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Revisiting the Rationale for Training Online Instructors at the Open University of Tanzania
No full textPCF10 Sub-theme: Promoting Equity and Inclusion // Online learning is increasingly becoming a prevalent feature in higher learning institutions globally. Online learning aims to increase access to education without compromising the quality of teaching and learning. Thus, online learning requires competent online instructors who have undergone training on how to teach in an online environment. According to the Open University of Tanzania (OUT) Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy of 2019 the number of courses uploaded on Moodle does not comply with the e-learning standards. There is little evidence regarding instructors’ effectiveness in executing online instruction roles. This paper examines the efficacy of instructors’ training programmes using explanatory concurrent research design with data collected from 178 instructors at the Open University of Tanzania through questionnaires and interviews. Findings from the study indicated that generally, training has significant impact on the way instructors teach in the online environment. Although most of respondents rated training as an effective strategy for online instruction they lacked continuous training programmes while data from interview indicated that the package of training programmes missed some key content required by instructors. This paper suggests that, among other things, institutions should invest on continuous training programmes for online instructors and ensure inclusion of all key contents for the same. // Paper ID 968
PCF10: The Calgary Communique
No full textThe Calgary Communique was presented on September 16, 2022 at the Closing Ceremony of the Tenth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF10), Calgary TELUS Convention Centre in Calgary, Canada
Skills Online Sri Lanka - Employed for the Unemployed: Libraries Reskilling Citizens to Enter the Labour Market During Covid-19 Pandemic
No full textPCF10 Sub-theme: Fostering Lifelong Learning [POSTER] // Skills Online Sri Lanka: Libraries Reskilling Citizens to Enter the Labour Market During Covid-19 Pandemic // The economic impact of Covid-19 pandemic has led to a sharp decrease in jobs worldwide – Sri Lanka is no exception.
On the one hand, Sri Lanka's labor market skills mismatch has been recognized for many years, especially in the context of high levels of unemployment among educated youth. On the other hand, the pandemic also taught us the lesson that there is a need for re-skilling people who loose employment due to the new nature of jobs and workplace environment. In response, the National Library of Sri Lanka (NLSL) decided to invest in education and training programmes to reskill and upskill job seekers entering the workforce. Together with Commonwealth of Learning and its partners the national library launched the ‘Skills Online Sri Lanka Programme – Employed for the Unemployed’ which gave the unemployed and displaced workers free access to over 10,000 short courses and certificate programs. The program indeed helped to address the impacts of Covid-19 and helped unemployed workers re-skill and re-enter the workforce. This poster shall help us to walk the audience through the journey of implementing the COL-Skills Online Sri Lanka Program, including challenges, accomplishments and achievements to date. // Paper ID 493
Internet not Available! Using Offline Networked Learning to Enhance Teachers’ School-Based Continuing Professional Development in Zambia
Get PDFPCF10 Sub-theme: Inspiring Innovations // Access to effective Continuing Professional Development can be difficult for teachers in sub-Saharan Africa, impacting their capacity to learn from best practice and improve their teaching approaches. Internet and cellphone services are seen as potential solutions, offering digital resources and online training. However, these are hindered by limited or expensive network coverage, leaving poorer-resourced and more remote schools behind. // Zambian Education School-based Training (ZEST) has trialled an innovative approach for teachers: an offline networked learning approach. Deploying low-cost, battery-powered small computers as networked hubs has enabled collaborative, digitally enhanced professional development training where internet access is too expensive or unreliable. Central to ZEST is the idea of teachers learning together in Teacher Group Meetings. Raspberry Pi computers, accessed via teachers’ own smartphones, have allowed educators to work together in proximity, sharing open digital resources. // Through interviews and observations and drawing from Blumenfeld et al.’s diagnostic framework (2000), we report on teachers’ and school leaders’ impressions of the benefits and challenges of this novel approach. We reflect on its adoption, appropriation, enactment, and maintenance by school systems. We offer findings that may be more broadly applied to support school-based professional development in similarly restricted environments. // Paper ID 608
