JOURNALOF DISTANCE EDUCATION REVUE DE L’ÉDUCATION À DISTANCE SPRING/PRINTEMPS 2007 VOL. 21, No. 3, 167-213 CADE: Looking Forward by Glancing Back Judy Roberts and Michel Umbriaco Abstract On April 1, 1983, thirteen “enthusiastic, daring, creative and re s o u rc e f u l ” (Landstrom, 1993, p. 113) Canadian distance educators who were attending an international conference on telecourses gathered in a hotel room in Washington DC to socialize. They left that evening with a dream: a Canadian distance education association. Now, after the memberships of both CADE and the Association for Media and Technology in Education in Canada (AMTEC) have voted to create a new national bilingual organization based on a reformulated vision, CADE is once again moving forward into a new and exciting future. And so, it seems timely to reflect upon where we have been as we envision where we might go. In February 2006, the Board of Directors commissioned a paper celebrating and documenting CADE’s past using a combination of interview and document research techniques. The paper describes CADE’s evolution in five sections: (1) mandate and services, (2) organization and finances, (3) Francophone perspectives, (4) CADE internationally, and (5) The future. In one sense, CADE has succeeded beyond the wildest dreams of that visionary band who met in a hotel room in Washington DC in 1983. Blended learning is now seen as conventional, accepted practice by many stakeholders. In another sense, blended and flexible learning are perceived as becoming so dominant that the need for, and values of, distance educators are being lost. We join many quoted in this paper in cautioning that adopting DE practice in an a historical context can mean failure not success, especially if values and practice are not aligned. Introduction On April 1, 1983, thirteen “enthusiastic, daring, creative and resourceful” ( L a n d s t rom, 1993, p. 113) Canadian distance educators who were attending an international conference on telecourses gathered in a hotel room in Washington DC to socialize. They left that evening with a dream: a Canadian distance education association. Landstrom listed those dreamers and described how that dream was realized little more than a year later. Successive ten- and twenty-year reports stress the “ positive attitude and … willingness to learn, to risk, to try new methods and new ideas, and to believe that new things are possible” (Landstrom, p. 117) and the commitment of leaders, volunteers, staff and institutions evidenced by the work that the Canadian Association for Distance Education/l’association canadienne de l’éducation à distance (CADE) 168 CADE: LOOKING FORWARD BYGLANCING BACK performs each year (Annual Report, 2002-03). Being President of CADE-ACED during the 20th anniversary year was especially meaningful and gratifying for me. I was fortunate to work with a strong board of committed and dedicated members who provided support and encouragement that moved the organization forward during this milestone year. I attended my first CADE-ACED conference just a few months after joining Laurentian University in 1988. The meeting was in Banff that year and I was introduced to so many delightful and passionate people in this field. This organization has had considerable influence on my career in higher education. Personal communication, March 18, 2006 Denis Mayer, President, 2002-03 From its inception, CADE has been committed to several cornerstone values and principles: • broad inclusivity regarding language (French and English as official working languages), geography (national, regional and international scope), and sectors (from K-12 to postsecondary education, as well as government and private sectors) • service provision to members • promotion of research in distance education (DE) and • concern for access to learning for those unable to participate through conventional alternatives. It was a shoestring operation, but there was a commitment from the beginning to be national and bilingual, inclusive of all sectors and to adopt CAUCE's model of an organization with a Secretariat and [to be] an organization that partnered with others. Personal communication, March 19, 2006 Arlene Zuckernick, President 1986-87 Now, after the memberships of both CADE and the Association for Media and Technology in Education in Canada (AMTEC) have voted to create a new national bilingual organization based on a reformulated vision, CADE is once again moving forward into a new and exciting future. And so, it seems timely to reflect upon where we have been as we envision where we might go. CADE: LOOKING FORWARD BYGLANCING BACK 169 Methodology In February 2006, the Board of Directors commissioned this paper to celebrate and document CADE's past using a combination of interview and document research techniques within a short time period. Two people with a long history of involvement in CADE were engaged. They asked all twenty-two past and current presidents two questions: • What would you consider to be the major development/accomplishment/benchmark that happened during the year of your presidency? • What oneother point do you think should be included in the article? Each was also asked to provide a direct quotation for this paper. Twenty replied in a 15-20 minute telephone interview and two replied by email. Six international colleagues were also contacted; four replied