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Navigating Institutional Diversity Through the TEL COL Project: Challenges and Opportunities
Abstract
The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) project, Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL), engaged six higher education institutions in Mauritius, each representing diverse cultural, institutional, and pedagogical contexts, to develop online and blended courses. While diversity enriched the project, it also introduced challenges such as disparities in institutional policies, variations in technological readiness, and differing levels of commitment to open education principles. This paper examines strategies to transform institutional diversity into opportunities for innovation and mutual learning. A survey conducted with participating institutions further explored the challenges and opportunities encountered, providing empirical insights into the dynamics of cross-institutional collaboration. The diversity of institutional contexts offered fertile ground for generating innovative, context-sensitive solutions. The project fostered resilience and adaptability, emphasising the importance of collaboration, flexibility, and shared ownership in addressing the complexities of TEL implementation. Tailored capacity-building workshops and mentorship programmes were designed to address institutional gaps while respecting each context’s unique strengths. Training 100 academics and resulting in 88 ODL/OER courses, the project demonstrated that fostering collaboration demands more than overcoming technical barriers; it requires cultivating a shared identity, a collaborative mindset, and building a community of practice. The lessons learned offer valuable insights for future cross-institutional TEL initiatives, where diversity remains both a strength and a challenge.
PCF11 Sub-Theme: Sustaining Communities of Learning and Practice in Innovative Open Education
Paper ID: 5679
Country
Mauritius
Region
Africa
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Adobe PDF, 336.02 KB
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Date
2025-09
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Publisher
Commonwealth of Learning (COL)