Achieving Effective Micro-Lecturing using Micro-Tutorials and Micro-Learning-Patterns
Get PDFPCF10 Sub-theme: Inspiring Innovations // The traditional micro-lecturing process consists of a micro-lecture followed by an assignment. The complete micro-lecturing process aims to impart understanding skills to students. According to Bloom's taxonomy, the prime objective of a lecturing process is to nurture students' memorization, understanding and application skills. However, due to short lecturing time, micro-lectures often fail to impart application and memorization skills to students. Can we design a micro-lecturing process capable of imparting all three skills to students? This research uses micro-tutorials and micro-learning patterns (MLP) to address this problem. This research explains how the traditional micro-lecturing process can be modified using micro-tutorials and MLP's to enhance students' all three skills simultaneously. // A micro-lecture aims to explain a topic. On the other hand, MLP's provide a systematic way to (a) understand a topic, (b) memorize essential elements associated with the topic and (c) allow learners to apply the gathered knowledge to solve associated problems. These MLP's are implemented using an ordered triplet consisting of micro-lectures, micro-tutorials, and assignments. In this ordered triplet, micro-tutorials are sandwiched between micro-lectures and assignments. So, this ordered triplet can be considered as the modified version of the traditional micro-lecturing process. This modified micro-lecturing process nurtures students' all three skills simultaneously. This happens because, in the modified micro-lecturing process, a micro-lecture explains a topic, nourishing students' understanding skills. This micro-lecture also provides pointers concerning different application areas associated with the topic. Micro-Tutorials uses these pointers to enhance students' application and memorization skills. At the same time, assignments help students to practice and apply their skills to solve different sets of problems. // To prove the validity of our proposed approach, we floated a twenty-day-long 'C' programming course for 62 registered students. We used the modified micro-lecturing process to teach registered students and observed excellent results. For example, we observed a hike of more than 25% in students' problem-solving, application and programming skills. We strongly believe that this research help educators to design pedagogically effective micro-lectures and micro-lecturing systems. // Paper ID 722
Building Resilience through Quality-Assured Online Courses: the COTE Programme
No full textPCF10 Sub-theme: Building Resilience [POSTER] // The poster will give an overview of the quality-assurance steps undertaken in the design and development of a certificate programme entitled Online Teaching for Educators offered by the Institute of Distance Education of the University of Eswatini (Eswatini, Southern Africa). The focus is on capacity and resilience building as the Covid-19 pandemic made it clear that staff members in various education sectors were struggling to make the transition from face-to-face and blended learning to fully online learning.
I will discuss the steps undertaken to continue developing teaching staff’s knowledge, skills and attitudes while facing adversity. A detailed list with possible advantages and disadvantages of those steps and actions will show that what has worked best is a combination of online activities (courses, webinars, meetings) together with small face-to-face interactions for some participants. The paper concludes by proposing a model for continued staff development (based in part on work done by Ceesay, 2021 and Mino, 2020). While the staff development activities discussed here are firmly rooted in a Swazi context, the lessons learned are useful to universities and other organisations beyond the borders of Eswatini, beyond the region too. // Paper ID 162
Designing for Digital Wellness: Videoconferencing Guidelines for Inclusion
No full textPCF10 Sub-theme: Inspiring Innovations // Digital wellness intends to promote academic achievement and holistic wellbeing while avoiding the potential harms of technology in the application of videoconferencing solutions. Drawing from extant literature in a systematic review, we found six design themes for course designers to utilize, create, and plan inclusive learning experiences in videoconferencing learning spaces. Based on our examination of the following themes, accessibility, active learning strategies, multimodal communication, readiness, social presence, and socio-cultural sensitivity, we have provided guiding questions to inform design considerations for digital wellness and inclusive learning through videoconferencing technologies. // Paper ID 481
