Connections/EdTech News, December 2002

 Mangosutho Technikon choir opens the Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning

55 countries represented at Pan-Commonwealth Forum

Durban hosts 650 delegates for COL's second Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning

The second Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning was held in Durban in July 2002 attracting 650 delegates from 55 countries and several international organisations. Gender representation was good - from 18 African countries, there was an equal number of men and women (150 each). Hundreds more also participated through pre-Forum virtual conferences.

COL's President and Chief Executive Officer, Professor Gajaraj Dhanarajan, welcomed the group and challenged them to take action:

This second forum takes place at an important juncture not just for education but also for global progress, growth, peace, security and human well being. It is also appropriate that it should take place here in Africa, a continent that finally seems to be getting the respect, courtesy and consideration that it requires from the global community. The birth of the new African Union, NEPAD and the many other African-designed initiatives all reflect a desire on the part of African leadership to take a greater responsibility to shape the destiny of their nations and people to reduce - if not eliminate altogether - the levels of conflict, poverty, destitution, disease, educational deprivation, abuse of individual freedoms and rights and at the same time paying greater heed to peace, health care, especially from some of the devastating pandemics, welfare and well-being of mothers and infants as well as good governance...

Distance education and open learning, as delivery mechanisms of education, are relatively new. But already, the range of experience is enormous; the pace of growth phenomenal. In no other grouping of nations is the growth as remarkable as it is in the Commonwealth; but then in no other group of nations do we see such a high proportion of people denied access to all levels of learning.

Keynote presentations, plenary sessions, parallel workshops and an exhibition all contributed to five days of intense education and networking. Many keynote addresses and other presentations are now available on COL's web site.  www.col.org/pcf2

Stephen Lewis appeals to delegates for help in combating HIV/AIDS in Africa

The Asa Briggs Lecture was a highlight of the Forum, with the UN's Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, Mr. Stephen Lewis delivering an eye-opening (and moistening) account of the urgent action required to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic that is attacking the very foundations of Africa. Mr. Lewis, a Canadian former diplomat and politician, lamented the failure of rich donor nations to provide adequate funds for the cause. He also suggested that open and distance education, together with appropriate technology, could have a tremendous impact on the collective scourges of HIV/AIDS and disadvantaged children who are orphaned, out-of-school and/or refugees.

Lewis maintains that the problems are reversible. "It is such a lamentable moral lapse in the refusal to provide the money to save the lives of human beings that is beyond, I must admit to you, my capacity to understand."

Another highlight was COL's Excellence in Distance Education Awards banquet.

Plenary session at the International Conference Centre, Durban

COL thanks its local partners, the National Association of Distance Education Organisations of South Africa (NADEOSA) and the Department of Education, South Africa, and the dedicated individuals, led by NADEOSA President Mr. Tony Mays and the Department of Education's Ms. Trudi van Wyk, who contributed immensely to the success of the Forum. Event Dynamics, a South African conference services company provided logistical support.

The third Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning will be held in Dunedin, New Zealand, from 5 - 8 July 2004. It is being hosted by the Distance Education Association of New Zealand (DEANZ).  www.deanz.org.nz

Copyright and the web

COL opens consultations on educational use of the web and issues of copyright

Virtual conference begins in February 2003.

Many Commonwealth countries have similar copyright legislation and practices - and also have similar debates about what should and shouldn't be in this often-confusing arena. The increasing use of the Internet and the World Wide Web has added a new and very large international dimension. The following article, prepared by Mr. Robert A. Schad, Senior Policy Strategist, University of Regina, and Ms. Wanda Noel, Barrister and Solicitor, Ottawa, describe a current lobby in Canada.

The article is intended to provide some background and spark further Commonwealth-wide discussions through an e-mail-based virtual conference that will be hosted by COL beginning in February. The three-week conference is open to all and there is no cost. Mr. Schad and Ms. Noel will be the moderators. www.col.org/copyright

Mr. Schad and Ms. Noel presented a well-received session on this topic in Durban at the Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning.

