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Publication PCF10 Inaugural Address by the Honourable Fiame Naomi Mata’afa(2022-09-15) Mata’afa, Fiame NaomiThe inaugural address delivered by the Honourable Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, Prime Minister of Samoa at the Tenth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF10) in Calgary, Canada on 15 September 2022. Introduction by Professor Asha Kanwar, COL President & CEO.Publication Report of the Special Parallel Session: Strategies and Solutions for ODFL in the Pacific Region(2022-09-15) Commonwealth of LearningThis is a summary of presentations and discussions at a special session on 'Strategies and Solutions for Open Distance and Flexible Learning in the Pacific' organised by COL during the Tenth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF10) in Calgary, Canada on 15 September 2022.Publication Keynote Address: Promoting Equity and Inclusion(2022-09-16) Manamela, Buti KgwaridiKeynote address, delivered by Hon. Buti Kgwaridi Manamela, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, South Africa, at the Tenth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF10) in Calgary, Canada on 16 September 2022.Publication Asa Briggs Lecture: Educational Resilience in Times of Division(2022-09-14) Blackman, TimAsa Briggs Lecture presented by Professor Tim Blackman, Vice-Chancellor, The Open University, at the Tenth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF10), in Calgary, Canada on 14 September 2022.Publication Keynote Address: Inspiring innovations(2022-09-16) Rezwan, Mohammed"Floating Schools Ensuring Community Resilience and Sustainable Development" keynote address, delivered by Mr. Mohammed Rezwan, Founder and Executive Director, Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha, at the Tenth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF10) in Calgary, Canada on 16 September 2022.Publication PCF10: The Calgary Communique(2022-09-16) Commonwealth of Learning; Athabasca UniversityThe Calgary Communique was presented on September 16, 2022 at the Closing Ceremony of the Tenth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF10), Calgary TELUS Convention Centre in Calgary, Canada.Publication PCF10: Closing Remarks(2022-09-16) Kanwar, AshaClosing Remarks by Professor Asha Kanwar, President & CEO, Commonwealth of Learning, at the Tenth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF10), Calgary, Canada on 16 September 2022.Publication Keynote Address: Fostering Lifelong Learning(2022-09-15) Zawacki-Richter, Olaf"The Contribution of Open, Distance and Digital Education to Lifelong Learning" keynote address delivered by Professor Olaf Zawacki-Richter, University of Oldenburg, at the Tenth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF10) in Calgary, Canada on 15 September 2022.Publication Keynote Address: Building Resilience(2022-09-15) Payet, Rolph"Resilience Education: Learning for Future Sustainability" keynote address, delivered by Dr Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary, Basel Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, at the Tenth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF10) in Calgary, Canada on 15 September 2022.Publication PCF10 Inauguration Welcome(2022-09-15) Kanwar, AshaPCF10 Inauguration Welcome by Professor Asha Kanwar, President & CEO, Commonwealth of Learning, at the Tenth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF10) in Calgary, Canada on 15 September 2022.Publication Opening Ceremony Address: Tenth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning(2022-09-14) Kanwar, AshaOpening Ceremony Address presented by Professor Asha Kanwar, President & CEO, Commonwealth of Learning, at the Tenth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF10), Calgary, Canada on 14 September 2022.Publication IMAGINE Mali Girls’ Education Project: The Importance of Place and Space Inquiry to Inform Education Programming in a Conflict-Affected Context(2022-09) Del Col, Nancy; McBride, Stephanie; Aime, Kouame; M’pai, Togola Diakaridia; Diarra, Martin; Kabamba, HonoréPCF10 Sub-theme: Building Resilience // IMAGINE contributes to the Canadian government's commitment to quality education for girls by improving their rights to inclusive, gender-transformative, quality education in two conflict-affected regions in Mali. Since 2020, this humanitarian-development/nexus project funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented by a consortium of NGOs, has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, school closures due to the security situation, teacher strikes and coups, while public schools, once safe learning spaces, have experienced attacks by armed groups. // This paper shares lessons learned and challenges from IMAGINE, exploring the theme and sub-theme of Building Resilience and Education for Girls and the socio-political potential of education as a peacebuilding agent. Geographic Place and Space Theory establishes that place is an integral and inescapable aspect of community and individual life experiences. Butler and Sinclair (2020) argue that “place inquiry and spatial methodologies can strengthen the potential of education research by advancing our knowledge of the nature of and potential solutions to educational injustice.” We ask: How can education projects in the humanitarian-development/nexus space leverage geographic place and space inquiry to improve approaches to equitable educational access, particularly for girls? // As a gender-transformative education project, IMAGINE will contribute findings to this under-conceptualized space in education research. // Paper ID 8891Publication Educational Development