VOL. 15, No. 1, 21-38
The initial TeleEducation New Brunswick Programme Development Fund (PDF) was a provincial economic development initiative that supported proposals for the design of online distance education courses and programs. It provided 50% funding to participating provincial companies, institutions, and organizations up to a maximum of $75,000. From 1993 to 1998, $4.4 million funding was distributed, with participants themselves contributing $7.1 million to the projects. The program supported 132 projects, creating 168 distance education courses. The PDF has provided NB institutions and companies with a gateway to the new advanced training technologies industry. As a significant component of the province's economic development strategy, the PDF has played a major role in positioning New Brunswick as a world leader in this increasingly important business sector. Participation has been strong from private companies, the community colleges, and the universities. Provincial organizations and K-12 schools also participated. There were 75 English-language (57%), 53 French-language (40%), and four bilingual projects (4%). The project holders were surveyed twice during the project and participants were interviewed. They identified development and delivery issues as being their most significant source of problems in the early period, but marketing was identified as the major problem area as the projects matured. A small number identified difficulties in evaluating their work. Seventeen specific recommendations were developed. Financial, planning and marketing advice from the participants is provided.
Initialement, le Fonds de développement du programme TéléÉducation Nouveau-Brunswick (FDP) était une initiative provinciale de développement économique qui a soutenu des propositions relatives à la conception de cours et de programmes éducatifs à distance. Il a fourni 50% des fonds aux entreprises, institutions et organisations provinciales participantes, jusqu'à concurrence de 75 000 $. De 1993 à 1998, des subventions de 4,4 millions de dollars ont été attribuées, les participants ayant eux-mêmes contribué 7,1 millions de dollars aux projets. Le programme a soutenu 132 projets et permis la création de 168 cours à distance. Le FDP a fourni aux institutions et aux entreprises du Nouveau-Brunswick une porte d'entrée dans l'industrie des technologies de pointe en formation. Le FDP, élément significatif de la stratégie économique provinciale, a joué un rôle majeur en positionnant le Nouveau-Brunswick comme un leader mondial dans ce secteur de plus en plus important des affaires. Les entreprises privées, les collèges ainsi que les universités ont affiché une forte participation. Les organisations provinciales, les écoles primaires et secondaires ont aussi participé. Il y a eu 75 projets de langue anglaise (57%), 53 de langue française (40%), et quatre projets bilingues (4%). Deux sondages ont été effectués chez les porteurs de projets et des entrevues ont été menées auprès des participants. Les questions de développement et de diffusion ont été identifiées comme la source la plus importante de problèmes dans les premiers moments, alors que la commercialisation représentait une difficulté majeure vers la fin du projet. Quelques-uns ont souligné les difficultés à évaluer leur travail. Dix-sept recommandations spécifiques ont été élaborées. Des conseils relatifs à l'aspect financier, à la planification et à la commercialisation ont été fournis.
The TeleEducation New Brunswick Programme Development Fund (PDF) is a provincial economic development initiative that supports proposals for the design of distance education courses and programs. This fund has been used to promote distance education in New Brunswick while building up the knowledge industry sector of the provincial economy.
TeleEducation NB is a province-wide distributed distance learning network that assists public and private sector institutions, organizations, and companies to deliver courses to over 80 sites in 44 communities in the Canadian maritime province of New Brunswick. A unique feature of TeleEducation NB is its economic development mandate. When the provincial educational institutions were conducting a needs analysis for the creation of a distance education network, the Department of Economic Development and Tourism (ED&T) independently explored possible economic development opportunities through learning technologies. Len Weeks, an economic development officer, coined the term advanced training technologies (ATT) and recommended that the department support the distance education initiative (Weeks, 1992) as a means of incubating a new industry for the province. The PDF was developed as a collaboration between ED&T and TeleEducation NB to help promote both distance education and the ATT sector.
To promote the development and adaptation of courses for distance delivery, PDF grants are available to any public or private institution, company or organization in New Brunswick. The recipients of funding use this assistance to help finance the adaptation and development of course materials for distance education delivery. In the first phase of the fund, up to $75,000 was made available for each project. The recipients were responsible for providing at least 50% of the development costs, which has typically been provided as “sweat equity” where the institution donates its labor as a contribution in kind.
