By Martin Buck

Once in a while, an invention becomes an innovation. Its introduction causes a fundamental change in the way that we view our world . . . The Internet is such an innovation; -- http://cne.gmu.edu/itcore/internet/index.html

If you are reading this on the World Wide Web, you can experience right now some of the fundamental change the Internet is bringing to the world. The blue underlined phrase above is a hypertext link. A mouse button click (see comment) on the hyperlink will take you to a document with yet more information. This innovation allows instructors the potential to organize the sum total of the world's information for their students' benefit. So how are British Columbia Adult Basic Education instructors making use of this potential?

The BC Centre for Curriculum, Transfer and Technology website at http://bccourses.com provides information on online credit courses offered in BC's post-secondary system. In early 2002 the database reported two institutions, Camosun and College of the Rockies, were offering ABE courses through the World Wide Web. Another C2T2 website, http://www.c2t2.ca/emerge/, provides information about e-merge, "a system-wide project for the development of online courses and programs in British Columbia." In the fall of 2000 ABE faculty met in Vancouver to talk about ABE online courses and the emerge initiative. Instructors identified three courses for online development. Provincially Initiated Curriculum funds were allocated to support the course development. Faculty training began online and continued face-to-face at last year's ABEABC conference in Victoria. Course development was completed in December 2001. The courses are

1. Computer studies (Advanced) developed by Walter Behnke of Vancouver Community College (VCC),
2. English: technical and professional (Provincial) by Jan Harkess of College of the Rockies (CoTR) and
3. Mathematics (Intermediate) by Cheryl Porter of North Island College (NIC) and Patti McKnight.

Selected pilot testing with learners from VCC, NIC, CoTR and Northwest Community College began in January 2002. A February 2002 report on the pilots is available at http://www.c2t2.ca/emerge/abe/reports/ABEreport0202.htm. The course developers have also provided guest access. Point your web browser to the Online BC Courses website at http://www.online.bccourses.com/. The user name and password for the ABE courses are provided below. Note that the user name and password are the same for each course.

• Intermediate Math => abemath
• Advance Computer Studies => abecomp
• Provincial Level English => engl091p

For more information about ABE Online, contact:
Wendy Magahay
Email: wmagahay@c2t2.ca
Tel: 250-978-4233

For general information about e-merge, or the Centre for Curriculum, Transfer and Technology contact:

Amanda Harby
Email: harby@ctt.bc.ca
Tel: 250-413-4468