ICTs

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ICTs Open Distance Learning in Sub-Saharan
Africa

• International Symposium on the ICT Policy
  Implementation Strategy
• Polana Hotel, Maputo, Mozambique
• 14h00 16h00, Thursday, 4th October, 2001
• Dr Bob Day, Executive Director of ICT,
• University of South Africa (Unisa)

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Structure of Presentation

• The Knowledge Society, the Developing World,
  the HEI Sector
• Unisas Response Distance Education (ODL) ICT
  Strategies

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Emerging Knowledge Society

• Developed World
• Sustained through networks, not single
  organisations.
• Distributed rather than centralised intelligence.
• Requires multiple skills and continuous learning.
  
• Enabled by Interactive ICTs whilst simultaneously
  driving the development of new ICTs.
• Developing World
• Global phenomenon one KS, many (fractal)
  components.
• Avoid perpetuating the past - linear strategies
  vs Scenarios
• Emphasis on mutual benefit, not adversarial
  competition.
• Emphasis on sustainability NOT subsidy.
• Valuable concept of Knowledge Citizen
• Emphasising the value of EVERY human mind, rather
  than automating their muscle Equity

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Transforming HEIs - Globally

• Michael Gibbons
• University structures are too inflexible to
  accommodate emerging modes of knowledge
  production
• Peter Drucker
• 30 years from now the big university campuses
  will be relics. Universities wont survive
• Can HEIs change or must they die?
• What should they transform into, and how?

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Aligning and Mobilising the HEI Sector

• In general, African HEIs are not responding to
  the challenges of the Knowledge Society
• Wasted major resource - need to transform to
  become learning organisations adopt KM
• Could play leading role in accelerating Africas
  socio-economic development
• Need to collaborate with each other, with
  public and private sectors, globally
• Could apply much of their research ( learning)
  to National and Regional needs
• Could drive new learning material development
  (TEL) for ALL levels of education, not just
  tertiary. What is the alternative?

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• Unisa, its Strategic Response

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• About 170,000 students, and growing
• University of the Cape of Good Hope founded in
  1873 became University of South Africa in 1916
• University of South Africa as DE university
  started in 1946 - more than 55 years
  experience with ODL
• Mainly correspondence courses (2000), but
  experimenting with various technologies for 10
  years

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Trasforming Unisa

• Leapfrogging and HEIs - Creating Dinosaurs with
  Frogs Legs?
• Cannot change radically by throwing new ICTs at
  organisation FIRST change organisational
  culture
• Need service oriented culture focused on the
  students
• Administrative processes must be
  de-bureaucratised much resistance
• Academics must embrace and create ongoing
  development of new pedagogy
• CIKO role in Executive essential

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Unisa to become a leader in

• Reaching underserved communities, FIRST in SA,
  and then in Africa

• RD plus implementation of innovative multi-mode
  ODL teaching

• Providing students with a skills base for future
  needs of all sectors of society

• Providing World class ODL locally FIRST,
  nationally, continentally and globally

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Holistic Learning and ICT Strategy
ICT Admin. Processes
ICT Access
ICT Learning Processes
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(No Transcript)
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Holistic Learning and ICT Strategy
ICT Learning Processes
Non Value Addition

• Digitisation of existing
• correspondence material
• Same pedagogy
• Minor ICT enhancements

• Essential first step
• Introduces electronic
• media
• NOT virtual University

Parallel Process 2
Parallel Process 3
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Holistic Learning and ICT Strategy
ICT Learning Processes
Non Value Addition
ICT-enhanced New Pedagogy

• Tried tested pedagogies
• Tried tested ICT
• BUT team approach

• Subject Specialist(s)
• ICT Specialist(s)
• Instructional Designer(s)
• Drives Culture Change

Parallel Process 3
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Holistic Learning and ICT Strategy
ICT Learning Processes
Non Value Addition
ICT-enhanced New Pedagogy
Multi-modal Pedagogy Innovation

• Untried pedagogy ICT
• Multi-disciplinary,
• semi-autonomous centre
• Multiple funding/partners

• Multi-media presentation
• HCI-driven delivery
• Multiple interactivity
• (synchronous/asynchronous)

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Indigenous Technology Cluster Model

• Indigenous Cluster Model from Foresight
  SAITIS compare with satellite 1st world
  clusters (serve only developed minority in
  developing countries)
• Indigenous ICT for MPCCs Cluster
• Indigenous HCI Cluster includes adaptation of
  HLTs to African Languages
• Indigenous ICT for Pedagogy Cluster
• similar to Finish VU Karlsruhe OUNL (other?)
• Collaborate with UEM, Khartoum, Dakar (RINAF)?

