Conclusion

As the networked schools model evolved and expanded, so did the pedagogical model. However, what we have today still holds true to those first principles - that people, connections and community matter.

The establishment of the first eLearning cluster, CASAtech, in 1994, was not only a move to ensure a sustainable future for the Canterbury Area Schools, but by sharing their own teachers these schools established a new pedagogical approach to distance education in New Zealand. This new model was small scale with low teacher to student ratios, ensured local teachers could teach their specialist subjects and was people centred. As the networked schools model evolved and expanded, so did the pedagogical model. However, what we have today still holds true to those first principles - that people, connections and community matter. Many of the foundational approaches still exist in the model we have outlined here and have significant worth to New Zealand Education beyond the limiting confines of what we have traditionally considered ‘Distance Education’. We now live in a world where considering things in binary terms; online learning, face-to-face learning is not a constructive way forward.

We recognise that the VLNC will continue to evolve and change to meet the needs of our education system. In order to do this, we need to consider what limits we may have placed on ourselves and what the possibilities are. This report is not only a snapshot of where we are at now, but a road map for future pedagogical development. Our community believes that in order to future proof our educational system, and to enable equitable access to the curriculum through online learning, we must embed the model at a national level.