in Africa: Bridging disability Gap with Distance Learning for the Visually Impaired(2022-09) Egenti, Grace; Ikeokwu, Justin; Fadayomi, BayonlePCF10 Sub-theme: Promoting Equity and Inclusion // It is a known fact that the era of the Covid19 pandemic has further exposed the concept and technology of distance learning as more and more people are now interested in higher education through the distance learning mode. Distance learning courses are possibly an appropriate tool for mainstream students with impairments in education since they rely significantly on digital material and are technology-mediated. However, in the drive to move forward, most structures/systems are typically created without taking into cognizance the unique interface issues those students with disabilities are confronted with while using technology, especially the blind and the visually impaired. Hence, this paper is aimed at creating an enabling examination platform where this vulnerable group would be supported by providing a voice supported application, ODL Visually Impaired Assessment Bot for the blind and the visually impaired to write their examinations. This will further ensure equality and inclusive education in acquiring life-long learning through distance learning. Artificial intelligence technologies were used to develop a Robot that was used for the implementation of the Application. The Robot reads out the examination questions to the blind and visually impaired student and also listens to the student speak and thereafter captures and types out the answers of the student. It is against this backdrop that this paper is written to proffer a solution to the blind and the visually impaired students in Africa, especially, the National Open University of Nigeria. The significance of this ODL Visually Impaired Assessment Bot is aimed at building a sustainable educational system through the use of technology, thus eradicating limiting ideologies in Africa, like ‘those with disabilities cannot be educated and the rich only deserve quality education’. This application will create a level ground for all to access life-long quality education, through the open and distance mode. The visually impaired if given proper education cannot constitute any form of liability but an asset to themselves, their families and the society at large. // Paper ID 3346Publication Maximising Mobile Applications for Cost-effective Training in Africa: Evidence from an Empirical Investigation(2022-09) Ojedeji, Solomon; Adelore, OmobolaPCF10 Sub-theme: Inspiring Innovations // This study examined the use of a mobile application to train facilitators of adult literacy with a view to exploring the possibility of providing cost-effective facilitator training, as against regular training programmes which incur several additional costs for venue, feeding, production of training manuals, honorarium, accommodation, subsistence allowance, among others. This has been a reason for which facilitator training has become a neglected field in most African countries, especially Nigeria. The study adopted the pretest-posttest control group, quasi-experimental design, and selected 66 adult literacy facilitators using a multi-stage sampling procedure. Two research questions were raised and analysed using frequency count, mean and standard deviation. Results revealed that it is cheaper to train using the mobile application compared to conventional face-to-face training method; and that participants in the experimental group who used the Mobile Training Application performed better than participants in the control group who went through the conventional training. Recommendations were made based on these findings that awareness could be created among adult literacy facilitators about this innovation of the mobile application for training. Also, the government, as well as other organisations interested in the training of facilitators, such as UNESCO, could be encouraged to adopt this cost-effective means to train facilitators of adult literacy in Nigeria and other African countries. // Paper ID 6581Publication Bridging Soft Skills Gaps among Automotive Engineering Trainees in TVET: A Case of Thika Technical(2022-09) Wahungu, DanielPCF10 Sub-theme: Fostering Lifelong Learning // TVET has been recognized worldwide as a tool for empowering the youth for sustainable livelihood and social-economic development. However, there are concerns that engineering TVET trainees lack the requisite soft skills for the world of work and this mismatch has implications for the supply of skills to the labour market and youth unemployment. The study based its theoretical explanations on the Human Capital theory. The researcher employed a descriptive survey utilizing both qualitative and quantitative techniques. Considering the limited time, a case study of Thika Technical Training Institute was conducted. The study involved 149 participants comprising 20 automotive engineering trainers, 90 automotive engineering trainees, 30 automotive engineering trainees who had graduated, 8 representatives of the industry players and the Director of Kenya Association of Manufacturers. The study mainly utilized questionnaires, interview guide and Focus Group Discussions. For the purpose of triangulation, document analysis was used. A pilot study was conducted on the research instruments in order to increase validity and reliability. Collected qualitative data was scored manually then organized and analysed systematically as per thematic areas in a narrative form and also in tabular form. Quantitative data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS Version 26). The study established that the curriculum content for automotive