Under the PDF, courses have been developed in a wide variety of subject areas, for example, high school courses for students and adults; university undergraduate courses in anthropology, entrepreneurship, forestry, and nursing; graduate courses in business and commerce; community college-level courses in personal life counseling and nursing assistant training; and private trainer courses in teleconferencing and St. John Ambulance training. A First Nations band received funding for a Native studies program.
These courses have made use of a variety of media including audiographics, videoconferencing, computer-mediated conferencing, multimedia CD-ROM, and, increasingly, Web-based training. A first-year astronomy course from Mount Allison University was one of the first multimedia distance education courses developed in 1993. The University of New Brunswick library collaborated with TeleEducation NB in delivering one of the first World Wide Web courses in 1994.
The PDF was originally created as a $4.1 million fund by TeleEducation NB with the financial support of the Canada/New Brunswick COOPERATION Agreement on Entrepreneurship and Human Resource Development (CAEHRD). This agreement was financed by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and the provincial government. CAEHRD provided seed funding for economic development activities from 1992 to 1998. The PDF continues to 2000 under the Regional Economic Development Agreement.
TeleEducation NB established a peer review committee to evaluate proposals from provincial institutions, private companies, and organizations. It was made up of members recommended by the TeleEducation NB advisory committee. These included French- and English-speaking representatives mainly from the universities, schools, community college, the Department of Economic Development, the CAEHRD, the private sector, and others. The committee’s recommendations were sent to the Deputy Minister of Advanced Education and Labor for final signature.
Projects were selected based on the relative need for the course in New Brunswick as well as its marketability outside the province. Applicants were required to demonstrate knowledge of current professional practice and provide a plan showing that the course or courses supported could lead to a certificate, diploma, or degree. Priority was given to the following specific types of applications:
In addition, the following guidelines for the distribution of funds were recommended by the PDF Peer Review Committee: School-level projects: 30%; Postsecondary level projects: 30%; Skill development projects: 30%; Discretionary funds for any kind of project: 10% (TeleEducation NB, 1993). Regional and linguistic factors were also taken into account to ensure that there was a reasonable mix between urban and country areas and between the two official linguistic groups. The committee was responsible for ensuring that different regions of the province and the two language communities received a fair share of the funding. All project applicants had to commit to deliver a course or program in cooperation with the TeleEducation NB network.
Each application had to include a needs assessment, show the relevance of the project, and demonstrate knowledge of current professional practice. An evaluation plan and commitment to providing quarterly reports was also required. At first the committee called for proposals twice a year, but later accepted ongoing proposals and met approximately every three months to evaluate those that had been submitted.
The first phase of the PDF from 1993 to 1997 was officially completed on March 31, 1997, although at least 20 projects were still under development into 1998. This program, in addition to increasing accessibility to quality learning opportunities throughout the province, has been a major impetus for change in the participating organizations and with those who interact with them. Another common thread has been the gaining of experience in developing multimedia distance learning courseware. As one commentator put it “PDF has built a pool of experience where none existed before” (TeleEducation NB, 1997, p. 34). Following from their experiences, companies and institutions have opened up valuable contacts and opportunities nationally and internationally. The publicity generated from the volume of activity in course development has attracted international attention to the province and its advanced training technology industry. The PDF has been a key component and has played a significant role in promoting the province’s economic development strategy of stimulating the growth of the advanced training technologies sector of the provincial economy (TeleEducation NB, 1998). From 1993 to 1998, $4.4 million funding was distributed, with participants themselves contributing $7.1 million to the projects. The program supported 132 projects that created 168 distance education courses.
The private sector completed 23 projects (17% of the projects); the Community College 31 projects (23%); the universities 62 projects (48%); nonprofit groups 12 (9%) projects; and the secondary schools 4 projects (3%). The funding was similarly divided. The private sector received $1,107,894 (25%); the Community College received $1,090,706 (25%); the universities received $1,637,910 (37%); nonprofit groups received $507,253 (11%); and the schools received $70,600 (2%, see Table 1 and Figure 1).
