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The Report of the Small Schools Study Project
The Report of the Small Schools Study Project by Memorial University professor Frank Riggs recommended that all senior high schools should have the ability to offer all courses which are prerequisite to entry into post-secondary institutions including chemistry and physics through either direct classroom teaching or distance education. The report recommended that distance education be provisioned using audio and video tapes or other available technology. (Boone,
2008) -
The Distance Learning Model
The Report of the Small Schools Study Project led to an investigation, by Doug Young and Wilbert Boone, of the provinces Distance Learning Model to better facilitate comprehensive curriculum delivery to Newfoundland Rural Schools. Young and Boone recommended expanding Memorial University’s Telemedicine and Educational Technology Resources Agency (TETRA) to connect the provinces small rural schools. TETRA was an analog network that incorporated audio-graphics technology in a TeleLearning env. -
TETRA Distance Education Pilot Project
The Distance Education Pilot Project was initiated to offer Advanced Mathematics 1201 to 36 students in 13 small schools throughout Newfoundland and Labrador that had been connected utilizing TETRA technology in a TeleLearning environment. TETRA would subsequently be used to deliver Advanced Mathematics 2201 and 3201 in 1989-90 and 1990-91 respectively. Physics 2204 - 3204 and Chemistry 2202 -3202 came on stream in 1992 and 1995 respectively. -
STEM~Net
Sept 1, 1993
STEM~Net was implemented as a computer network for k-12 educators in Newfoundland and Labrador to take advantage of the benefits of internet technology and promote achievement in math and science by providing users access to e-mail, electronic libraries, news groups, conferences and the Internet. (Brown & Barry 2008) -
The Vista Digital Intranet
Vista School District in partnership with Memorial University of Newfoundland established the Vista Digital Intranet, a web-based delivery medium that connected eight district schools in a conglomerate for the purpose of sharing teaching personnel and allowed for the delivery of AP curriculum normally inaccessible to students in small schools. The model established by the Vista District was subsequently adopted by five other school districts in the province (Furey & Stevens, 2009) -
The Sparkes Williams Report
The Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Education published a report titled Supporting Learning: Ministerial Panel on Educational Delivery in the Classroom that recommended the establishment of a web based province wide e-learning initiative as a means of delivering distance education to rural schools lacking the ability to provide equitable course offerings to their students (Sparkes & Williams, 2000). -
The Centre for Distance Learning and Innovation
Sept. 1, 2001
The Centre for Distance Learning & Innovation (CDLI) was founded, and according to Furey and Stevens (2009) it has since become "the sole delivery mechanism for high school distance education" in Newfoundland and Labrador (para. 7). The CDLI model connects students from around the province with an e-teacher through a web based medium. The model has utilized a combination 40 % synchronous (real time) and 60% asynchronous (delayed time) instruction (Nippard & Murphy, 2007). -
TETRA Phase out
By 2001 TETRA employed 27 teachers in the delivery of 11 courses in the areas advanced math, physics, chemistry and French language to 706 students (Furey & Stevens, 2009). However following the 2001 - 2002 school year the TETRA Telelearning services were slowly phased out in favour of CDLI’s internet based delivery medium. -
At Present
At present CDLI operates in 106 schools, offers 35 courses in a variety of curricular fields including art, music, geography ,history, French, sciences and mathematics and enrollment sits at approximately 1800 students (Furey & Stevens, 2009).