Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Recent Submissions
Publication Innovative Models and Practices in Teacher Development: Case Studies from the Commonwealth(2025-03) Commonwealth of Learning (COL); Ogange, Betty; Newman, Mairette; Mays, TonyTeacher professional development plays a crucial role in improving education quality, especially in under-resourced and marginalised communities. The expansion of open, distance, and technology-enabled learning - accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic - offered new ways to equip educators with skills for digital and blended teaching. Innovative Models and Practices in Teacher Development: Case Studies from the Commonwealth brings together eleven examples of school-based training, digital education leadership, and the use of open educational resources (OER). It covers teacher training initiatives in The Gambia, Guyana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, and Trinidad and Tobago. Other case studies draw from regional initiatives in the Pacific countries and Commonwealth-wide projects. The book particularly highlights locally relevant strategies that strengthened teacher capacity during and after the pandemic. The book highlights innovative thinking in teacher training, demonstrating how technology, structured training models, and teacher networks are shaping professional development. It calls for long-term investment in teacher learning, moving beyond emergency responses to ongoing professional growth and instructional improvement. Looking ahead, the book stresses the importance of expanding teacher training through open and distance learning (ODL) and digitalisation. By capturing real-world experiences, this book offers practical guidance for education ministries, teacher training programmes, and policymakers committed to strengthening teacher development for the future.Publication Community Radio Compendium 2023: Tools of Community Empowerment(2023)A compendium of Community Broadcasting in India for 2023, published by Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA) and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.Publication Teacher Education via Open and Distance Learning at The Open University of Sri Lanka: A Transformational Journey(2024) Karunanayaka, Shironica P.This monograph explores the evolution and impact of teacher education programs and practices implemented through the open and distance learning (ODL) mode at the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL). Since its inception in 1980, OUSL has implemented teacher education programs through ODL, which have continuously expanded and extended in many ways. The aim of the current study was to review the development of teacher education provided via ODL at OUSL from 1980 to 2023, with a view to identifying the key trends, changes in pedagogical approaches, impact of technological integrations, good practices, and areas for future development. Through a comprehensive review of literature, which revealed the multi-dimensional nature of providing teacher education through the ODL mode, a conceptual framework grounded in theoretical and empirical literature related to ODL practices in teacher education was developed. It provided a foundation for understanding the complexities and discovering the affordances of implementing teacher education programs in an ODL context. Employing a documentary research approach, the study critically examined a range of relevant articles published during the period from 1980 to 2023. This was complemented by semi-structured interviews conducted with a group of fourteen participants comprising former and current academic staff members of the Faculty of Education selected through purposive sampling. The investigation resulted in a comprehensive narrative of the transformational journey of propagating teacher education via ODL at OUSL over four decades, focusing on the historical development mainly in relation to pedagogical advancements and technological integrations. While unveiling the distinctive features, successes, challenges, trends, and impacts, it provides useful insights on future directions for effective teacher education via ODL in similar contexts.Publication Global Education Monitoring Report 2024, Pacific: Technology in Education: A Tool on Whose Terms?(2024-10-22) Commonwealth of Learning (COL); Global Education Monitoring Report teamInformation transmission and connectivity is crucial in the Pacific, a region characterized by high geographic dispersion. While the application of ICT in education has significant potentials, it is hindered by the region's limited and costly infrastructure. This edition accompanies the 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report, which acknowledges technology as a useful tool but invites the education community to question on whose terms it is deployed.Publication Teleconferencing: A Training Kit(2004-06) Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA)Teleconferencing: A Training Kit, published by Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA), June 2004.Publication Educational Broadcasting in the Commonwealth With Special Reference to Educational Television(2003) Reddi, Usha VyasuluMedia have always formed an important part of modern education since the beginning of the twentieth century. From print to radio, television, and today’s Web-enabled e-learning, each medium has been seen as a potential solution for the problems, inadequacies and certain ills of education. Invariably, the purpose of inducting media into education has been two-fold: to increase the reach and thereby access; and