These terms are used to describe how a course is delivered and how students learn remotely. Thus, when a
student registers for an online course, they connect to the course through a learning content management platform, where they identify themselves and progress through various learning sections. This method is in contrast to tradi tional classroom-based courses, which are often characterized as in-person courses (or sometimes referent to as “face-toface” courses). When online (i.e., from a remote location), students can log in at any time to pursue their learning. This type of learning is considered asynchronous because students progress at their own pace, regardless of how their peers are advancing in their own learning at their own convenience. For most online courses, in which learning topics are by definition taught through a learning content management platform, the instructor also schedules some time for discussions to ensure that the course is running smoothly. Any scheduled time, when all students log in at once with the instructor, is called synchronous. Prior to the pandemic, the minority of institutions offering online programs did so in a hybrid mode. This meant that students enrolled in an online course could learn at any time and from anywhere, but had to be present at regular times with their instructor and classmates in synchronous mode. Such hybridity occurred because students generally progressed asynchronously, at their own pace, while also being present synchronously at specific times. While it is still too early to generalize, the pivotal shift to online courses as a result of the pandemic has frequently required delivering so-called synchronous remote courses as a quick solution, with little or no pedagogical design to steer the students’ progress with online activities structured in a more pedagogical way. While synchronous teaching is a legiti mate approach, and one that most might think of as occurring through Zoom meetings or webinars, it should be noted that
EDAGOGY: E PANDEMIC RESPONSE
convergence: canada
for a teacher with little experience with remote delivery, this approach can be strongly criticized precisely because the “pedagogical” dimension is absent from the “digital” component, which may mean looking at a dull talking head on the screen … for hours on end. This is anything but "digital pedagogy."
PIVOT TOWARDS DIGITAL PEDAGOGY AND PARADIGM SHIFT Many people are right in saying that there is no going back to how things were pre-pandemic. The new normal will likely include more opportunities for teleworking and allow many professionals to interact with their colleagues and fulfill their responsibilities from wherever is most convenient to them. This is evidenced in the significant increase in rural property sale prices. The situation is quite different, however, for basic education where two undeniable realities exist. First, students’ ability to learn online is conversely proportional to their level of indepen dence. In other words, younger students will require additional supervision, support and guidance. In contrast, Grade 12 students, for example, may find it easier to study online, as they are becoming increasingly independent. The second reality that cannot be ignored with respect to online learning is that schools are not primarily places of learning, but rather living environments where future adults are learning to interact with their peers and society. This learning process, which is essen tial to the human being and gregarious by definition, repre sents the main purpose of school, helping kids to strengthen, among other things, the social fabric that democratic, liberal and progressive regimes consider essential in becoming competent and educated citizens. This ensures the well-being of all, regardless of individual social circumstances.
TOWARDS A RENEWED SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT No one can predict what education will be like in the future. However, some very clear signs are pointing towards a major education system renewal. First, the ubiquity of technological devices, or the “digital” realm, predicts an entire revolution in learning. Today’s youth are immersed in a world where technology is omnipresent. One of the unique features of the online world is that it pro vides for knowledge to be freely accessible to all, provided we live in a connected democratic system. Second, educators are now realizing that the focus in education should be on skills development. Under this model, students tackle authentic and complex problems and thus become key players in their edu cational journey as future citizens. And educators are therefore shifting towards a role of accompaniment and facilitation. This is why the development of digital skills is a key challenge for the renewal of the school environment. t
29
30
convergence: canada
DIGITAL DATA PRIVACY AND SECURITY in Community Organizations
By Isabelle Coutant // Adult Education Development and Liaison Officer, CDÉACF Community organizations collect and store confidential data, such as contact information about their members and partners, personal information or even life stories. They must also protect their own data, such as their accounts and passwords. Indeed, in an effort to promote teamwork, partnerships and remote work, cloud computing is being used on a daily basis, which means remote access to servers, exchanges, collaborative writ ing, and so on. This way of working is practical and even essen tial. As a result, storing information online and using it remotely raises questions around digital data privacy and security.
there is very rarely any action taken to anticipate potential issues. The second barrier that was identified following the interviews is the lack of accessible resources and information.
The way cybersecurity practices are monitored in community organizations shows that there is little awareness of the issue and that it is poorly addressed among groups. This can be explained by how quickly digital tools are developed, the lack of information in this area, and certain preconceived ideas about risks, such as that cyber attacks reported in the media usually involve larger companies or institutions with which the community sector does not identify. However, nearly 60% of attacks involve smaller organizations.1 Furthermore, according to the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security2 , organizations most at risk from cyber attacks include those that store personal data and promote remote work.
