Browsing by Author "Naidoo, Vis"

Now showing 1 - 17 of 17
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    The Commonwealth of Learning
    (2013-04-11) Kanwar, Asha; Naidoo, Vis; Ferreira, Frances; Umar, Abdurrahman; Kaushik, Madhulika; Lesperance, John; Mead Richardson, Alison; Balasubramanian, K; Pringle, Ian; Bullen, Mark; Balaji, Venkataraman; McEachern, Doris
    The Commonwealth of Learning’s presentation to the Honourable Julian Fantino, Minister of International Cooperation, Canada, 11 April 2013, Vancouver, Canada // It gives me great pleasure to formally welcome, for the first time at COL, a Minister of International Cooperation. It is perhaps appropriate that the visit is happening this year, when COL celebrates its 25th anniversary. Thank you, Minister for your time and for your interest in our work.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    Constructing the Framework for Financing Tertiary Education
    (2013-05-22) Naidoo, Vis
    Caribbean Development Bank, 43rd Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors, Panel Discussion - Financing Tertiary Education, St. Lucia, 22 May 2013, Constructing the Framework for Financing Tertiary Education by Mr. Vis Naidoo, Commonwealth of Learning // I define tertiary education as any education leading to certificates, diplomas, or academic degrees (graduate and post graduate) from institutions like technical and vocational colleges, universities, technical training institutes, community colleges, distance learning centres, nursing and teacher training colleges. Therefore, tertiary education refers to any institution attended by a learner after completing secondary school. I have used tertiary and higher education interchangeably. // My fellow panelists are focusing on models for student loans and financing of the University of West Indies. Based on the focus of this session and noting the themes of my fellow panelists’ presentations, I have focused my talk on understanding the framework that could be considered for financing and managing tertiary education. // My talk will include why tertiary education is a vital part of the value chain of lifelong learning of any nation and possible ways for institutions and governments to achieve value for money. // I will conclude with a look at developments currently impacting tertiary institutions.
  • Item
    Open Access
    Drivers for Change in Higher Education
    (2014-12-11) Naidoo, Vis
    Video presentation delivered at the ICT Leadership in Higher Education Workshop (11–12 December 2014) held in Dhaka, Bangladesh by Mr. Vis Naidoo, Vice President, Commonwealth of Learning. The presentation focuses on the key technology developments globally and their implications for both the institution and student. The presentation will note developments in massive open online courses (MOOCs), open education resources (OER), increased access to devices and other technology applications and will identify emerging trends for institutions and students.Duration: 13:29 // Resource contains a video link as well as a PDF document of the transcript.
  • Item
    Open Access
    Education and Training: Building the Critical Platform for Social and Economic Development in the Pacific
    (2013-03-25) Naidoo, Vis
    Video speech/presentation given at the Pacific TVET Open Distance and Flexible Learning Forum held in Tonga (25-28 March 2013) by Mr. Vis Naidoo, Commonwealth of Learning. Duration: 6:47 // Resource contains link to video as well as a document of the speech transcript.
  • Item
    Open Access
    How Technology Developments are Driving Change in Higher Education
    (2015-09-08) Naidoo, Vis; Naidoo, Vis
    This presentation focuses on the key technology developments globally and their implications for both the institution and student. The presentation will note developments in massive open online courses (MOOCs), open education resources (OER), increased access to devices and other technology applications and will identify emerging trends for institutions and students.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    How Technology Developments are Driving Change in Higher Education
    (2014-10-23) Naidoo, Vis
    Transcript and presentation slides from a speech given at the University of the Fraser Valley, 23 October 2014. Presented by Mr. Vis Naidoo, Vice President, Commonwealth of Learning.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    ICT for Skills and Development: Building for the Future
    (2012-12-11) Naidoo, Vis
    Technology has become a critical component of economic development in Asia and the Pacific. Indeed this is a global phenomenon. This presentation identifies a few global trends with respect to Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) and in particular, how countries and institutions could respond to ensure skills are developed to take advantage of these trends.