The committee managed to ensure participation from both major linguistic groups in the province. There were 75 English-language (57%), 53 French-language (40%), and four bilingual projects (4%). One third of the funding ($1,473,053) went to French-language projects; 62% ($2,722,245) of the funding went to English-language projects; and the remaining 5% ($2,194) was allocated to bilingual initiatives (see Figure 2). The province is approximately 65% English-speaking and 33% French-speaking, so the actual distribution parallels reasonably closely the distribution of the population of the province as a whole.
Other highlights of the program are listed below.
The PDF funded 132 projects out of a total of 271 submissions. As part of the evaluation process, TeleEducaton NB staff requested that all funding recipients complete a form reporting on their experiences (Appendix). For verification, the data collected from the forms were triangulated with an independently conducted program review (Labor Market Analysis Branch, 1996), a Learning History (McGreal, 1998), the personal experiences of the author, and an examination of TeleEducation minutes, notes, and other raw data. Conclusions are based on the survey and these other sources.
Of the 132 PDF project participants, 110 responded and 22 did not. Four approved projects were never started, and eight projects were not completed. As would be expected from funding recipients, all indicated a high level of support for the program and for its continuation. Nearly all participants indicated that their project would not have been possible without support. Of those who would have gone ahead without PDF funding, many wrote that they would have only been able to undertake a drastically scaled-down version without the assistance (TeleEducation NB, 1997).
A number of companies that received initial funding from the PDF have been remarkably successful. Funds granted for course development gave them a start-up boost that they were able to use to attract more business. Scholars.com, which was acquired by CBT Systems (now called SmartForce), employs approximately 147 people in New Brunswick <http://www.smartforce.com>. Applied Courseware Technologies directly invested approximately $1.4 million in New Brunswick. Their CEO commented, “We are grateful to the PDF whose support has led to our success and continued development of higher level products” (TeleEducation NB, 1997) <http://www.integreator.com>.
Other projects have received national and international recognition. NBCC Saint John and Fundy Cable collaborated with TeleEducation NB to develop Canada’s first accredited distance education Registered Nursing Assistant program. The program won the Canadian Cable Television 1997 Regional Galaxy Award and a Conference Board of Canada National Award in 1998. Université de Moncton’s course Formation en reconnaisance des acquis (training in prior learning assessment) won Le prix de program exceptionnel de l’Association pour l’éducation permanente dans les universités du Canada 1995 (AEPUC). CCNB Bathurst’s program in Bureautique was showcased at the Francophone summit in Vietnam.
Start-up funding. In explaining their success, funding recipients emphasized the importance of these funds during their start-up period. One participant noted, “This project has given this company the ability to survive some of the growing pains of a new company, and to learn through the experience” (TeleEducation NB, 1997). The PDF project was sometimes not the one that made them successful, but rather that on which they cut their teeth and learned some hard lessons. It was often successfully used to promote their capabilities and attract investment. It gave some companies the boost that they needed to enter the CD-ROM and online training business.
Many companies commented on the relationships established with other companies when learning how to export their products. Some products have been marketed across North America, like JOT’s Tryometry CD-ROM. Forsgren & Associates developed quality training packages for distance education using videoconferencing. These packages became known, and the company was contacted by various customers to develop similar products. One company noted that relationships with other enterprises has led to “spin off” benefits. For example, companies have negotiated contracts with out-of-province organizations for creating educational modules. As a direct result of their PDF project, NB companies have gained a reputation as leaders in online course development.
Collaboration. Other organizations stress the value of their partnerships, which, they claimed, opened doors to new opportunities that they would not otherwise have known about. In particular, public, nonprofit, and private sector organizations mention that the PDF has given them their first experience with public/private sector partnerships. For example, the Emergency Measures Organization contracted with First Class Systems (now LearnStream) to build their Orientation to Basic Emergency Preparedness course.