SWOT Analysis and Strategies Development for a Paradigm Shift from Conventional to Blended Learning: A Study on Teacher Education Programmes of Bangladesh Open University
No full textPCF10 Sub-theme: Building Resilience // The paper explores the perceptions of policymakers and teacher educators regarding a paradigm shift from conventional to blended learning at Teacher Education Programmes (TEPs) of Bangladesh Open University (BOU). It examines the prospects and challenges of this paradigm shift and proposes the development of a strategic approach for implementing this shift. A mixed-methods design was utilised, involving a cross-sectional survey, focus group discussions (FGDs), and interviews for data collection. 145 teacher educators responded to the survey, while 19 teacher educators participated in four FGDs. In addition, six purposively selected policymakers were interviewed. The findings reveal 26 SWOT themes comprising seven strengths, six weaknesses, seven opportunities, and six threats. 11 SWOT strategies were proposed to implement the said shift at BOU. The paper proposes that by following the SWOT strategies, the implementation of BL in BOU’s TEPs may contribute to a successful paradigm shift. // Paper ID 051
ICT Enabled Education to Empower Girls: Potentials for the Vulnerable Groups
No full textPCF10 Sub-theme: Promoting Equity and Inclusion // Financial constraints, coupled with socio-cultural construct induce vulnerability among girls in Bangladesh. This leads to them entering the labor market without skills; thus, their career becomes constricted while their potential remains unexplored. For a worthwhile life they should be empowered, which can best be done by educating them without hindering their work life. Open and Distance Learning (ODL) with the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can provide such a flexible learning arrangement to working women and girls. A wide range of electronic devices at different purchasing levels can provide flexibility in the use of ICT. A retrospection of COL’s Gender initiative’s virtual workshop, ‘Upskilling Girls in ICT through Mobile Application Development’, facilitated by the author in 2020 evoked ideas and generated interest for following up with the participants regarding their use of ICT. This endeavor helped conceptualize the idea that girls of the vulnerable groups can potentially be empowered by engaging them with ICT-enabled education which can transform their lives. This study has been conducted based on both primary and secondary sources of data. Secondary sources are research materials, scholarly articles, statistics from governmental websites and official publications. Primary data were collected in two stages. Firstly, data were collected from 74 girls through structured questionnaires and focus group discussions (FGDs), who represented nine rural areas of Bangladesh. Secondly, in light of the experience and findings of these data, a follow up study of the author’s previously conducted research among girl workers of six garment factories in Dhaka Metropolitan City was carried out through questionnaire survey and FGDs. The findings of this research can lead towards further educational explorations and help develop actionable plans to significantly empower girls of the vulnerable groups. // Paper ID 531
Open and Distance Learning as Paradigm Shift in Education vis-a-vis Covid-19 Pandemic: Focus on the Council of Legal Education and Faculties of Law in Nigerian
No full textPCF10 Sub-theme: Promoting Equity and Inclusion // The World Bank stated that by April 2020, over 220 million or 13 percent of students in tertiary education globally experienced interruptions in studies due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, over 30,000 Nigerian law students faced academic disruptions for same reason. Invariably the momentum for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has never been stronger than since the Covid-19 pandemic which urgently demands a paradigm shift in lifestyles and transformation of education through relevant learning models, pedagogies and institutional management reforms. Meanwhile, the Council of Legal Education (CLE) in Nigeria which regulates the admission of law students approves of only the conventional face-to-face teaching method which creates inequalities and lacks inclusiveness. This is inimical to the attainment of ESD for law education in Nigeria where universities were shut down due to Covid -19 pandemic. Using doctrinal research methodology the paper finds that the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) espoused by the National Open University of Nigeria is a substantial panacea to academic interruptions attributable to present and future pandemics. However, the critical issue is getting the CLE and law faculties to adopt this emerging ODL paradigm trend for sustainable law education in Nigeria. The paper therefore makes salient recommendations to that effect. // Paper ID 254