and were interviewed by telephone. Additional research was undertaken to summarize the views of CADE's Francophone membership. In March 2006, we asked about twenty francophone members (some were presidents of CADE, others were intimately committed to its development and still others were members who “lived the CADE experience”) what they really thought of Landstrom's declaration (1993), what CADE represented for them in the past and how they saw the organization's future. Unlike the comments made by former CADE presidents that related to the business activities of the organization, these views were more personal; individual confidentiality has therefore been protected. Document research included a review of all annual reports. Some additional materials were located by emailing early Board members, but time precluded tracking down every possible document. Some issues of Communiqué andthe Journal of Distance Education (JDE)/Revue de l'éducation à distancewere consulted as resources permitted. The balance of this paper describes CADE's evolution, relates the story behind the numbers, and speculates on what the future may hold. There are five sections: (1) mandate and services, (2) organization and finances, (3) Francophone perspectives, (4) CADE internationally, and (5) The future. Mandate and Services One key memory that CADE‘s first president Kay Rogers retains is how quickly the organization came together and set up almost “full blown” services to members (personal communication, May 8, 2006). The executive functioned as an editorial committee and pro d u c e d 170 CADE: LOOKING FORWARD BYGLANCING BACK photocopied copies of the minutes of the inaugural June 15, 1983 audioconference, a draft constitution, and contributed content to a CADE section in the Canadian Association of University Continuing Education (CAUCE) newsletter. Liz Burge, from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), immediately organized professional development (pro-d) sessions. Dawn Howard, supported by Simon Fraser University, came forward with a proposal for a journal; Volume 1, Number 1 came out in Fall, 1986. Awards were also launched to recognize and promote excellence. Less than one year after the inaugural meeting, 212 people had completed a form expressing interest in an association. The need for a logo was identified in a July 1984 letter to members from then President Kay Rogers. Competitions from members resulted in the initial logo, as well as new ones in 1996-97 and again in 2003-04. The following sections discuss these activities in more detail. Professional Development Two main types of professional development (pro-d) were organized: programs during the year and an annual conference. The latter always had some level of translation as resources permitted; the former was offered only in English in the first two years but moved to include French in the series‘ third year. The first workshop was held April 25-26, 1984 on the topic of instructional design for distance educators using a combination of print, video, audioconferencing and local discussion groups (Annual Report, 1983-84). The workshop involved 18 sites and 270 attendees. Two pro-d sessions were held in May 1985, one an entry level workshop on Support Systems for Learners at a Distance (22 sites, 125 attendees), the other a session for experienced practitioners on Using Computers in Distance Education (13 sites, over 80 people). Céline Lebel from the Télé-université offered the first French-language event, Le tutorat comme mode de support à l'apprentissage à distance (Annual Report, 1986-87). These first pro-d sessions described in the annual reports for 1983-84, 1984-85 and 1985-86 submitted by Kay Rogers do not mention a specific committee that organized these sessions but by 1987, a formal Research and Development Committee was assigned responsibility for pro-d. The Committee organized four audioconference sessions (Annual Report, 1986-87), one the following year (Annual Report, 1987-88) and four more in 1989, as well as events such as a pre - c o n f e rence workshop in Merrickville, Ontario before the 1992 conference in Ottawa (personal communication, Margaret Haughey, July 1, 2006). In 1992-93, research was separated from pro-d; a co-chair model was adopted for the Pro-d Committee, with Henriette Dauphinais taking responsibility for two Francophone activities and Debbie Ball for six Anglophone programmes. CADE: LOOKING FORWARD BYGLANCING BACK 171 In March 1993, a 26-site audioconference session was held in French; another programme was organized in April. However, that committee no longer reported on its work by 1996-97. The pro-d activities were “branded” as Wise and Witty Wednesdays (WWW) (Annual Report, 1996-97). After a successful year in which an average of 100 people across 15 sites participated in each of eight events, the series became erratic until it resumed in October 2001 as Wise & Witty Weekdays (W&WW); six audioconference sessions were organized that year (Annual Report, 2001-02). Aseries subscription rate and marketing tools were introduced that year to boost participation. The audioconference series has continued on a regular basis under Bill Fricker's leadership, with the addition of an ASYNCH session moderated by Barbara Spronk (Annual Report, 2002-03), and the launch of online Virtual Vendors Venue sessions (Annual Report, 2003-04). In