E -LEARNING IN K-12 CLASSES IN SCHOOL DISTRICT DIGITAL INTRANETS
Resumen
As rural communities and schools decline in size educational policy makers often question their
viability. In the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador and in other areas of the
world, new educational structures based on digital networking, using the Internet, are being
developed for the delivery of education to rural schools (Stevens, 1999). In Newfoundland and
Labrador school district No. 8, (The Vista School District), there are 5165 students enrolled in 18
schools. The schools range in size from 650 students down to 40 students. In eight schools in this
district there were senior students who wished to study “Advanced Placement” (AP) courses in
four subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. (Advanced Placement courses
enable students in their final year of High School throughout North America to begin
undergraduate degrees if these courses are passed at grade levels specified by the university of
their choice). The challenge that this presented for the eight small rural schools in the Vista
School District was to provide University-level instruction for small numbers of students.