The information has been simplified, and the layout of the fact sheets and cards has been designed to make the informa tion accessible to people who might require reading assistant software when reviewing the online toolkit. In addition, the illustrations, narration and length of the videos were adapted to make the content as accessible as possible. All videos included subtitles. Fact sheets were also printed and sent to all groups that requested them.
To address this matter, the Centre de documentation sur l’éducation des adultes et la condition féminine (CDÉACF) launched a project in 2018 to enable community groups to make informed decisions about privacy and security concerns related to digital data. This project was carried out with the support of the Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur du Québec. First, the CDÉACF consulted several community organizations about their needs, mainly literacy organizations and women’s advocacy groups. One of the first barriers that was identified, in terms of being able to do something about increasing cyber security among groups, is the lack of information that is readily available to the public. In fact, most organizations do not have resources dedicated to information management. This means that staff members often have to educate themselves in this highly technical area, which has its limits. Accordingly,
To provide groups with clear and accessible information on cybersecurity, the CDÉACF has designed and produced a toolkit that contains useful tips on how to secure the six common entry points for attacks targeting community organizations: the operating system of connected devices, the computer network, the website, identity or data theft, and social networks.
Moreover, given that stakeholders for this project are organi zations delivering direct services, employees often have to answer questions from participants about personal digital security, including identity theft, email account protection, password strength, and so on. That is why the CDÉACF has created fact sheets on these issues that can be easily shared with participants. The uptake and benefits from launching the cybersecurity toolkit have been and continue to be highly positive. Organiza tions that participated in the project or its official launch have expressed their willingness to reflect on current internal prac tices and take action to better protect their digital data. The initial learning experience was designed to increase awareness about the vulnerability of operating systems to cyberattacks and the fact that smaller organizations are just as exposed to risk in this area as larger ones. The cybersecurity toolkit is available at http://cdeacf.ca/ boite-outils-cybersecurite [in French]. t
John Mason, “Protect Yourself: Preparing Your Nonprofit’s Workplace For Cybersecurity,” TechSoup, May 29, 2018, https://www.techsoup.ca/community/blog/protect-yourself-preparing-your-nonprofit’s-workplace-for-cybersecurity 2 Government of Ontario, “Canadian Centre for Cyber Security.,” accessed February 2021, https://www.cyber.gc.ca 1
3
REFLECTION
32
reflections
DIGITAL EQUITY AND COMMUNITY SOLIDARITY DURING AND AFTER COVID-19 By Suzanne Smythe // Associate Professor in Adult Literacy and A d u l t E d u c a t i o n i n t h e Fa c u l t y o f E d u c a t i o n a t S i m o n F ra s e r U n i v e r s i t y
reflections As many have noted, COVID-19 is an efficient illuminator of our society’s strengths and weaknesses; its progress accelerates in spaces of inequality and injustice. There is a race among public health agencies at all levels to provide timely, accurate information about COVID-19 that is es sential to support physical distancing policies and to maintain quarantine and stay-at-home rules. New, ambitious, vital social programs and anti-poverty policies have emerged in an effort to patch a frayed social safety net, save lives and livelihoods during the crisis, and make it possible for people to comply with all-important physical distancing and social isolation.
THOSE WHO ARE MOST AT RISK OF COVID-19… ARE ALSO THOSE WHO ARE LEAST LIKELY TO BE TAPPED INTO OR ABLE TO AFFORD THE RELATIVELY STEEP COST OF THESE MAINSTREAM INTERNET INFORMATION CHANNELS. But persistent digital inequalities threaten these objectives. Timely information, access to benefits and programs and the transition to working or studying remotely, require that Cana dians have a high speed Internet connection, a working digital device or phone, digital savviness and fluency in English or French. Yet those who are most at risk of COVID-19 in terms of their health, personal security and livelihoods are also those who are least likely to be tapped into or able to afford the rel atively steep cost of these mainstream Internet information channels that our institutions seem to take for granted. Over whelmingly, these are Black, Indigenous, new immigrant, refu gee, and other racialized and low income communities.
sight of how others struggle to maintain connectivity. Although digital inequalities among students is not a new problem, it has come to the forefront as the BC Ministry of Education and school districts scramble to transition the province’s 575,000 school children to crisis remote teaching (we will not pretend that this will even approximate a systematic and planned ver sion of online learning). The President of the BC School Trust ees Association, Stephanie Higginson, acknowledged the challenges of introducing province-wide online learning when families have few devices and “some [students] don’t even have connectivity in their homes.”
