06. Pan-Commonwealth Forum 6 (PCF6), 2010

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Browsing 06. Pan-Commonwealth Forum 6 (PCF6), 2010 by Region "Pan-Commonwealth"

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    Open Access
    Building a community for developing OERs
    (2010-11) Botes, Corne; Ferreira, Frances
    The transition to lower secondary education is now at the centre of the Education for All agenda in many countries. As more children are progressing through primary school the demand for secondary school places is growing. However, the demand for places in the school is not the only challenge governments are facing for sustained improvement in quality education. One of the most important requirements is an improved learning environment, which includes the provision of learning materials (UNESCO, 2010). While access to learning materials is a significant barrier in many countries, tremendous progress has been made with the development of OERs (stimulated by benefactors such as the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and UNESCO) and educational content has been provided freely to institutions and learners across the world (Sclater, 2010). The Commonwealth of Learning, in collaboration with the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation initiated the Open Educational Resources for Open Schools to address the challenge of access to quality educational resources while at the same time enhancing the capacity of teachers in writing distance education materials using new technologies. When embarking on a large scale project, such as developing open educational resources, it is important to involve the right people to commence and complete the project successfully. It is essential to choose educators with ample experience in their field of teaching in order to ensure that the end product will be of a high standard and, of course, on an appropriate level for the target users. This paper will explore the challenges experienced by the teachers involved in this project. This includes the relationships between the different partners, technological, cultural as well as work related challenges. It will also explore the different support mechanisms which allowed the teachers to deal with the challenges in building a supportive community which lead to the success of the project. Developing open educational resources is not an easy task. It demands high level of motivation and courage of those involved to overcome the challenges they face to make the changes to succeed. // Related presentation: http://hdl.handle.net/11599/1122
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    Open Access
    Closing Remarks: PCF6
    (2010-11-28) Whiteman, Burchell
    Transcript and link to video of the closing remarks to the 6th Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning, Kochi, Kerala, India, 28 November 2010. Presented by The Hon. Burchell Whiteman, O.J., Chair of COL's Board of Governors.
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    Open Access
    If content is king, why are OER still uncrowned? a developing world perspective
    (2010-11) Kanwar, Asha; Kodhandaraman, Balasubramanian; Umar, Abdurrahman
    This presentation seeks to critically examine the experiences of the Commonwealth of Learning in the creation and dissemination of OER and to share the lessons learned. What are some of the key components of sustainability Finally, we look at concrete ways in which various stakeholders can contribute to the sustainability of OER.
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    Open Access
    Mobile Learning for Farmers via LIVES: Learning through Interactive Voice Educational System
    (2010-11) Vuong, Son T; Schroeder, Jonatan; Alam, Md. Shafiqul; Chan, David
    In this paper, we describe the technological aspects of LIVES and its impact on the marginalized communities. This system, based on Asterisk (Digium 2009), an open-source telephony software, can be used to distribute learning content using auditory means in communities with low literacy rates but with good penetration of mobile phones.
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    Open Access
    Virtual University of the Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC) model for development: Open Educational Resources
    (2010-11) Kruse Vaai, Emma
    The development of, access to and use of Open Educational Resources (OER) essentially means that skills and knowledge are being shared. It is largely through technology that this has been made possible and education is no longer local in terms of preparation and delivery but truly global. The development and promotion of OER supports a growing sense of community that overcomes cultural, physical and economic barriers. The use of OERs has been a process of giving, receiving and passing on skills and knowledge for development through education. The Virtual University for the Small States of the Commonwealth presents this model of OER development. Members of VUSSC are small developing countries linked partly as former colonies of the British Empire. Despite differences in many aspects such as race, culture, location the common factor is Commonwealth membership which leads to another crucial factor – language. We are all able to speak English as part of the colonial heritage and as a result we at this point in time can communicate and collaborate using this common language. The materials and resources we produce are also in English and therefore we are able to share with each other and the rest of the English speaking world. As open educational resources (OERs) we are also able to translate the materials or content to other languages.