British Columbia Institute of Technology Response to the Canadian Government's Consultation Paper on a Digital Economy Strategy for Canada

Summary

In improving Canada's digital economy position, the Government needs to provide visionary leadership and sound stewardship through various instruments of statute; and through mechanisms of taxation, tariffs, grants, benefits, and policy implementation to enable stakeholders to collaborate synergistically.

Capacity to Innovate Using Digital Technologies: In the post–secondary education sector a successful digital strategy will include the following:

• Adoption of easy to use and reliable video–conferencing technology to create virtual classrooms.
• Ensuring that most of the curriculum is available online.
• Providing broadband Internet access for every student anytime and anywhere.
• All course notes, tutorials, written assignments and exams conducted in electronic format.
• Digital services ie providing an environment where students have access to the services.

Building a World–Class Digital Infrastructure: The role of Government should be to:

• set the rules of the marketplace including fair and equitable access
• ensure critical infrastructure is protected against threats and protect national security
• enter international agreements for connection to the global infrastructure
• allocate scarce resources such as radio spectrum
• provide financial support to meet Canada's educational and research objectives, and, where appropriate, provide assistance to deal with Canada's unique geography and population distribution.

Growing the Information and Communications Technology Industry: BCIT looks to the Government to:

• Stimulate students' interest in the ICT industry starting from elementary schools by providing good quality and interesting IT courses taught by qualified IT teachers.
• Provide more scholarships and awards to attract more students enrolling in ICT programs.
• Provide more quotas for new immigrants in the professional category.
• Provide more incentives and tax breaks for new ventures from overseas.
• Model the advanced use of ICT in the administration of the country.
• Invest in the creation of organizations that use ICT as an economic and social competitive advantage for Canada.

Digital Media: Creating Canada's Digital Content Advantage: The Government needs to consider:

• Better wireless infrastructure and more leadership from all levels of government to push it forward
• More education for young people about the possibilities and abilities in their future
• Government support of innovative educational programs and initiatives
• More straight forward grant processes for Canadian Media Funds
• More transparent understanding of applying for CMFs for independent producers
• More of the CMF set aside for many more small and medium sized projects versus a few large ones

Building Digital Skills for Tomorrow: Government needs to take a lead on:

• Funding high quality research to fully elucidate the impact of ICT on education KPIs
• Adopting IdM (digital identity management) systems in educational institutions which provide continuity within and between institutions
• Developing an integrated IT–based plagiarism advisory service
• Developing the application of LMS for teaching and learning in all post–secondary institutions

Conclusion

As an institute of technology BCIT is well–placed to be a key player in advancing the state of practice in digital media, computer technology, programming, network systems, and learning management systems within the education and training sector. By being a collaborative partner BCIT is working to ensure that Canada's digital economy and our global competitiveness is maintained.

Correspondence and Editor

Dr Carly Seddon, Dean, Computing & Academic Studies
BCIT 3700 Willingdon Avenue
Burnaby, BC
Canada V5G 3H2
Email: Dr Carly Seddon
Telephone: 604–432–8920

Contributors

Dr Tejinder Randhawa, Program Head, Computer Systems Technology
Elsie Au, Program Head, BTech, Computer Systems Technology
Kemp Edmonds, Centre for Social Media Education in Business
Nancy Paris, Director, Product and Process Applied Research Team (PART)
Mark Bullen, Associate Dean, Learning & Teaching Centre
Will Hopkins, Director, Information Technology Services
Dr Kim Dotto, Dean, Applied Research
Chris Golding, VP Learning and Technology Services
Paul Dangerfield, VP Education, Research & International

Submission

Introduction

Canada currently ranks 11 out of 70 countries for its digital economy score, as calculated by the Economist in their 2010 report.¹ Ahead of Canada are Sweden, Denmark, USA, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. Canada is ahead of near–ranking UK, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea.

"The challenges ahead for countries will be in learning how to extract the maximum economic and other benefits from the use of digital technology."

BCIT welcomes the opportunity to comment on Canada's digital economy. BCIT argues that there are many aspects of improving Canada's position where the government needs to provide visionary leadership and sound stewardship through various instruments of statute; and through mechanisms of taxation, tariffs, grants, benefits, and policy implementation to enable stakeholders to collaborate synergistically.

"E–ready governments supply their constituents — citizens and organisations — with a clear roadmap for the adoption of technology, and they lead by example in their use of technology to create efficiencies… Are governments employing technology to operate and provide public services with less resource investment? Are they spending on ICT to stimulate similar spending in the greater economy? Are "savings" translated into service gains for citizens? Can more people interact with, and receive information from, the government regardless of their own access to technology? …What is the availability of digital channels to individuals and businesses for accessing public services, and to citizens for obtaining government information about civic issues and engaging in consultation with government officials on matters involving the political process?"

"A few countries, such as Finland, have gone so far as to enshrine in law Internet access as a basic human right; a recent BBC poll of Internet users found that 87% of people across 27 countries believe this should indeed be the case."

The Economist

"Simply put, there are no alternatives but to become "more digital" with whatever assets are available. Mobile data tools and services are one area where the emerging world equals or outpaces the developed world in usage habits; the use of ICT as a platform for building capacity in education services is another. There is always variance, of course, and room for improvement. But …there are many ways to harness the power of the Internet to improve economic prospects and the lives of people."