A Canadian perspective
Removing the Copyright Barrier: Educational use of the Internet

The Problem

Copyright law is a barrier to the educational use of the Internet and the World Wide Web. Amending the Canadian Copyright Act to remove this barrier is essential if education systems are to produce the highly skilled, computer literate population required in the global information economy.

Current Canadian copyright law often makes the spontaneous use of the Internet by teachers and students illegal. For example, using the information that is found on web sites without obtaining prior written permission is often an infringement of copyright. There are many types of activities that are sound educational practices but are made illegal by current copyright law. A Grade 3 student who copies a picture from a web site, adds it to a report, e-mails the report to her teacher and makes a print copy to show her family has broken copyright law. A university student in a media awareness class that cuts and pastes from different web sites to comment on the composition of the sites is also in violation. A professor who helps his students by posting news clippings on his class web site as a resource for his class is also in violation of copyright law.

The education community in Canada has been actively examining the issues of copyright in a digital environment and its implications for education for a number of years.

The Canadian solution

The education community in Canada is urging its federal government to consider an amendment to the Copyright Act to allow students and educators to make effective and legal use of publicly available Internet materials as part of a programme of learning.

In educational institutions, learning is fostered and sustained by the use of the Internet. However, existing copyright laws impede technology-enhanced learning. Current copyright laws are infringed when students and educators engage in routine activities such as forwarding e-mails and copying information for study purposes. Copyright laws must therefore be changed to legalise and promote technology-enhanced learning, allowing students and educators to employ Internet-based resources without breaking copyright law.

Clarity

By providing legal clarity about the educational use of the Internet, the proposed amendment will reduce the risk of litigation. Legal clarity will also ensure that students and teachers are in a better position to promote best information practices and ethical standards respecting copyright. An example is teaching students about the importance of acknowledging the source of material by crediting the author.

Balance

To provide a viable legislative framework for both creators and users of Internet resources, the Canadian government must ensure a balance between creators' rights and public access to knowledge and information. The proposed amendment upholds the concept of balance, and has conditions that are fair to both the users and creators of copyright material. It would apply uniquely to publicly available sources, and does not change or interfere with the legitimate right of creators who wish to be compensated for the use of their material on the Internet. As well, students and educators benefiting from the amendment would still be required to acknowledge the copyright source and could use Internet material only for educational purposes. Options for providing balanced legislative change are varied and include exceptions, fair dealing, or fair use as it is called in the United States, and collective licensing.

Free versus fee

The Internet is substantially different from commercial vehicles like publishing, radio and television. Where the latter are concerned, educational institutions reimburse creators and producers for the use of their copyright material. It is clear, however, that the Internet is only partially a vehicle for publishing and other commercial ventures. As a driving force in the information age, the Internet is an environment that sustains national and global communication.

Many would argue that the global communications function of the Internet is its most important function. This environment is comprised of the free and willing exchange of ideas, beliefs and knowledge. In fact, the Internet has exerted such influence that non-democratic regimes have, and are attempting to, restrict the ability of its citizens to access and use it. This is a much different environment than that which arose with the introduction of earlier technologies such as the photocopier.

Many web sites are intended to inform and educate the public for free. The World Wide Web has as many similarities to the town square and speakers corner as it does to a bookstore or publishing house. As such, the Internet promotes many uses and performances that are not intended for profit, nor intended to be subject to commercial transaction. Public policy decisions pertaining to copyright must correspond to this new complex environment.

What needs to be done?

These considerations all speak to the need for a balanced and innovative approach in the reform of the Canadian copyright law. The proposed amendment ensures that students and educators who are learning and improving skills with publicly available materials on the Internet are able to do so without infringing copyright. A nation's position in the global information age is dependent on its continued ability to access and learn from Internet-based materials. Copyright laws need to be amended to legalise educational use of publicly available Internet materials.