engineering is short on soft skills, a mismatch in perceptions between the TVET trainers and selected representatives of industries working with TVET institutions and lack of collaboration between TVET and the industry. The study recommended that TVET curriculum should be reviewed so that soft skills are well infused and therefore taught before the trainees enter the labour market, increased collaboration in the mapping of the skills gaps, aligning curriculum content as well as practical industrial experience for the TVET trainers. Although the study is limited in scope, it is hoped that the findings could find relevance and applicability beyond the immediate context. // Paper ID 6562Publication Covid-19 Disruption of Inclusive Lifelong Learning through Digital Technologies in Ugandan Higher Education: Policies and Practices for University Vulnerable Groups(2022-09) Atcero, MilburgaPCF10 Sub-theme: Fostering Lifelong Learning // The Covid-19 crisis has forced most governments around the world to close educational institutions in an attempt to contain the spread of the pandemic, impacting over 91% of the world’s student population according to UNESCO. Uganda is among the countries where schools have been closed for at least 2 years. Uganda subscribes to the UN’s 2030 sustainable development goal (SDG) 4 which is grounded on notions of equity and fairness. The SDG 4 agenda: ‘Ensures inclusive and equitable quality education and promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all’. Similarly, Uganda’s Education Sector Strategic Plan 2018-2020 stipulates delivery of equitable, relevant and quality education for all. Notably in Uganda, with 42 million people (UBOS 2020) in lock down and mostly confined in their homes, digital technologies are becoming a necessity, as they become one of the main ways to access education, but also one remaining vectors for social interactions to take place. For instance, the 2019 communication sector report by the Uganda Communications Commission shows that the country’s internet penetration stands at 37.9% with over 23 million internet users, who mostly use mobile phones. According to the same report, mobile internet subscription stood at between 14.3 to 15.2 million persons out of the 42 million Ugandans. Meanwhile about 1.1 million to 1.4 million Ugandans have actively subscribed to pay-tv services. This clearly shows the digital gap as of 2020, given that a large proportion of the population (estimated at 62-96%) does not have access to the internet or pay-tv. The present article aims to demonstrate that in the current Covid-19 crisis, much as digital technologies are helping to reach wider audiences globally, Uganda, like other Sub-Saharan African countries, still faces several challenges which directly or indirectly affect lifelong learning. Our hypothesis is that some of the most vulnerable students from Universities living in rural communities, people living with disability are the most difficult to reach if ICTS serve as the main instrument for promoting lifelong learning. A survey of a convenient sample of 350 Ugandan students from various socioeconomic backgrounds was conducted. Preliminary results show that despite the fact that digital technologies have enabled the closing of the gap of continued access to lifelong learning during the Covid-19 pandemic in Uganda, there are still existing challenges in implementing Inclusive lifelong learning such as mobile phones, unstable electricity, poor infrastructure and accessing the lowest technology in order to close the educational gap. // Paper ID 6456Publication Compatibility of Legal Education to Open and Distance Learning in Nigeria in the 21st Century(2022-09) Ishaya, MartinsPCF10 Sub-theme: Inspiring Innovations // Legal education, like any other discipline in higher Institution, necessitates the use of various teaching and learning pedagogies in order to provide a sustainable teaching and learning environment. Many aspects of legal education are driven by new market dynamics of demand and supply. Open and Distance Learning has created room for the emergence of virtual education. Not only are students found everywhere undertaking studies but geographical boundaries between States no longer appear to have much relevance today. This article aims at examine ode of delivery of legal education in Open and Distance Learning Institutions, especially National Open University of Nigeria. The article is divided into sections: The first section is introduction, the second discusses the concept, origin, types and goals of legal education; third describes the history of legal education in Nigeria; four presents historical development of ODL; section five present methods of delivery in ODL; six discuss regulatory bodies of legal education in Nigeria and conflicts of interest. Seven examine the challenges of online learning, The article concludes with recommendations that Legal Education in ODL Institutions can be effectively delivered. // Paper ID 6435Publication The State of the Art in Blended Learning Research in a Time of the Covid-19 Pandemic: Coronavirus Diaries in the Educational Realm(2022-09) Bozkurt, Aras; Marin, Victoria I; Lee, Kyungmee; Cefa Sari, BerrinPCF10 Sub-theme: Building Resilience // The Covid-19 pandemic was a crisis on a global scale, and it impacted not only our lives but also our understanding of the educational landscape. There were many waves of the pandemic at varying levels and as these waves hit our globe, the way we live and see the world has been changing. Consequently, we entered a time which was called the new normal which required being flexible, resilient, and adaptive. The educational landscape has