The Economist

1. Capacity to Innovate Using Digital Technologies

1. Should Canada focus on increasing innovation in some key sectors or focus on providing the foundation for innovation across the economy?
2. Which conditions best incent and promote adoption of ICT by Canadian businesses and public sectors?
3. What would a successful digital strategy look like for your firm or sector? What are the barriers to implementation?
4. Once anti–spam legislation, and privacy and copyright amendments are in place, are there new legislative or policy changes needed to deal with emerging technologies and new threats to the online marketplace?
5. How can Canada use its regulatory and policy regime to promote Canada as a favourable environment for e–commerce?

1.1 Should Canada focus on increasing innovation in some key sectors or focus on providing the foundation for innovation across the economy?

1. Both strategies need to be considered. Focussing primarily on providing the foundation for innovation across the economy may cut the available resources too thin and dilute the impact of the investment. Sectors in which Canada already has competitive advantages need to be nurtured with further stimulus so that this competitive advantage and superiority could be retained for long time and the consequential trickled down impact on other sectors could be realized. A recent analogous example would be the "own the podium" program for Vancouver 2010 winter Olympics which resulted in highest number of medals as well as gold medals for Canada in winter Olympics history. This feat is credited with government investing in sporting events most likely to produce medals for Canada.

1.2 Which conditions best incent and promote adoption of ICT by Canadian businesses and public sectors?

1. Hiring mentors or protagonist to educate or promote the adoption of ICT across the Canadian businesses and public sectors. This will be pretty much along the lines of, for example, BC Hydro encouraging enterprises (such as BCIT) hire "Power and Sustainability managers" and even subsidizing their salaries to help find/encourage creative ways to save power.
2. Giving incentives such as tax credits on ICT equipment and subsidies for hiring IT personnel etc.

1.3 What would a successful digital strategy look like for your firm or sector? What are the barriers to implementation?

1. In the post–secondary education sector a successful digital strategy will include the following:
   
   
   • Adoption of easy to use and reliable video–conferencing technology to create virtual classrooms.
   • Ensuring that most of the curriculum is available online.
   • Providing broadband Internet access for every student anytime and anywhere.
   • All course notes, tutorials, written assignments and exams conducted in electronic format.
   • Digital services ie providing an environment where students have access to the services.
   Other than the technical issues, the main barriers are lack of funding for the institutes and lack of release time for the instructors to adopt this technology.
2. In terms of barriers related to funding and time to adopt, the fact is that resources (time, funding, education and technology) are needed to stay current. ie it does not happen by accident, and we cannot simply expect instructors and institutions to be able to keep this skill set current without support.

1.4 Once anti–spam legislation, and privacy and copyright amendments are in place, are there new legislative or policy changes needed to deal with emerging technologies and new threats to the online marketplace?

1. Internet in general and social networking sites in particular have made it easier to plagiarise. Should access to private chat–room transcripts be allowed when investigating cases of plagiarism or would it violate rights to privacy?
2. Legislation against "bullying" on the internet may be needed to protect impressionable children and cared–for–adults against verbal abuse on the Internet.
3. Tougher punishments on e–commerce–related crimes should be brought in
4. We object strongly to the proposed copyright legislation which on one hand enshrines fair use rights then immediately vacates them if the material is protected by a digital lock.
5. Wireless service providers know the locations of their subscribers. Legislations are needed to protect people against the improper use of this knowledge.
6. Government may consider regulating the use of biometric authentication/privacy technology.
7. Youth are particularly trusting in their use of technology and therefore face considerable risk online. Programs that educate them on such risks should be provided.

1.5 How can Canada use its regulatory and policy regime to promote Canada as a favourable environment for e–commerce?

1. The governments should treat privacy issues related to e–commerce transactions and records with same level of seriousness and enforcement as those of e–health transactions and electronic medical records. HIPAA type regulations shall be enforced on e–commerce sector.
2. The Canadian Government may consider issuing special Internet domain names to interested online businesses with the conditions that these will be highly regulated and closely monitored to ensure privacy and accountability, but with an upside that these will add to consumer confidence and provide branding opportunities.
3. To begin, the Government needs to update its policies. The current ones are from 2004–2005. At the latest G–20 Summit in Toronto, speaking on behalf of the members, the Canadian Prime Minister, spoke clearly of open markets and a global community. Our e–commerce policies must reflect and support this strategy then actively promote it.

2. Building a World–Class Digital Infrastructure

1. What speeds and other service characteristics are needed by users (e.g., consumers, businesses, public sector bodies and communities) and how should Canada set goals for next generation networks?
2. What steps must be taken to meet these goals? Are the current regulatory and legislative frameworks conducive to incenting investment and competition? What are the appropriate roles of stakeholders in the public and private sectors?
3. What steps should be taken to ensure there is sufficient radio spectrum available to support advanced infrastructure development?
4. How best can we ensure that rural and remote communities are not left behind in terms of access to advanced networks and what are the priority areas for attention in these regions?

2.1 What speeds and other service characteristics are needed by users (e.g., consumers, businesses, public sector bodies and communities) and how should Canada set goals for next generation networks?