The information age is here; the decisions made in one country can influence decisions in other countries. This is especially true when dealing with issues in the digital world. What happens to copyright law in one country will be noticed in other countries that are struggling with similar issues. If the education community makes its voice heard regarding the need to remove copyright as a barrier to educational use of the Internet, then there is a greater chance of achieving the needed copyright amendments.

"United we stand, divided we fall" has new resonance in the digital age.

B.Schad/W. Noel

Tangible results for COL virtual conference participants

How do you begin effective educational change? How can new tools, technology and methodology be optimised for distance learning? How should institutions cope with expanding resources and shrinking financial means?

Questions like these sparked discussion and debate in a series of virtual conferences from February to July 2002, initiated by COL and the Federation of Commonwealth Open and Distance Learning Associations (FOCODLA) as a lead-up to the second Pan-Commonwealth Forum (PCF) on Open Learning in Durban, South Africa (29 July to 2 August 2002).

Topics for the six conferences took their cue from the 2002 PCF theme of Open Learning: Transforming Education for Development, revealing at their close some common elements - among these, broader recognition, acceptance and interest in the viability of information and communications technology (ICT) as an integrated aspect of open, distance and lifelong learning systems, in spite of continuing issues related to widespread ICT use.

The virtual conference topics were "Bridging the digital divide," "Technology and lifelong learning," "The future of technology for developing countries," "Distance learning in the small and island states in the Commonwealth," "Quality assurance in open and distance education" and "Open and distance learning for community and social development."

The e-mail-based conferences encouraged topical, accessible and immediate discussion of issues related to the 2002 PCF theme, with emphasis on those affecting developing countries. Use of the Internet encouraged the broadest participation possible. The conferences were open and free to anyone, anywhere, whether they were planning to attend the PCF or not.

Involvement, Commonwealth-wide

The virtual conferences attracted participation from all parts of the Commonwealth and all regions of the globe. The broad appeal of the virtual conferences drew both public and private sector organisations and individuals with interest or investment in open and distance learning. Participants represented special-purpose distance-education institutions as well as conventional ones; international and intergovernmental organisations; governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and included consultants and providers of education-related development services and products.

Each conference drew from 125 to 300 participants - the largest number subscribing to "The future of technology for developing countries." The number of active contributions to each of the virtual conferences, in the form of comments, responses, questions or information, ranged from 100 to more than 300 postings per topic. Some conferences had higher numbers of loquacious participants than others; overall active contributions in each topic hovering at about 50% of those registered. This may seem low, until you consider how many people, face-to-face in a room of 300, would actively participate in a discussion!

Each conference was hosted by a FOCODLA member association and moderated by a subject expert from within their membership. The moderators opened each conference with a topical introduction or series of questions, offered focus and context where needed, and contributed a summary at closing.

The FOCODLA members that hosted discussions were the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU), the Canadian Association for Distance Education (CADE), the Distance Education Association of New Zealand (DEANZ), the Jamaican Association for Distance and Open Learning (JADOL), the Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia (ODLAA), and the National Association of Distance Education Organisations of South Africa (NADEOSA) - co-sponsors along with COL and the Department of Education, South Africa, of the second Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning.

Themes and outcomes

In "Bridging the digital divide," a conference moderated by Andrew Higgins, at the time with the Higher Education Development Centre, the University of Otago, New Zealand (now Director, Flexible Learning, at the Auckland University of Technology), willingness to communicate and share was identified as key in the exchange of technology and information, creating an institutional culture receptive to technology and change and building and sustaining a collaborative network. Effective sharing must also factor in socio-cultural issues such as language, religion and the role of age in determining receptiveness to, and perception of, technology.

ICT can be a useful tool for lifelong learning, but is only part of the solution for institutions struggling to service growing demand for education and skills training. In the conference on "Technology and lifelong learning," moderated by Catherine McLoughlin of the School of Education, Australian Catholic University, participants felt strongly that every effort needs to be made to ensure that instructional design, planning and pedagogy are not neglected in ICT-based education delivery. Before implementation, research and consultation must determine if the technology is suitable and financially sustainable. McLoughlin added that lifelong learning and ICT-based education need more research in order to establish best practice.

