Task Force on Distance Education and Technology: Final Report.

The Task Force on Distance Education and Technology was established in 1992 by the Manitoba Minister of Education and Training. Its mandate was to define the role of distance education programs and the types of technologies to be employed from kindergarten to postsecondary levels. Guiding considerations for the task force included the incorporation of technology into the educational system; the importance of a partnership approach; the importance of meeting the learning needs of all Manitobans; the need for a focus on community; the recognition of continued education reform; a commitment to high quality programs; the need to build upon successful ventures in distance education and technology; the recognition of the intrinsic qualities of technology; the implications of rapidly developing technologies; the significance of changes occurring in telecommunications infrastructure and policies; and the effect of government selection and purchasing of telecommunication services. This report presents recommendations for the following three rationales: (1) education must become client-centered for effective, community-based, lifelong learning to occur; (2) the community-based lifelong learning model requires that program selection, student support, and administrative control of distance education be local; and (3) the greatest necessity for the success of distance education and technology is the assembly of needed resources. Implementation strategies are also described. (TMK)