1. Service characteristics need to include more than download speeds. Bidirectional bandwidth, network latency, and network reliability, availability and survivability are characteristics important to teaching, learning and research as well as society generally. These characteristics are considerations for both domestic infrastructure and interconnection to the global infrastructure. Also, if the digital infrastructure is taken to embrace more than network transport and include grid computing, cloud computing, and software as a service then the array of service characteristic needs to be greatly expanded. Service characteristics must be provided on a fair and equitable basis — infrastructure providers should not be in a position to favour traffic for their own services.
2. For educational purposes bidirectional bandwidth is of concern as students and researchers exchange large data sets. A digital arts student may be editing full length high definition video and, in a distance learning environment, may need to download and upload the data set. A good benchmark is the time in which a Blue Ray (tm) disc (approximately 4.5 gigabytes) can be downloaded and uploaded. Ideally networks should accomplish this in less time than it would take to drive to and from a video rental store.
3. Network latency (response time) is also an important service characteristic. Real time games require low latency but so does the remote operation of equipment such as research submersibles. Also remote teaching of subjects, such as the playing of a musical instrument, requires negligible delays between student and teacher.
4. We are highly dependent on our digital infrastructure. In addition to day to day availability, we need to be concerned that our infrastructure survives natural disasters and man–made events, Current networks are highly susceptible to electromagnetic events. Man made electromagnetic impulses (e.g. high altitude nuclear detonation) and solar super storms have the potential to disrupt large swaths of Canada and the world's infrastructure. Solar super–storms, which can wreak havoc with satellites, terrestrial electronics and the power grid by inducing large currents, are estimated to occur with about the same frequency as a major subduction earthquake on the West Coast; yet the damage created by such an event would be catastrophic and global in nature. Cyber–terrorism can disable infrastructure and can also use networks to attack other critical infrastructure such as power grids, dams, plant and equipment, and so on. Our digital infrastructure needs to be protected by government and industry from these threats.
5. Providers of infrastructure should not be allowed to favour their own services over other uses. This is not to say that the providers cannot establish different classes of services to give priority to one form of traffic over another but, for example, within a class of service that supports voice traffic they should not be able to favour their own voice services over their competitors.

2.2 What steps must be taken to meet these goals? Are the current regulatory and legislative frameworks conducive to incenting investment and competition? What are the appropriate roles of stakeholders in the public and private sectors?

Government should fulfill its role with necessary but minimum regulation encouraging the private sector to invest, compete and innovate within this framework. The framework should provide certainty over time so that industry is prepared to consider long term investments.

2.3 What steps should be taken to ensure there is sufficient radio spectrum available to support advanced infrastructure development?

1. The ITU World Radiocommunication Conference is the intergovernmental conference which takes decisions concerning the allocation of the radio spectrum to specific radio services at global level. It takes place at intervals of several years, with the objective of updating the ITU Radio Regulations, the set of rules which determine the sharing of the radio spectrum between all countries of the world.
   
   Consultation in the context of the development of an RSPG Opinion on priorities and objectives for the Community in the World Radiocommunication Conference 2007
   
   Canada needs to ensure its best interests are represented at this conference, and that there has been ample consultation within Canada of our current and future radio–spectrum requirements.
   
   See also: Radio Spectrum Management — Module 5 if ICT Regulation Toolkit

2.4 How best can we ensure that rural and remote communities are not left behind in terms of access to advanced networks and what are the priority areas for attention in these regions?

1. Industry should not be in the business of cross subsidizing hard–to–service rural areas from more lucrative urban ventures. This will deprive urban areas of the services and prices that are needed to compete against more densely populated competitors such as Korea and Japan. Also large incumbents will enjoy a price advantage over smaller players in rural markets stifling innovation. Rather government should subsidize rural communities directly and allow the marketplace to respond competitively.

3. Growing the Information and Communications Technology Industry

1. Do our current investments in R&D effectively lead to innovation, and the creation of new businesses, products and services? Would changes to existing programs better expand our innovation capacity?
2. What is needed to innovate and grow the size of the ICT industry including the number of large ICT firms headquartered in Canada?
3. What would best position Canada as a destination of choice for venture capital and investments in global R&D and product mandates?
4. What efforts are needed to address the talent needs in the coming years?

3.1 Do our current investments in R&D effectively lead to innovation, and the creation of new businesses, products and services? Would changes to existing programs better expand our innovation capacity?

1. The Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP), Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SRED) are cornerstones of innovation in Canada and by and large the life blood of early stage companies, or Small Medium sized Enterprises, near the frontiers of innovation. The role of these government institutes however shall not only be to just throw money at the companies but to also take a proactive role in managing the commercializing of the new technology by subsidizing the trials of the technology with the potential customer.
2. Although programs such as "NRC–IRAP Youth" program is in place to subsidize the hiring of one fresh graduate in a Canadian company, Canada lacks in programs that promote culture of entrepreneurship among young graduates.
3. Investments that currently are available to all companies that perform R&D like the SR&ED tax credits are very useful and well targeted. The money that is only accessible to larger organizations often doesn't lead to much innovation since the larger organizations are unwilling to move into new or risky directions. Smaller innovative/start up companies are often looking for a new niche that is not already occupied, and are willing to break new ground and to work harder to make a success of new technology since it is often their only hope of staying in business . Larger companies tend to be more protective and quickly abandon new innovations if they don't play out in a relatively short period of time.
4. The SR&ED tax credit program is very helpful as it allows companies to engage in wider range of projects that might not be considered traditional R&D.
5. The Government should provide more funding to the Venture Capital Financing program for innovative technologies companies for qualifying and promising R&D projects.

3.2 What is needed to innovate and grow the size of the ICT industry including the number of large ICT firms headquartered in Canada?