"The future of technology for developing countries" has several potential obstacles, among them cultural or religious resistance to ICT use; lack of available funding for ICT initiatives; difficulty creating and implementing effective e-learning standards; lack of clear institutional or government ICT policy; expensive or unreliable Internet access; and language-based barriers. Participants in the discussion moderated by Bill Fricker, a consultant with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Canada, pointed to radio and satellite wireless communications technology as having existing and future potential for cost savings, rapid deployment and reliability for distance learning applications.

"Distance learning in the small and island states in the Commonwealth" is best exploited for career training and as an educational outreach to under-served populations, whether at the elementary, secondary or tertiary level. Participants in the conference moderated by David C. Rand, Director of Continuing Education at the University of Technology, Jamaica, cited lack of adequate ICT infrastructure, such as regular access to electricity, as the main reason web-based learning is not widespread outside of urban areas in the small island states. More "traditional" media such as video, audiotapes or CD, and off-campus mobile or stationary learning centres, will continue to be the norm. Factors for success include close collaboration between institutions, regionally or internationally; weaning away reliance on a "face-to-face" education model; and using a learner-based, multiple-mode strategy for education delivery.

Quality assurance is a must, so that "second-chance" education does not mean "second-rate" education. To this end, quality enhancement practices share equal importance. The discussions on "Quality assurance in open and distance education," moderated by Mike Robertshaw of the School of Science and Technology, The Open University of Hong Kong, also concluded that implementation of quality assurance practices should produce not only case-by-case results, but a wider institutional "quality culture."

The conference on "Open and distance learning for community and social development" was moderated by Tony Mays, distance education consultant, South Africa; Alan Amory, Director, Centre for Information Technology in Higher Education, University of Natal, South Africa; and Audrey Wyngaard of the Distance Education Unit, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. The group found that aside from culture (including religion and language), distance and differing ICT levels are strong potential barriers to forming communities; face-to-face interaction, therefore, might be useful to initiate the development process. Ongoing facilitation and moderation can often help foster mutual understanding and a sense of commonality. Conference participants also agreed that if economies of scale are achieved, community development could be supported through ICT at reasonable cost and with significant results, although training in the technology is a prerequisite.

Technicalities

COL provided all technical support for the virtual conferences through the use of Majordomo list management software, running on an "open source" Linux-based system. E-mail use reduced access problems from intermittent or low-bandwidth Internet connectivity and the asynchronous conferencing enabled participation irrespective of time-zone differences. E-mail conferencing also meant that participants did not need any specialised, expensive software or audio-visual equipment. COL also maintained a web-page archive of all postings, updated daily and sortable by date, thread, subject or author, for viewing by registered participants throughout each virtual conference.

Ironically the majority of technical glitches cropped up during the "Quality assurance in open and distance education" conference. Additionally, a heavy daily message volume in some conferences with frequent postings and many participants affected those with limited e-mail account storage or lower-bandwidth Internet connectivity - as well as those with low-tolerance of high e-mail volumes, which is an increasing concern for many these days!

More virtual conferences

Feedback on this year's virtual conference has been positive overall and the discussions have also helped to inform COL's work.

Moderator David Rand said the conference was an opportunity to "draw upon the expertise of others, and allow for the incubation of ideas. We were able to ask for assistance, request and share materials, and build our network of colleagues." And a conference participant noted that she found that the discussions "set the stage for us to plan long-term on how to produce a learning society. Many thanks."

COL will conduct more virtual conferences and another series will be offered as a lead-in to the third Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning, being hosted by the Distance Education Association of New Zealand (DEANZ) in Dunedin, New Zealand from 5 - 8 July 2004.

