Grand Forks and Boundary Central Secondary Schools may have more course options available to students via video conferencing soon.
School District 51 (SD51) Superintendent Michael Strukoff and trustee members of SD51 have been looking at the potential of having course options available to students through joint efforts of both schools.
The video conferencing courses will employ video screens that will allow the teacher to teach classes in person at one school, while the other class learns through watching real-time screening from a projector.
“Instead of not being able to run the program in both schools due to lack of enrolment, the (schools in Kamloops) were offering video conferencing in one school, while the other school was able to view the course through the screen,” explained Strukoff.
“In our context, how can we take a course that is difficult to offer, like calculus, because the numbers aren’t there and allow students who want to take it, to be able to do so,” he continued.
After a visit to NorKam Secondary School in Kamloops with a select team, including IT technicians from Grand Forks, Strukoff observed classes that were in the process of a video conference lesson.
The classroom had several white screens in place, one in front so students can see each other, as well as one in the back so the teacher can supervise the students in the distant class.
Strukoff stated, “Video conferencing isn’t to increase or decrease teachers, rather video conferencing is used to try and expand the number of courses being offered.”
On the trip, the lesson Strukoff and staff observed involved Aboriginal Studies being offered at both schools that have coincided with each other’s school time schedule.
NorKam Secondary School Principal Sheryl Lindquist explained that video conferencing began around eight years ago because of decreasing student enrolment.
“In our rural schools, enrolment was dropping by a lot so students weren’t able to get the courses they’d like,” said Lindquist. “Courses like French 12, Physics 12, or even Math 12.”
NorKam became the host school to four outlying rural schools, offering courses to students who otherwise would be unable to take those courses.
“Students from each of those schools, if there were two or three of them, would be able to take it along with some of our students. This way they would be able to still take those courses and it would save them in their entrance requirements for university.”
“I still think having a teacher in the room is the best, No. 1 way to get your education,” Lindquist stated. “However, if there is no option, or the option may be a paper-based correspondence course, then certainly video-conferencing is a really great option.”
“We debrief with the students each year to see what courses work and what doesn’t,” explained Lindquist. “The students who enroll in these courses know what they are getting into and so they appreciate the differences.”
In Grand Forks and Boundary Central, Strukoff explained that some courses were offered inside another course. The students are split between a science course and calculus due to lack of student enrolment.
“Sometimes it’s also outside the timetable, where the class is held after school. Instead we can put it inside the timetable between the two schools to justify the course,” he said.
Board Chair Teresa Rezansoff thought this method has potential.
“We don’t have schools big enough to offer the courses that we’d like to give them. If the solution is to have video conferencing tie everything together, it would offer us the flexibility we are looking for.”
Trustee Sally Garcelon agreed, “This also provides the teachers the ability to stay within their teaching expertise, which will also benefit our students.”
Video conferencing between the two high schools in SD51 is still in the works, as there are many issues that need to be addressed.
Strukoff explained, “This would require having both schools on the same timetable, same bell schedule and joint cooperation in terms of overall scheduling. Those are areas that we are exploring and possibility of expanding course options.”
Another area of concern is the amount of bandwidth that would be required, added Strukoff.
“As of now, it would cost us an additional $4,000 per month to add bandwidth to the speeds that we would need,” he calculated.
Before anything goes further, the numbers of teachers who are interested in teaching via video conferencing needs to be seen.
“This revolves around teachers. If teachers aren’t comfortable with the technology and how to use it or work with it, then it will be problematic,” concluded Strukoff.
“We’re probably going to have a return visit with teachers. It’s important for the teachers to meet with other teacher’s who are involved with it and get their advice.”
The tentative date is for a trial course next school year, though nothing is currently set in stone.
“It’s not going to happen over night,” he finished.