ERIC ED449298: Expanding Learning Horizons: Summary Report, 1998-2000.

31 Pages·2000·1.2 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
CE 080 867
ED 449 298
Expanding Learning Horizons: Summary Report, 1998-2000.
TITLE
Commonwealth of Learning, Vancouver (British Columbia).
INSTITUTION
2000-00-00
PUB DATE
NOTE
32p.
For full text:
AVAILABLE FROM
http://www.col.org/Summary98-00/SumRpt98-00.pdf.
Reports - Descriptive (141)
PUB TYPE
MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
Access to Education; Adult Basic Education; Communications;
DESCRIPTORS
Coordination; Developing Nations; *Distance Education;
Educational Cooperation; Educational Media; Educational
Quality; Educational Technology; Equal Education; Foreign
Countries; Government Role; *Information Technology;
*International Educational Exchange; Material Development;
Nonformal Education; *Open Education; *Partnerships in
Education; Postsecondary Education; Secondary Education; Sex
Role; *Staff Development; Vocational Education; Youth
Opportunities
*Commonwealth of Learning
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
This report records tasks completed during the last 3 years
by the Commonwealth of Learning, which has promoted, supported, advanced, and
enriched the practice of distance and open learning Commonwealth-wide since
1989. It begins with two messages: "There Will Have To Be Another Way"
(H.
Ian Macdonald) and "Achieving Goals, Working Together" (Gajaraj Dhanarajan).
A section highlights programs that addressed basic, vocational, and nonformal
education; used information and communications technologies; focused on
gender and development; provided academic and professional services,
including training and creating opportunities for youth; adapted learning
materials and resources; provided information and support; and advocated use
of distance and open learning. Other sections address collaborative course
offerings; alliances and partnerships; governance and management; responding
regionally; and support from and for governments. The report includes
one-page descriptions of these special projects: virtual learning; the
qtarion. which is a portable radio project; Canada Caribbean
Distance Education Scholarship Program; the Media Empowerment program that
uses digital technology to produce farm instructional videos; Commonwealth
Educational Media Center for Asia; and Literacy Project. Appended are lists
of publications, Board of Governors, and senior staff; and summary financial
information.
(YLB)
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
A
\
U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
G/This document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
originating it
Minor changes have been made to
improve reproduction quality
Points of view or opinions stated in this
document do not necessarily represent
official OERI position or policy
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND
DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS
BEEN GRANTED BY
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)
1
2
qtr
Access to education
means
better future
access to a
"Recognising knowledge as key to cultural, social
and economic development, The Commonwealth of
Learning is committed to assisting Commonwealth
member governments to take full advantage of open,
distance and technology-mediated learning strategies
to provide increased and equitable access to education
and training for all their citizens."
COL Mission Statement
There will have to be
way
another
Message from the Chairman
While my own background and experience was in the conventional form of
university education, I have been an enthusiastic supporter of open and
distance learning since 1982 when I had the privilege of meeting the late Hon.
Indira Gandhi, who was Prime Minister of India at the time. Mrs. Gandhi
remarked that India's educational policy objective was to have every child
with access to basic education by the year 1995. Sadly, she lamented, that
would require the addition of 10 million school places a year between 1982
and 1995 ... and I thought: there will have to be another way.
Traditional arguments against open and distance learning have faded away over
the last decade. An increasing number of studies reveal that such education can
be of comparable
even higher
quality than conventional means, and cer-
tainly provided to larger numbers at substantially lower costs. The advances in
information and communications technology have also improved research and
learning methods throughout the world. The ability to provide virtual libraries
with stocks of currently unaffordable journals and reference books for effective
teaching and research will soon be a reality throughout the developing world.
We must, however, ensure that increasing use of educational technology does
not encourage a paternal as opposed to a partnership approach between
individuals, institutions and nations. I can assure you that The Common-
wealth of Learning, in employing open learning and distance education as a
means of ensuring greater opportunities and greater equality, operates from
the principle that we will all learn from one another in the process. In that
sense, we are a catalyst rather than a missionary, dedicated to capacity-building
in the developing world in order to meet each community's social goals.
In this Summary Report, we are pleased to highlight several recent programme
accomplishments in the areas of staff development, training, policy formula-
tion, collaborative materials development, technology applications, knowledge
sharing and research.