For more on the virtual conferences and to access moderator summaries, conclusions and recommendations please see www.col.org/virtualconferences. Other Information from the second Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning is archived at www.col.org/pcf2. For the latest on the third Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (Dunedin, New Zealand, 5 - 8 July 2004), please visit www.deanz.org.nz.

New Honorary Fellows of COL receive their awards in Durban. COL's President, Gajaraj Dhanarajan, and Chairman, H. Ian Macdonald, made the presentations

COL awards recognise excellence in distance education

The Commonwealth of Learning recognised excellence in distance education at an awards ceremony held in Durban in conjunction with the second Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (1 August 2002). COL named new Honorary Fellows of the Commonwealth of Learning and also acknowledged excellence in materials development, institutional achievement and learning experience (conferred on a student who studied through distance education). Further information and full citations are available on COL's web site.  www.col.org/edea

Honorary Fellows:

Fifteen Commonwealth citizens were recognised for their lifetime contributions to the development of distance education and open learning.

Five British nationals were named Honorary Fellows of the Commonwealth of Learning:

• A renowned historian and BBC personality, Lord (Asa) Briggs worked to transform and widen access to education, "drawing new maps of learning." He was Provost of Worcester College (Oxford), Chancellor of the Open University and the first Chairman of COL.

• Sir John Daniel is now Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO and, most recently, was Vice-Chancellor of the Open University. He was knighted in 1994 for his services to higher education. His book, Mega-Universities and Knowledge Media: Technology Strategies for Higher Education, published in 1996, established his reputation as a leading thinker about the role of technology in academic communities.

• Dr. Ros Morpeth is Executive Director of the National Extension College, an educational trust established in 1963 to pioneer distance learning for adults.

• Dr. Hilary Perraton has studied and critiqued distance education for decades. He served the Commonwealth during the 1980s and early 1990s through his role at the Commonwealth Secretariat and was the founding Director of the International Research Foundation for Open Learning, based in Cambridge.

• Lord (Walter) Perry is well known for his role in the ground-breaking development of the Open University as its Vice-Chancellor for its first ten years.

Ten more from other Commonwealth countries were also conferred Honorary Fellowships:

• As President, Athabasca University, Alberta, Canada, Dr. Dominique A.M.X. Abrioux took a once fractious university and transformed it into one of Canada's leading open universities with a solid international reputation.

• Professor Clifford D. Blake recently retired as founding Vice-Chancellor of Charles Sturt University, Australia - having created the largest distance education provider in Australia. He was also a long-time member of the COL's Board of Governors.

• Ms. Shona E. Butterfield has been Chief Executive of The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand since 1989 when it was a correspondence trade school, being run as part of the Department of Education. Under her leadership, The Open Polytechnic has become one of the country's largest tertiary institutions with over 30,000 students all studying technical/vocational subjects through distance education.

• Dr. Glen M. Farrell, was founding President of British Columbia's Open Learning Agency (Canada) and shaped the development of the Agency's multi-faceted service for ten years. After he retired in 1998, his knowledge of distance education has been drawn upon, not only by COL, but also by a number of Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth institutions, governmental and international agencies.

• From her early days as a student leader working for the SACHED Trust, her work with national and provincial departments of education and her current position as Director of the South African Institute for Distance Education, Ms. Jennifer A. Glennie has always had a determination to assist the people of South Africa. She not only played an extensive role in the anti-apartheid struggles of South Africa but also a vital role in its reconstruction and development after the 1994 democratic elections.

• Dr. Dennis H. Irvine was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana for 13 years and then UNESCO's Science Adviser to the Caribbean and Education Consultant to the Jamaican Government during the 1980's, prior to joining COL as a senior member of staff. He then served as COL's Regional Adviser in the Caribbean, based in his home country of Jamaica. Dedicated to the advancement of open and distance education, especially in higher education, he has played significant roles in both the Caribbean and in COL's development.

