An interesting Canadian assessment and somewhat parallel study to portions of the Global Classroom project. If you are familiar with the Victorian experiment over the past 5-6 years, it woudl be worth following this resource to see many of the complimentary findings in this project:

Of note in the executive summary:

• a reflective approach to teaching (teachers-as-researchers). The use of online resources and tools by teachers should be informed by reflective practice that takes into account empirical evidence, rather than personal theories-in-use. The teaching profession must aim in this direction. The significance of this change is that it almost certainly entails a revised approach to teaching that puts less emphasis on teacher-centered activities. The learner is to be envisioned as capable of engaging in a variety of learning projects. New pedagogical strategies that support him or her in the acquisition of intellectual autonomy will need to be developed.
• the collaborative learning/research approach. Online technology is evolving rapidly. The traditional knowledge transfer model of research followed by dissemination, may not be a-flexible-or-fast-enough a process to respond to the emerging needs, as is well-exemplified in the following paragraph.
• a design experiment approach. Issues of "design" are prevalent today and could be supported by more direct "design experiment" frameworks for vigorous discussions of the contexts, contents, and processes that ensure the attainment of proper conditions for online learning. For such conditions to be established, it is recommended that the following research procedures be adopted:

Of specific note, and a comment I would love to file under the heading of "I told you so"

"The classroom is a place where order prevails. The infusion of information and communication technologies (ICTs) creates a zone of uncertainty for both teachers and learners, engaging them in a process of risk and exploration for some time to come."

"Research on one or the other of the four basic elements of each 'extreme' model of use ( TCLC - : teacher/transmitter, content/pre-organized, learners/low access, context/limited support; TCLC + : teacher/facilitator, content/constructed, learners/high access, context/ extensive support) while neglecting the others, is bound to lead to partial and confusing results."

"The Review Team emphasizes that a focus on one element at the expense of the others tends to raise superficial questions and unproductive debates. The interdependence of the four fundamental elements that this review takes into account (and highly recommends for consideration in all further inquiry) should be progressively documented with respect to the impact of online technologies on teaching and learning in the classroom. More recent conceptual developments occurring in other fields such as the learning organization framework, and the new domain of knowledge management, seem to point in the same direction."

"In conclusion, the Review Team expects that those countries that will develop rich conceptions of teaching, learning, content, and context as they provide knowledge building opportunities and shared social experiences to learners in the elementary, secondary, or post-secondary classroom will simultaneously enhance their research capacity."

 

Source: http://www.tact.fse.ulaval.ca/ang/html/rev98es.html