THOSE OF US WHO ARE ACCUSTOMED TO UBIQUITOUS ACCESS TO THE INTERNET AT HOME AND WORK ACROSS MULTIPLE DEVICES CAN LOSE SIGHT OF HOW OTHERS STRUGGLE TO MAINTAIN CONNECTIVITY. Digital inequality is a matter of income. The Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) found that only 69% of Canadians in the 1st Income quintile (earning less than 33,000 annually) had access to the Internet at home in 2017 (CRTC, 2019) compared to 94.5% in the 5th Quintile (earning more than $132,909 annually). Similarly, only 63% of Canadians in the 1st Income Quintile have access to a working home computer compared to 95% of those in the 5th Quintile. The quality and speed of Internet connectivity also matters; many British Columbians do not have access to Internet that even approximates the 50 Mps download and 10 Mps upload speeds needed for most online activities, particularly in rural and remote areas.
DIGITAL INEQUALITIES Understandably, the claim that 94% of British Columbians have access to the Internet at home might instill confidence in our institutions that they can rely upon the Internet for COVID-19-related communications. But this figure was gener ated in a 2019 Statistics Canada Internet Use Survey that was carried out electronically, prompting some groups to question the reliability of this data. Moreover, this figure neglects differ ences in Internet access across income, the digital literacy and language skills needed to participate online, and the fact that many families must make financial sacrifices to maintain an Internet connection, sacrifices they may no longer be able to make in these COVID-19 times. As Nisa Malli of the Brookfield Institute and Laura Tribe of OpenMedia have explained, the In ternet is not as accessible as we might think. Those of us who are accustomed to ubiquitous access to the Internet at home and work across multiple devices can lose
DIGITAL INEQUALITY IS A MATTER OF INCOME. 73% of Canadians in the 1st Quintile have a mobile phone, and 42% of these households are mobile only. Mobile phones might provide some connectivity, but they are not appropriate for online learning or for applying for benefits, and cell phone plans and data caps remain expensive and restrictive. Some Internet Service Providers (ISPs), such as Shaw, have discovered that it is possible to extend free public WiFi into communities, but these are not secure connections required to engage with online government and services. It is also unfair to expect families, people with disabilities and others to roam the streets looking for WiFi hotspots, especially as people are being constantly instructed to stay home. As OpenMedia has made clear, ISPs need to drop prohibitive data caps,
33
34
réflexions and moving into a post-COVID-19 future, we need to have a conversation about the risks of entrusting vital Internet infra structure to private interests
ACCESS TO TIMELY AND ACCURATE INFORMATION Efforts to mobilize British Columbians to ‘flatten the curve’ may be encouraging thus far, but they have been encumbered by a lack of appropriate materials in the multiple languages read and spoken in BC, and a lack of capacity among health and government agencies to reach British Columbians who live on the digital margins. The BC Centre for Disease Control has translated COVID-19 infor mation in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Punjabi, Farsi, English and French. But refugee families and low-wage front-line essential workers also speak Arabic, Amharic, Tagalog, Vietnamese and Spanish and they may or may not be literate in those languages. The helpful 811 service has mobilized to offer information by phone in different languages, but people need to know about this service in order to ac cess it. An immigration and settlement worker shared with me that when they phoned to check in on families from refugee backgrounds in week 2 of the state of emergency, they found families distressed by the closing down of local schools and services, but largely unaware of the cause. Low wage essen tial workers and Temporary Foreign Workers who engage in work that makes social distancing difficult if not impossible, have shared with outreach workers that they feel isolated and anxious because they don’t have the information they need to protect themselves, their families and the public. The traditional social networks in which this information may have circulated have become frayed in these times of social distancing; to compensate, settlement and outreach workers who are still employed, along with many volunteers, spend their time interpreting and translating the information on BCCED, WHO and the Federal Government into information that people whose primary language is other than English or French can understand.
ACCESS TO SERVICES AND BENEFITS Luckily, online applications for benefits such as EI and Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) are relatively straight forward, but the process is still a challenge for those who have traditionally relied upon librarians, adult English Second Language and literacy educators, settlement workers and advocates to make access to government services and infor mation possible. For years now these community-based educators and advocates, many of whom work in non-profit agencies with shoe-string budgets, have assumed the role of proxy social service counters, helping adults to navigate their children’s education, employment and government services. Tragically, many have now been laid off. It could not be at a worse time. Those who remain are adopting inventive and intensive methods that blend old and new technologies across physical distancing.
THESE EFFORTS ARE LIFESAVING, THEY MAKE PHYSICAL DISTANCING AND SOCIAL ISOLATION POSSIBLE, AND THEY BRING INTO SHARP RELIEF THE WAYS IN WHICH COMMUNITY-BASED EDUCATORS COMPENSATE FOR EQUITY GAPS IN HEALTH, EDUCATION AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES.