June, 2004, Bill reported that the Committee had organized eight (8) W&WW audio sessions, five (5) ASYNCH Online Discussions and two online Virtual Vendors' Venue sessions. In May 2006, nine W&WW sessions were reported for the 2005-06 year; Elluminate technology and AMTEC's audio archiving service were used in each of two separate sessions (Annual Report, 2005-06). Another professional development service offered was an annual conference (see Appendix 1): CADE conferences are both splendid and special. I particularly recall those held in grand locations like the Banff Springs Hotel, Chateau Frontenac and Hotel Vancouver. They featured outstanding keynote speakers, first sightings of new technologies, input from world renowned research gurus and innovative exhibits. But the special part was seeing people debunk my assumption that if distance education was good enough, face to face interactions didn't really matter. Seeing a student actually meet a professor whom he/she had taken a course from online, classmates laying eyes on each other for the first time, and absorbing off-the-cuff reactions from world class researchers in cracker barrel sessions are just some examples of what happens at CADE conferences that makes them delightful people-to- people events that go well beyond meeting to further a professional interest. Personal communication, April 26, 2006 May Maskow, President, 1997-98 At first a responsibility of almost the entire board, in 1987-88, a P rofessional Development Committee was given responsibility for organizing the conference program held that year in Banff. Later, a separate conference committee was established each year and the Pro-d Committee 172 CADE: LOOKING FORWARD BYGLANCING BACK organized professional development (Annual Report, 1992-93). Initially alternating between in-person and distance formats, the conference has been held annually in person since 2000, primarily for financial reasons. It should be noted that all host institutions shown in Appendix 1 contributed substantial direct and in-kind resources without which the conferences could not have been held. Their support also allowed CADE to realize surpluses in many years, funding that was critical to the Association's financial health. While CADE member organizations tend to host/co-host conferences, a number of other arrangements have also been tried. For example, the conference has been embedded in a CAUCE conference (1984) and in an AMTEC conference (1999), been scheduled sequentially with other o rganizations' conferences (CREAD and CAUCE in 1994), and co- sponsored (with Tele-Learning in 2001, ICDE in 2002 and COLin 2005). In 2001-02, CADE organized a half-day programme during a CANARIE conference. Publications From the outset, CADE has produced two publications for its members, a newsletter and a peer-reviewed journal. In the first few years, producing photocopies of information for members, some of which was officially labeled a newsletter, seemed to be a collaborative function of everyone at the Washington meeting and members of the 1983-84 board, although the titular editor was Kay Rogers. CADE also had a section edited by Jack Gray in the CAUCE Bulletin which was published three times a year; news items were channeled to him through Liz Burge (Annual Report, 1984-85). This early history is best summarized by one of the people intimately involved: As I went through the CADE box in the basement, I was reminded that in addition to the mailout I did on multicoloured paper, Jack Gray edited the CADE section in the CAUCE Bulletin. The CADE section in the CAUCE Bulletinof October 1983 begins with the following message from Jack Gray, the Editor: H e re is the first news from members of the embryonic Canadian Association for Distance Education. I thought of suggesting the rebellious Jack Cade as our mascot (see 2 Henry VI), but his rebellion didn't last long, and he not only starved to death, but was slain by a virtuous gentleman from Kent. Our CADE can; Shakespeare's Cade Kent. Personal communication, May 8, 2006 Kay Rogers, President, 1984-84 CADE: LOOKING FORWARD BYGLANCING BACK 173 Communiqué almost always had content in French; the first (and perhaps only) full translation issue was a double issue in 1997 that was also a formal printed version with professional layout and design (Annual Report, 1996-97). After a hiatus of almost two years, the first electronic issue of Communiquéwas posted on the CADE website in June 2002 (Annual Report, 2001-02). Subsequently, no formal editorial structure has existed; news is posted to the website as appropriate. Perhaps, the Secretariat's use of the listserv has also, in a sense, “replaced” Communiqué.Successive editors are acknowledged in Table 1. The second significant publication is the Journal of Distance Education (JDE)/Revue de l'éducation à distance (RED),one of the first in the world to offer scholars a peer-reviewed publication in which to share their research in this field. Only The American Journal of Distance Education (1987), the United Kingdom's Open Learning(1986) and Australia's Distance Education (1980) have a similar longevity. Of the four, JDE is the only one that has not moved to commercial publication. Table 1 Newsletter/CommuniquéEditors Name Format Years Kay Rogers, Carleton University Photocopied newsletter on July 1983 coloured paper Jack Gray, University of Waterloo ACADE section in the October 1983 to early CAUCE Bulletin published 1985 4 times/year Jocelyne Picot* Communiqué October 1985 to April 1987 Arlene Zuckernick & France Henri, Communiqué October 1987 Co-editors* Jennifer O'Rourke* University Communiqué January 1988 to June of Waterloo 1990 Grace Milashenko, University Communiqué June 1990 to of Saskatchewan December 1995 Margaret Ann MacQuarrie, Communiqué January 1996 to June Extension, St. F. Xavier 1998 Sharon Mulder Communiqué 1998 to 2002** * Based on covers of issues found in CADE Secretariat. ** Months not available. 