Rural and Remote Teacher Education

For people living in rural and remote communities, accessing professional programs such as teacher education can be a challenge. While several Canadian universities offer satellite programs for these students, these programs still require a practice teaching placement, many of which are only available in urban centers. This limits the accessibility of these programs, as this extensive travel is often not feasible for these students.

Online learning and blended learning options, where students only have short periods of face-to-face classes, offer practical alternatives to students in these areas. Drs. Dianne Gereluk, Roswita Dressler, Sarah Elaine Eaton, and Ph.D. candidate Sandra Becker investigated these programs across Canada, the U.S., and Australia, influencing the creation of a new, blended learning Bachelor of Education program for the Werklund School of Education.

Online and Blended Teacher Education

These accessible methods to teacher education can support teachers in integrating technology into their practice. The necessity of using technology to complete their coursework can build a teacher’s confidence with technology, and give them a greater understanding of the tools and strategies to connect technology to learning tasks. Importantly for course designers, the teachers must be aware of the purpose and reasoning behind technology use, and it must be relevant to their professional context, in order for these benefits to be realized.

Both models – online and blended learning – each present a viable approach. Both offer accessibility, but also key elements of face-to-face experience in teaching placements. In the blended program, students are also able to interact in-person with their peers during these designated periods. As there is current skepticism surrounding the effectiveness of these models, additional research on the impact on teachers’ future practice is needed to assess and guide these emerging programs.

Navigating Challenges

Technical challenges pose a significant challenge in rural and remote areas. Having adequate connectivity (bandwidth), a lack of technical support in schools, and lack of training and professional development opportunities for these teachers complicate the online learning, particularly for new students. When these resources do not work, require troubleshooting, or are difficult to set up, technology becomes more of a hindrance than a benefit.

Further, rather than reducing the time or effort required, online and blended pre-service teacher education requires greater demands on the time of both students and instructors. Instructors of online courses must support these students as they transition to online learning environments, making them aware of the time investment and helping them to manage their time effectively. Technical support and helping teachers who are less confident in using technology transition into the program are also important elements for success in these programs.

Meeting Needs

Based on this review, the Community-based Bachelor of Education program at the Werklund School of Education was designed specifically to meet the needs of rural and remote students. The program is largely conducted online, though as a blended program, there is a two-week period of in-class sessions during the summer. Students complete their teaching experience with schools in their own communities, and efforts are made to foster community in the cohort online. The program, now in its third year, is currently attended by students with different backgrounds. These students are often from Indigenous communities, and the majority of the students already have experience working, and even teaching, in schools.