Neighbourhood House, settlement and literacy workers are phoning learners and families to check in and then to help to address a multitude of problems and worries, from how to apply for CERB without a bank account, to food and housing insecurity, and children’s online schooling. Artists are filling the information void with street art and information boards, the Downtown Eastside Literacy Roundtable transformed its literacy-friendly LinkVan service app into a COVID-19 informa tion hub for residents and service providers in that community. These efforts are lifesaving, they make physical distancing and social isolation possible, and they bring into sharp relief the ways in which community-based educators compensate for equity gaps in health, education and government services.
LEARNING FROM THIS MOMENT A democratic, inclusive digital ecosystem during the COVID-19 crisis and after requires secure, affordable, high speed Internet and mobile data that is available and affordable to all. Canada needs an inclusive digital strategy designed for all its citizens rather than compensatory programs tacked around the edges. There could be an immediate expansion of the Connecting Families program that offers low cost Internet and devices to the lowest income, single parent families. This program should be publicly administered, since decisions about who has Internet and devices cannot be left to for-profit ISPs and ‘the market’ when the CRTC has already declared the Internet an essential basic service.
A DEMOCRATIC, INCLUSIVE DIGITAL ECOSYSTEM DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS AND AFTER REQUIRES SECURE, AFFORDABLE, HIGH SPEED INTERNET AND MOBILE DATA THAT IS AVAILABLE AND AFFORDABLE TO ALL.
convergence: ontario Devices that many of us have sitting in cupboards and drawers need to be rescued, cleaned and remobilized among those at risk of COVID-19 infection, including homeless, pre cariously housed and older citizens and those working in low-wage essential services. We already have organizations fit to this task, such as Free Geek and Computers for Schools, though they have been immobilized during COVID-19. No one should be without a working device to connect to the Internet and a cell phone that is essential to maintaining social and information networks. COVID-19 information needs to be presented in web and printbased formats designed for the full spectrum of languages and literacy needs in our communities. Adult literacy educators and settlement workers, skilled in the production of clear language texts, can be vital collaborators with health, govern ment services and school districts in this effort. But as important as an inclusive digital infrastructure might be, it cannot replace face to face relationships, the caring phone call, and the contextualized learning strategies that community based educators and advocates are providing. These are the engine for a thriving and effective local information ecosystem that we so badly need right now.
DECISIONS ABOUT WHO HAS INTERNET AND DEVICES CANNOT BE LEFT TO FOR-PROFIT ISPS AND ‘THE MARKET’ WHEN THE CRTC HAS ALREADY DECLARED THE INTERNET AN ESSENTIAL BASIC SERVICE.
The logic of digital government is that of efficiency, with the assumption that providing rapid access to high stakes infor mation about health and social policies is best accomplished online. But as this COVID-19 moment is teaching us, this focus on efficiency becomes dangerously inefficient when some people do not have the means to access this information or when the information is not suited to the needs and lived realities of diverse communities. These problems flow from persistent digital inequalities, a shortage of health and government information published in clear language and in the multiple languages spoken in British Columbia, and a failure to recognize the crucial role that community-based educators and advocates play in filling in the gaps of a frayed and unequal information ecosystem. As these groups step for ward in this time of crisis, the full extent of digital inequality becomes clear, and so too does the value of ‘old technologies’ of relationship-based learning, care and solidarity. t
35
36
reflections
“DIGITAL TRAINING PLATFORMS: The Tip of the Iceberg, a Maze … or an Archipelago?” By Claire Mazuhelli // Freelance Writer
Over time, through his reflections and given the diversity and large number of digital training platforms, Daniel Baril wondered if these resources were only the tip of the iceberg or if they were more like a maze in which learners had to find the breadcrumb trail to reach their destination. In the end, Mr. Baril concluded that digital training platforms are like archipelagos, made up of thousands of different “islands” and offering multiple possibilities. It’s up to learners to find a way to navi gate between these “islands” in order to find the one that best suits them … a task that is not as easy as it seems.
We had the opportunity to speak with Daniel Baril, Executive Director of the Institut de coopération pour l’éducation des adultes (ICÉA), during an interview on February 8, 2021. He shared his obser vations on his research following a five-year strategic planning process initiated by the ICÉA in 2015. As part of his work, Mr. Baril read through the ICÉA’s 70 annual reports, noting that in the 1960s and 1970s, the ICÉA was at the forefront of adult education, focusing on the issues facing the emerging community sector and the public education sys tem. During the 1970s and 1980s, the focus shifted to computer science, which became increasingly important. The question underlying his research is: which area will the ICÉA focus on going forward? In his research, he also attempted to identify current major trends, the elements shaping the adult education environment and the ICÉA's role within it, by identifying stra tegic intervention areas based on the organization’s mandate. While researching these new trends, one aspect immediately became clear to Mr. Baril: the use of digital training platforms.