  • Item
    Open Access
    ICT in Education Policy – Reflecting on Key Issues
    (2003-04-28) Naidoo, Vis
    ICT in Education Policy - Reflecting on Key Issues, Presented at: ICTs in African Schools, A Pan-African workshop focussing on using ICT to support the education systems in Africa, organised by the Ministry of Education (Botswana), Schoolnet Africa and The Commonwealth of Learning, in partnership with other international agencies, Further information: Connections article Official conference web site, Gaborone, Botswana 28 April 2003 by: Vis Naidoo Educational Specialist, Educational Technology, The Commonwealth of Learning // This quote from the book Technologies for Education illustrates three key points, or benefits, of ICT for consideration: // Using ICT can result in improved learning; ICT offers the greatest support to learners from disadvantaged backgrounds; and ICT impacts the society that the learners are in. // For these benefits to occur, we have to determine what the most conducive education environment is for using ICT. We also have to address the need for policy that offers a vision and framework for using ICT within the education system. // This paper offers an analysis of why ICT is an important part of our modern society and the role it plays in the education system. Based on this analysis, and a review of literature, the paper also outlines the need for a systemic approach to using ICT and the key elements to developing a high-quality policy.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    ICT in South Africa: Opportunities and Challenges from a NGO Perspective
    (2008) Greenop, Kirston; Naidoo, Vis
    The area of ICT, health and education were identified as priority areas by the South African government (for example, the e-Education white paper of 2004, and the e-Health policy of 2006). The e-readiness ranking of the Economist Intelligence Unit (2007) places South Africa 35 out of 69 countries. However, the Unit makes the observation that the divide between the most developed countries and the developing world is shrinking due to innovation and technological advances in mobile phones and online services. Mindset Network is positioned in this environment and aims to develop, produce and provide relevant digital educational content to as wide an audience as possible. // Mindset Network, an NPO, was established four years ago to deliver educational content to the schooling and health settings. Mindset aims to provide ubiquitous access, anywhere, anytime and through a variety of platforms (internet, print, satellite broadcasts, multimedia and mobile technology). During this stage of development, each facet of the programme has been evaluated. This paper provides a review of the research findings of Mindset’s Health and Schooling programmes. The challenges of setting up an ICT organisation within the developing world, the value that this has added to the educational and health arenas, the importance of partnerships, the lessons learned and the strategy on the way forward are emphasised. The paper discusses the findings of a large scale metaanalysis and provides a contextualization of Mindset’s position in ICT in a developing country, the challenges and opportunities for leadership.// Paper ID 82
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    OER Strategy: Taking it to a New Level
    (2013-11-19) Naidoo, Vis
    OER Africa Advisory Meeting, Nairobi, Kenya, November 19, 2013 by Mr. Vis Naidoo, Commonwealth of Learning // This short presentation will focus on COL’s strategy in OER, how the organisation has implemented this and our view of future developments in this area.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    Open and Distance Education for Africans and by Africans
    (2005-08-12) Daniel, John; Naidoo, Vis
    African Council of Distance Education Conference Theme: Mobilisation of African Leadership held at the University of South Africa (UNISA) Tshwane (Pretoria), South Africa, 12 August 2005, Open and Distance Education for Africans and by Africans, By: Sir John Daniel with Vis Naidoo (Commonwealth of Learning) // In these remarks I hope that I can add a bit more to the value of this gathering and to your theme of Mobilisation of African Leadership. In that spirit I have entitled these remarks Open and Distance Education for Africans and by Africans. // This address has been prepared with the help of my South African colleague Vis Naidoo. After a number of years of excellent service at COL as our policy specialist, Vis is returning to South Africa at the end of this month to head the MINDSET Network. Vis' career is a nice example of what should be a growing trend, namely the return of African leaders to Africa after they have acquired valuable experience outside this continent. // Mobilising African leadership, the theme of your conference, must include mobilising the huge African Diaspora by inspiring some of them to return to Africa and others to contribute to Africa's development from their new homes. Open and distance learning - most particularly the creation of open educational resources that I shall talk about later - provides excellent vehicles for doing that.
