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Directory of Open and Distance Learning Institutions and Programmes in West Africa
No full textBackground - Over the past two decades, Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in West Africa has experienced significant growth. The establishment of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) marked a pivotal moment, leading to the emergence of numerous ODL higher education institutions. This expansion reflects broader acceptance and recognition of flexible learning modalities.
However, a critical gap exists in the absence of a comprehensive directory cataloguing institutions providing ODL programmes in the West African sub-region. This deficiency hinders easy access to vital information about available opportunities for prospective students, educators, and policymakers. As distance education continues to gain traction across the region, there is an urgent need to address this gap by developing a comprehensive and up-to-date directory of ODL institutions and programmes.
Objectives - The primary aim of this initiative is to develop a comprehensive and up-to-date directory of ODL institutions and programmes in the West African sub-region. The objectives include to:
-Compile a comprehensive listing (meta-data) of ODL institutions operating within the West Africa sub-region
-Document various programmes and courses, including levels of education (undergraduate, postgraduate, and professional development), accreditation status, and other relevant details.
Scope - The directory covers ODL institutions across six commonwealth West African countries – Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Togo
Taming the Monster: How can Open Education Promote the Effective and Safe use of Generative AI in Education?
No full textThe development, use, and timely promotion of Open Education (OE) has been effective in addressing myriad educational concerns, including inclusivity, accessibility and learning achievement, among many others. However, limited information exists in the literature concerning how OE could enhance Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), which is receiving extensive interest and criticism at this time. To address this research gap, this study relies on the Open Educational Practices (OEP) framework of Huang et al. (2020) to provide various OEP scenarios that could help to promote and facilitate the effective and safe adoption of GenAI in education. The findings of this study could provide guidelines on how relying on OEP when adopting GenAI could help in ensuring quality education which is the sustainable development goal (SDG 4) of the United Nations (UN)
Programme Achievement 2023-24
No full textThe Commonwealth of Learning Programme Achievement Report for 2023-2024 as presented to the Board of Governors
Trinidad and Tobago 2021-24: Country Report
No full textThe report provides an overview of key COL activities and programmes in 2021-2024
Self-directed Learning for Higher Education: Course Material
No full textThis course material provides an overview of the contents of the 'Self-directed learning for higher education' massive open online course (MOOC). The MOOC provides a short introduction to SDL for faculty and facilitators in the higher education context. This MOOC covers the basic theoretical foundations of SDL. In addition, the typical characteristics of a self-directed learner and the way in which learner-centred and SDL-oriented learning environments can be created, are explored. On a more practical level, the MOOC focuses on the affordances of strategies such as cooperative learning, problem-based learning and play-based learning to foster SDL. Finally, the MOOC concludes with a section on the role of assessment to promote SDL throughout the learning process
Reflections on COL in India
No full textPresentation by COL to Consul General of India, COL Headquarters, Metro Vancouver, Canada, 8 February 2024
Exploring Simulation for Immersive Learning Experiences in the Digital, Open, and Distance Classroom
No full textSimulation-based learning has the potential to foster a transformative learning culture within the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) environment. This report is based on a research project, integrating a simulation into a digital ODL classroom, conducted in Wawasan Open University, an ODL university in Malaysia. The report highlights how a simulation can be valuable to ODL students as an effective learning tool and by creating an immersive learning experience for the students
Africa 2021-24: Regional Report
No full textThe Commonwealth of Learning (COL) is midway through a six-year strategy, which requires creating national resilience by working with governments on policy and regulation; building the capacities of institutions to implement open education; and supporting learners directly with open access and skills. This summary presents highlights from three streams of work in the Africa region from 2021–24
Models of Blended Learning
No full textPresentation by Dr Sanjaya Mishra, Education Specialist (Technology-Enabled Learning) at the North Zone Vice Chancellors’ meeting organised by the Association of Indian Universities at Graphic Era Hill University, Dehradun, India on November 5, 2024
Study on the Assessment of STEM Instructional Design Plan Based on Information Flows
No full textIn recent years, the growing incidence of blended and online learning has highlighted instructional design concerns, especially STEM instructional design. Existing studies have often adopted observations, questionnaires, or interviews to evaluate STEM instructional design plans. However, there is still a lack of quantitative, measurable, and objective assessment methods. To close this research gap, this study proposes an innovative method for assessing STEM instructional design plans based on information flows. In this study, 20 STEM instructional design plans were designed, analysed, and assessed using the proposed information flow-based assessment method. The results indicated that the proposed method is feasible and effective for assessing STEM instructional design plans. STEM instructional design plans could be significantly improved based on the proposed method. The results and implications for instructors and practitioners are discussed in depth