Introduction
Distance Education has come a long way from its humble beginnings in correspondence courses to an era when we speak of learner centred virtual universities. Over a period of one century, print has been supplemented first by radio; later by television, and more recently by the Internet and the World Wide Web.
Such growth was made possible by an exponential growth in electronics. Technological inputs into distance education started with the simple radio and the transistor which formed the basis for very successful distance programmes in agriculture ( Radio rural forums in Canada and India; School on the air in Latin America). A later development of television enriched distance education by opening the possibilities of incorporating the audio and visual medium and television’s use in education, at least in India received a boost with the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment in 1975. Distance education institutions did not lag behind in their use of the latest media technology available in their efforts to reach out to students irrespective of time and distance, whether in the U.K. Open University or in similar institutions in Germany ( Feruniversitat) ; NHK in Japan; or the Chinese Television University. Broadcast of educational television became more flexible with the use of audio and video cassette recorders enabling anytime study for the learner.
The computer and the satellite converging together paved the way for the Internet and the World Wide Web. Coupled with findings from research into the cognitive and learning sciences, we have now come to an age where web based instruction is an immediate precursor to the virtual university, with Internet as its platform.
The technological possibilities have made collaboration and cooperation a must. It is the purpose of this paper to explore strategies in crucial areas and various mechanisms for collaboration.
Strategies for Pedagogical inputs for Web based instruction
The Internet and the World Wide Web were the outcomes of developments in the Information Technology industry. Pioneering academicians saw the potential of the Internet and World Wide Web, as a rich resource of information to supplement classroom teaching. The more enterprising academics went ahead and began to offer programmes or courses of study on the Internet i.e. web based instruction. However if “instruction can be defined as a purposeful interaction to increase learners’ knowledge or skills in specific, pre-determined ways” ( Critchie & Hoffman-1997)”, then, simply publishing a World Wide Web Page with links to other digital resources does not constitute instruction. “Instructional sequences typically embrace seven common elements: motivating the learner, specifying what is to be learned, prompting the learner to recall and applying previous knowledge, providing new information and offering guidance and feedback, testing comprehension and supplying enri chment or remediation (Dick& Reiser 1989). With forethought, each of these elements can be incorporated in instruction designed for delivery on the World Wide Web, to ensure that the pedagogical strategies are met. Self learning materials in Distance education typify a scientific effort at incorporating these seven elements. The pedagogy of self learning materials has to be enlarged and adapted keeping the delivery systems ( in this case, the WWW) in constant focus. With pedagogical strategies being met, online courses or web- based instruction is bound to grow in popularity and provide the means for greater access.
Prof. S.W. Tam, in his paper entitled “ Managing Learner Centredness: The role of effective student support in ODL” presented at the recently concluded Asian Regional Conference of The ICDE ( Nov. 2000) observed that “ one of the hallmarks of distance education and indeed what has made it superior to face- to- face education is the emphasis placed on making instructional design and development an integrated aspect of ODL”. He laments the fact that with the advent of new modern technologies and the way they have become pervasive in distance education many people erroneously think that the design of instruction does not matter as long as there is the medium to convey the facts that we wish to provide the students. In distance education, as in any other form of education, the aim of education is not just to convey facts but to convey knowledge in such a way that the student can synthesise it. Also, efforts are made in the ODL system to make students “Learn how to learn”. Prof. Tam refers to the analysis of 25 years research in ODL done by Clark ( 1983) and quotes Clark’s opinion that the primary active ingredient in studies in instructional methods were the strategies and not the media employed by course designers and instructors. At OUHK, this is just as true today as Clark found it in 1983. “ The premise for this is that whether by print, offline or online, the instruction needs to be well designed to suit the learning styles and preference of the students. It should also be designed with all the relevant learning and instructional theories. It has also been suggested that effective web-based instruction must integrate three crucial elements- epistemology, pedagogical strategies suitable for the web and the characteristic of a web- based teaching and learning environment- to create a new instructional model ( Jegede 1999)” Prof. Tam emphasises that for effective student support to be provided, ODL must continue to use the design principles that are appropriate especially to distance learners. “ Additional to instructional design is the need to provide a comprehensive tutorial support.
Prof. Otto Peters in his paper titled “ The Flexible and Virtual University: Pedagogical Models” presented at the Asian Regional Conference of the ICDE in November 2000 observes as under in respect of pedagogical goals:-
“The emergence of quite a number of different forms of net based learning and the use of the digitised learning environment has caused educators to revive and to apply pedagogical models which they always have thought to be relevant for innovating and reforming the teaching- learning process. Individualisation, activation, communication, games, projects, student- centred approaches are some of the old pedagogical keywords which assume new relevances in virtual learning spaces. The most important one among them is the model of autonomous and self regulated learning. For about a hundred years this has been a pedagogical goal for the education of school children and to a larger extent even of adults. Trying to realise this model is nothing new. However, we are now challenged by the fact that the digitised learning environment is full of promises in this respect. For the first time in the history of learning this model can be relatively easily developed, applied and practised. The old pedagogical idea of the independent, self- acting, self-confident, self-assured and self-conpetent student who learns by studying on his or her own can be realized. Even more: in the long run practising this model will become a sheer necessity with regard to life-long learning required in our post- industrial information and knowledge society.