to enrich the quality of educational content. The birth of a new medium has not however, supplanted the previous one; since each has found its own niche. The growing importance of the print medium in the wake of a wide range of electronic/ digital media is a clear example of this.Publication Planning for Operation: An e-Service Approach(2007) Wong, Andrew; Lee, Joseph; Wu, CarolOperations of an open and distance learning (ODL) institution cover a wide range of academic and administrative management activities that are considered very much “core business” of the institution. Traditionally, such activities involve and require a large number of staff to manage the activities. As demand for service generally grows with more sophisticated and demanding clients whilst funding tightens, ODL institutions are facing a squeeze to find ways to “do more with less”. Providing student services online has been taking a central role in the operations of an academic institution especially for open and distance learning and continuing education.Publication Quality Assurance in ODL Institutions(2007) Koul, Badri NThe quality concerns of the ODL pioneers at the initial stages of the innovation called ODL (associated with the establishment of the British Open University in 1969) were focused on its socio-academic credibility vis-à-vis the time honored face-to face system of learning/teaching, wherein standards, not quality, was the watchword—adequate institutional infrastructure, appropriately qualified staff and in relation to a programme on offer, prescribed entrance qualifications, curricular content, duration of studies, a scheme of educational transactions and a scheme of learner evaluation reflected the standards. ODL institutions, under pressure to gain a foothold on the conventional turf, towed the line, but lost no time in identifying new criteria—i) the process of developing course materials, ii) the nature of course materials themselves, iii) the provision and practice of learner support services including the nature of pedagogic transaction/interaction and iv) flexibility in relation to entrance qualifications—to redefine standards in their fledgling enterprise. The last two of these continue to be questioned in circles/societies that find it difficult to see the paradigmatic shifts that have been taking place in the institution, philosophy and purpose of education over the past four decades.Publication Rethinking Planning for Open Learning(2007) Dhanarajan, GajarajThis meeting is about Planning Open Learning generally, but more specifically it is about planning Open Universities which, as a habit, use methods of distance education to deliver learning. Speaking selfishly it could not have come at a better time for those of us in Penang, who are struggling very hard over many issues relating to Open Learning that requires consideration, as we work on establishing a new Open University on this island, to serve Malaysians. // Looking around we cannot help but recognize that the world in which Open Distance Learning operates is being redefined based on a number of factors. Major technological breakthroughs as well as social developments, many of which have occurred over the last three decades, are major drivers of the changing environment. but, others such as increased demand for learning, trade in educational services, globalization, economic liberalism have all been cited by one or another expert, as contributing to that redefinition.Publication The Context and Impact of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) on Open Distance Learning(2007) Nigavekar, ArunIn the current globalized scenario, education has acquired a whole new meaning. It has become the engine for economic development which in turn is critical for development. Education enables an individual to create, absorb and process the knowledge which provides choices and opportunities to generate wealth and reduce the twin burdens of poverty and diseases. If an educated individual also has a greater voice in society, the nation in turn gets a dynamic globally competitive workforce. // The recent debates and decisions under the World Trade Organization are fast resulting in education being treated as a global commodity for trade in services, enabling off shore providers to enter education markets.Publication Financial Management System in Open and Distance Learning: An Example at Universitas Terbuka(2007) Belawati, TianFinancial management in open and distance learning (ODL) institutions plays a central role. It is not only because it will help decision makers to choose alternative methods and media for ODL, but in some cases, it is also about the accountability of political decisions. In countries such as Indonesia, the choice of ODL method is very much political as well as educational. ODL is expected to solve social problems of access and equality to high quality education.Publication Issues in Management of Human Resources in Open Universities(2007) Kaushik, MadhulikaOpen Universities, Higher Education, Human Resources, published by Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA).Publication Knowing Your Audience: A manual for Educational Media Researchers(2003-06) Reddi, Usha V; Singh, JagdishKnowing Your Audience: A manual for Educational Media Researchers, published by Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA), June 2003.Publication Educational Multimedia: A Handbook for Teacher-Developers(2003-03) Reddi, Usha V; Mishra, SanjayaMultimedia has always fascinated educationists because of its strengths to communicate difficult concepts in simple ways. With the availability of more