  • Item
    Open Access
    Pacific Regional ODL Centre Planning Meeting
    (2013-06-20) Naidoo, Vis
    COL Vice President Mr. Vis Naidoo discusses COL's commitment to the development of the regional centre, presented at the Pacific Regional ODL Centre Planning Meeting, Vanuatu, 20 June 2013. Duration: 6:31 // Resource contains link to video as well as a document of the transcript.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    Speeches: By Sir John Daniel and colleagues August/September 2005)
    (2005) Daniel, John; Naidoo, Vis; Kanwar, Asha; Uvalić-Trumbić, Stamenka; West, Paul; D’Antoni, Susan; Menon, Mohan
    This booklet contains the texts of six speeches that I delivered at conferences and symposia during the trip. Because their access to the Internet is sometimes limited, African colleagues whom I met often asked for ‘hard copies’ of my addresses. Here they are. The subjects cover various aspects of COL’s work: the contribution of technology to education; open/distance learning and development; distance learning in the context of Africa; cross-border higher education; eLearning; and teacher training. Some themes recur between speeches, but since the topics are different we have preferred to maintain the integrity of each text rather than eliminating all repetition. - Sir John Daniel, September 2005 Contents: 1) Open and distance education for Africans and by Africans / African Council of Distance Education, Tshwane, South Africa, 12 August 2005, Sir John Daniel, Vis Naidoo // 2) Distance education: What is its relevance to Africa and Zambia? / Open and Distance Learning Symposium, Lusaka, Zambia, 27 August 2005, Sir John Daniel // 3) ODL in an international context: Trends, prospects and challenges / Namibia visit - public lecture, Lusaka, Zambia, 29 August 2006, Sir John Daniel, Asha Kanwar, Stamenka Uvalic-Trumbic // 4) Towards education for all: The critical role of open and distance learning in national development / Namibian Conference on Open Learning, Windhoek, Namibia, 30 August 2005, Sir John Daniel // 5) ICTs in education: Can digital dividend replace digital divide? / WITFOR Conference, Gaborone, Botswana, 1 September 2005, Sir John Daniel, Paul West, Susan D’Antoni, Stamenka Uvalic-Trumbic // 6) ODL and ICTs for teacher development in sub-Saharan Africa: The experience of the Commonwealth of Learning / BOCODOL Workshop, Gaborone, Botswana, 1 September 2005, Sir John Daniel, Mohan Menon
  • Item
    Open Access
    Teacher Development: Working Together to Achieve Quality Education
    (2013-05-20) Naidoo, Vis
    Video presentation at the Regional Workshop on Teacher Education in the Pacific (20 May 2013) held in Samoa by Mr. Vis Naidoo, Commonwealth of Learning. Duration: 6:39 // Resource contains link to video as well as a document of the transcript.
  • Item
    Open Access
    Three Years of Global Partnership to Address the Teacher Challenge - Three Years from the 2015 EFA Benchmark: Achievements and Perspectives
    (2012-11-28) Naidoo, Vis
    The objectives of the November 2012 policy dialogue forum in Namibia are: i. To take stock of three years of global collaboration and existing efforts aiming to reduce the teacher gap and accelerate countries’ efforts towards the achievement of the EFA goals, and ii. To draw lessons from these experiences and set an agenda for the three years ahead leading to the 2015 benchmark: What aspects of teacher policy development need to be addressed as a priority? Which target groups to focus on? How to better deliver results together?// This panel is focused on teacher education and professional development. This, I would argue is the critical area that we need to address if we are to note developments with respect to the past three years and perhaps more critically, identify what we need to do in the next three years.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    Using ICT to Support Professional Development on Open and Distance Learning in Southern Africa
    (2002-07) Naidoo, Vis; Butcher, Neil; Magagula, Cisco
    PCF2 // The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) has been providing training support to distance education practitioners for several years. A key focus of its work has been to support policy makers who are required to consider effective policy environments for distance education. While facilitating face-to-face workshops has immense value, there is a growing view that using technology can offer a range of added value to professional development activities. It is with this in mind that COL established a project that developed such a course using the Internet (or CD-ROM where connectivity was a problem). A further consideration is to test the use of such technology within the Southern African region, noting its developing world status and the immense need for professional development amongst its people. // Working with members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Technical Committee for Distance Education, COL focused on providing an online educational experience for policy makers in Southern Africa. This was to be complemented by a five-day face-to-face training session, which aimed to ensure that the best of educational strategies was combined in creating a training course for distance education policy makers. // COL commissioned the South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) to develop and implement the online course that lasted four months. During this period, COL commissioned an evaluation to be conducted during and after the course. This paper outlines the experience of implementing this course, and lessons learned from it. //
  • Item
    Open Access
    Value of Partnerships in Building an Education System
    (2012-11-26) Naidoo, Vis; Lesperance, John; Umar, Abdurrahman; Ferreira, Frances
    Partnership refers to a dynamic relationship between organisations and institutions based on mutually agreed goals with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. COL leverages its modest resources through partnerships in virtually everything that it does.