Acknowledgements

I would like to thank those who have supported this endeavour. Dr. Griff Richards, his encouragement to undertake this project, his skill in identifying potential areas of investigation, and his willingness to go to bat for me when needed have been instrumental in my development as a researcher and educator. Dr. Richard Kenny’s contributions to the development of the proposal were invaluable; I wish him all the best in his retirement. Dr. Susan Moisey, who agreed to join this effort half-way through, was gracious and thorough in her suggestions for improvement, and this thesis is better as a result of her contributions. Her words of encouragement were “Hang in there,” and they were more meaningful than I imagined three words could be. The staff and faculty of the Centre for Distance Education, including Leanne Jewell, Mawuli Kiuvi, Dr. Terry Anderson, Dr. Marguerite Koole, and my fellow students from across the globe have all played a part in this process. Finally, I owe a debt of gratitude to my friends, mentors, and colleagues at Thompson Rivers University, including Dr. Valerie Peachey, Sarah Langlois, Marie McGivern, and many others. Your support may have been unorthodox at times, but it was always appreciated.

Thank you, all.