1994-1999
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Browsing 1994-1999 by Title
Now showing 1 - 13 of 13
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- ItemOpen AccessAsa Briggs Lecture: Communications, the Commonwealth and the Future(1994-05-10) Dilks, DavidThe Inaugural Commonwealth Lecture (since renamed to the Asa Briggs lecture) delivered in The Middleton Hall of The Universily of Hull on 10 May 1994, by Professor David Dilks, Vice Chancellor, The University of Hull.
- ItemOpen AccessThe Commonwealth of Learning — Its Role in Small and Island States(1997-04-14) Macdonald, H IanThe Commonwealth of Learning - Its Role in Small and Island States by Dr. H. Ian Macdonald, Chairman, The Commonwealth of Learning to a conference sponsored by The Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management, Seychelles, April 14, 1997 Introduction: I find that not many here are familiar with the brief but varied history of the Commonwealth of Learning. Therefore, I propose to make this presentation in three parts, but not like the clergyman who said his sermons always consisted of three parts: first, I tell them what I am going to tell them, then I tell them, and finally I tell them what I told them. First, I want to show you a short video to provide the flavour of COL as an innovative educational institution. Then, I will describe briefly how and why we were created, as well as illustrating some of our activities. Finally, I want to suggest how COL could be relevant to small and island states in partnership with CAPAM and in support of government reform initiatives.
- ItemOpen AccessConvergence of Distance and Conventional Education: International Perspectives(1997-09-23) Dhanarajan, GajarajConvergence of distance and conventional education: international perspectives by Professor Gajaraj Dhanarajan, President, The Commonwealth of Learning, Vancouver to the Cambridge International Conference on Open and Distance Learning "The Convergence of distance and conventional education: Patterns of flexibility for the individual learner" Madingley Hall, Cambridge, England, 23-26 September 1997 // 1. On September 25, 1997, all 1000 courses offered during this quarter by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), will go on-line. By a simple decree, university administrators have made the web page mandatory for all the courses in their College of Letters and Science. The web page will be constructed using a programme called WebCT. Apart from basic information such as course description, syllabus, meeting time, it will also contain readings, slides, and audio and video links to other resources (The Chronicle, August 1997).
- ItemOpen AccessFlexible Access to Technical and Vocational Education(1999-04-27) Bartram, JohnImproving systems providing education and training throughout life: Flexible access to technical and vocational education throughout life by Mr. John Bartram, Education Specialist, Technical/Vocational Education and Training, the Commonwealth of Learning, Vancouver. Presented at the Second International Congress on Technical and Vocational Education, Lifelong learning and training: a bridge to the future, a UNESCO Congress in co-operation with the Government of the Republic of Korea, Seoul, Korea, 27 April 1999
- ItemOpen AccessGlobalization, Competitiveness and Open and Distance Education: Reflections on Quality Assurance(1997-11-11) Dhanarajan, GajarajGlobalization, Competitiveness and Open and Distance Education: Reflections on Quality Assurance by Professor Gajaraj Dhanarajan, President, The Commonwealth of Learning, Vancouver, to the Asian Association of Open Universities, Eleventh Annual Conference "Quality Assurance in Distance and Open Learning" Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 11-14 November 1997 // 1. Colleagues, allow me a minute to thank the organisers of this Conference and the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) for this delightful opportunity to share some thoughts with you on a subject that is becoming increasingly important for education, generally, and higher education, particularly. The AAOU which is in its eleventh year of existence, has become an important forum for distance and open education in the region. Increasingly, it is being seen as a remarkable role model for professional distance education associations across the developing world. At the same time, its members are also held in high regard by peers across the world for the single minded way in which they have gone about creating their own forum to discuss issues of importance to their professional development. We, at The Commonwealth of Learning, are immensely proud of our association with you; in one way or another we have found occasions to work with your association on matters of mutual interest to both our organisations. We would like to continue this arrangement and explore opportunities to strengthen our ties even further in the future.