Strategies for use of technology
The demand for higher education by the teeming spirants and the inablility of the formal or traditional system to provide access, has forced educational planners to move to distance education using technical media to provide greater access. However, the choice of technical media is dependent on the level of development of the country concerned. While in large parts of the developed world, better technical and highly developed infrastructure being in place, the wider use of computer and communication permits the use of the most updated information technology in the delivery of instruction for distance education. In the developing world, the use of technical media for distance education ranges from the second generation use of radios to the third generation use of audio and video teleconferencing and in some cases to the use of the Internet and the world wide web ( fourth generation) for delivery of courses. The strategies for use of technology in distance education should take into account the learner friendliness of the technology concerned. And policy initiatives in the developing world should encompass the use of the latest technological innovations for wider access to education. As the world moves on to virtual education on the Internet, the developing countries should be in a position to take advantage of developments in technical media for accessing the courses or programmes on the Internet and using the resources of the web for enrichment.
Strategies for providing infrastructure
The developed world has the necessary infrastructure of computers and telecom munication and it is in this part of the world that web based instruction has been pioneered . With the cost of the computer coming down progressively while its computing power got enhanced by technological developments, the use of the Personal computer became widespread, both in educational institutions and homes. This widespread use of the computer provided an excellent base for web-based learning. However the position in the developing world is different.
Patterns of access to ICTs show that computers and the Internet remain a costly luxury, available to a fraction of the elite and that too, in institutional settings, Basic infrastructures such as stable and uninterrupted power supply, working telephone lines cannot be relied upon. Added to this is double billing ( one for connectivity, the other for the Internet) inhibiting use of the Internet ( Reddi: 2000).
Further, with scarce government resources competing for more urgent needs like food, health and education, investments in infrastructure like telecommunications and computers tend to take a back seat. Nevertheless the more enlightened or those who compete for global investments have realised that investment in infrastructure is a must, if a country is to benefit from multinational investment. Such countries in the developing world, would therefore, have to consciously make investments in infrastructure a priority. While having the effect of providing a high rating as an investment destination for the country concerned, such investments would also provide the means for widespread use of computers for education. Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong are all examples of developing countries where investments in infrastructure have provided the means for global participation in technological advancements in education. India presents a patchy picture with educational institutions generally lagging behind in the acquisition and use of computers while the IT industry has moved ahead and provides services in demand globally. This can be remedied by public policy promoting investments in computing and telecommunication infrastructure in educational institutions. Indeed, some States like Tamilnadu have made it part of the their educational policy to introduce computer education in several state schools across the state, while a recent announcement by the Chief Minister of Haryana referred to providing free computer education for school children.
Also where developed countries provide aid to the developing world both in the shape of financial aid and technology, the recipient country should prioritise its needs to ensure buildup of the infrastructure of computing and telecommunication, not only for providing a higher standard of living but also to participate globally in innovations in education.
Strategies for cooperation and collaboration
One of the principal features of the Internet is the concept of sharing – every web site published is an attempt in this direction to make known what is available whether for commerce or otherwise. Educational institutions offering programmes or courses of study on the web provide a wide choice to those who desire to enhance their educational qualifications. A combination of course offerings on the Web by different institutions may be the most obvious choice to the students. To provide a suitable award to the candidates who take courses on the web a certain degree of collaboration amongst the institutions would be necessary and desirable. In this, academic autonomy, which is widely touted and fiercely defended by educational institutions would have to be reconciled with the overall demands of students, and educational institutions should consciously collaborate and cooperate to benefit their student clientele in myriad ways.
Various patterns of collaboration can be envisaged. The range from individuals voluntarily sharing resources to institutionalized collaboration in course and credit sharing.
In a paper by Nick Bowskill, Steve McCarty and others titled “Cultural Sensitivity in Voluntary Virtual Professional Development Communities” published in Sept 2000 issue of IJOL, reference is made to the World Association for Online Education ( WAOE), as under:-
The WAOE is a voluntary mutually supportive virtual organisation that seeks to promote and develop a cross-cultural view of learning within virtual environments. Respect and sensitivity to difference is at the heart of the activities of WAOE in recognition of the highly distributed and optional nature of the membership. The WAOE came into being as a non-profit public benefit corporation registered in the State of California as a result of private initiative. Membership of WAOE spans five continents without being dominated by any geographical region. The WAOE is mostly a virtual association serving the needs of academics and educators concerned with turning on line education into a professional discipline. The WAOE focuses on combining dedication to online learning with social and cultural exchange.
The objectives and purposes of the WAOE explicitly promote humanistic ethics and global collaboration ( emphasis added) in online education specifically.
i) To maintain a global perspective as a world organisation, supporting multilingualism and multiculturalism in online education, preserving human rights to diversity and mutual respect despite differences, and encouraging inter cultural sensitivity and world reconciliation through intercultural communication among global citizens.
ii) To be as inclusive as possible in scope serving the aspirations of all members and working for equitable access to on line education and membership.