These platforms have the potential to transform not only approaches to adult education, but also the way in which adults learn. This is a brand new area, made up of multiple private and public platforms, free or not, operating by monthly subscription and allowing access to all courses in the catalogue, through agreements with companies where learners can choose courses, programs or topics of interest. These companies are designing new models for pedagogy and defining how training is structured. It is a very different reality from classroom-based and public sector training, which is structured around pre-established courses and programs. In particular, the emphasis is put on personalized and individualized pedagogical models that are literally integrated into people’s daily lives, through applica tions that send alerts and suggestions to users. According to Mr. Baril, there are two parallel worlds: the one we know - the adult education world familiar to us, and the other, this emer ging world that does not interact with the latter.
reflections It is interesting to note that there is little impact on Franco phones, given that almost all content is in English. One excep tion is universities, which are in some ways competitors. In Quebec, there is now a platform called ChallengeU1 that allows students to finish high school using their telephone! However, in the short or medium term, this situation will change with the technological advances to come. There are countless examples of platforms. Major companies, such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft and many others, are now active in the EdTech sphere. One example is YouTube, an online video hosting and distribution service that includes social fea tures for sharing and commenting content. 2 YouTube executives estimate that a billion educational tutorials are downloaded daily worldwide. As a result, they have created a financing fund to support the production and creation of educational tutorials3 (e.g., to explain how Zoom works). Recently, Mr. Baril discovered a new partnership between edX,4 a university consortium offering online training, and Microsoft Viva.5 Indeed, edX will be integrated into Microsoft Teams and its course content will be available to all employees of compa nies that use it.
available to privileged persons, who already understand the complexity of technologies. This brings us back to the major debates of the past: how do we ensure that technology is avail able to minority groups? And if these infrastructures benefit privileged people, how can we turn them into a public good? How do we analyze the question of the common good versus the public good, and what are the roles of the government, the private sector, etc.? What are the implications for the established adult education sector? According to Mr. Baril, the market will not turn to lite racy because it’s not a profitable area of investment for them. However, all these technologies can be used for the common good (e.g., Wikipedia, which is free, where specialists share their knowledge). Mr. Baril’s key message is: “We now have all the means at our disposal ... technological and pedagogical, to meet everyone’s needs. The issue is not the means them selves but, from a political perspective, what we do with those means and how we mobilize and harness them for the benefit of everyone." [translation of original French]6 t
Around the world, and particularly in Asia, these platforms are undergoing phenomenal development. Mr. Baril points out that Amazon entered this market to test training services in India, in light of the potential customer base. It’s clear that in this new world, the market is huge and extremely lucrative. In this day and age, learning to learn is no longer enough! Learners now have to take charge of their learning journey and become independent in this world where places and know ledge are unlimited. Schools do not guide us in this sense. It is important to note that these platforms frequently target the individual and not the community, based on employability in sectors of the future. And as we have seen since the begin ning of the pandemic, employability is not the only criterion, as health skills and financial literacy, among others, also help us get through a crisis. Mr. Baril notes that since the begin ning of the pandemic, three main course streams have been offered: computer programming, management and wellness. Moreover, the government’s response to the pandemic has put a burden of knowledge on adults, who are expected to follow instructions, find information, learn new skills, etc. In a sense, the government is nationalizing the knowledge requirements but is privatizing the way to meet them. In short, individualized responses have been provided to address the learning needs that were collectively expressed. In another sense, this world raises its own set of questions and reflections. Historically, the fundamental mission of adult edu cation has been to reduce educational inequalities. Yet, these platforms increase these inequalities by being more easily 3 4 5 6 1
2
https://www.challengeu.ca/ [Available in French only] https://edshelf.com/tool/youtube-edu/ https://www.futura-sciences.com/tech/definitions/internet-youtube-16495/ [Available in French only] https://www.edx.org/school/microsoft https://press.edx.org/edx-microsoft-viva Interview with Daniel Baril, ICÉA, February 8, 2021
37
38
reflections
Telework: Will it Protect OUR HOMES AND OUR RIGHTS?