1. Government cannot mandate innovation, only foster it. Part of this fostering is the creation of clusters of value–chain organizations supporting innovation. This requires creation of world class post–secondary institutes, centers of excellence, local industry and distribution channels to consumers, and creating a pipeline through this value–chain. For example Vancouver is emerging as a cluster of innovation for Digital Media and Life Sciences. Ottawa was a cluster of innovation for telecommunication (until untimely demise of NORTEL), Silicon Valley became a cluster of innovation for the Internet and Internet based industries.
2. Government should embark upon an ambitious plan to bring broadband to the homes and a public policy on mandating the use of tele–presence technology across business sector.
3. Growth could be artificial or organic. Government shall not shy away from acquiring foreign companies and moving their headquarters to Canada provided these companies have potential to grow organically in Canada.
4. Government should provide more grants and tax credits for International ICT firms to relocate the headquarters in Canada.
5. The Government can provide more programs and incentives to encourage ICT firms to attract ICT professionals to relocate to Canada.
6. Access to bigger markets, access to mentorship programs and access to a better venture capital system. It is almost impossible to raise venture capital in Vancouver and when you do, the percentage of control you need to give up is enormous. Many local companies can only reach the larger global markets by partnering or being bought out by a larger international firm. Most small start–ups with good ideas and products do not survive long enough to grow large because they sell out early to make a profit. There appears to be a lack of the senior talent around that is willing to work with new companies to make that next step to becoming a "big" player on their own. Culturally Canadian policy and practice is to support SMEs. Larger companies are seen to be able to look after themselves and viewed less desirable. However, if larger companies are also supported it will make it less desirable for SMEs to sell off and help to keep the innovation in Canada.

3.3 What would best position Canada as a destination of choice for venture capital and investments in global R&D and product mandates?

1. Investors invest in companies not countries. The governments can only add to the confidence that their investments will be used on R&D and not on bureaucratic red tape and that their intellectual property will be protected. To that effect, the following could be done:
   
   
   • Harmonize TSX & VSX with other stock exchanges in the world.
   • Harmonize Canadian Patent laws with those of US and Europe
   • Lucrative investment tax credits to encourage investment
2. There is a need to have an attractive business reason to locate in Canada. Tax policies that are not only good for the companies, but also good for the employees (especially key talent areas) are required to make people want to come to Canada. If the talent can be encouraged to come here, the companies will follow. For many entrepreneurial people, there is just no incentive to come to Canada. There are very few high tech communities that make it attractive for talented people to come and take a chance.
3. Poster boys of innovation and success in Canada such as CEOs of RIM, Telus, EA and Penguin Cafe etc could take a proactive role in promoting the benefits of investing in Canada to foreign investors.

3.4 What efforts are needed to address the talent needs in the coming years?

1. It is a common saying across various cultures that "educating a child requires that the mother be educated first". A strategy starting from pre–school is needed to address the talent needs in the coming year. This may require providing tax–breaks for parents to acquire education themselves and get counselling in career planning of their children; motivating kids to acquire higher education by highlighting success stories and role models; streamlining immigration policies to encourage brain gain (as opposed to brain drain); creation of pipelines that start from grade schools.

4. Digital Media: Creating Canada's Digital Content Advantage

1. What does creating Canada's digital content advantage mean to you?
2. What are the core elements in Canada's marketplace framework for digital media and content? What elements do you believe are necessary to encourage the creation of digital media and content in both official languages and to reflect our Aboriginal and ethnocultural communities?
3. How do you see digital content contributing to Canada's prosperity in the digital economy?
4. What kinds of 'hard' and/or 'soft' infrastructure investments do you foresee in the future? What kinds of infrastructure will you need in the future to be successful at home and abroad?
5. How can stakeholders encourage investment, particularly early stage investment, in the development of innovative digital media and content?
6. How can we ensure that all Canadians, including those with disabilities (learning, visual, auditory), will benefit from and participate in the Canadian digital economy?

The economic impact of the transformation of media from analogue to digital engages a significant part of the Canadian economy. Canadians' use of digital media continues to grow each year. Digital technologies are being integrated into the production, distribution and consumption of content. In parallel, the digital media sector is shifting away from linear production chains with distinct players and discrete products into three main areas of activity: 1) the creation of content; 2) enabling content creation and distribution; and 3) the aggregation of content. A significant part of the innovation taking place today and the prospects for future prosperity are related to these activities. An up–to–date marketplace framework for Canada's digital media sector will create Canada's digital content advantage and position Canada as a destination of choice for creativity and innovation.

• Creation of Content
• Enabling Content Creation and Distribution
• Aggregation of Content