With support from, and participation by, member governments of the Com-
monwealth, COL has accomplished a great deal over the past few years. You will
see in the pages that follow that this small organisation, with limited funds, has
developed an impressive record of achievement through its great capacity to
network and leverage its resources
On behalf of my colleagues on the Board of Governors, I offer
my congratulations to COL's staff arid associates throughout
the Commonwealth on the continuing progress that is be-
ing made and their dedication to human resource devel-
opment.
Dr. H. Ian Macdonald, O.C.
Chairman, Board of Governors, The Commonwealth of Learning
President Emeritus, York University (Canada)
rn
to
wo
Achieving
ether
0
oats,
.-
Message from the President
The Commonwealth of Learning celebrated its tenth anniversary in
Carrying out an innovative five-year pilot programme, on be-
1999. It was an occasion not only to reflect on the achievements of
half of the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and Inter-
the agency in a period so short as a decade, but also to measure its
national Trade, which provides undergraduate scholarships for
contribution to the development and growth of open and distance
Caribbean students to study "at a distance" through Canadian
education throughout the Commonwealth during that period. The
post-secondary institutions
agency can take rightful pride in the role it has played in adding
Becoming an implementation partner in Canada's Department
value to, and being a catalyst for, either the establishment or orderly
of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's Youth International
growth of the Commonwealth's great open and distance learning
Internship Program
universities in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and
Engaging community learning centres and communications tech-
Zimbabwe, as well as other dual-mode institutions located in the
nologies to support adult literacy development programmes in
Caribbean, the South Pacific, and South and Southeast Asia. COL
selected Commonwealth countries, with funding from the Brit-
has also been instrumental in building and maintaining close ties
ish Department for International Development (DFID)
among these institutions and individuals through its quiet inter-
ventions. All of this prompted at least one speaker at the tenth
Researching current trends in the "virtual" delivery of higher
education, also with DFID funding
anniversary celebratory conference in the Royal Kingdom of Bru-
nei to remark, "if COL wasn't there we would have to invent it."
Organising the first Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learn-
The last three years of our first decade is captured in this report,
ing in March 1999 in Brunei Darussalam, in celebration of COL's
which COL is pleased to submit for your information.
tenth anniversary
This report records the completion of tasks we undertook to perform
Publishing a manual on The Facilitation of the Transfer ofLearn-
on behalf of the Commonwealth three years ago in Botswana. In
ing Materials and producing "Training toolkits", designed to
1997, at their 13th triennial meeting, COL requested and received
provide comprehensive manuals for training distance educators
permission from Honourable Ministers of Education of the Com-
In association with Taylor & Francis/Routledge, launching an
monwealth to implement in partnership with their own institutions
annual World review of distance education and open learning
activities that would enhance indigenous capabilities, knowledge, skills
Continuing efforts to ensure gender-balanced programmes and
and expertise to undertake, design, implement and improve distance
projects, as well as initiatives to redress imbalances in access to
and open learning activities. We also undertook to investigate and
education and training where these are identified, including con-
advise member states of developments in the application of learning
ducting regional research on barriers to accessing technology for
technologies as well as create fora to share and exchange knowledge
women and co-ordinating the development of a gender training
amongst Commonwealth educators. In all, we completed some 150
resources database
individual projects, both small and large, of which some were funded
by COL's own resources and others through collaboration with na-
We also took measures to better ensure COL's sustainability through
tional and international agencies. Highlights of our work during the
partnerships and such means as fee-for-service arrangements and
1997 2000 plan period include:
seeking additional sources of revenue beyond member Govern-
ments' support (COL International). In all, some CDN$29 million
with, and co-ordinating the efforts of, eight
ming
southern African countries to train teachers of lower/junior
was expended on these activities. Of this member states contributed
$13 million as direct funding to our core budget and the remaining
secondary science, mathematics and technology subjects using
distance education
came as either in kind or project contributions. On behalf of COL,
I wish to record our sincere gratitude to all of our contributors without
Installing portable community broadcasting stations and digital
whose support our work and accomplishments could not have been
video production systems
possible. Through our work with the support of Commonwealth
Encouraging the development of open schooling systems, the
Governments we kept the promise we made in 1997.
application of new technologies in agricultural extension and
As we enter the third millennium, education and training becomes
co-ordinated skills training programmes
even more critical to the well being of the Commonwealth and its
Working with four donor agencies and ten recipient medical
people. The Commonwealth of Learning is poised to fulfil its role in
schools around the Commonwealth, offering a training pro-
support of the achievement of the Commonwealth goal of bringing
gramme for young surgeons by distance education.
education for all to its peoples.
to' Professor Gajaraj Dhanarajan
President & ChicfExecutive Officer, The Commonwealth ofLearning
Professor Emeritus, The Open University, Hong Kong
3
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THE COMMONWEALTH OF LEARNING (COL) promotes,
supports, advances and enriches the practice of distance and
open learning Commonwealth-wide. It continues to achieve
this through advocacy, advisories, training, providing infor-
mation, strengthening institutions, model building, consulta-
tion, conferences, professional development, policy support,
partnership brokering and networking.
