Communications

Basic Aspects of the Issue

Changes in Communications (as well as transportation) have contributed to many of the changes on the prairies in recent years. The current media hype holds out communications technology as the potential savior of rural society, but enabling rural centers to compete with urban agglomerations of resources and business services. With more jobs being conducted "on line" from rural centers, population figures will remain constant or increase, arresting the erosion of rural services.

Often such rosy pictures fail to take into account of the fact that those same communications technologies bring "online shopping" and its wealth of options right into the homes of rural citizens, further eroding the market base of small struggling enterprises.

Changes in communications have had a large impact on the quality of rural life however. Entertainment, information, and interpersonal contact have decreased the sense of isolation, and enriched daily life. As population continues to decline, communications technology will no doubt play an increasingly larger part in the fabric or an institutionally restructured rural life.

Rural Development Institute Research Studies

• "Rural Communication, Information, and Innovation in Farming - a Literature Review" - Dianne Ripley and Richard Rounds
  This literature review deals with information diffusion and transfer in rural areas, as technology change. It looks at how farmers and ranchers prefer to access and process information on rural life and primary production. It addresses major issues in this complex and fascinating field as new media erupt into the rural scene.

• "Telecommunications Use By Businesses in Rural Manitoba" - Derdre Sunley, G Dueck, and Richard Rounds.
  This 1994 baseline study of rural usage of telecommunications in rural Manitoba predates the explosion of Web-based computer usage, and therefore provides an excellent "before and after" base for further study. The central concern was whether such technology would counteract the agglomeration effect of larger centers and really allow rural businesses to compete in the future. A number of demographic user-factors were used to paint a picture of current use:
  
•       Tradition
•       level of education
•       financial resource
•       Use
•       Complexity of business.

• "A Rural-Urban Comparison of the Knowledge and Implementation of WHIMS Safety Regulations by Manitoba Science Teachers" - Barbra Ellen Rice
  This study was to find out of there was a difference between rural and urban safety practice in implementing the high school science safety practices according to the new standards. It was done with a view to adequacy of rural-urban communication. Rural had a bit lower scores, but accidents in both rural and urban were not related to the safety standard's requirements. This was done at a time when these new standards came into force, and a considerable communications thrust was taking place to raise awareness about them.

• "Teaching Art by Teleconferencing in Rural Schools" -Mary Judith Bewer
  This researcher was a teacher faced with the problem of having to teach Art to a few remote students and wondered if it could be done by teleconferencing. This project was conducted suing 1994 levels of technology.

• Distance Delivery of a High School Program to Hutterite Colonies -

Other Resources

• "Computer Technologies in the Basic French Classroom: An Investigation of Current Practices in Manitoba" -Carol Harvey M.Ed. Thesis Brandon University
  This 2000 study examines grade 8 and grade 12 French language instruction practice in the public school classroom to establish a baseline in level of computer use. These two grades are the top levels of middle and senior years programs. As the technology is very new, this initial survey of Manitoba teachers as to current practice sets out the current situation and makes recommendations as to future development.