Westman Consortia Interim Report

The Westman Consortia Partnership (WCP) is a coalition of seven school divisions in western Manitoba, who joined together during the COVID-19 pandemic to deliver remote learning to students who are medically advised not to return to in-class learning.

The objective of this research is to identify effective approaches for delivering remote learning to students in the Westman region of Manitoba. The research question is: What beliefs, practices and strategies are critical to remote rural learning? The WCP is a work in progress and the group acknowledges that they are "building the ship while sailing it" (WCP, 2020, p. 4).

Four distinct themes summarize the findings. The first theme, Context for Innovation: Program Demand and Design, consolidates findings related to the initial reason for the program’s creation and elements of program design that resonated with participants. The second theme, Beliefs, Perspectives and Tensions in Communication, addresses the complex challenges of maintaining effective communication in such a complex and ever-changing system. The third theme, Technology, Learning and Pedagogical Practices, explores the ways in which technological access and skills are influencing the ways in which remote learning is being facilitated and experienced, and the impact of those decisions on student learning. The fourth theme, Enabling Strategies: Supports for Teachers, Parents, Students, and Mental Health, synthesizes what participants say supports them to be effective in their role within the Westman Consortia Program.