In the larger public institutions the PDF project has facilitated collaboration among different departments. In the Community College, different campuses worked together on academic upgrading. At UNB, professors in different departments have begun collaborating. For example, the Department of Forestry is working with the School of Management Engineering on adapting their online management course for forestry professionals and with the UNB library to create a generic information retrieval system.
Public sector institutions also profited from the new relationships they developed with other institutions across the country and internationally. UNB’s Department of Geology claimed that because of their PDF-funded GIS (Geographic Information System) training project, CARIS GEMM, a GIS product that they developed, is now being adopted by a growing number of geology departments in North America. The UNB Department of Education believe that a major teacher-training project in Trinidad arose directly from their early leadership in developing online courses. The Université de Moncton now enjoys a partnership relationship with the Conseil régional de Picardie in France as a direct result of its involvement with TeleEducation NB in PDF course development. The NBCC St. Andrews is now working at the national and international levels in Cuba and South Africa in the tourist industry thanks to contacts made during the development of their hospitality course
Experience. Both public and private sector organizations commended the PDF for building local expertise. These locally trained cadres of course developers and programmers continue to work in the field. This expertise also extended to management skills that have been learned, often through the pain of using new technology before the bugs and other problems have been ironed out.
The public sector strongly emphasized how the PDF projects helped to sow interest among their staff: “It blazed a trail for others to follow” (McGreal, 1998). They claimed that the funding allowed their institutions to move toward multimedia earlier than would have been possible otherwise. Institutions, one contended, are generally too conservative to experiment with different pedagogical media. It was too risky to attempt without the additional support provided both by the funding and by the TeleEducation NB team. For the vast majority of institutions, the PDF project was an agreeable first experience that has led to greater participation by faculty. In addition, in at least one department the PDF project brought important educational issues to the fore, forcing faculty to address problems that they would otherwise have preferred to ignore.
Continued development. Institutions noted that the early PDF innovators were now used as resource people by other faculty in their institutions. Valuable lessons learned in the initial project pertaining to WWW course structuring, graphical layout, instructional design, and other aspects had been passed on to new developers. Some institutions retained the youth who were employed as technical and graphics support personnel in order to provide continuing services to staff who were developing other modules. In UNB’s Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, the PDF project stimulated the development of an online encyclopedia of forestry, allowing the professors to design and develop a whole program as well as its component parts. To further this initiative, the Forestry Faculty has hired a distance education coordinator.
Some institutions mentioned how their participation led to the development of further courses without funding from PDF. The initial project served as an example course for others to imitate and improve on. District scolaire 11, for example, claimed that the project led directly to the development of other distance education courses in espagnol, allemand, and français. In addition, many institutions noted that they continue to redevelop, refine, and integrate the modules already created. The TeleEducation Programme Review (Labor Market Analysis Branch, 1996) refers to this continuing development engendered by the PDF as having contributed to the economic development of the province.
Long-term effects. This continuing development has created a courseware industry in the province that in the long term will be self-sustaining. One interviewee noted that the critical start-up help for new small companies can translate down the road into businesses contributing millions of dollars to the NB economy. Without the initial funding from the PDF, the industry would not have begun. He commented that the difference between where the courseware industry in NB was five years ago and were it is now is immeasurable (McGreal, 1998).
The respondents to the survey identified four general areas of difficulty. Issues in the development of the projects as well as obstacles in delivering their course at a distance were the major problem areas. As the people involved were newcomers to both course development and the distance delivery of courses, this is not surprising. Most of the responses to the survey stressed the persistence of development problems, which it is claimed were due to poor finances, the heavy workload, and problems associated with administration. The delivery problems were primarily due to irritating technical glitches, especially in the early stages of the implementation of the TeleEducation NB network. Marketing was also identified as a major problem area by nearly a third of respondents. A small number identified difficulties in evaluating their work as being significant (see Figure 3).
Financial. Private sector companies and some public sector institutions mentioned that they ran short of funds before they could finish. The effort and costs associated with revising original materials and adapting them for the new media proved to be greater than some first estimated. They believed that with additional capital they could have done a better job. Others were forced to reduce considerably the scope of their project because of budgetary constraints.