• As the Minister of Education, Civil Aviation and Works of the Royal Kingdom of Tonga for 30 years, and Deputy Prime Minister for much of that time, Dr. S. Langi Kavaliku not only shaped the educational services of his country, but also helped influence the educational policies of the 11 other Commonwealth nations in the region. Through his involvement with UNESCO, Commonwealth and other international fora, he brought the world's attention to the South Pacific and tirelessly appealed for the preservation of its values.

• Professor Geoffrey R.V. Mmari is the founding Vice-Chancellor, Open University of Tanzania and a former COL Regional Adviser. He has spent his professional life making significant contributions to the educational sector in Tanzania and in improving access to education in eastern Africa, especially through open and distance learning.

• Professor Ram G. Takwale has demonstrated how distance education with its focus on people can change poor, backward, marginalised and forgotten communities into productive, resourceful, healthy and vibrant societies. He is a former Vice-Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University, India, and was founding Vice-Chancellor of Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University and a COL Regional Adviser.

• Long before distance education became fashionable in West Africa, Alhaji Hafiz S. Wali was engaged as the founding Director of the National Teachers' Institute (NTI) in Kaduna, Nigeria, in establishing and developing a distance education programme on teacher training. Under his leadership, the NTI developed a distinct character and, to this day, it is the only dedicated single-mode teacher training institute delivering in-service teacher training at the first level to Nigerians. He was also a founding member of COL's Board of Governors and a senior staff member in COL's early years.

Receiving awards of excellence for institutional achievement

Institutional achievement

Awards of excellence for institutional achievement were received by:

• Athabasca University, Canada - accepted by Dr. Dominique A.M.X. Abrioux, President

• BBC World Service, United Kingdom - accepted by Mr. Andrew Thompson, Head of Americas Region (formerly Commissioning Editor, Education)

• Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, India - accepted by Dr. B.P. Sabale, Vice-Chancellor

These awards recognise significant institutional achievements in the innovative and effective application of appropriate learning technologies to reach students who might otherwise not have participated in the learning or training experience.
 

Veronica McKay (left) and Robert McLaughlan with awards of excellence for distance education materials, presented by COL Board member, the Honourable Fiamé Naomi Mata'afa (centre), Minister for Education, Samoa.

Materials

Awards of excellence for distance education materials were won by:

• ABET Practitioner Training Programme (Certificate and Diploma), a training programme for adult basic education tutors developed by the Institute for Adult Basic Education and Training, University of South Africa - accepted by Ms. Veronica McKay.

• The Mekong e-Sim Programme, an Internet-mediated role-play simulation jointly developed by the University of Technology, Sydney; the University of Adelaide; the University of Sydney and the University of New England, Australia - accepted by Dr. Robert McLaughlan, National Centre for Groundwater Management, University of Technology, Sydney.

Fitness for need and purpose, educational design, coherence and integration of media in the study materials and evidence of impacts and benefits derived from evaluation are criteria for this award.

COL learning experience award presented to Frances Mensah by COL Board member, His Excellency Professor Michael Omolewa, Nigeria's Ambassador/Permanent Delegate to UNESCO

Learning experience

The EDEA learning experience award was presented to Ms. Frances J. Mensah, who earned a B.Ed. through distance education while also employed as Director of the Namibian College of Open Learning, Namibia. This award category was developed to provide a forum for the expression of student experience in learning through distance education.

Rural Mozambique

Focus on Africa

Over the last ten years the Sub-Saharan Commonwealth's capacity to deliver distance education has increased substantially. More than any other development agency, the Commonwealth of Learning has been instrumental in drawing the attention of member governments and their institutions to the application of distance and open learning to enhance access. Including Seychelles and Mauritius, there are 19 Commonwealth countries in Africa - all of them Sub-Saharan.

19 Commonwealth countries are located in Sub-Saharan Africa

Open and distance learning, coupled with the application of appropriate technologies, can play a central role in addressing needs in Africa. Every institution engaged in the development of the human being must be enabled to use distance and open learning. It may be the only means whereby education and training can be delivered, either for initial or replacement purposes, speedily, economically and effectively for large numbers of people.

