05. Conference Proceedings & Working Papers

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Open Access
The 2016 Kuala Lumpur Declaration (30 November 2016)
(2016-11-30)
The Kuala Lumpur Declaration was presented on November 30, 2016 at the Closing Ceremony of the Eighth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. With the Charter of the Commonwealth 2013, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UNESCO’s Incheon Declaration and Framework for Action, Education 2030, and the 2012 UNESCO-COL Paris Declaration on Open Educational Resources (OER) in mind, it presents a set of recommendations. It also proposes that the set of recommendations be brought to the next Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) for further consideration and implementation.
Open Access
4d Technologies: Can ICT Make a Real Difference in Achieving the Goal of Universal Primary Education?
(2004-07) Leach, Jenny; Moon, Bob
PCF3 // Working paper presented by Jenny Leach and Bob Moon at the Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF3) in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Open Access
The 6th Pan Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning Access: Access & Success in Learning: Global Development Perspectives
(2010) Tharoor, Shashi; Seelig, Caroline; Maharey, Steve; Sinha, Chetna; Kanwar, Asha; Pillai, Rajasekharan; Daniel, John; Ali, Anuwar
Includes: 1. Asa Briggs lecture (Duration: 53:13. Speaker: Dr. Shashi Tharoor) 2.Inaugural Session - The Sixth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (Duration:1:08:38) 3. Dr. Caroline Seelig on Skill Development - The Sixth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (Duration: 40.00) 4. Hon. Steve Maharey on Formal Education - The Sixth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (Duration: 31.40) 5. Ms. Chetna Sinha on Social Justice - Sixth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Leaning (Duration: 24:15) 6. Anuwar Ali - Community Development - Sixth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Leaning (Duration: 39:26 - Keynote Speaker - Prof. Emeritus Tan Sri Anuwar Ali) 7. Valedictory Session - PCF 6 (Duration: 31:47. Concluding Remarks by: Sir John Daniel (President & CEO, Commonwealth of Learning), Prof. V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai(V.C., IGNOU), Prof. Asha Kanwar (Vice-President, Commonwealth of Learning)) 8. Valedictory Session - The Sixth Pan - Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning ( Duration: 56:31) 9.Cultural Program - The Sixth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (Duration: 50:03) 10. Dr. Shashi Tharoor MP - The Sixth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (Duration: 37:18)
Open Access
A Blended Approach to Emergency Medicine Training: Developing an Integrated Curriculum for Mature Learners
(2006-10) Sammy, Ian
PCF4 // In January 2005, a blended approach using various educational technologies was adopted for the new MSc programme in Emergency Medicine at the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies. This part-time programme was developed in response to the needs for specialist training in Trinidad and Tobago. Modalities for course delivery included traditional didactic lectures and tutorials, and more contemporary and interactive learning approaches of problem-based learning, journal clubs, computer-based tutorials, case-based training exercises and case presentations. Clinical skills training included using simulated patients. This paper describes the blended approach to learning adopted for this course, and explores the following themes from the candidates’ perspectives: the educational experience; relevance of materials presented; scope of information presented and applicability to current practice. Overall, candidates found the methods and materials accessible and acceptable. Areas for improvement include the better integration of skills training with real clinical practice and ensuring that all candidates are comfortable with the IT systems. The modular course format is ideally suited to distance learning, and may provide a solution to Emergency Medicine training in smaller countries that can neither support formal full-time residency programmes, nor allow their doctors to leave their posts to pursue graduate training. // Paper ID 140
Open Access
A Business Led Approach to Open Learning
(1999-03) Horsfield, Tony
PCF1 // A business-led approach // There is a trend throughout the world for organizations to invest predominately in development that will support their business goals and change. Organizations are also increasingly expecting individual members of their workforce to manage their own learning and commit a great proportion of their free time to company-led learning initiatives. Open Learning is seen by many organizations as on ideal vehicle for developing their people, so long as the development results in a competent work force and an improvement in business performance. //
Open Access
A Case Study in Sharing Materials in Namibia - Launching the University of Namibia’s First External Degree: The Costs of Sharing
(1999-03) Dodds, Tony
PCF1 // Working paper presented by Tony Dodds at the First Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF1) in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam. //
Open Access
A Case Study of Collaboration in HIV& AIDS Policy and Practice: Awareness and Training in Caribbean and African Communities through the Global Development Learning Network
(2008-09) Bartley, Jeanette M; George, Nancy