4.1 What does creating Canada's digital content advantage mean to you?

1. Creating Canada's digital content advantage means the future of our national industry in an increasingly competitive and global marketplace. Our digital content advantage should be centered on a vertically integrated educational system that pushes our workers ahead of international competition through education. An unprecedented level of cooperation within the country among educational institutions, business, industry associations and all levels of government is vital to Canada's digital content advantage. This level of cooperation is currently being mirrored by the collective actions of Canadian citizens as they use social networking tools to cooperate, collaborate and communicate.
2. Starting at the elementary school level programs and educational initiatives to ignite interest among our youngest citizens are needed. This initiative needs to be supported by increased financial incentives and credits for specialized advanced education as those students grow up and seek an education their increased digital interests require.
3. We need to fund more innovative educational initiatives at the post secondary level such as the Master's of Digital Media program by BCIT, SFU, Emily Carr and UBC at the Great Northern Way Campus in Vancouver. BCIT's New Media and Web Development 1–year certificate program is another example of the broad digital education we need to offer more young people to get them started in this emerging field. Students who complete this program see a nearly 100% employment rate and are able to enter the industry in a wide variety of positions as the program teaches them about many areas.
4. The job market is growing not just for digital creators but for digital analysts, digital marketers and digital educators. The Canadian digital content advantage must reach beyond simply the creation and distribution of content to the analysis, performance and marketing of that same content. We need to support the development, education and employment of these vital positions in the digital economy. One of the most important jobs in today's marketing industry is the analysis and synthesis of the endless reams of data available. Canadians are well prepared to be leaders in this field.
5. Collaborative promotion of Canadian content is an important part of the equation. A suggestion of a 'tag' for all Canadian content is a good idea but relies too much on the integration of this 'tag' by users. Collaborative promotions are a possible way to store and market Canadian content under one umbrella. How we organize and promote a site or repository of Canadian content is an important part of establishing Canada as a world leader in digital content. We won't be able to compete globally with China or India in terms of the quantity of content created and that's why the quality and education of our digital content creators is so vital to Canada's digital content advantage.
6. Integrated global cooperation is the final and most challenging piece of Canada's digital content advantage. It may seem counter–intuitive to the short–term goals of our digital economy but this element is the most important part of our long–term success in the global digital economy. We cannot compete head to head with China or India on the cost of the creation of content but we can work together with them to take advantage of the economies of scale available in those nations. Canada can be the destination for the highest level of quality digital education and that can place us at the center of the world's digital needs.

4.2 What are the core elements in Canada's marketplace framework for digital media and content? What elements do you believe are necessary to encourage the creation of digital media and content in both official languages and to reflect our Aboriginal and ethno cultural communities?

1. Education should be at the centre of the Canadian marketplace framework for digital media and content. Storytelling is no longer the single medium, linear format of the past. Content creation is a place where whole new skill sets are learned. Digital markets have gone through massive changes in the past few years and employees today need to have more than one skill set. The more skills an employee attains the more valuable that employee will be. Our educational system needs to better support the current and next generation of content creators. As students these future digital content creators will need better access to more resources, more tools, more services and more freedom to direct their learning to prepare them for an increasingly dynamic and competitive workplace.
2. Access is a core element in Canada's marketplace framework, most importantly access to affordable hardware and infrastructure. Among youth, those of middle age and seniors the most important groups for access are the two oldest as their tendency is to avoid technology although it has so much to offer them, especially seniors. The more Canadians that have access to the internet the more chance we have for them to support, share and consume Canadian content. We have good educational programs for adults and seniors to learn to use technology. Some programs are free. Canada needs to continue to support those programs, offer more programs and promote those offerings more effectively. As a nation we are the perfect size and make up to support access to the internet for our large national centres; this will spur innovation, collaboration and greater involvement by citizens and industry.
3. This is where the most opportunity arises for our country. We need to work to make Canada the center of the world's digital education. Leveraging the different specialities of our diverse educational institutions to enhance the overall education supplied will be a big step forward. Imagine a student receiving a design education at Emily Carr and a technical education at BCIT, few nations could compete with such a talented workforce.
4. Collaboration and cooperation are core elements of our competitive advantage in the global digital marketplace. Cooperation within the country among educational institutions, industry associations and all levels of government is what will make Canada a world leader. A bold step would be to work with content creators and educators in Canada to create an educational database around digital media that we could then make available to the world free as a service provided by Canada.
5. There is a lack of cooperation among ICT association groups, industry and educational institutions. This may be due to the fact that the ICT industry is new, but that cooperation is vital to Canada's digital content advantage. The training and integration of industry and education need to be stronger.
6. Quality of production is a key element to Canada's marketplace framework. Producers need a reason to produce content. They need a revenue model to increase the quantity of Canadian content and they need the kind of education necessary to create globally competitive content. Innovation is at the core of an increasingly quality focused approach. Innovation is most important among digital creators.
7. To support high levels of innovation we need affordable, quality education, affordable distribution systems, more opportunities to showcase lesser known digital creators and financial incentives for creators to build innovative digital content. National initiatives rewarding innovative content and delivery systems will spur more creators to think outside the box and lead our digital content advantage. These incentives should reward creativity first.
8. The elements that are necessary to encourage the creation of digital media and content in both official languages and to reflect our bi–lingual, Aboriginal and ethno cultural communities are listed above and discussed below. These offerings will require ongoing subsidization, as they have in the past, because global demand may never be strong enough to support these industries independently of subsidization. We need to help Aboriginal and ethno cultural digital creators by supporting and promoting their efforts. Special programs delivering crash courses in digital media creation like Vancouver's Fearless City project can help to enable and encourage different groups to become digital content creators by specifically tailoring the education to their cultural and economic situation.