By Matthias Sturm // PhD Candidate in Education, Simon Fraser University
Since the start of the pandemic, working from home has been at the centre of a cultural struggle of national significance. But telework has been around for some time. The term “tele work” was coined by Jack Nilles in 1973, referring to “moving the work to the worker instead of the other way around”.1 This means all work outside of the office, because of COVID-19, especially at home. Moreover, this is not the first time that technology has changed our lives so profoundly. Not long ago, the television entered our homes, changed how we arranged the furniture, and stayed for good. Today, telework disrupts our daily routines in the same way and more. How will our homes and our rights be affected by the changes brought on by telework? We have already created spaces for office desks where there were none before. For many, the kitchen table has become the place where working and learning takes place.
Jack M. Nilles. Managing Telework: Strategies for Managing the Virtual Workforce. Wiley, 1998
1
reflections
THE TERM “TELEWORK” WAS COINED BY JACK NILLES IN 1973, REFERRING TO “MOVING THE WORK TO THE WORKER INSTEAD OF THE OTHER WAY AROUND.” GET RIGHT TO WORK On the one hand, teleworkers (74%) say that their managers set clear expectations regarding telework. One challenge is stress, especially for women (38% reported an increase in stress levels, compared to 29% of men). In the case of teleworkers who have children at home, 16% say they find it difficult to balance work and parenting responsibilities. 2 But “the use of teleworking tools, although it is threatening the work/life balance, is valued because it facilitates teamwork and collaboration”.3 On the other hand, increased automation is the result of an attempt to mitigate the high rates of COVID-19 among factory workers. “Despite some of the unquestionable benefits of automation, however, simply adopting a technology-driven approach aimed at replacing all manual operations with robots is not a viable fix. … The paradox of automation - also known as the paradox of technology - occurs when introducing auto mated systems will add to, not reduce, the workload and responsibilities of the human operator.”4 Specific skills, supervi sion, and intervention are required.
A SYSTEMIC BIAS These days, we regularly read that the virus does not discrimi nate because it does not differentiate between one person and another. But the virus thrives on a systemic bias that benefits the more privileged because those who are less privileged are more likely to contract it. There are several ways social inequa lity may occur despite the increase of telework during the pan demic, especially for people in Literacy and basic skills (LBS) programs who may be more affected than others. For example, essential workers and those with low incomes are more at risk of becoming infected with the virus and many
have lost their jobs in limited sectors due to lockdown restric tions or insolvency. Cultural and racial divides also take their toll on workers in precarious work. Low-income workers could be more affected. “People who make a good living are generally executives, professionals or even managers, who can work from home. On the other hand, telework is more difficult for low earners who often work in shops or factories.5 Surveys that tell us about high acceptance rates of telework may suffer from a lack of equal representation because of digital access issues for those unable to participate as a result of lack of reliable digital access and/or alternative options to online-only surveys.
A UNIVERSAL RIGHT TO TRAINING According to Statistics Canada, only about 40% of Canadians have jobs that can be performed from home and having such a job “reduces the likelihood of work interruptions and, thus, reduces income uncertainty.”6 Learners in LBS programs often are in situations of precarity and limited space. This means they must share the limited access to digital tools and connec tions with other family members, sometimes multigenerational families. If the pandemic is changing our spaces, means and ways of working, adult education should also make more use of blended and distance delivery. According to Randstad, a human resources services company, the top 15 jobs in Canada in 2021 are: administrative assistant, customer service representative, sales asso ciate, driver, accounts payable & receivable, registered nurse, general labourer, project manager, welder, electrical engineer, software developer, merchandiser, accountant, human resour ces manager, and financial advisor. 7 Most of the studies done in Quebec show that at least half of the companies would like
ADP Canada, “Canadians have mixed feelings on working remotely during COVID-19,” May 13, 2020, https://www.adp.ca/en/resources/articles-and-insights/articles/c/canadians-have-mixed-feelings-on-working-remotely-during-covid-19.aspx. 3 Isabelle Barth, Daria Plotkina, Delphine Theurelle-Stein, “Comment le confinement transforme les « soft skills »,” The Conversation, April 23, 2020, https://theconversation.com/comment-leconfinement-transforme-les-soft-skills-118495. [Available in French only.] 4 Francesco Biondi, “COVID-19 has fuelled automation - but human involvement is still essential,” The Conversation, February 7, 2020. https://theconversation.com/covid-19-has-fuelled-automation-but-human-involvement-is-still-essential-153715. 5 Danielle Beaudoin, “Quand le télétravail rime avec désastre et bombe à retardement,” Radio-Canada Info, October 25, 2020. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1743199/emploi-pandemie-productivite-hausse-inegalites-nicholas-bloom. [Available in French only.] 6 Derek Messacar, René Morissette et Zechuan Deng, “Inequality in the feasibility of working from home during and after COVID-19,” Statistics Canada, last modified June 23, 2020. https:// www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/45-28-0001/2020001/article/00029-eng.htm. 7 Randstad, “The top 15 jobs in Canada.,” accessed February 2020, https://www.randstad.ca/best-jobs/top-15-jobs/. 2
39
40
convergence: ontario
ACCORDING TO STATISTICS CANADA, ONLY ABOUT 40% OF CANADIANS HAVE JOBS THAT CAN BE PERFORMED FROM HOME AND HAVING SUCH A JOB “REDUCES THE LIKELIHOOD OF WORK INTERRUPTIONS AND, THUS, REDUCES INCOME UNCERTAINTY.”