PCF5 Sub-theme: Health // Between 2003 and 2005, The University of Technology, Jamaica hosted a series of global development dialogues on issues related to HIV and AIDS among African and Caribbean countries including Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, St. Lucia, Barbados and Jamaica. These dialogues were facilitated through interactive videoconferencing using the World Bank’s Global Development Learning Network (GDLN). // In discrete development dialogues, participants shared country perspectives on issues ranging as widely as national strategies for HIV education, gender and HIV, policy development, stigma and discrimination, and strategies for caring for AIDS orphans. This case study will explore the lessons learnt in facilitating these global videoconferencing dialogues, celebrate the successes and identify the challenges of the experiences of participants and presenters shared across the various cultures. // Since the phenomenon of using development dialogues for sharing knowledge and experience across cultures for teaching and learning, peer mentoring, consultation, advice and guidance, feedback and facilitating communities of practice in relation to HIV and AIDS, the recommendations in this presentation will be of interest to future organizers and facilitators of HIV and AIDS development dialogues. Beyond the process issues, the paper will highlight the outcomes and better practices adopted. // Paper ID 521
Open Access
A Case Study on Role of Distance Education in Preventive to Curative Health and Nutrition Issues
(2008-09) Shah, Syed Shahzad
PCF5 Sub-theme: Health // Delivering education and learning at distance is a way of reply to one of the important challenges for a country’s population and health professionals scattered at different remote areas. Present case study was carried out at Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad, Pakistan offering post graduate degree programme in community health and nutrition using distance learning approach. The objective of the study was to see how the distance education system was effectively utilized to address health, food & nutrition issues of the community? // Objectives of the programme, eligibility criteria, target groups enrolled, scheme of the study of the academic programme, methodology adapted for distance teaching in order to equip the students with latest knowledge related to course work, research work and field practice of knowledge imparted to the health professionals was studied. It was carefully reviewed why particular groups of health professionals from the remote areas of the country were interested in such post graduate health and nutrition programmes operated by distance mode of teaching. The procedure adapted by the academic department offering the degree programme to address the health and nutrition issues of the community such as malnutrition and various nutritional deficiency diseases by involving the enrolled health professionals was studied and it was tried to investigate how health graduates were trained in provision of preventive health care services to their respective communities? Their expected contribution to the community after successful completion of the programme was also assessed by reviewing the research projects completed by the health professionals in relation to the cure of disease. // It was concluded that distance learning could be successfully used as a tool to convey a quick and effective solution of common health issues of particular community from preventive to curative range by training the health professionals and their support staff. // Paper ID 200
Open Access
A Changing Role for Teachers On-Line: A Case Study in Higher Education in Australia
(1999-03) Postle, Glen; Ellerton, Nerida
PCF1 // Over the past two years, the Faculty of Education at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), in conjunction with the University’s Distance Education Centre, has offered a Graduate Certificate in Open and Distance Learning. This course is taught fully via the World Wide Web (WWW), with all content presentation, teacher-learner and learner-learner interactions, assignment submissions and feedback being done on-line and via email. This Graduate Certificate has now been further developed into a Masters Degree program which will be offered solely on-line. // Both programs require of students and staff a different level of interactivity from what has been the pattern in on-campus programs and traditional distance education programs previously delivered via print and other media. // This paper examines the nature of these differences and explores the complexity of the task of teaching on-line. //
Open Access
A commonwealth 'Credit Bank'
(1999-03) Pollard, Derek; Sykes, Stephen; Young, Lynda
PCF1 // In March 1995 the Commonwealth of Learning (CoL) commissioned the UK Open University to explore the establishment of a Commonwealth 'credit bank'. The final report was published in February 1997, Adam et al (1997). // Two main functions were envisaged: // · The establishment of Commonwealth-wide credit equivalencies for distance learning courses; // · The provision of a central agency through which the credit could be accumulated and applied to credentials. // The study drew on earlier work by the CoL which identified the advantages of developing credit transfer arrangements between Commonwealth distance education programmes. // Recent pedagogic developments have resulted in universities worldwide exploring ways of crediting students' previous learning, facilitating student mobility, encouraging the recognition of qualifications for academic and vocational purposes and collaborating in the production of course materials. Technological developments, particularly the rapid increase in the availability of the internet, have opened up new possibilities and potential demand for the transfer of learning credit. // In view of this and changed economic circumstances we have revised our original proposals. This paper seeks to make discuss those proposals, and to provide a background to the discussion of case studies. //
Open Access
A Comparative Study on Training/Professional Development Needs of University Teachers on ODL Pre-Covid and Ongoing Pandemic in India
(2022-09) Lakshmi, Pulla; Mythili, G; Panda, Santosh