4.3 How do you see digital content contributing to Canada's prosperity in the digital economy?

1. Digital content is the back bone of online culture. Today's digital culture doesn't see physical boundaries or borders. The quality and distribution of content will determine how digital content contributes to Canada's prosperity in the digital economy. Canada is currently a major consumer of content, a vast majority of the content we consume comes from the United States. This is unlikely to change in the future. The way digital content contributes to Canada's future prosperity will be through demand for either our content, our education or our talent. Canada will have an increasingly challenging time leading as a hub for digital content creation. The tools necessary are readily available but we lack the population base to create enough internal demand to drive international consumption of our content.
2. Digital content distribution systems and aggregation systems are areas of opportunity for Canada in the global digital economy. By encouraging innovation in distribution and aggregation systems Canada has an opportunity to lead as a nation. This may mean using domestic digital properties as a basis for large scale distribution and aggregation systems. This kind of innovation can be seen today with the CBC and the NFB mobile applications and online distribution systems. CTV's delivery of Olympic content live online and the CBC's great streaming of NHL playoffs and World Cup soccer are other examples of our growing capacity for powerful online distribution systems.
3. Let us be a nation of pioneers who try and do new things. Incentives and encouragement for innovation in content creation, distribution and aggregation will help to spur our digital content industry beyond many of the nations we will be competing with in the global attention economy. To be most prosperous Canada needs a qualified population that has been working with these technologies for a long time. This requires the nation to work to educate the youngest among us about how these technologies work and how they can be utilized most effectively. Effective use requires a combined knowledge and skill set that crosses more disciplines than ever before. This will require either strong teams with diverse skills or individuals with diverse skill sets. Can Canada subsidize digital education that is deemed valuable to current trends? (i.e.: HTML5, app development, mobile website creation, producing video for the web).

4.4 What kinds of 'hard' and/or 'soft' infrastructure investments do you foresee in the future? What kinds of infrastructure will you need in the future to be successful at home and abroad?

Hard

1. Broadband access is the backbone for our digital infrastructure. The lack of competition in both the wireless and wired internet delivery systems doesn't bode well for Canadian innovation and access to the most current ICT technology. The companies benefitting from the advantage of a less competitive market place should be charged to provide secondary services to the Canadian people as a stipulation of their licensing agreement. This was more present in the past but has since been mostly phased out in Canada. Media convergence is a necessity globally but has not created more or better content for Canadians.
2. We need more access to affordable, easy to use devices with the most up to date services. Currently Canadians are forced to wait for the most current technology. How can we create incentives for companies to develop their products in our country when we lack the most up to date networks and devices?
3. Infrastructural investments should be made into creating innovation hubs where wireless networks are readily and openly available. Vancouver's Gastown is a hub for ICT companies big and small and would work well as a test case for a PPP to supply the area with ubiquitous wireless service. This 'hub' would also bring freelancers and those who work from their laptops to congregate together presenting an opportunity to cooperate, collaborate and innovate. Investment in educational infrastructure and advanced education programs in ICT.
   
   Soft
4. Soft infrastructure investments in the future should work to integrate digital art more closely with digital media. We are not taking full advantage of the distributive powers of existing networks to support the proliferation of Canadian content. It will be a challenge to build the base of this group but with proper funding, support and integration with current cultural efforts success is much more likely.
5. The digital media we create needs to be more than just documentation it needs to be infused with the social, language and educational needs of our nation and our world. Skills like leadership, motivating others and taking initiative to solve problems will make out workforce in the digital economy more competitive for higher level positions. The winners in the new job market will have diverse skill sets including technical, social and collaborative abilities beyond their competitors. Digital media education needs to be well rounded and teach students the importance of making work that people can interact with, enjoy and learn from. The CBC is an amazing test ground that Canada can and is using to learn about what's working and what isn't in ICT.

4.5 How can stakeholders encourage investment, particularly early stage investment, in the development of innovative digital media and content?

1. In Vancouver in particular organizations have a hard time moving from the start–up phase to the early or mid stage of their development because Vancouver is lacking in some skilled workers that are in high demand. Either these people are gainfully employed in the sector in Vancouver or they are moving elsewhere to pursue more lucrative opportunities. This creates a crush on local ICT human resources and companies here have a hard time keeping talented employees who must move on to move up.
2. Employees reach a point where the size of the organization limits their professional development so they leave the country to pursue 'bigger' opportunities. Therefore we have a hard time building companies to a large enough point and keeping them in the country. It's a bit of a Catch–22 but there are solutions. We could provide incentives to larger companies to stay here. We could subsidize the necessary education of these highly skilled employees. We can build up programs like BCIT's Bachelor's in Technology Management so that we are able to train these employees for the local job market.
3. There are obvious exceptions like RIM and Invoke Media but for the vast majority of companies in ICT finding the best employee for a high level position is often the greatest challenge. After human resources financial investment is vital to early stage growth. It's important that companies have sound business models before seeking investment funds. One of the problems plaguing start–ups in the ICT sector is that they are not focusing enough on business and marketing plans. They require some skill sets they often don't possess. There is an opportunity to leverage students during practicum or internships in a coordinated way to aid these companies in this effort in an affordable way.
4. 4. ICT start–ups need to have a business model, business plan and marketing plan to understand and improve their own business and to effectively pitch for investment funds. These individuals could also use educational programs in how to pitch and develop business plans and a business model.

4.6 How can we ensure that all Canadians, including those with disabilities (learning, visual, auditory), will benefit from and participate in the Canadian digital economy?

