Crocodiles and polar bears: A cross cultural comparison of adult learning in remote Indigenous communities

This presentation compares and contrasts the context of adult learning for two groups of adult Indigenous students, one from the northern Australian tropics and one from far Northwestern Ontario. It also examines the ways that technology is used to try and bridge the distance between Indigenous adult learners' goals and educational opportunities. From this comparison we conclude that the educational gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous learners in Canada is closing, while the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is widening. We reflect on the reasons why Indigenous adult learners in Northwestern Ontario are being better served in comparison to their counterparts in the Northern Territory of Australia and the lessons we can learn from this.