This Focus on Africa highlights some of COL's current initiatives. For more details, please visit COL's web site. 

Teacher education

Teacher education is an integral component of the focus on basic education. Effective teachers are perhaps the most critical part of any strategy to meet the Education for All targets agreed to in Dakar. Yet shortages of trained teachers have been a chronic problem in much of the developing world, especially in Africa, and that problem is deepening with the decimation of the ranks of teachers by HIV/AIDS.

Recognising that new methods must be tried, and that they could not afford the luxury of taking untrained teachers from classrooms for professional upgrading, Ministers of Education from eight Southern African countries (Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe) collaborated with COL to develop distance education training materials to upgrade teachers of upper primary and junior secondary science, technology and mathematics in subject and general education areas (STAMP 2000+). Eighteen modules on general education courses were available in 2001 and 27 modules on science, technology and mathematics were completed in early 2002. More than 50 authors from throughout the region contributed to the material. Other countries will be encouraged to make use of these materials for their own teacher training needs.

A Pan-African Policy Dialogue on In-Service Teacher Training using Open and Distance Learning was convened and sponsored by COL in July 2001 and hosted by the Ministry of Basic Education, Sport and Culture, Namibia. Permanent Secretaries of Education and senior officials responsible for teacher training from African Commonwealth countries examined issues involving the accreditation of teachers, quality and standards, systems management and regional collaboration and co-operation. They also developed co-operative methods to move forward in implementing new strategies. The British Department for International Development, the Centre for British Teachers and other agencies provided funding assistance.

With the generous collaboration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Singapore and the National Institute of Education in Singapore, COL provides an annual professional development opportunity for Directors and CEOs of teacher training institutes in Sub-Saharan Africa. Focussing on teacher training in recognition of its central importance to achieving the Education for All goal, the Institute has now provided training to 36 teacher training leaders from 15 countries.

Policy development and collaboration

COL has sponsored national forums on developing and/or revising national distance education policies in several countries and is an active member of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) working groups on teacher training and distance education.

Working with the South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), COL has developed an online course for distance education policy makers, designed to deepen the knowledge and skills of education managers responsible for open and distance learning. The course comprises web-based or CD-ROM-based training, augmented by a face-to-face workshop. Participants are from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Swaziland and Seychelles.

Class of 2002: African vice-chancellors and senior university administrators, along with course facilitators, at Dudhope Castle, Scotland, attending the "Managing Change" institute in August

Vice-chancellors

In 2000, COL initiated an annual Institute for African vice-chancellors entitled, "Managing Change - Leadership and Strategic Change in Higher Education: A strategic development programme for leaders of universities in Commonwealth Africa". The programme is hosted in partnership with the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the University of Abertay Dundee and the Association of African Universities. Fifty-eight senior administrators from 46 institutions based in 17 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have now benefited from the three sessions held to date.

Institutional development

COL has provided technical assistance and advice in the establishment or restructuring of several African institutions, including the Botswana College of Distance and Open Learning, the National Teachers' Institute (Nigeria), the Open University of Tanzania and the Zimbabwe Open University.

Internships and attachments

COL has facilitated numerous attachments and study visits by educational leaders in Africa and sent Canadian youth interns to African organisations.

Community learning centres

Zambia is one of the beneficiaries of a COL literacy project that is funded by the British Department for International Development. The project is demonstrating the use of technology-based community learning centres to support literacy work with a focus on reading skills.

Community radio

Low-cost media

Through COL's media empowerment programme (COLME), several community-operated applications of portable "briefcase" FM broadcasting stations and desk-top computer video production systems have been set up by COL to serve rural areas and to provide a model for implementation elsewhere. Community radio training focuses on use for health education (including HIV/AIDS) and supplementing primary education. Video applications support agricultural extension and peer health education.

Training laboratory technicians