1. ICT should be providing people with disabilities (PWDs) many opportunities for reducing or removing barriers to their education, training and employment to enable them to be fully included. Barriers are often cultural rather than material, and so educators and employers need to be educated out of preconceived views of disability and learn to work with PWDs to provide solutions, including those that ICT has to offer. For example, voice–activated software including word–processing; advanced screen reader facilities for visually impaired people, and people with dyslexia.
2. "Teleworking, is a flexible work practice that takes place at distance, either at the employee's home or at a local telecentre. During the last decade, teleworking has proved to be a good practice … Now it is becoming a way to get a job for persons with disabilities … as well. Special telecentres have already been established for this purpose in several countries. They provide training opportunities to persons with disabilities in order for them to gain necessarily skills and competences to accomplish working assignments. This allows newly trained persons with disabilities to become a part of national human resources, able to contribute to the social, economic and political development of a country."²

BCIT is committed to providing assistance to all its full– and part–time students with permanent or temporary disabilities.

Examples of assistance may include:
Exam and program accommodations
Note–taking, scribes, readers
Alternate format textbooks
Interpreting or transcribing
Adaptive technology
Funding and grant information
Learning strategies support

Accommodation for Students with Disabilities

5. Building Digital Skills for Tomorrow

1. What do you see as the most critical challenges in skills development for a digital economy?
2. What is the best way to address these challenges?
3. What can we do to ensure that labour market entrants have digital skills?
4. What is the best way to ensure the current workforce gets the continuous up–skilling required to remain competitive in the digital economy? Are different tactics required for SMEs versus large enterprises?
5. How will the digital economy impact the learning system in Canada? How we teach? How we learn?
6. What strategies could be employed to address the digital divide?

5.1 What do you see as the most critical challenges in skills development for a digital economy?

1. We need the integration of technology into the delivery of education, the access of content and the facilitation of an international community at the elementary and high school levels. The challenge is for students and instructors alike to retain currency in their skills set at a time of rapid development of new technologies and advancing software. This challenge translates into a significant ongoing technology investment strategy for education institutions at a time of government grant restraint.

5.2 What is the best way to address these challenges?

1. Government needs to raise public awareness that this field is important to the economy and to future employment. Government needs to work with stakeholders to attract more women into the field and to change the image from 'nerdy' to professional. Government would do well to work with schools, colleges and Universities to enable targeted reinvestment in ICT in order to remain globally competitive in skills development. One way of achieving this would be to offer tax–break incentives for ICT industry players that invested in education partners.

5.3 What can we do to ensure that labour market entrants have digital skills?

1. There are many drivers to increase the talent pool in the future. Market forces will demand currency in digital skills which will be met by increasingly diverse providers, including the ICT industry itself through partnering with education institutions to provide work placements and also work–based learning, which is currently in its infancy in Canada. Work–based learning could provide significant relief to the ICT investment requirements in post–secondary education. Private colleges in Canada and abroad are jostling for position and the public sector could consider more partnering opportunities in order to share resources and maintain currency of ICT infrastructure and skills sets.

5.4 What is the best way to ensure the current workforce gets the continuous up–skilling required to remain competitive in the digital economy? Are different tactics required for SMEs versus large enterprises?

1. BCIT offers High–Tech Professional Programs that combine business, professional, and technical skills in a realistic work environment. Students learn from experienced professionals in a team–based cohort model and have an opportunity to make valuable industry contacts through work terms and sponsored projects.

5.5 How will the digital economy impact the learning system in Canada? How we teach? How we learn?

1. "It is relevant to assess and compare how education systems are dealing with technology integration in schools — particularly in terms of securing and improving access, enhancing a wide range of educational and managerial uses, and monitoring the effects and impacts on the development of critical technology–related skills and competencies. Such a comparison is not possible in the absence of appropriate indicators which, at the moment, are missing in the international collections already available. Both the European Commission and OECD have recognised the need for reliable indicators in the area of technology in education."³
2. In order to prepare students for the digital economy we need to integrate critical thinking skills into all our programs with an emphasis on how these are applied to the use of digital content and digital technologies. There is a widespread misconception that young people are technologically savvy with a sophisticated understanding and command of digital technologies. All credible research suggests the opposite. They know how to use digital technology for very specific purposes (usually social and entertainment) and many are unable to critically analyze information they access through digital technologies. The ability to work effectively in a knowledge–based digital economy will require a sophisticated understanding of how to use digital technologies to access, evaluate and synthesize information and to communicate and network effectively. Work and professional relationships will be increasingly developed and maintained through technology. BCIT's Digital Learners in Higher Education research project is contributing to our understanding of these issues by investigating how postsecondary students are using digital technologies for social and educational purposes the relationship between the various uses.
3. "IdM (digital identity management) also opens up opportunities in the area of education. The distributed nature of education and research means that resources are commonly scattered across different institutions around the world. Distance education and collaborative e–learning may require the establishment of authenticated relationships between students, institutions, and sometimes parents and guardians. IdM can help to address the problem of managing identities throughout a person's educational life–cycle, as well as multiple interactions with both educational systems and educational officers, within and across establishments."⁴
4. "Software to catch copycats such as Turnitin, used by the UK universities' plagiarism advisory service (Jisc–PAS), makes it possible for a lecturer to compare an assignment against billions of published papers and students' essays to spot similarities."⁵ Canada would do well to emulate such an integrated service.
5. 'Institutions worldwide have adopted learning management systems (LMS) — software developed for administration and teaching in tertiary education. This software enables them to treat enrolment data electronically, offer electronic access to course materials and carry out assessments, for example, as well as offering online interaction between faculty and students. But there is still a gulf between LMS adoption — which is too often [incorrectly] equated to e–learning — and its use for teaching…"⁶ In terms of teaching and learning, institutions need to move away from traditional transmission modes of teaching and to focus on experiential and applied learning. BCIT is well–positioned for this because of its applied curriculum and commitment to experiential learning. This is not something new. Educational reformers have been calling for this for decades but the need is now more urgent than ever. This also means using learning technologies appropriately and not simply to replicate outdated modes of teaching. Unfortunately, many of the developments in learning technology have been aimed at doing just this. The learning management system has been adopted widely but it is rooted in a traditional, instructor–centred mode of teaching. It separates students from the vast resources and networks of the Internet and the businesses and industries they are preparing to work. It is driven by administrative institutional needs and technology integration rather than effective learning that is aimed at preparing students for the digital economy. We need to use learning technologies that allow students to connect, network and showcase their work and which recognize that learning in the digital economy is, more than ever, lifelong. Our learning technologies need to allow students to maintain a portfolio of their work that they can continue to build throughout their careers and share as they see fit.
6. Given a choice, most students want to learn in a small group, expert–lead, face–to–face environment that provides a hands–on, real–life learning experience and the opportunity to pose questions, to test hypothesis, to practice skills and get feedback. Though this might sound "traditional", it is a lofty goal when you consider using educational technology to create such an environment. Canada, with an investment in technology infrastructure, expertise and research, can help address this challenge, and in doing so, create a valuable pool of talent in the most remote regions of the Country. The promise of effective distance education, through technology, has not been fully realized but still holds tremendous potential.

