Crocodiles and Polar Bears: Technology and Learning in Indigenous Australian and Canadian Communities

Reedy, Alison and Eady, Michelle (2009) Crocodiles and Polar Bears: Technology and Learning in Indigenous Australian and Canadian Communities. Australiasian Canadian Studies, 27 (1-2). pp. 5-26. ISSN 1832-5408

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Abstract

Crocodile infested, swollen rivers, Troop Carriers, light planes and red dirt typify the landscape of remote tropical Northern Territory in Australia. In contrast, the remote landscape in far Northwestern Ontario in Canada is characterised by rough terrain, snow and ice, sea planes and sometimes even polar bears. The traditional owners of the land in these two very different locations face similar issues in accessing adult learning and ongoing educational opportunities. This paper compares and contrasts the experiences of two groups of adult Indigenous students, one from the northern Australian tropics and one from far Northwestern Ontario, and examines the ways that technology is used to try and bridge the distance between Indigenous adult learners' goals and educational opportunities. The paper's finding is that the education gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous learners in Canada is closing, while the gap between Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians is widening. This reflects in part that Indigenous adult learners in Northwestern Ontario are being better served in comparison to their counterparts in the Northern Territory of Australia.

Item Type: Article
Keywords: Indigenous Adult Education; Indigenous Australians; Indigenous Canadians; Indigenous Language and Literacy
Field of Research (2008): 13 Education > 1301 Education Systems > 130101 Continuing and Community Education
13 Education > 1303 Specialist Studies in Education > 130301 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education
13 Education > 1303 Specialist Studies in Education > 130306 Educational Technology and Computing
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform
L Education > L Education (General)
Date Deposited: 19 May 2011 03:20
Last Modified: 20 Oct 2011 02:41
URI: https://eprints.batchelor.edu.au/id/eprint/212

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