Using Technology to Educate the Commonwealth about the Commonwealth

Abstract

Association for Commonwealth Studies, Conference 20-23 May 2007 - Windsor, UK, Educating the Commonwealth about the Commonwealth, Using Technology to Educate the Commonwealth about the Commonwealth, Sir John Daniel, Commonwealth of Learning // My purpose is to inform you about two related developments. The first is the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth, which is a collaborative venture of 28 of the Commonwealth's small states to produce collectively eLearning materials related to their economic development. The courses presently under preparation are on postsecondary, skills-related topics. They are of the Commonwealth but not about the Commonwealth. // However, the way that the materials are being developed, as open educational resources, or OERs, in a collaborative electronic space called WikiEducator, is directly relevant to educating the Commonwealth about the Commonwealth. // I shall argue that the best way to raise the profile of Commonwealth studies is to create a Commonwealth-wide community of teachers who contribute exciting learning materials to what you might call a WikiCommonwealth. Teachers seek to make their lessons interesting and telling. Helping them do that will be a more effective way of raising the profile of the Commonwealth in the classrooms of the Commonwealth than badgering ministers of education to make place for the Commonwealth in the curriculum.