New Report: The State of Distance Learning In NZ Schools

This report is the fruition of our attempts over the past decade to better understand the overall landscape of distance learning in the NZ schools sector

Report Introduction, Page 1

Those who have been readers of my blog for a while will know that I’ve had a long-time interest and engagement with what is happening with distance education in the school sector in NZ and internationally.

While distance education has been a part of the compulsory schooling landscape in New Zealand for more than a century, the increasing use of online technologies in schools, together with significant events such as the COVID-19 pandemic have seen a steady increase in the number and variety of distance learning providers catering for school-aged learners in recent years.

Just over a decade ago I collaborated with Michael Barbour on a study into the development of virtual learning in New Zealand and the barriers faced in achieving sustainability and maturity. We recommended that an annual national study be conducted into the nature of governance for distance learning, as well as the level and scope of activity, similar to studies conducted in the United States since 2004 and Canada since 2008.

For a variety of reasons this recommendation was not acted on, but thanks to support from Touro University, EPIT, FLANZ and FutureMakers, Michael and I have been able to collaborate to develop this report which we’re pleased to see released officially today.

This report provides a comprehensive national study that examines the regulation, governance, and scope of activity of distance learning providers in New Zealand’s schools sector. Data was collected through surveys distributed to leaders of distance learning schools and programmes nationwide. The specific research questions that were explored included:

• What is the extent of schools sector distance learning activity in New Zealand?
• What is the nature of governance of schools sector distance learning in New Zealand?
• How is schools sector distance learning in New Zealand resourced?

The report begins with a detailed history of distance learning in New Zealand’s schools sector, providing a comprehensive narrative of its evolution. It then transitions to a general analysis of data collected from the 2023 school year, highlighting significant national trends in regulation and activity levels.

Based on the analysis of organisations currently offering distance courses, we developed a taxonomy identifying six types of distance learning providers that exist in the New Zealand context:

• public distance learning schools,
• special institutions offering distance learning,
• private schools offering distance learning,
• brick-and-mortar public schools providing distance learning,
• non-profit distance learning programs, and
• for-profit distance learning programs.

In total, the study identified 18 distance learning providers, with an estimated 36,084 to 36,283 students enrolled in one or more distance learning courses during the 2023 school year. This represents approximately 4.3% to 4.4% of New Zealand’s total school population of 831,038 students.

We anticipate this report will provide a foundation for expanding research that reflects the diversity of needs and solutions that digital technologies and e-learning are addressing in our educational practices. This report and accompanying materials to be posted on the website are intended to provide a benchmark for educators, offering background, guidance, and ideas for the improvement of policy and practice in online and blended learning into the future.

It’s our hope that Tuia Te Hononga Tāngata, Tuia Te Hononga Ao: Taking the Pulse of Distance Learning in Aotearoa New Zealand introduces what will become an annual report, as well as on-going updates to the profiles of each individual distance learning provider.

We’d love to hear your feedback and ideas about what information may be useful to collect into the future. If there are other providers that we haven’t considered we’d also be interested in hearing about them so their details can be included in future reports. Please use the comments section below to share your feedback.

How might this report be useful to you?

Educators and School Administrators

• Consider how distance education provision might be incorporated into your current programme offerings to expand the range of offerings available to students.
• Advocate for improvements in distance learning based on the report’s findings, ensuring that student needs and preferences are addressed.
• Explore how incorporating distance education approaches could build resilience in your schools ways of working, particuarly in light of current teacher shortages and school closures for example.

Policy Makers and Government Agencies

• Leverage the comprehensive analysis to craft policies that support sustainable and equitable distance learning environments.
• Use the report to justify and guide funding allocations for distance education programs.
• Establish or reform governance and legislative structures for distance learning, ensuring they align with best practices identified in the report.

Researchers and Academics

• Use the report as a foundation for further studies into specific aspects of distance learning, such as student outcomes, engagement strategies, or technological integration.
• Conduct comparative studies with international counterparts to draw broader conclusions and improve practices globally.
• Engage in ongoing research to provide annual updates to the report, ensuring it remains a relevant and valuable resource.

Distance Education Providers

• Use the report to benchmark your programs against others in New Zealand, identifying areas for improvement and growth.
• Establish networks with other distance learning providers to share insights, resources, and best practices.
• Implement continuous program evaluation processes based on the report’s findings to enhance the quality of distance education.

You might also enjoy reading…

• COVID-19 Research: The role of digital technologies in the education response to the COVID-19 pandemic
• VLN in New Zealand: History and Future Thoughts
• Education Environment Scan: Understanding the System Drivers and Impact on Education
• Empty Seats: A Toolkit for Strategic Resilience Planning
• State of the Nation: K-12 e-Learning in Canada – The Canadian State of the Nation reports since 2008
• Keeping Pace with K-12 Digital Learning – the original US reports on Digital Learning started in 2004
• Snapshot [Year]: A Review of K-12 Online, Blended, and Digital Learning – the re-branded US reports now referred to as “Snapshots” hosted by the Digital Learning Collaborative.
• The full report can be accessed on the FLANZ website: https://flanz.org.nz/dl-pulse/