also been challenged by the waves of the pandemic. The onsite (face-to-face) learning was replaced by online distance learning which was attributed as emergency remote teaching and learning in many cases. As the new normal forced us to change our traditional notions and practices, many higher education institutions adopted blended learning to benefit from opportunities of both modalities, that is, onsite and online learning. In this regard, this study implements a systematic approach to examine papers published in the first two years of the pandemic on blended learning. For this purpose, the study adopts social network analysis and text mining to examine a total of 104 peer-reviewed publications. The initial findings identified four broad themes. Accordingly, these are (1) diversity and confusion in the blended learning terminology, (2) Learning experiences and effectiveness of blended learning practices, (3) technology-dominated and online-mediated blended learning approaches, and (4) blended learning for applied and practical courses. The paper discusses these themes, provides suggestions, and explains implications for future research directions. // Paper ID 6418Publication The Impact of Life-Skills Blended Girls Secondary Education on Girls, their Families and Communities(2022-09) Saleem, MuhammadPCF10 Sub-theme: Inspiring Innovations // Girls’ access to secondary education is a serious challenge, especially in remote rural areas of Pakistan. At the primary level, 32 per cent of girls are out of school, by grade six the percentage of out of school-girls reaches 59 per cent and only 13 per cent make it to the 9th grade. It has a very serious bearing on their capacities to claim their full potential, achieve their basic human rights and attain an acceptable standard of living. // Bedari, a women and girls’ rights civil society organization in Pakistan has supported 1000s of girls from rural areas of Pakistan to complete their secondary education. The support included community mobilization around the benefits of girls' education and financial incentives to bear the school expenditures. Along with ensuring girls' access to formal education, Bedari trained these girls on life skills and basic human rights. It also trained parents and community volunteers on the rights of girls and the importance of secondary education. It also did intensive community mobilization in the partner communities. Bedari implemented these projects during the last 12 years. It is high time to evaluate the impact of these projects. This research aims to see the impact of these innovative efforts on the lives of girls, their families and communities. It will also see the challenges of girls' secondary education in semi-tribal societies such as the district of Chakwal, Pakistan. // The researcher will conduct a random selection of partner villages and the girls who participated in these projects. We will conduct FGDs and In-depth Interviews of selected stakeholders of all kinds. The indicators will include the role of girls in decision-making at individual, family and community levels, SRHR status, age at marriage, family size and birth spacing, income and wellbeing of the family. More indicators can be added if suggested by the communities during the field research. The paper will give a clear picture of the impact of the innovative approach. // The author will present the results of the research already conducted. // Paper ID 6412Publication Between the Ivory Towers and the Prison Walls: Prison Inmates’ Decision to Pursue Tertiary Education in Open University Malaysia(2022-09) Raghavan, SanthiPCF10 Sub-theme: Promoting Equity and Inclusion // Being a correctional entity, the Malaysian Prison Department through its vision and mission is responsible to provide a safe detention and rehabilitation. One of its objectives is to ensure suitable and effective correctional programmes for all categories of inmates. One of the programmes set up by Malaysian Prison Department is to have a collaboration with higher education providers to offer tertiary education for inmates in order to equip them with knowledge and skills to pursue work after release. One of such engagement is the provision of the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes for inmates in selected Malaysian prisons by Open University Malaysia (OUM). OUM conducts undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes for prison inmates. This study aims to determine the factors influencing prison inmates’ decision to pursue higher education in the prisons. 37 respondents from a total of 68 prisoners-students are involved in this study. The Stakeholder Theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour were adopted as the underpining theories as they are related to attitude and planned behaviour. The Stakeholder Theory enables us to comprehend how a diverse range of stakeholders impact prisoner learning and comprehend the expectations and duties of distinct stakeholders regarding prisoner learning. Whereas, the Theory of Planned Behaviour postulates that an individual’s behaviour is determined by their intention to engage in such behaviour. Factor analysis was utilised to identify if these three factors (student attribute, social influence and financial aid) influenced prison inmates’ decision to pursue Open University Malaysia’s programmes in prisons. Results of the multiple linear regression indicated that there was a significant effect between student attribute and decision to study, which means that inmates' own characteristics will motivate them to continue learning which can lead to future success in their pursuit for excellence in tertiary education. // Paper ID 6370