Open Distance Inter-University Synergies Between Europe, Africa and the Middle East (Odiseame) (original) (raw)
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Having achieved, moved on, and overtaken different stages and processes of teaching –learning phases, the ODE and Digit-e Learning have arrived triumphantly. It is one of the latest revolutionary and evolutionary as well as democratically oriented sequences of educational progression of humanity. It can help to connect people, to share life and its possibilities, to base a true cooperation, all better and more different than before… Open and Distance Education, alongside with the classical, official, and all available kinds of traditional education, is certainly, the general field and means of 'deconfidentialization' of essential knowledge of both technical-professional skills and sciences(horizontal knowledge) as well as all possible vertical consciousness and intelligence(vertical knowledge) for the common inquiring people. These two sorts of system of applied education have merely different means of applications. So, The ODE, like the other one, is a means of communalization of knowledge of the both categories mentioned above. The ODE and e-Learning machinery is not only a field for mechanical or formal cooperation of regional, national, or international committed agents involved, but, additionally and simultaneously, also is indeed, a vital background for generalization and conceptualization of democratization. It is also an involving parameter, (base and aim), of application of true democracy. It is in one way or another means of distribution of knowledge in the both realms.
Mind the Gap is an ongoing learning and teaching collaboration between design students based in Sydney, Australia and business students based in London, UK. The collaboration stemmed from a meeting of two academics, both teaching in the areas of design management and sustainability. One out of an Australian university design school and the other out of a UK based business school. They decided to extend and enrich their students’ learning experience through an interactive online forum where students could discuss common topics relating to their respective courses. In the first iteration (Autumn 2008) the main challenge was to get the students to discuss issues across the cohorts rather than in parallel. The second iteration (Autumn 2009) built on the experiences of the first with the goal of the discussion informing project outcomes. The third iteration (Autumn 2010) has developed a more complex approach generating discussions that culminated in the identification of opportunities for design for social innovation. This interaction comprised of (1) a discussion between the cohorts on general issues of sustainability, pleasure, and urban food supply; (2) identification of possible design projects and the generation of a brief for the UK students by the Australian students; (3) a proposal being formed by the UK students to enact the brief. This paper discusses the teaching and learning insights and outcomes of the third Mind the Gap collaboration (Autumn 2010) and outlines recommendations for the fourth. The data and accompanying analysis stems from student interaction observations, interviews with students and lecturing staff, project outcomes and comparative reflection based on the ongoing nature of this endeavor. The paper concludes with a recognition as to how much this ongoing collaboration reflects changing norms in design education to include interactive shared learning, open source knowledge, and social media in order to find the in-between space in which creativity often thrives.
This theoretical essay is a learning approach reflexion on Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences and the possibilities provided by the education model known as open and distance learning. Open and distance learning can revolutionize traditional pedagogical practice, meeting the needs of those who have different forms of cognitive understanding. This tool has in itself the potential to build knowledge collectively. The conclusions raise new questions for future discussion, shedding some light on the open and distance learning not as a mere tool to spread education, but as a means to reach new levels of comprehension and consciousness, reflecting on the role of education itself.
Open Distance Education: A Technological Approach Within Social Perspective
IFAC Proceedings Volumes, 2005
The aim of this paper is to provide an argument material in order to open up a discussion concerning educational and political strategies within the field of distance education using a work experience of All Armenian Internet University (AAIU). In the field of computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) the best deifications are where the exploration of the new possibilities is represented by the emerging technologies. In this paper, there is a desire to build learning environments to support a range of distributed cognitive work, i.e., communities of learners, conceptual learning conversations, and knowledge building communities. Instructional designers are in the initial stages of exploring the commonalities and discontinuities between the varieties of CSCL activities in AAIU.
Open and Distance Learning: Engaging Learners through Innovation and Creativity
2009
Open learning has increased in importance over the years as seen in the increasing number of universities offering open and distance learning programmes. Research in the area has also increased over the years, covering a multitude of topics and concentrating on areas such as e-learning, interactive learning and collaborative learning. The authors of this research suggested that academics and practitioners should explore how teachers or tutors can influence learning designs and strategies with the aim of engaging learners through innovation and creativity. This paper explores the avenues that can be pursued by Open University Malaysia to incorporate innovation and creativity into its blended learning mode. Data were gathered from a literature review on open and distance learning, print module, online learning, and face-to-face tutorial. The research thus provides information on the current practices of open and distance learning programmes in Open University Malaysia; and the basic principles of implementing these open and distance learning programmes. In particular, the findings provide the characteristics of an effective print module, online learning, and face-to-face tutorial. At the end of the paper, some innovative and creative ideas that can be implemented in Open University Malaysia were suggested and discussed.