Since it began operations in 1989, COL's influence and impact has helped shift the practice
of open and distance learning from the periphery of educational delivery to the centre.
More importantly, COL has helped Commonwealth governments and international agen-
cies appreciate the value of distance, open and technology-mediated learning, and to
incorporate the methods into basic education, open schooling, teacher training, technical/
vocational education and training, continuing professional education, literacy and values
education, as well as into the tertiary sector and non-formal situations.
COL has delivered over 600 projects, valued at about $45 million, on the Commonwealth's
behalf. These projects have influenced the creation or enhanced the capacity of open univer-
sities in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, as well as the
Universities of the West Indies and South Pacific. COL has also assisted staff development,
training, policy formulation, collaborative materials development, technology applications,
research, knowledge sharing and the implementation of student support systems.
Becoming the centre of a Commonwealth-wide network of open learning knowledge and
skills, COL has trained some 1,200 individuals and employed around 400 short-term
consultants from 39 Commonwealth countries.
COL has been able to achieve so much, with relatively little in financial resources, because
it successfully taps into the Commonwealth's rich pool of talent in order to help the
Commonwealth help itself- which is precisely what a Commonwealth agency should do.
Three-year Plan for 1997 2000
Commonwealth Ministers of Education, meeting in Botswana in 1997, warmly endorsed
and made pledges of support for COL's Three-year Plan for 1997 2000. Almost all of the
goals that were set have been achieved. COL completed over 150 projects in total, with
78% of the core-funding target realised and cash and in-kind contributions totalling
CDN$29.9 million.
The Plan outlined 180 projects of varying sizes for implementation through6eititliVeeini-
The Plan outlined 180 projects of varying sizes for implementation
In Southern Africa, COL is co-ordinating a materials development
throughout the Commonwealth, defined in ways that reflected the
and training initiative to provide a suite of high-quality, junior sec-
current state of open and distance learning in each of nine regions.
ondary core curriculum learning materials common to the nine
Programmes for girls and women, good governance and teacher
countries involved.
training figured prominently.
COL was one of the financial supporters for the publication by the
Commonwealth Secretariat of two resource booklets on human
Some projects, howeve5 were not completed as originally envisioned.
One such task was an attempt at establishing a Commonwealth-wide
rights and citizenship for use by secondary teachers in Common-
academic credit bank to facilitate student mobility Invited expert
wealth countries.
comment on the proposal clarified that the project's scope, and
The British Department for International Development (DFID) is
particularly its anticipated time frame, were overly ambitious. COL
funding a five-year project to write and deliver secondary education
subsequently refined the project to accord with a consultant's rec-
materials for out-of-school youth in five designated areas within
ommendation for a regional pilot, in the first instance, of a plan for
Nampula province, Mozambique. Some of the sites are very remote
credit articulation and banking. In March 2000, Education Minis-
and few currently have infrastructure such as electricity or a reliable
ters of Pacific island nations adopted a proposal to establish system-
telephone connection. The challenges lie in finding appropriate
atic provision for credit articulation and banking as integral to a
technology for course delivery, as well as in ensuring necessary
collaborative technical and vocational training scheme.
student support. The project was jointly developed by COL and
Several initiatives not originally in the Plan were also launched to
Mozambique's Ministry of Education. Current statistics show two
respond to immediate needs and/or the availability of partnerships
million students enrolled in primary schools, with only 80,000 in
and dedicated funding.
years 8-12. Limited classroom space precludes meeting the enor-
mous demand for secondary enrolment through conventional
means.
Pm*
rarnrne
TEACHER EDUCATION
highlights
Teacher education is integral to a focus on improving basic educa-
tion. COL is working with eight Southern African countries to
upgrade teachers of upper primary and junior secondary science,
mathematics, technology and general studies using distance educa-
Addressing basic, vocational and
tion. HIV/AIDS concerns increase the urgency of this challenge.
non-formal education
In Tonga, COL worked with the Ministry of Education's Commu-
nity Development and Training Centre to develop a training pro-
gramme for upgrading teachers from a certificate to a diploma level.
