The evolution of the ABE e-merge/BCcampus initiative.

Abstract

The evolution of the Adult Basic Education (ABE) e-merge initiative in British Columbia (BC) is the focus of this historical-comparative analysis. To place this research in context, the ABE e-merge initiative’s design, development, and implementation is compared to the Applied Business Technology (ABT) and the Associate of Arts (AA) programs that initially formed the greater e-merge /BCcampus initiative. This case study provides a taxonomy of the history of adult distance education in BC to provide a framework in which to place the evolution of the ABE e-merge /BCcampus initiative. This research will add to the current literature on adult distance education and ABE, and it will open the door to further research as this analysis attempts to explain the forces that determine the direction of BC’s public post-secondary system.