The Development of a Virtual Learning Cluster in Rural New Zealand secondary Schools: a Case Study

This paper reports the findings of a qualitative research study that attempts to identify the factors that have supported the development of a self-sustaining virtual cluster of secondary schools in a rural region of New Zealand. The school cluster offers classes in some selected subjects via Internet and videoconferencing technologies and was designed to meet the curriculum needs of students with no or little access to those subject areas. The programme is known as the Learning Exchange. Using Actor-Network Theory (ANT) and the associated process of Translation, the study has identified a number of factors that are considered necessary for the development of a learning exchange cluster.

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