BASIC EDUCATION AND OPEN SCHOOLING
The pilot is now underway.
COL is encouraging the development of open schooling systems.
In conjunction with Domasi College and the Malawi Ministry of
In collaboration with UNESCO, UNICEF and local institutions,
Education, COL developed first-year materials to professionally
COL convened regional workshops in Asia, Africa and the Carib-
upgrade 3,500 teachers currently teaching without the requisite train-
bean during 1996-1999 on developing improved open schooling
ing.
frameworks to increase access to basic education for girls and women.
In 2000, COL convened a regional conference to explore open
COL and Namibia's Ministry of Basic Education and Culture com-
schooling methodologies and other innovative models for educat-
pleted a feasibility study in 2000 on electronically networking Teacher
ing street children. The symposium, held in Mussoorie, India, was
Resource Centres across the country to deliver online teacher train-
organised by India's National Open School. Also in 2000, COL
ing courses.
agreed to fund a feasibility study in Jamaica, conducted by
Additionally, COL has laid the groundwork for a pan-African policy
SchoolNet India Limited, on the establishment of an open school-
dialogue on in-service teacher training by open and distance learn-
ing system for that country.
ing that will be hosted by Namibia in July 2001.
1
India and Zambia. The project is also evaluating the effectiveness of
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION
such support to literacy workers who provide training programmes
Through pilot studies and projects, COL has made a modest begin-
in reading, numeracy and in the use and operation of information
ning in the use of information and communication technologies,
and communication tools. Work began in 1998, with implementa-
including video, to enhance agricultural learning in the Common-
tion beginning in 2000. The Indira Gandhi National Open Univer-
wealth. A thorough review of existing literature, sharing of experi-
sity and the University of Zambia are the project's local partners.
ence and exchange of views are needed. COL has convened regional
consultations in Barbados and India for this purpose.
Using information and
COL also collaborates with international and national agricultural
research institutions, extension partners and non-governmental or-
communications technologies
ganisations. Working with the Bangladesh Open University, it is
developing a pilot programme to increase and encourage business
COL provides advice and conducts regional workshops on the ap-
and self-employment skills among rural women. It has also launched
plication of appropriate technologies in open and distance learn-
an initial project to develop an agricultural training programme for
ing, non-formal education and development communications.
rural youth in India, focussing on good practices in vegetable and
fruit seedling production.
TEL-isphere 99, The Caribbean and Technology-Enhanced Learning
was held in Barbados in November 1999. The regional conference
was organised by COL and The Caribbean Broadcasting Union,
TECHNICAL /VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING
with financial support from the Caribbean Development Bank, the
COL is collaborating with several international agencies on skills
World Bank's InfoDev programme and the British Department for
development programmes, instructor training and networks.
International Development. The event was hosted by the Barbados
With partners in the Caribbean, New Zealand, Australia, Canada
Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Culture, the University
and Bangladesh, the drafting of the Technical and Vocational
of the West Indies Distance Education Centre and the Association
Teacher Training Programme was completed in 1999. The pro-
of Caribbean Tertiary Institutions. Leading educators and technol-
gramme is being implemented in the Caribbean region with all
ogy professionals met to identify technological methods for en-
member countries participating and The University of Technology,
hancing and extending education and training in the Caribbean.
Jamaica acting as the co-ordinating institution. The programme
They also discussed the findings of the Use ofPublic Broadcasting in
supports a rapidly expanding technical/vocational education sys-
the Caribbean for Open/Distance Learning, a feasibility study com-
tem, which resulted in the employment of technically competent
missioned by COL with funding assistance from the Caribbean
staff that lacked teaching skills. The programme can also be used
Development Bank.
elsewhere in the Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth Education Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA),
In the Pacific, COL is working with member states on two regional
cstablishcd by CCL uid hosted by the Indira Uandhi National
projects. One will improve skills training, in key areas of economic
Open University in India, manages a database of over 10,000 edu-
expansion, by developing learning materials for use throughout
cational radio and television programmes that are available for use
the region. The second will focus on developing policies and pro-
by institutions and broadcasters throughout the Asian region. Con-
cedures to facilitate credit transfer across institutional, national and
tributions are from 150 organisations in six countries, covering 65
even regional boundaries. Particularly for those in small island states,
subjects in ten languages. CEMCA also regularly conducts media
acquiring a suite of accredited skills will become easier; this then
training workshops in the region.
