5 research outputs found
Adoption of Augmented Reality in Distance Education: A Scoping Review
No full textAugmented Reality (AR) has garnered significant attention in the field of education over the last two decades, with data indicating that it improves the effectiveness of teaching and learning in a variety of academic environments. There is, however, the absence of a framework that can guide the institution-wide adoption of AR in distance education. Distance Education (DE) has always been linked to advances in (educational) technology in terms of facilitating the transactional distance between providing institutions and learners, supporting them both synchronously and asynchronously, and providing educators with tools to improve pedagogy and resource utilisation. However, it is unclear why AR has yet to be institutionalised in distance and distributed learning environments. A scoping review was done to identify the enabling conditions for implementing AR in DE, and the results were deductively analysed. While the scoping review results did not reveal any frameworks or models that could guide the implementation of AR, it pointed out several factors to consider when adopting AR in a distance learning environment
If Augmented Reality is Really Effective as a Teaching Tool, Why is it Not Used in Distance Education?
No full textPCF10 Sub-theme: Promoting Equity and Inclusion // In the past two decades, Augmented Reality (AR) has been increasingly receiving attention within the field of education, providing evidence of the positive impact of AR on the effectiveness of teaching and learning in several disciplinary contexts. Despite the evidence, there is a paucity of large-scale adoption of AR in higher education and no evidence of the deployment of AR in distance learning environments. The evolution of Distance Education (DE) has always been linked to advancements in (educational) technology in ameliorating the transactional distance between providing institutions and learners, supporting learners synchronously and asynchronously, as well as providing educators with tools to increase the effectiveness of pedagogy and use of resources. It is therefore unclear why AR has not been adopted in distance and distributed learning environments. A scoping review focused on establishing the enabling conditions for adopting AR in DE and the results were deductively evaluated. The results of the scoping review did not find any frameworks or models to guide the implementation of AR but pointed out several elements that need to be considered in the adoption of AR. This study resulted in a conceptual model identifying several pedagogical and organisational issues that may affect the adoption of AR in Distance Education. // Paper ID 058
Navigating Institutional Diversity Through the TEL COL Project: Challenges and Opportunities
No full textThe Commonwealth of Learning (COL) project, Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL), engaged six higher education institutions in Mauritius, each representing diverse cultural, institutional, and pedagogical contexts, to develop online and blended courses. While diversity enriched the project, it also introduced challenges such as disparities in institutional policies, variations in technological readiness, and differing levels of commitment to open education principles. This paper examines strategies to transform institutional diversity into opportunities for innovation and mutual learning. A survey conducted with participating institutions further explored the challenges and opportunities encountered, providing empirical insights into the dynamics of cross-institutional collaboration. The diversity of institutional contexts offered fertile ground for generating innovative, context-sensitive solutions. The project fostered resilience and adaptability, emphasising the importance of collaboration, flexibility, and shared ownership in addressing the complexities of TEL implementation. Tailored capacity-building workshops and mentorship programmes were designed to address institutional gaps while respecting each context’s unique strengths. Training 100 academics and resulting in 88 ODL/OER courses, the project demonstrated that fostering collaboration demands more than overcoming technical barriers; it requires cultivating a shared identity, a collaborative mindset, and building a community of practice. The lessons learned offer valuable insights for future cross-institutional TEL initiatives, where diversity remains both a strength and a challenge.
PCF11 Sub-Theme: Sustaining Communities of Learning and Practice in Innovative Open Education
Paper ID: 567
Digital Education in Mauritius: Policies and Practices
No full textThe Higher Education Commission (HEC) Mauritius has spearheaded the TEL project supported by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and successfully completed three phases of the TEL project, developing national guidelines, institutional policies, and 88 OER-based blended courses, enrolling over 2,000 students with significant completion rates. The establishment of a National OER Monitoring Committee further strengthens oversight and supports the growth of the OER repository. This panel discussion will highlight Mauritius as a case study for pan-African lessons on implementing TEL for increasing access to and improve quality of education and training. It will delve into the evolution, strategies, and implementation of TEL and OER in Mauritius, emphasizing the milestones achieved through the HEC's initiatives. It will provide a platform to examine key successes, address challenges, and discuss future pathways for leveraging technology to foster sustainable educational development in small island states and the broader global South. The key findings and discussions with the participants will help further scale the TEL implementation in other small states of the Commonwealth.
PCF11 Sub-Theme: Gender, Technology and Innovation in Open Education
Paper ID: 6527
Subjects: Technology Enabled Learning; Open Educational Resources; Institutional Policie
Strengthening and Sustaining Online and Blended Learning in the Aftermath of Covid-19 through Quality Assurance Measures: The Case of Public Higher Education Institutions in Mauritius
No full textPCF10 Sub-theme: Building Resilience // COVID-19 has caused major disruptions in higher education systems worldwide. In Mauritius, during the 2020 and 2021 national lockdowns, local universities had to pivot to online/blended learning and emergency remote teaching. However, few higher education institutions (HEIs) in Mauritius were prepared for online learning, resorting mostly to emergency remote teaching. It was observed that there was a dearth of quality assurance guidelines and standards for Online/blended Learning, hence underlining the need to support HEIs in their transition from face-to-face to online delivery, while simultaneously upholding the quality of the programmes delivered. With funding from the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC), a project was submitted jointly by the University of Mauritius and the Open University of Mauritius to help mitigate the impact of COVID‑19 on Mauritius’ higher education sector and its students, by providing short-term solutions in the form of quality assurance rubrics and an ODL handbook, so that HEIs can ensure the continuity of high-quality education with minimal disruptions during the pandemic and beyond. These tools were validated at national and institutional levels in order to capture specificities of the local context while meeting international standards (benchmarks). Based on interviews of key stakeholders, policy makers, CEOs of HEIs and the research team’s knowledge and experience in this field, a number of recommendations emerged. This paper will present the methodology, major findings, recommendations and tools developed under this project. It is also hoped that online learning becomes part and parcel of the DNA of HEIs, to build the robustness and resilience of their online learning provisions so that they can confidently face any future disruptions. // Paper ID 296