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Innovative Pedagogy Facility Evolving Model

• Real entity, but extended (virtual/decentralised)
• Semi-autonomous entity, co-owned by all
  stakeholder Faculties/Departments
• Multiple funding streams, separate from current
  academic research budgets (sustainable in
  long-term)
• Applied, prototyping projects with hard
  deliverables (transparent prioritisation)
  feedback to level 2
• Unisa staff (Champions) seconded (3, 6, 12
  months?)
• Other staff (RSA international) HEIs, private
  sector, NGOs, etc..

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ODL Innovation Focus
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Major Innovative Learning Initiative via HCI

• African Languages Content
• Learning of Complex, Challenging Concepts
• 2nd language leads to rote rather than
  comprehension
• Reconfigure in African language (NOT literal
  translation)
• Monitor learning experience feedback
• HLT now mature enough can build ICT enhanced
  material in parallel

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• Thank You
• bday_at_unisa.ac.za

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Examples of crucial issues around Africas KS

• In which of these issues could/should the HEI
  Sector become involved?
• National ongoing Information Society Policy
  Processes, based on understanding of Africas
  Knowledge Society (AISI NICI processes)
• Can this be effective in the absence of National
  Foresight exercises?
• Mechanisms for universal access (eg MPCCs and
  SchoolNet initiatives)
• Need BALANCE between market forces and
  development needs eg National PTT regulatory
  and liberalisation problems.
• Aligning and mobilising the wasted resources of
  the Tertiary Sector

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Technology and Learning

• Most Policy makers confuse Distance Education
  with Technology Enhanced Learning.
• What is Technology Enhanced Learning?
• FIRST understand wide range of new pedagogies
  (brain research), and their appropriateness for
  different learning situations (sage on the
  stage no longer acceptable)
• Use newly available Multimedia technologies to
  create learning environments previously not
  possible
• May be used in either contact or asynchronous
  modes, with broad range of interactivity
  (one-on-one, group, etc)
• What is Open Distance Learning?
• Explores all of the above new TEL options
  interprets them in Distance paradigm
• Major new developments in mass delivery, digital
  material production, individualisation, student
  support, tutoring, interactive monitoring,
  assessment,..

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Modes of Learning

• Tendency to wish to amplify impact of technology
  via training the trainers
• Good, but assumes ALL learning requires a
  teacher.
• Need to understand and identify content and
  pedagogy which is best (naturally?) self learned.
• Where appropriate, free up learners to learn
  without teacher bottleneck
• Free up teachers to focus on areas where they can
  add most value to most learners (true
  amplification)

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Examples of Innovative Learning Collaborative
Initiatives

• OUNL EML, EduBox, ?
• Finnish VU ( Jyvaskyla) pedagogical
  innovations, eg intercultural understanding
  developing IPF
• SAP ( Karlsruhe) innovative learning material
  universal access mode via MPCCs SchoolNet SA
  HLT expertise developing IPF
• SchoolNet SA ( Africa) Access Access Courses
  growth into Africa (Nigeria, Mozambique,
  Burundi).

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How to Improve and Broaden Student Support and
Access?

• Once, Unisas weakness now great opportunity
• NB Student Support should NOT be used to prop
  up bad learning material
• Focus on improving and reconstituting our Access
  Programmes including HCI concepts
• Pilots - First on Maths, English for Science
• Urban students (via Learning Centres)
• Rural students (via MPCCs SchoolNet)
• Use non-textual improvements, eg multi-media
  (voice-over-visuals) via CDs NOW
• Use African Language components in better work
  sheets (NOW), via HLT (SOON)
• Potential for much wider Access Courses (NFBE)

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Copy the Developed Worlds Knowledge Society?

• The KS is more advanced in the developed world
• BUT, remains widely misunderstood there
• KS has NOT been perfected there, nor is it their
  sole property
• Africa should learn as much as possible from
  their extensive experience
• Will blindly following and copying lead to
  Africas equitable component of the global
  knowledge society?

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Who leads the Development of Africas Knowledge
Society?

• Africa needs leadership from organisations that
  it can TRUST and COMMUNICATE with. These
  organisations must
• Understand in depth the emerging KS
• Be African, understand Africas needs, be an
  honest broker, and be open and accessible
• Lead by example. Be a model Learning
  Organisation optimally employing KM processes
• How best can Africas HEI Sector contribute?
• Policy level issues
• Controversial Educational Issues

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Learning Organisations

• Half the levels of management, and one-third the
  managers cwf todays organisations - Peter
  Drucker
• An organisation that facilitates the learning of
  all its members and continuously transforms
  itself in response to changes in its business
• It recognises knowledge as an organisational
  resource and focuses not only on individual
  learning but also on collective or systemic
  learning
• BUT - It is hard to leave behind the Industrial
  Paradigm embedded in the structure, practices,
  processes of the organisation. AND in the minds
  of management
• Globally, most HEIs are FAR from being learning
  organisations.
• Need to transform but what future to aim at?