The reference to WAOE has been made to highlight voluntary collaboration for offering professional development courses online, with a concern for multilingualism and multiculturalism in online education. The success of the WAOE as a volu ntary organisation would suggest that similar organisations with like objectives be multiplied for deeper collaboration amongst educationists for offering online courses of study, training or professional development.
Sir John Daniel in his paper titled “ Open Learning at a point of Turning” presented at the Asian Regional Conference of the ICDE, Nov. 2000 , has observed that thanks to e-learning, all universities have their potential to operate globally. He has also predicted that open universities may find themselves at the forefront of these global development as traditional universities that seek to offer a few of their programmes around the world look to open universities for help with the necessary infrastructure ( an example of institutional collaboration). “ There may also be some exciting opportunities for open universities of the world to work together in providing a world wide infrastructure and tutorial services twenty four hours a day, seven days a week”. He concludes his paper stating that open universities and open learning will have a central role in higher education in the new century. Social, economic, political and technological forces are all pulling open and distance education to the centre of the policy stage. While stating that the first duty of any university is to its students,
Sir John goes on to state “ We have a democratic educational mission to reach and enthuse an enormously diverse student population; to insist that critical, informed,reflective engagement with the human condition is not a matter for elites or professional experts alone. By urging students always to sceptical, always to ask questions and never to take things for granted, we aspire to lead them beyond information and knowledge to understanding. This understanding then illuminates their actions as they fulfil their roles in a complex democratic society.That is how we will change the world.”
If individual collaboration is voluntary, the possibilities for cooperation and collaboration amongst educational institutions within a country are large. In the developed world such cooperation and collaboration is becoming wide spread. Educational institutions in the developing world are beginning to see the advantages of collaborating and pooling their resources for offering newer courses of relevance, instead of each institution offering the same course. Perhaps the role of the equivalence cell of the Association of Indian Universities could be enhanced to include a certification of web based courses- this would go a long way in promoting cooperation among educational institutions.
Similar collaboration could be attempted at regional levels. For example, the SAARC provides a regional forum for collaboration amongst distance teaching institutions in the South Asian region- i.e.,an existing regional cooperation mechanism is used for furthering the cause of education. At a broader international level, one could visualise both bilateral an d multilateral cooperation amongst educational institutions. In the area of bilateral co-operation we see institutions from other countries collaborating with institutions in our country to offer programmes of study, primarily in the areas of management and computer education, which are market- driven. The motivation is income and surplus to the institutions concerned while it confers some benefits in the long run as an exposure to curriculum different from what prevails in the country and better trained managers and computer specialists. While bilateral co-operation amongst educational institutions is largely as a result of private initiative, at the level of Governments concerned, a conscious attempt should be made to incorporate in bilateral agreements the need for collaboration and co-operation between educational institutions to improve access to aspirants in the countries concerned for better education.
In the area of multilateral co-operation, international institutions like UNESCO, which are concerned with education should take on a proactive role in emphasising upon member countries the need to share with others, developments or innovations in education for the greater good of all. In all these efforts, sharing of knowledge and of technological developments for improving access to education is the key word. The Commonwealth of Learning (COL), is a standing example of an institution that has done commendable work in the developing countries of the Commonwealth. Institutions like COL should be strengthened and supported widely in its task of spreading education and empowering people.
To summarise, the strategies envisaged above are for enlarging and widening access to higher education through a learner –centred approach, in which the key element is collaboration andco-operation amongst institutions and nations. Education as commerce should be replaced with education as an inalienable human right for empowerment and for taking one’s rightful place in the comity of nations and every Government’s attempt should be to realise this objective to the fullest.
References:-
Donn C. Ritchie and Bob Hoffman (1997) Incorporating Instructional Design Principles with the world wide web published in Web Based Institution edited by Badral H Khan, Educational Technology Publications Englewood Clifp, New Jersey 07632
Dick,W.,&Reiser, R . ( 1989) Planning effective instruction Englewood Cliffs, N J: Prentie Hall.
Prof. Tam, S.W. (200) “ Managing Learner Centredness: The role of effective student support in ODL” Paper presented at the Asian Regional Conference of ICDE, November 2000
Prof.Peters, Otto (2000) ‘’The Flexible and Virtual University: Pedagogical Models” Paper presented at the Asian Regional Conference of ICDE, November 2000.
Daniel, Sir John ( 2000) “ Open Learning at a Point of Turning” Paper presented at the Asian Regional Conference of ICDE , November 2000.
Bowskill, Nick, McC arty, Steve, Luke, Robert, Kinshuk and Hand, Kate (2000) “ Cultural Sensitivity in Voluntary Virtual Professional Development Communities”. Published in Indian Journal of Open Learning September 2000 issue.
Reddi, Dr.Usha V. (2000) “ Using ICTs for Poverty Reduction. The Evidence so far and the lessons therein “ Paper presented at the Asian Regional Conference of ICDE November 2000.
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