Heavy workload. Because of their lack of experience, participants often had unrealistic expectations regarding the amount of work involved in completing their projects. One frustrated instructor complained that the amount of work required for course preparation outweighed the benefits of the course. Related to this were several complaints about the need for more support, more time, and more experience.
Administrative. Developers in public institutions complained about the lack of support from their administration. One declared that he would not be first again because of the administrative red tape that he had to overcome just to get started. University professors complained about the lack of recognition for their efforts in promotion and tenure evaluations, as well as the lack of compensation for their extra labor. One professor complained about difficulties in working with his colleagues. Others noted particular difficulties when they changed curriculum in midstream.
Technical. Some of the public institutions had major technical problems during the delivery of their courses using the audiographic network. They cited the difficulty of learning how to use the new technology and the many glitches, which caused delays in the classes. Significantly, a much larger number of users were appreciative of the system. It was evident that the technological complaints came from the earliest users who were the guinea pigs in the new network. Later starters gave much higher ratings to the technology (Labor Market Analysis Branch, 1996). Whatever the complaint, the response to technical difficulties was neither to give up nor even back off, but rather to fix the problem and make their courses work better.
Some institutions complained that the necessary equipment was not available either for development or for delivery. This was a common complaint when the network was beginning. One instructor complained that the technology was a barrier to learning. One developer noted that the technological problems involved in the design of his product caused significant delays. Another noted that he developed on a proprietary platform that was not widespread, and so his product could not be used.
Others were distraught at how fast the technology was changing. The platform they chose to start with was already outdated by the time they finished. In the Programme Review 31% of respondents indicated that fast technological change caused problems for them in the development process (Labor Market Analysis Branch, 1996).
Marketing. Many respondents identified marketing as a major problem. Few of either the public or private sector organizations paid enough attention to how they would sell their product once it was developed. The “field of dreams—build it and they will come” mentality was pervasive. Many conducted needs analyses and determined that there was a general demand for their particular course. However, few managed to extend that analysis further to see if those needs could be translated into a marketable commodity. Some institutions involved in academic upgrading and high school-level courses, for example, correctly analyzed a need, but did not go further to determine what price level could be supported. They offered the course for a higher tuition than the targeted students were able to pay. Others in both public and private institutions believed that all they needed to do was develop a quality product. Many public institutions were satisfied with their product even if it was delivered only to small groups of students.
In the Programme Review 38% of respondents indicated that they had done no marketing. Those who had referred to minimal efforts in newspapers, on radio or television, and at conferences. Many were still in the developmental stage for their courseware, but it is still significant that few took marketing seriously from the early stages.
Participants recommended that developers must first get their financial house in order and base their strategy on a comprehensive business plan. They further stressed that a sustained commitment from the team was essential for overcoming many of the organizational and logistical problems that can occur. Upgrading the technology can become a serious obstacle, so they suggested building for the future while allowing sufficient time for the project. Finally, they noted that a good marketing strategy must be developed at the beginning of the project.
Financial. At least one company insisted that developers should secure their capital input before embarking on a major project. Certainly, everybody should be careful not to “bite off more than they can chew” and feel comfortable with the funding that has been allocated.
Planning. After marketing the strongest recommendation was for a solid business plan before starting, combined with a hands-on approach when underway. Realistic schedules must be developed and followed. The plan must be formulated in consultation with the whole development team, including the content specialist, the instructional designer, graphic designer, and programmer (these roles may be combined). Success should not depend too much on one person. The success of NBCC’s award-winning RNA program has been attributed to good up-front planning with all players at the table.
Many participants stressed the need for strong commitment from all partners in a project. Private sector companies complained about institutions not delivering the course when developed because they initially had not fully “bought in.”
Public institutions also complained about the lack of commitment from their own administration. Many had to suffer through either the reassignment of personnel or changes in responsibilities for their key developers. Others could not get their institutions to offer the courses after they had initially agreed do so.