and more sophisticated computers with multimedia capabilities, the potentialities to use multimedia have also grown tremendously. In the case of Open and Distance Education, which depends on self-learning materials, the use of multimedia enriches the teaching learning experiences by providing a multi-sensory perspective. While it has been acknowledged that multimedia can be useful in the teaching-learning scenario of both face-to-face and distance learning settings, educators tend to believe that development of multimedia requires knowledge of high-end programming. This is true only partially. Today, with the availability of software like Flash, Director, 3D Studio Max, etc, we can develop multimedia lessons with a little practice of the software. Therefore, you see many highly skilled multimedia designers in the market. But knowledge of the software alone is not enough to prepare a good educational multimedia. In order to be useful to the learner, a multimedia programme design needs to have a sound pedagogical base. This handbook intends to help teachers in understanding the basic concepts of multimedia and various issues involved in the development of educational multimedia.Publication Women's Literacy and Information and Communication Technologies: Lessons that Experience has Taught Us(2006-11) Dighe, Anita; Reddi, Usha VyasuluWomen's Literacy and Information and Communication Technologies: Lessons that Experience has Taught Us published by Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA), November 2006Publication Compendium 2011: Community Radio Stations in India(2011-06) Chittoor, JayalakshmiCompendium 2011: Community Radio Stations in India published by Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA), and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, June 2011.Publication Compendium 2012: Community Radio Stations in India(2012-02) Chittoor, JayalakshmiCompendium 2012: Community Radio Stations in India published by Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA) and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, February 2012Publication Quality Assurance Guidelines for Open Educational Resources: TIPS Framework(2013) Paul Kawachi, PaulThere is a current global movement towards open digital reusable educational resources. Most reports on open educational resources (OER) and open educational practice (OEP) start by clarifying their understanding and definition of the terminology. In particular they offer their interpretation of the meaning of ‘open’ as used in the expression ‘open educational resource’ and in other expressions especially ‘open content’ and ‘open access’. Now ten years old, the historic definition of OER is essentially functional to allow legal safety to anyone reusing OER without paying royalties and without having to apply to the copyright owner for permission to reproduce the resource. The historical functional definition of OER was given by UNESCO (2002, p.1) as “technology-enabled, open provision of educational resources for consultation, use and adaptation by a community of users for non-commercial pur poses … typically made freely available over the Web or the Internet”. In simple words, the term open educational resource (OER) is used here to mean a small self-contained unit of self-assessable teaching with a measurable learning objective, often in digital electronic format and generally free to use.Publication Media Enabling Pedagogy and Curriculum in Open and Distance Learning System in Commonwealth Asia(2018) Das, BiswajiOpen and distance learning (ODL) has been both a parallel as well as supportive development within K-12 and higher education for over the past one and half centuries in the world. The Commonwealth Asia region, although bit a late starter, however initiated these developments in the early 70s, keeping pace with global development. Correspondence education (the earlier form of distance education) was formally introduced in the Indian higher education in 1962, and the irst Open University in the Commonwealth Asian region was established in Pakistan. Since then, open and distance learning (ODL) vis-a-vis media and technology developments (that act as enablers of ODL) have spread faster in the Asian continent. Though the developments toward access and equity have been tremendous, such a pace does not correspond with research investigations within ODL in this region. It thus became imperative to look into how these ODL institutions at the level of higher education in Commonwealth Asia (particularly the South Asian region) are using various media and technologies for curriculum design, teaching-learning, and quality assurance.Publication OER Policy Implementation and Use in Open and Distance Learning(2018) Pulist, SKThe advancements in ICT have exerted unprecedented influence on all walks of human life. Much of the influence is visible on the methodologies, approaches and strategies to impart education as well. The Education system has witnessed a technological disruption with the extensive use of ICT more so the web, internet and now the open access content and other free educational resources. OER has emerged as enabling tools for the education system more so the open and distance learning, to expand the horizon of access to quality education for all the aspirants. // In the recent past, the OER interventions of CEMCA have focused on capacity building of the faculty and other functionaries in the three ODL institutions among others, i.e., Bangladesh Open University, Netaji Subhash Open University, and Odisha State Open University. The study is an attempt to evaluate this capacity building.