enables them to contribute to the national economy through
COL has installed and provided training on digital video production
employment.
systems in Jamaica and in Ghana, concentrating on their use for agricul-
tural extension, and has conducted feasibility studies for similar
LITERACY
application in Dominica, Grenada and Tobago. Low-cost, portable
With funding from the British Department for International
briefcase-sized community broadcasting stations have been setup, most
Development, COL is engaging community learning centres and
recently in South Africa and Zambia, as well as a solar-powered
communications technologies to support adult literacy develop-
broadcast installation in Uganda. The stations provide a wide range
ment programmes in selected Commonwealth countries
initially,
of educational and informational services to meet local needs.
continued...
The Commonwealth Electronic Network for Schools and Educa-
In the province of Kwa Zulu Natal, in the Republic of South
tion (CENSE), initiated by COL, the Commonwealth Secretariat
Africa, COL collaborated with the provincial Department of Edu-
and COMNET -F1 facilitates Commonwealth-wide contact between
cation and Culture in developing an open and distance learning
national learning grids, schools and institutions. COL hosts the
training programme for women in educational management. Once
CENSE web site (www.coLorg/cense), which provides support to teach-
fully developed, the South African Association of Women Managers
ers, learners and education administrators and promotes awareness
in Education will expand the programme into several other prov-
and practice of local cultures. As "school nets" evolve and grow
inces.
throughout the Commonwealth, the site will capture successes and
Help from COL is also enabling the Women's International Net-
challenges in information technology development, lessons learned
work (WIN) to publish a book on how women can use technolo-
and directions taken. Links to other existing school nets and re-
gies for open and distance learning. With a long, impressive list of
sources are also provided.
international authors, the book is expected to make a significant
COL has contributed educational technology expertise to several
contribution to existing literature.
institutions and at many symposiums; it also publishes EdTech News,
which provides snap-shots of current educational technology prac-
ICTS
GENDER BARRIERS TO
tice and developments.
Three in a series of four COL-convened regional expert group meet-
ings to identify gender-based barriers to information and commu-
nications technologies were held during 1998 2000. Symposiums
Focussing on gender
have been held in India, Barbados and Tanzania. Funding assistance
for the Asian meeting was provided by the British Council, and
and development
for the African meeting, by Canada's International Development
Research Centre through its Acacia Initiative. A final report and
Achieving equitable access to quality education and training fea-
recommendations for action will be prepared once the Pacific meet-
tures prominently on COL's agenda.
ing is held.
As a part of its report to the Sixth Meeting of Commonwealth
Prior to organising the meetings, COL conducted an environmen-
Ministers Responsible for Women's Affairs in New Delhi in April
tal scan of available literature and other information on the barriers
2000, COL was invited to demonstrate how Ministers could en-
to new information and communications technologies encoun-
gage the agency to address challenges, such as lack of educational
tered by women. The scan helped identify regional issues.
and economic opportunities and human rights contraventions,
that continue to face girls and women in many parts of the
Commonwealth. Examples of innovative formal and non-formal
GENDER TRAINING RESOURCES
distance education delivery presented by COL included adapting
COL, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the
human rights education materials for use by teachers and educa-
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations
tors, working with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to
Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), with COL as the im-
educate street children, using radio broadcasts to train women
plementing agency, developed a prototype database of training re-
agricultural workers in remote villages and developing models for
sources and capacity building materials for gender mainstreaming.
educating AIDS orphans and their support workers.
At the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women
(Beijing, 1995), gender mainstreaming was identified as a priority
By making learning available at times and places suitable to a
for governments and other bodies. The concept includes promot-
student's particular needs, distance education can help overcome
ing the role of women in the field of development and integrating
many obstacles faced by girls and women. Distance learning meth -
women's values into development work.
odologies incorporating relevant and effective self-instructional
materials offer powerful means to address the critical and emerg-
The gender training resources database is endorsed by the United
ing gender-related issues of single-parent households, "male
Nations Inter-agency Committee on Women and Gender Equal-
marginalisation" in the Caribbean and health concerns such as the
ity and currently includes materials from the United Nations and
HIV/AIDS epidemic at both the policy level and in public educa-
Commonwealth systems. The database was demonstrated at the
tion programmes.