PCF10 Sub-theme: Fostering Lifelong Learning // Education is of utmost importance for social development and political change, regardless of whether it is dispensed through conventional, non-conventional or ODL mode. The Indian ODL system, geared toward this philosophy, is the second largest ODL system in the world, comprising 17 open universities and 110+ dual-mode distance education institutions. The Staff Training and Research Institute of Distance Education (STRIDE) of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) undertakes training needs assessment (TNA) studies from time to time for addressing the training needs of the ODL faculty in the country, (besides offering a PG Diploma and a Masters in DE as long-term professional development programmes, which at one point of time was offered in about 22 countries, largely supported by the Commonwealth of Learning). Recently, the Covid-19 pandemic forced the education sector to adopt changes in teaching-learning. Even though the adaptation of technologies started in the field of education prior to the pandemic, the educational institutions including ODL institutions had to go through compulsory remote online teaching during this period. It was thought prudent to undertake a TNA of ODL teachers during this pandemic and compare the variations in their training needs, which was conducted in pre-pandemic times. This paper reports the findings of a research focusing on the identification of training needs of teachers/ academics from IGNOU; their preferences on mode of training; and any difference in additional required competency during pre- and ongoing-pandemic. The data collected in January-February 2022 has been compared with the data collected in the pre-pandemic period of 2019, and implications for policy and practice on continuing professional development in ODL are drawn accordingly. // Paper ID 8780
Open Access
A Contribution Towards Innovating Continuing Professional Development in African Higher Education Institutions
(2022-09) Lelliott, Tony; Butcher, Neil; Glennie, Jenny
PCF10 Sub-theme: Fostering Lifelong Learning // Traditional approaches to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) prevalent at many African universities are dominated by face-to-face workshops that take academic staff away from their normal duties. Staff often find it difficult to implement what they learn in such events once they are back in their normal teaching environment. This is exacerbated by several obstacles to staff participation identified in literature on CPD. These include lack of time, resistance to moving away from traditional teaching practices, and that innovative teaching practices are often not a requirement for appointment or for career progression in Higher Education Institutions (Inamorato dos Santos et al. 2019). One possible strategy to alleviate some of these challenges is to provide short, online tutorials that engage participants in authentic learning tasks that can be done individually or collaboratively in their own time, while they are in the workplace. // From 2019 to 2021, OER Africa delivered a series of CPD pilot activities at African universities to introduce more innovative approaches to, through the design and delivery of modular and flexible ‘learning pathways’ (LPs) available at https://bit.ly/2NVj3P5. The LPs discussed in the paper focus on finding and adapting Open Educational Resources, and Open Access Publishing; each consists of several learning activities designed to be accessible on a variety of digital devices. Pilots were implemented via introductory video conferencing, and participants then worked through an online learning pathway over two weeks. Thereafter, an online feedback session was held and data was collected via pre- and post-activity surveys. Findings indicate that the LPs were well-received, showing statistically significant change between baseline and endline tests, suggesting that learning did indeed occur. There was also self-reported evidence for participants using the content of the LPs with their own colleagues and designing better courses for their students. This paper summarizes the development of the LPs and the findings from the pilot evaluation, and discusses implications for CPD policies and processes at HEIs in Africa. // Paper ID 2999
Open Access
A Critical Assessment of Learner Support Services Provided by the Zimbabwe Open University
(1999-03) Benza, Timothy E S; Chitsika, Ruben; Mvere, Farai S; Nyakupinda, Darlington; Mugadzaweta, Julius G
PCF1 // Working paper presented by Timothy E. S. Benza, Ruben Chitsika, Farai S. Mvere, Darlington Nyakupinda, and Julius G. Mugadzaweta, at the First Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF1) in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam. //
Open Access
A Gender Analysis of Perceptions on Development of Competencies through a Distance Education Programme
(2006-10) Lekamge, Dayalatha
PCF4 // The Open University is the only university in the Country that provides opportunities for graduate teachers to get their training through the PGDE Programme in the distance mode. The total number as at 31.12.2005 is 2873 out of which 65% are female teachers. These teachers complete their professional training while serving in their schools and attending to family responsibilities. The effectiveness of distance education programmes in developing knowledge, attitudes and skills required by teachers has been questioned time and again though it was expected that teachers, especially females, would be facilitated in improving their qualifications through distance education. // The main objectives of this paper are to identify gender differences in student teachers’ perceptions, marks obtained for Teaching Practice Stage I, continuous assessment marks final examination marks for the course Educational Technology using gender as a criterion variable. // Two hundred eighty nine teachers responded to the questionnaire of whom 59.9% were female teachers. A significant difference could be observed between male and female teachers in the sample in their perceptions on skills related to inclusive education, professional development and development of teaching skills. Further, there was a negative relationship between student teachers’ perceptions and continuous assessment marks. However, when the data of the total student population was analyzed a positive relationship between Teaching Practice marks, Continuous assessment marks and final examination marks could be observed. // Paper ID 236
Open Access
A Glimpse into Resources in Aid of Library and Information Service for the Emerging Distance Education: A Case of Botswana.