The PDF began before the World Wide Web became known and widely available. The first projects were developed for audiographic, video, or other forms of teleconferencing and for CBT on CD-ROM. Most of these early participants now recommend development directly for the WWW and note difficulty in keeping up with rapidly changing technology.
A common recommendation was to realize that development takes far more time than one expects. They suggested planning to develop fewer modules in the same time period and allowing at least one year for development and testing.
Marketing. Grant recipients strongly recommended a greater emphasis on marketing. If anything, the need to undertake thorough marketing from the beginning was the premier lesson learned by the participants. They realized marketing was a senior management responsibility and called for better marketing support from their institutions and from collaborative organizations and partners. They stressed the need for a marketing study and strategy development even before embarking on a project.
Recommendations included ensuring that the technological delivery platform was receivable by the target market members. For example, one company developed computer-based training for groups that had no access to personal computers. One company recommended developing specifically for the corporate market rather than for individuals. Another suggested that a corporate commitment for a significant number of seats in a course would not only guarantee some vital initial funding, but also add credibility and legitimacy to the program. Others advised pursuing one market at a time, and not being “all over the map.” Some suggested that any course could be better marketed when it formed part of a program. “Orphan” courses that do not lead to any certificate or diploma are particularly difficult to sell.
A few companies advocated making courses much more generic for the widest possible audience. More generic courseware that is purged of localisms is easier to export. Courseware should be designed in modules from the beginning with design elements to facilitate the easy substitution of other languages, other local features, other industry jargon, and so forth. A modular packaged format also helps to lower production costs. A few participants regretted not being more open in their design, especially for translation to other languages.
The PDF has increased both accessibility to distance education opportunities for students and experience gained by instructors and developers. Significantly, the major impact of the PDF has been in facilitating change in public institutions and private sector training companies. The fund has promoted a greater degree of openness to new ideas and fresh approaches. PDF developers were the pioneers who spearheaded multimedia distance learning in their institutions, opening up new possibilities and new horizons for faculty.
The PDF initiated teachers and students into the realm of technology and served as a model and as a stepping stone to more advanced work. Today for many instructors in our institutions, multimedia and the WWW are normal features of their teaching environment. Many courses are now being “mediatized” with little support needed from TeleEducation NB. Generally, the PDF participants are continuing to improve their courses, making them more sophisticated both pedagogically and technologically. It is important that they are continually upgrading their skills and continuing with partnerships that help to develop the advanced training technology industry in the province.
The PDF project in many institutions laid the groundwork for a higher level of multimedia services. One Mount Allison University PDF developer commented, “Probably this product, more than any other, spurred MtA into various ventures in technology-enhanced teaching including the Centre for Learning Technologies, the Task Force on Teaching and Technology, and the Wu Teaching Centre.” These are in reference to new initiatives at the university. “Distance education is becoming a priority at MtA directly due to PDF grants” (TeleEducation NB, 1997).
A private company claimed that the creation and implementation of three distance diploma programs was a direct result of their experiences with the PDF. The PDF project also stimulated the creation and installation of more advanced physical infrastructures in many institutions.
Economically, nearly every dollar spent was in salaries to personnel involved in course development in the province. Approximately 150 new jobs were directly created and many more came indirectly. SmartForce Mentoring, Vital Knowledge, JOT, Amulet (Business Skills Centre), Crescent Studios, LearnStream, CyberDesign, Pixel Factory, and many other small companies together now employ approximately 1,000 people on an ongoing basis. As an example, ACT claims that since their startup, which was critically aided by the PDF, they are responsible for the injection of a further $4 million into the NB economy. Other companies refer to the PDF allowing them to maintain employment at critical periods. Some refer to the benefits of employment in their particular region.
The PDF also made distance education and multimedia more visible, making it more acceptable to organizations. This has helped solidify support for the province’s economic development policy of selling NB as a testing ground for new advanced training technology applications. As TeleEducation NB continues under the Regional Economic Development Agreement, the new PDF has changed to respond to the lessons learned and to build on these early experiences.