5.6 What strategies could be employed to address the digital divide?

1. "Recent evidence has unveiled that the digital divide in education goes beyond the issue of access to technology. A new second form of digital divide has been identified: the one existing between those who have the right competences and skills to benefit from computer use, and those who do not. These competences and skills are closely linked to the economic, cultural and social capital of the student. This has important implications for policy and practice. Governments should make an effort to clearly convey the message that computer use matters in the education of young people and they should do their best to engage teachers and schools in raising the frequency of computer use to a relevant level. Such an increase could not only be a clear indication of teachers' and schools' engagement with the development of 21^st century skills and competencies, but it could also report gains in educational performance. In addition, schools should be reminded that they have a crucial role in the development of the cultural capital that will allow students to bridge the emerging second digital divide."⁷
2. Some of this assistance is focused on eliminating the digital divide for persons with disabilities (PWDs). In particular as the rate of change of ICT accelerates there is a need to ensure effort is made to enable PWDs to have access to information and communication technologies to ensure they are not left out of the Canadian digital economy.

Conclusion

1. The essence of what we are grappling with in terms of making the digital economy a reality for everyone is captured in Economist 2010 report:

"The goalposts are shifting, but the imperatives for countries to extract the maximum economic and social benefits from the use of digital technology remain:

• Ensure the population has affordable access to the highest quality fixed and wireless data and voice connections possible.
• Establish ICT as a focal point of education, and ensure students at all levels learn how to use digital technology to their benefit.
• Make possible the wide–scale provision of goods and services online which provide genuine utility to citizens and businesses.
• Encourage greater innovation and entrepreneurship, to create the best chances for ICT–enabled change to filter through the economy.
• Ensure that the legal regime avoids placing undue shackles on the use of technology while also providing adequate protection to people and organisations from its abuse.

Governments, of course, are not bystanders on this journey. They cannot themselves make all the above come to pass. But working in concert with business leaders, universities and other stakeholders, they can create the conditions for the digital economy to take root."⁸

2. A common misconception is the rate of change that can be expected in the future, with new technologies becoming mainstream more and more rapidly in an exponential fashion, rather than a linear rate of adoption. A key issue for government is being able to accurately understand and anticipate this rate of change, and to be able to envision new technologies and novel applications within mainstream commerce and culture. Future–proofing Canada's digital economy strategy will be essential to at least maintaining, if not promoting, our current global ranking.

"Beyond the current Internet, a set of new technologies, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) and location–based technologies, are predicted to enable new innovative applications and cause the network to evolve into an "Internet of Things". In the longer term, small wireless sensor devices embedded in objects, equipment and facilities are likely to be integrated with the Internet through wireless networks that will enable interconnectivity anywhere and at anytime. The future uses and capacities of technologies that bridge the physical and virtual worlds are expected both to bring economic benefits and raise new societal challenges."⁹

3. As an institute of technology BCIT is well–placed to be a key player in advancing the state of practice in digital media, computer technology, programming, network systems, and learning management systems within the education and training sector. By being a collaborative partner BCIT is working to ensure that Canada's digital economy and global competitiveness is maintained.

¹ Digital economy rankings 2010 Beyond e–readiness; A Report The Economist Intelligence Unit.

² Interactive session on ICT and Persons with Disabilities at WSIS Forum 2010.

³ Assessing the Effects of ICT in Education: Indicators, Criteria and Benchmarks for International Comparisons, ISBN: 9789264079786 Publication: 2/6/2010 OECD.

⁴ Working Party on Information Security and Privacy, DSTI/ICCP/REG(2008)10/FINAL Organisation for Economic Co–operation and Development 11–Jun–2009.

⁵ Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) — The New Millenium Learners Blog.

⁶ e–learning in tertiary education OECD Brief December 2005.

⁷ Assessing the Effects of ICT in Education: Indicators, Criteria and Benchmarks for International Comparisons, ISBN: 9789264079786 Publication: 2/6/2010 OECD.

⁸ Digital economy rankings 2010 Beyond e–readiness; A Report The Economist Intelligence Unit.

⁹ The Future of the internet Economy, OECD Policy brief, June 2008.