privacy of our home. In small communities, learners can meet virtually without the stigma of being identified as someone seeking help at an LBS program. They can also participate in group work without video and using a pseudonym.10 Some literacy practitioners have worked from home during the pandemic. Many have worked tirelessly to develop new approaches for remote instruction. Blended program delivery could not only include online learning but also support for learners outside of LBS programs locations after the pandemic, as originally proposed by the telework concept. t
to continue telework arrangements after the pandemic on a part-time basis.8 These developments provide an impetus for LBS programs to use technology and online learning whenever feasible. Blended learning approaches provide opportunities to inte grate the demand for new skills but can also mitigate the effects of the lack of digital access at the same time. For blended online program delivery, it is recommended we draw on Trucano’s principle that “the best technology is the one you already have, know how to use, and can afford”.9 Virtual tools have another advantage because they allow us to learn in the Denis Leduc, “Après la COVID, le télétravail à temps partiel,” Radio-Canada, ICI Bas-Saint-Laurent, 8 septembre 2020, https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1731628/teletravail-avenir-telus-rimouski-pme-travail-maison-bureau. [Available in French only.] 9 Michael Trucano, “10 principles to consider when introducing ICTs into remote, low-income educational environments,” World Bank Blogs, July 8, 2013, https://blogs.worldbank.org/ edutech/10-principles-consider-when-introducing-icts-remote-low-income-educational-environments. 10 Paul Porter and Matthias Sturm, “Crossing the Great Divides: Distance Learning and Flexible Delivery in Adult Basic Education,” Research report for the Ontario Literacy and Basic Skills Program, 2006, https://www.deslibris.ca/ID/225155. 8
reflections
PROMOTING EMPLOYMENT is a question OF ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE. By Susanne Bergmann // Freelance Writer
This statement by Senator and Economist Diane Bellemare clearly demonstrates that employment is at the top of her priorities. She was appointed as senator in 2012 and has been serving as an independent (non-partisan) senator since 2016. We had the opportunity to speak with her during an interview on February 2, 2021, to learn about the origin of the survey1 that was conducted on her behalf in 2019 and her observations following two roundtables that she organized on employment and skills. The purpose of the survey was to gain a better understan ding of the perceptions and needs of Canadians regarding the impact of technological change on their jobs, their willing ness to pursue training and the usefulness of a personal train ing account. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates that, on average over the next 15 to 20 years, 14% of jobs could be lost and 32% of jobs could be completely transformed by automation. 2 In Canada, according to the OECD, more than 40% of jobs may be affected. The highlights of the survey are consistent with the OECD’s forecasts. The Job and Skills Roundtable, which she instigated, was the initiating event behind this survey. According to
Senator Bellemare, collaboration as in “social dialogue” between various stakeholders (key decision makers from business and labour sectors, communities and institutions) is essential to achieve the common goal of promoting employ ment. In Canada, there is a wide gap between goals, perspec tives and the ability to get things done. Senator Bellemare brought together key players to discuss these issues. To verify the facts, she commissioned a survey to find out what the real needs were in relation to those identified by the OECD. According to Senator Bellemare, these skills are not nec essarily those that we learn in school, as it is important to continuously upgrade our knowledge. She therefore envi sages promoting the development of a common strategy, since training needs are present everywhere in Canada. This common strategy would focus on lifelong learning. A common competency framework is fundamental. Her survey shows that 17.7% of employed respondents believe that technological changes are likely or somewhat likely to threaten their jobs. This represents approximately 3.4 million Canadians. In addition, 34.8% of employed respondents believe it is likely or somewhat likely that technological changes will affect their work tasks and that they will require training.3
Hon. Diane Bellemare, Ph. D., Independent senator - Quebec, “Millions of Canadians believe they need training and want to upgrade their skills according to a survey conducted by Senator Diane Bellemare,” February 6, 2020, https://dianebellemaresen.ca/application/files/4115/8100/7825/Communique_Sondage2020_English_Final.pdf. 2 OCDE, “Agir maintenant pour bâtir un avenir où chacun aura sa place,” accessed February 2021, http://www.oecd.org/employment-outlook/2019/index-fr.html [Available in French only]. 3 The survey was administered by the Nanos firm on behalf of Senator Bellemare. It is a hybrid (telephone and online) omnibus survey of 1,010 Canadians, aged 18 and older, conducted randomly between November 29 and December 2, 2019. For a summary of findings, please visit: https://www.nanos.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2019-1538-Senate-Populated-Report-Updated-with-tabs.pdf. 1