- ItemOpen AccessHuman Resource and Telecommunications – Issues in the Commonwealth(1997-05-22) Walker, DavidTelecommunications for Education and Development in the Commonwealth Workshop, May 22, 1997, Malta "Human Resource and Telecommunications - Issues in the Commonwealth" by David Walker, Educational Specialist (Educational Technology) // I would like to thank the Secretariat, COMNET-IT, and the Government of Malta for hosting this workshop concerning Telecommunications for Education and Development in the Commonwealth. // It is indeed interesting for me to visit Malta for the first time. In 1943 my parents were in a convoy of ships that were sailing not far from this island. They were both in the Canadian medical corps on their way to Italy to join up with Allied troops fighting their way up the boot of Italy. Just at sunset, as my father was enjoying an after dinner cigarette on the stern deck (remember this was before the days of warnings by the Surgeon General!), German bombers flying extremely low to the water, let go torpedoes that hit their ship. My mother and father both ended up in floating in the Mediterranean after theirs, and four other ships were sunk, including a large destroyer that my father saw disappear as he recalled, "with a large flash". They were picked up by an American merchant ship and eventually made it Naples where they served for two long years. My father told me of the awful pounding that Malta took in 1942, unprotected at that time by the Allies. I can understand somewhat, after seeing pictures of the destruction, the heroic resistance and resilience of the Maltese people during the German siege. // I have been surfing and reading about your island and the especially the mandate of the Department of Education as well as learning about the Minister himself. I can see that Malta is fast becoming one of the IT leaders globally. I am sure that the determination you have shown to the world during those years of the war will be important towards achieving your goal as a predominate IT global leader.
- ItemOpen AccessKnowledge for Development in the Information Age(1997-04-07) Perinbam, LewisNotes for the Preliminary Consultation on Global Knowledge 97: Knowledge for Development in the Information Age, Montreal, PQ, April 7, 1997, by Lewis Perinbam Senior Advisor (External Relations) // The organisers of this Consultation, the World Bank and the Government of Canada, have stated that its main purposes are: to understand the role of knowledge and information in economic and social development, and the challenges and opportunities posed for developing countries by the information revolution; to share strategies, experiences and tools in harnessing knowledge for development; to build new partnerships that will empower the poor with information and knowledge and build the knowledge resources of developing countries. // While each of these objectives is important in its own right the second and third are particularly significant. This is because the context and the infrastructure for using the new and developing technologies are as vital- and perhaps even more so - than the technologies themselves. The tendency to transplant technologies without regard for cultural, social and other considerations or to use them simply because we possess them must be resisted. Useful as the technologies are their value is in doing the job that needs to be done. // The development era has passed through several phases in the past four decades. In the early post-war years the focus was financing physical infrastructure - to enable developing countries to build much needed roads, railways, power plants and ports. The World Bank and major bilateral aid donors concentrated in providing capital assistance for these purposes.
- ItemOpen AccessKnowledge Societies, Science and Education(1999-11-29) Dhanarajan, GajarajKnowledge Societies, Science and Education by Professor Gajaraj Dhanarajan, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Commonwealth of Learning, Delivered at the 55th Annual Session of the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 29 November 1999 // 1. At the recently concluded World Conference on Science, Mr. Federico Mayor, Director-General of UNESCO, made two points which I thought were most appropriate to mention at this conference of the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS). They are: - Science possesses a huge force for change (and it is), a potential that must be used to the full. - A new departure for scientific research cannot be envisaged without a new departure for science education.
- ItemOpen AccessA New Generation - A New Idealism(1997-05-06) Perinbam, Lewis"A NEW GENERATION - A NEW IDEALISM" Notes for an Address by Lewis Perinbam, Senior Advisor to the President, the Commonwealth of Learning, Vancouver, Canada to the AIESEC Global Theme Conference, Basel, Switzerland, May 6, 1997 // I am honoured and pleased to address AIESEC's Global Theme Conference. It is always an inspiring experience to be at an AIESEC gathering of students from all over the world. // With its membership of over 50,000 students in its 741 affiliates in 87 countries, AIESEC represents an influential movement for change. As the largest student-led and student-managed organisation in the world, it commands widespread admiration and respect. Its commitment to the advancement of its member countries and to international understanding and co-operation is a commendable and noble goal that merits unqualified support. // The theme of this session is "The Citizen of the 21st Century"; we must recognise at the outset that the 20th century citizen must be an informed person. This conference will be valuable in helping you to learn from each other; in enabling you to understand the cultural and political forces that shape nations; in cultivating respect for people from different economic and social circumstances and in overcoming outdated attitudes that are barriers to progress. // Knowing that I would be speaking to a gathering of very bright students I wanted to say something original. This is not easy and I was reminded of the Scottish lawyer whose stone front door-step had worn down. Fearing that he might become liable for damages if one of his clients slipped on it and injured himself or herself, he enquired about the cost of replacing it. He was told that a new step would cost one hundred pounds. Being a Scot this alarmed him. It then occurred to him that, if he turned the old step around, there would be a sharp edge on the hidden other side. When the stonemason told him it would cost only ten pounds to turn the step around he quickly had it done only to find that his grandfather had done the same fifty years earlier. // Like the Scottish lawyer, I may not be original; but I shall try to offer a fresh perspective.