(2008-09) Oladokun, Olugbade Samuel
PCF5 Sub-theme: Cross-cutting Themes // Distance education is not a recent phenomenon in Botswana. From the training of teachers to training and re-training of nurses and floating of other secondary and tertiary level courses, distance education in the country has come of age. The buildup of upgrading enrolled nurses (EN) to registered nursing (RN) by distance delivery system was a new fillip added to the venture in recent past. // In Botswana today, education is made available by distance mode to several individuals including the politicians, political and economic refugees, those affected by conflicts and also asylum seekers, among others. Thus in consonance with the belief that this learning mode can contribute to social stability and improve livelihood, training and knowledge is taken to the marginalized, isolated and underprivileged. Some examples can be seen in the efforts of such institutions as Botswana College of Distance and Open Learning (BOCODOL), as well as the cross-border institutions. Consequent upon the emerging expansion of using open and distance learning in a range of situations and the opportunities it offers for all categories of people to improve themselves socially, politically and economically or widen access to learning opportunities, this paper notes the dispersal of distance learners in the country and taps into untapped resources that could be exploited to strengthen distance education. // As necessary ingredients to quality learning, the essential role of libraries in this form of education is discussed. The paper also takes a glimpse into a range of available resources that can be utilized to provide library and information resources and services to the emerging distance learners in Botswana. Discussed in the paper also are the application of appropriate technologies such as the liberalized telecommunications services including mobile telephony; the products of the licensed internet service providers (ISPs), private telecommunications networks (PTNs), as well as other ICT resources. // Paper ID 668
Open Access
A Learncasting Exchange: Using a Mobile-Enabled Electronic Market to Enhance Regional Education and Economic Development
(2006-10) Vassell, Clive
PCF4 // This paper will introduce an online ‘learncasting exchange' and discuss how it might help to enhance the education of young people and the economic development of a region. // The paper will start with a background discussion covering a number of diverse areas of relevance to using technology to improve prospects for education and regional development. The topics to be covered include: // Economic development // The mobile phone and mobile commerce // Approaches to learning // Electronic markets // Blended learning // Open source software and // Object technology // The paper will then summarise these disparate ideas to distil the key guidelines encapsulated in this writing. It will then use these principles to guide the planning and implementation of an open source application designed to offer some concrete assistance in facilitating the kind of educational and economic development sought by the leaders of the Caribbean and elsewhere. // The paper will finish by outlining the kind of future research and development which might prove useful in this area, and discussing the potential implications of the key deliverables. // Paper ID 298
Open Access
A Lesson Plan Toolkit for Post Pandemic Education
(2022-09) Gamage, Sujata; Saleh, Anis
PCF10 Sub-theme: Inspiring Innovations // Novel approaches to learning such as student-centered learning, self-directed learning, hybrid learning, and flipped classrooms were not just theories but imperatives for engaging students in education in distance mode during the pandemic, but teachers were not fully prepared to take advantage of the opportunity. For those who tried, evaluating student learning as expected by parents and school authorities proved to be difficult because traditional summative tests do not capture the extent of learning through these new approaches. // Abridging the curricula too was a necessity during the pandemic but most education systems could not respond to this need in time. // The present paper describes the development and application of a toolkit for middle school students in Sri Lanka which allows teachers to develop lesson plans covering the full array of learning outcomes defined in the national curriculum but focusing on the essential learning outcomes, and include (1) pre-activities that guide students to read the textbooks on their own and learn in flipped-classroom mode, (2) activities that can be carried out at home or at school in hybrid mode, and (3) assessments that are authentic because they assess students’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes in reference to the activities they carried out. // Paper ID 1769
Open Access
A Livelihood Enhancement Community based Distance Learning Pprogramme
(2006-10) Kere, Jennipher