Innovation and best practice in open and distance education
2013
This last 2013 issue of Open Praxis brings together nine articles which were awarded an ICDE prize for Innovation and Best Practice in the field of open and distance education. They describe innovative practices or research in a wide variety of areas. These ICDE prizes, which aimed to stimulate innovation and best practice in open, distance, flexible, online and e-learning, were awarded in the 25 th ICDE International Conference, 16-18 th October 2013, held in Tianjin (China). The scientific committee of the conference pre-selected 27 papers among those submitted to the conference and proposed for the prize (169 candidates). Out of these, nine papers were selected as the winners by the Editorial Board of Open Praxis, on the themes of Open Educational Resources and intercultural aspects, Learning analytics, Mobile learning, Impact, Teaching quality, and Leadership. Awarded papers were selected considering both the conference and the journal's general criteria. Special consideration was given to the following selection criteria: overall clarity, innovation, good practice, transferability, impact and overall quality. Du Ruo and Yang Xiaotang were awarded the ICDE KNOU prize on the theme of mobile learning for their paper Build optional digital textbooks for distance learners. The authors of this paper explore a new type of e-books, the "digital textbooks," mainly in four areas: definition, tools, technology and functions, based on research on mobile learning and ubiquitous learning. As they contend, supporting different learners successfully in a digital age, will depend on how well those new media and new technology are used when building smarter learning materials and learning environments. It is essential to carry out research to evidence how these media are actually supporting learners, and this paper provides an example of such research. The prize on the theme of leadership was awarded to Khar Thoe Ng, Suma Parahakaran, Rhea Febro, Egbert Weisheit and Tan Luck Lee for their paper Promoting sustainable living in the borderless world through blended learning platforms. The authors remind us that the definition of learning space has become broader over the past decade through blended learning platforms incorporating emerging digital and non-digital learning tools. The paper reports recent studies on the development of blended learning platforms to promote sustainable living. It focuses on in-service teachers' understanding of, as well as the attitudes towards, Education for Sustainable Development and the three essential skills that are required for sustainable living, i.e. thinking, technology and living skills. These include cooperative learning and communication skills developed by their students through sharing of resources in e-platforms with easy access information and cross-cultural learning opportunities. The concept of "borderless school" illustrates very well the current trend in lifelong learning. On the theme of learning analytics, the prize was awarded to Dewi Juliah Ratnaningsih for her paper Open and Distance Education Systems: Do They Enhance Graduates' Soft Skills? (The
New Media and Open and Distance Learning: New challenges for Education in a Knowledge Society
Informatics in education, 2007
The "digital society" provides not only with new technology, but also with new concepts. Information plays a central role and becomes a valuable good, but knowledge cannot be reduced to information, and one aim for educators is to contribute in a "knowledge society", not only an "information society". A knowledge society is structured in networks, enriching the traditional hierarchies; a knowledge society promotes a kind of "collective intelligence". In such a society, open and distance learning has new dimensions and faces new challenges: collaboration and individualization, dealing with time and space, dealing with presence and distance, and contributing to lifelong learning. The Stellenbosch Declaration gives the main trends for ICT in education in a knowledge society, according to six major issues: digital solidarity, learners and lifelong learning, decision-making strategies, networking, research, teachers.
E-Learning University Networks: An Approach to a Quality Open Education
2007
The achievement of coordination activities and the creation of university networks are considered to be fundamental mechanisms to bring together the different higher education systems as well as to promote synergies between less developed regions and more developed ones. ODISEAME
This paper presents the work of the eMundus project that began in October 2013 and reports on the project activities to date. The aim of eMundus is to strengthen cooperation among HE institutions from the involved regions (EU, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Indonesia, Canada and New Zealand) and globally, by exploring the potential of Open Approaches (e.g. OER, MOOCs and Virtual Mobility amongst others) to support long term, balanced, inter-cultural academic partnerships for improving learning and teaching through Open Education approaches. The project's vision is that Open Education should not be seen solely as a solution to the urging challenges of reducing the unitary cost of higher education-moving towards a " market-oriented " global higher education system, but rather as a way to help establish long-term international partnerships, aiming for an open international setting where universities cooperate on the basis of their capacity not only to attract international stude...