In 1997 the CAEHRD agreement expired, and further funding was made available for the PDF through the Regional Economic Development Agreement (REDA). In this agreement $3.6 million was made available over three years. TeleEducation NB continues the responsibility for processing the proposals, consulting with applicants, and monitoring the projects. This new phase of the PDF continues to support the provincial policy of assisting in the development of the advanced training technology sector. By supporting projects the PDF will contribute to the establishment of a critical mass of new, commercially viable training products and services available for export online.
The TeleCampus PDF is seen as a continuation of the old PDF with the following significant changes. The Review Committee now has an equal number of private and public sector members. Previously there were more public sector representatives. The funding maximum has been increased to $100,000 from the previous limit of $75,000. More important, based on the recommendations of previous participants, there is a new requirement: the submission of a solid business and marketing plan for export of the products and services developed. There is also a stronger emphasis on assessing the potential for ongoing economic benefits to the province. In order to facilitate the application process, an online form has been created that guides the applicants through the questions. This makes it simpler for applicants and for TeleEducation NB staff who process applications.
In 1999, as a direct result of these PDF initiatives and other provincial government decisions, NB was offering more online courses per capita than any other province or US state. No other country offered as many online courses (see Figure 4). This was because of the active participation in online learning of both the public and private sector. SmartForce mentoring in Fredericton is the largest private sector online course deliverer in the world.
The following recommendations are based on the advice of PDF participants.
The vast majority of the recipients were satisfied with the Programme Development Fund procedures and appreciative of its many benefits. Although some felt that a stronger focus on exportable, potentially profitable projects was needed, they still urged that it be continued in more or less the same form. The PDF has provided NB institutions and companies with the capital they need to enter the new advanced training technologies industry. From a base of fewer than six people in the province, who understood the economic importance of the knowledge sector in 1993, through direct government policy support, a new industry has developed, employing nearly 1,000 people in approximately 60 companies. The ATT sector in New Brunswick is growing at a rate of 30% annually (L. Weeks, personal communication, January 2000). As a significant component of the province’s economic development strategy, the PDF has played a major role in positioning New Brunswick as a world leader in this increasingly important business sector.
The NB approach was based on an analysis of the newly developing knowledge society, which places learning and training in the forefront of real-world economic activities. The developing new information and communication technologies are outstripping the capacity of companies and institutions to react. In this context, ongoing and permanent learning and training become essential. The New Brunswick experience demonstrates to other governments the value of a focused government policy targeting a specific economic subsector. The NB government did not target the information technology sector, but rather advanced training technologies, which advisors counseled had the most growth. The PDF is a unique example of how a government deliberately uses distance education as an instrument in the implementation of government economic policy.
Government policies are all too often used to bolster and support old economy industries that have no future. The PDF experience in New Brunswick demonstrates that government intervention, when based on developing economic realities, can be used to incubate and guide the development of a new industry with exceptional growth potential.
This article is based on research conducted for a doctoral dissertation at Nova Southeastern University.
Labor Market Analysis Branch. (1996, March). TeleEducation NB: Programme review. Fredericton, NB: Department of Advanced Education and Labor.
McGreal, R. (1998, August). Learning history of TeleEducation NB. Fredericton, NB: TeleEducation NB. Available: http://teleeducation.nb.ca/
TeleEducation NB. (1993). TeleEducation NB programme development fund. Fredericton, NB: Author.
TeleEducation NB. (1997). Programme development fund project participant survey 1993-1997. Unpublished raw data.
TeleEducation NB. (1998, September). Activity report 1997-1998. Fredericton, NB: Author.
Weeks, L. (1992). Opportunity description: Advanced training technologies development [internal memo]. Fredericton, NB: Department of Economic Development and Tourism.
Rory McGreal is the Executive Director of TeleEducation New Brunswick, a province-wide distance education and training network and the TeleCampus that includes a comprehensive online directory of more than 18,000 courses. Previously he has worked for Contact North in Northern Ontario, in the Seychelles, the Middle East, and Europe. Rory serves on the boards of a number of national and international distance education organizations. He completed his doctorate in computer technology in education at a distance from Nova Southeastern University. His e-mail address is rory@teleeducation.nb.ca.