PCF4 // This paper seeks to explore the impact of a non-fromal distance education programme on the learning and livelihood of the women in the fishing industry on the beaches of Lake Victoria and markets in slum dwellings. // The programme widely broadcasts through radio to a general audience. However, the primary target audience uses audio and print materials in organized learning groups facilitated by women selected from the groups, and trained to facilitate learning sessions when and where they choose. They use relatively cheap and easy to handle appropriate technology- solar powered audio-cassette players. // Through user designed series of radio/audio programmes covering a wide range of subjects that include Business Management, Health, HIV/AIDS, Reproductive Health, Mother&Child Health and Women's Rights, the women have improved their income and make savings, diversified their income generation activities and improved their health practices. Thus decreasing their vulnerability to common diseases and HIV/AIDS through poverty prompted casual sexual relations, a contributing factor to high prevalence rates. // The fishermen, who do not normally volunteer to paarticipate in learning activities, are now seeking to participate because they haave been inspired by the positive progress the women are making in their businesses and general development. // Paper ID 107
Open Access
A Model for Evaluating Numerical through Computer
(2006-10) Saxena, Anurag
PCF4 // In recent times the education world has seen the emergence of two efforts at using computers to evaluate the content of essays. The reason behind the emergence of these systems was the difficulty in managing the load of grading the essays and the tendency of the evaluators to shift the focus of assessment to multiple-choice questions. These systems generated a lot of enthusiasm as they not only save time but also provide consistency a computer can deliver. // Present communication tries to emphasize on the age-old concept of "marking schemes". It tries to build its arguments around two theories of learning. Firstly, structural learning theory which postulates that structural analysis is a methodology for identifying the rules to be learned for a given topic and breaking them down into their atomic components and secondly, script theory, which focused on the structure of knowledge and conceptual dependency theory. The key element of conceptual dependency theory is the idea that all the conceptualizations can be represented in terms of a small number of primitive acts performed. // Present paper attempts at building a system that will use the accuracy and consistency of a computer to achieve robust and unbiased student assessment. // Paper ID 273
Open Access
A Model for Use of WikiEducator for Offering Free Vocational Courses
(2008-09) Jasola, Sanjay
PCF5 Sub-theme: Livelihoods // According to several websites (Braintrack, 2008), (Univ, 2008) there are about 8,000 universities worldwide. There are many other institutions of higher learning, including training centers and community centers. In addition there are tens of thousands of institutions that support “informal” learning—libraries, museums, archives, etc. Sir John Daniels, currently President and CEO of the Commonwealth of Learning in Canada, and formerly Vice-chancellor of the Open University, UK has a startling set of observations (Atkins et al, 2007) about current education system. // • Half of the world’s population is under twenty years old. // • Today, there are over thirty million people who are fully qualified to enter a university, but there is no place available. This number will grow to over 100 million during the next decade. // • To meet the staggering global demand for advanced education, a major university needs to be created every week. // • In most of the world, higher education is mired in a crisis of access, cost, and flexibility. The dominant forms of higher education in developed nations—campus based, high cost, limited use of technology—seem ill-suited to address global education needs of the billions of young people who will require it in the decades ahead. // One of the potential solutions to above problems is the use of open educational resources (OER). The basic goal of OER initiative is to use information technology to help equalize access to knowledge and educational opportunities across the world. This initiative targets educators, students, and self-learners worldwide. // All OER initiatives provide OER informational content for free but require a fee for interaction with instructor. Open and free OER initiatives are equivalent to no access or interaction with faculty. OER provides the content of an education program at an institution. The most fundamental aspect of the learning process at an institution is the interaction between faculty and students and among students themselves. The three OER types described in the related work section of the paper are using community software to support voluntary interaction among users. So it can be said that OER are basic resources necessary for education but are not a credit granting teaching and learning experience. A paradoxical aspect of most OER initiatives to date is that while OER content is published and distributed to the Web, most of the OER content is from and for campus–based classroom use. Though web–based, most OER initiatives are not pedagogically designed for online learning. OER is locked into software hosted by the OER originator making it impossible to reuse by incorporating it into a course management system such as WebCT, Blackboard, or Moodle (Stacey, 2007). // In this paper an attempt has been made to include the interaction of learner with instructor using OER and in the course offering. In the following sections a model has been proposed and implemented using the freely available OERs and offering them through a learning management system (LMS) using Moodle in WikiEducator. There are four sections in this paper. The section one describes the related work in the area of OERs. Section two describes the model for offering a vocational course through WikiEducator. In section three the experiences and the lessons learnt are shared. Section four concludes the discussion. // Paper ID 443

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