- ItemOpen AccessRemarks(1999-06-18) Macdonald, H IanRemarks by Dr. H. Ian Macdonald, Chairman, The Commonwealth of Learning, upon being conferred an Honorary Doctor of Letters (Hon. D.Lett.) "his eminence in the fields of academia and government and his special contribution to distance education." by The Open University of Sri Lanka, OUSL convocation ceremony, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 18 June 1999
- ItemOpen AccessRemarks(1999-06-12) Dhanarajan, GajarajRemarks by Professor Gajaraj Dhanarajan, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Commonwealth of Learning upon being awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters (Hon. D.Lett.) "in recognition of his distinguished service to open and distance education throughout the Commonwealth, and his outstanding contributions to higher education." by Athabasca University, Canada, AU convocation ceremony, Athabasca, Alberta, Canada, 12 June 1999
- ItemOpen AccessTeachers, Technology and (Re)Training(1999-12-01) Dhanarajan, GajarajTeachers, Technology and (Re)Training by Professor Gajaraj Dhanarajan, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Commonwealth of Learning Delivered at a Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC)/ Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) workshop on Integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) through Teacher Professional Development, Bank of Montreal Institute for Learning Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, 1 - 3 December 1999 // It does not need yet another person, least of all someone like me, to say that the contemporary, social, political and economic pressures are making more education a mandatory obligation for governments. In most parts of the developing world, the desire to provide universal access to basic education as well as the increased use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in education and training has meant a rapid increase in establishing infrastructure facilities. Unfortunately, supported by international donor and lending agencies, the capacity of governments to build more classrooms and place more computers in those classrooms seems to have far outstripped their capacities to produce qualified teachers to work in those classrooms with their machines. One estimate states that there may be as many as 1.8 million teachers needed by the low-income countries alone to meet the under supply of teachers in primary schools alone. A further study by Coldevin and Naidoo goes on to say that even where teachers are available, on a global scale, close to 30% still remain untrained both professionally and academically in the primary sector alone. That figure will be much higher if the other sectors, besides primary, are also included. While many of the APEC economies may not be in this dire state, statistics that are being published about teacher-readiness and their capacities to work in the new technologically enriched environment, seem to indicate that these economies will also be confronted with a similar situation of under-trained personnel, if they want to avoid using yesterday's teachers to educate tomorrow's children.
- ItemOpen AccessA Time for Vision(1997-11-12) Perinbam, LewisA Time for Vision by Lewis Perinbam, O.C., LL.D. Senior Advisor, External Relations The Commonwealth of Learning, Vancouver to the World Conference on "Education India: the Next Millennium" New Delhi, India, 12 November 1997 // In our lifetime our planet has undergone one of the most dramatic transformations in its history. It has moved from the aftermath of the industrial revolution to a new era in which knowledge, information and new technologies shape our lives. Yet, despite the scientific and technological changes that have swept the world, over one billion people in the developing countries are engulfed in abject poverty and nearly one billion are illiterate. // India's educational heritage goes deep into her history and culture. The ancient cities of Harappa and Mohenjodaro reflected levels of economic and social advancement that other countries did not reach for thousands of years. India's contributions to education, science and culture distinguish her among the nations of the world. Two thousand years ago the world's oldest university, Taxila, was located in the Indian sub-continent and attracted students from many parts of Asia and the Middle East. // Today India holds a pre-eminent position in the world of learning and is contributing significantly to the advancement of science and technology. Just over a month ago, on September 29, 1997, India launched its first fully operational satellite from an Indian-built rocket. It is reported that "the 1,200 kilogram, remote sensing satellite will identify mineral deposits and marine resources, assess crop yields, locate independent underground water and estimate damages caused by floods and droughts." What a splendid way to mark India's 50th anniversary as a free nation. // The world faces formidable challenges however, as our planet stands on the threshold of a new millennium. As the UNESCO Commission on Education for the 21st Century (the Delors Report) noted, about one fifth of the globe is illiterate with increasingly dysfunctional school systems where the need is greatest. Furthermore, the numbers are growing - 6.2 billion people by 2000. Countries least able to support the burgeoning populations under 15 years of age have the highest growth rates, are the least equipped to educate, to provide jobs and to assure adequate health and social services. The resulting rapid urbanisation with its attendant exploitation of cheap labour, increased crime, violence and environmental devastation cries out for efficient educational reform and expansion.