174 CADE: LOOKING FORWARD BYGLANCING BACK Other key accomplishment by CADE — the creation of a journal as a tool to ensure that DE exists as a recognized professional activity. (People go but writing stays.) Personal communication, April 22, 2006 Marquis Bureau, President, 2000-01 The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) has recognized JDEas a quality, peer-reviewed scholarly publication. The first three-year SSHRC grant of $7,480 p.a. was received in January 1989 (Annual Report, 1988-89); JDE applied for and was awarded another three-year grant in 2004 (Annual Report, 2003-04). Provided at no charge to members as a service they purchase with their membership, the Journalhas attracted the consistently high level of additional subscriptions from libraries and non-members shown in Table 2. The decline since 2000 can be attributed to JDE being included in commercial library data bases and being freely available on the web. From its first issue in Spring 1987 to the 1997 Special Issue, Simon Fraser University (SFU) provided financial support for JDE’s publication. As of 1998, when JDEmoved to the University of Alberta, it has received Table 2 JDESubscriptions Additional to Membership Subscriptions Type of Subscription199419951996199719981999 200020012002 2003 20042005 Paid Canada 73 70 70 60 58 59 61 60 62 60 54 57 Paid USA 56 74 88 87 94 97 105 106 101 102 95 91 Paid Other 91 100 85 72 56 61 64 50 55 56 42 43 Free Canada 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 5 Free USA 4 4 4 4 4 6 7 7 7 8 8 8 Free Other 7 6 6 6 6 7 8 9 9 9 9 9 Totals 235 258 257 233 222 234 249 235 238 239 212 213 CADE: LOOKING FORWARD BYGLANCING BACK 175 direct support from CADE. In the Spring 1998 issue, the logo changed; another redesign occurred with the Spring 2004 issue when the CADE logo changed again. In 1999-2000, SFU enabled JDE to digitize all back issues; Athabasca University hosted the electronic content on the web that same year. Each issue of JDE now appears in digital and paper format. Successive journal editors and special issue editors are listed in Table 3. Table 3 Editors* of English, French and Special Issues of JDE English French Special Issues Dawn Howard Thérèse Lamy (TÉLUQ), Dan Coldeway, Guest Fall 1986-Fall 1988 Spring 1987-Fall 1994 Editor Athabasca University, Spring, 1988, III(1), Special Issue on Bridges Between Conventional and Distance Education June Sturrock Thérèse Lamy (TÉLUQ), June Sturrock & Spring 1989-Spring Spring 1987-Fall 1994 Barbara Spronk, Fall, 1991 1990, V(2), Special Issue on Gender Joan Collinge France Henri (TÉLUQ) Joan Collinge & Vivian Fall 1991-Fall 1997 Spring 1995-Fall 1997 Rossner-Merrill, 1997, XII (1-2), Special Issue on Multimedia and Interactive Online Teaching and Learning Vivian Rossner-Merrill Thérèse Lamy (TÉLUQ), Joan Collinge & Fall 1996-Fall 1998 Spring 1987-Fall 1994 Monique Layton, Spring, 1993, VIII(1), Special Anniversary Issue Colin Yerbury,Armando Villarroel (CREAD), Pierre Patry (TÉLUQ), Guest Editors, Fall, 1992, VII(3), Special Issue on Distance Education in Latin America 176 CADE: LOOKING FORWARD BYGLANCING BACK Table 3 (cont’d) Editors* of English, French and Special Issues of JDE English French Special Issues Margaret Haughey Michel Umbriaco (TÉLUQ) Margaret Haughey (University of Alberta) Fall 2000-Spring 2006 (University of Alberta), Spring 1998-Spring Griff Richards & Michel 2006 Umbriaco (TÉLUQ) 2002, (17)3, Tele Learning-NCE Special Issue + France Henri (TÉLUQ) Carl Bereiter (OISE), Spring 1998-Spring 2000 Learning Technology Innovation in Canada (Supplement) Mark Bullen (British François Pettigrew & Columbia Institute of Lucie Lavoie (TÉLUQ) Technology) July 1, 2006 onwards July 1, 2006 onwards *Affiliated with Simon Fraser University unless otherwise indicated Each issue credits Associate Editors, Book Review Editors, Consulting Editors both within Canada and abroad, translators, editorial assistants, design and production staff, graphics designers, administrators, and technical editors; reviewers are acknowledged in one annual list. JDEhas always published articles in French and designated an editor responsible for such articles. Awards The other member service that was quickly launched was a process to recognize excellence (Annual Report, 1987-88). Heather Persons' 1993-94 Awards Committee Report (the earliest found) refers to committees that served in the previous three years, supervising three award competitions (i.e., Awards were only given out at in-person conferences). She also notes the inauguration of a $25 entry fee to cover costs and the reorganization of the adjudication process. In May 2006, the Awards of Excellence Committee Report noted that 36 high calibre projects were submitted to compete for 12 awards, six in French and six in English. The six categories