41
42
reflections
“SKILLS ARE THE CURRENCY OF THE FUTURE.” The need for training is also shown in another survey fin ding which reveals that millions of Canadians believe they need to upgrade some essential skills, such as reading skills (10.5% or 2.1 million), math skills (26.4% or 5.4 million) and computer skills (48.4% or 9.9 million). In addition, more than 45% of respondents felt they should pursue training to upgrade their professional skills (46.3% or 9.4 million). People are realizing that these skills can be used to adjust to new professional realities. The challenge is to use the same language when talking about skills. That is why Senator Bellemare brings up the idea of developing and promoting a national competency framework to provide benchmarks for people to upgrade their skills. Despite what opponents say, social investment pays off. In fact, building a common stra tegy is essential because the Canadian system is decentra lized: provinces are responsible for education, but the federal government provides funding. This framework would make it possible to speak the same language and take the issue further.
USEFULNESS OF A PERSONAL TRAINING ACCOUNT More than half of survey respondents believe that a personal training account to which government and/or employers would contribute would be useful to increase training, and 40.5% are willing to contribute to it. In addition, a 2014 survey conducted by Senator Bellemare revealed that a vast majority of Canadians (83%) would be very or somewhat interested in recei ving training to develop their skills if it were funded through Employment Insurance. There is still a lot of thinking to be done on this topic, according to a survey conducted by the Senator. In that 2019 survey, 56.4% of respondents, or approximately 11.4 million working Canadians, want to take training. Among those who want to receive training, 40.4%, or about 4.6 million working Canadians, cannot afford or have the time to do so. That is why it is crucial to engage in a social dialogue with various partners.
The second Jobs and Skills Roundtable took place on May 27, 2020,5 virtually this time with almost as many partici pants. The transformation of Employment Insurance is critical for all participants, especially in the current context, to reflect the new realities of the Canadian labour market. According to the press release6 and the Senator’s statements, participants at this roundtable are urging governments to invest in workforce training. It is also important to define and implement effective employment policies. Senator Bellemare is pleased that every one agreed to continue the social dialogue within the context of the Canada Employment Insurance Commission, with the active participation of commissioners representing workers and employers. Among the findings, the survey concluded that millions of Canadians see a need for training and want to upgrade their skills to adapt and take advantage of the technological changes ahead. In closing, Senator Bellemare expressed a strong desire for consultations and the transformation of Employment Insurance. In her view, the pandemic has highlighted inequalities, parti cularly among women, youth, Indigenous peoples, immigrants and people with poor literacy skills. “It is time to act to put in place lifelong learning strategies that will allow all Canadians to take full advantage of new technologies and adapt to incessant economic changes. So does the prosperity of all Canadians,” said Senator Diane Bellemare. 7 t
SOCIAL DIALOGUE The first Jobs and Skills Roundtable took place on January 31, 2020, bringing together some thirty labour unions, associations of employers and stakeholders from the education and training community to discuss these issues. “This roundtable was con structive and beneficial for all parties. The participants agreed that it was imperative to establish cross-sector discussions in this area in order to define together the contours of a Canadian training strategy,”4 concluded Senator Bellemare.
See not 1 above. Hon. Diane Bellemare, Ph. D., Independent senator - Quebec, “Canadian labour market leaders virtually discuss the economic recovery from COVID-19 and agree on the need for a concerted strategy on skills training and employment,” May 27, 2020, https://dianebellemaresen.ca/application/files/3315/9060/2118/FEC2_-_Press_Release_-_ Final.pdf. 6 Ibid. 7 See not 1 above. 4
5
1-877-464-0504 | 613-842-5369
INFO@COALITION.CA
WWW.COALITION.CA
435 DONALD STREET, OFFICE 301 , OTTAWA, ON K 1 K 4 X 5
Funding provided by the Government of Canada through the Canada Job Grant Programs delivered by the Government of Ontario Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Ministry.