ET2000 Conference Papers
Introduction
Distance Learning: Technological Imperatives
by
Dr. Abdul W. Khan
Principal Communications Specialist
The Commonwealth of Learning
As we approach the 21st century, it is becoming increasingly clear that the ability to cope with rapid changes will become the primary measure of success, at both micro and macro levels. Throughout the 20th century, accelerating change has often overtaken even the most stable of our social institutions, and the rate of change will no doubt increase with gathering speed in the new millennium. Many societies have shifted from the 'industrial' era to the 'information' era, and others are fast moving in that direction. With the advent of the information era, there is clear shift in the direction of knowledge-based economy.
Technological development is accelerating at such a pace that most of the technology which will be used in ten years' time has yet to be developed. Education is one of the sectors that have felt the impact of tremendous change, particularly in the field of technology. Perhaps more than ever before, the acquisition and application of knowledge has become a central part of development, both for individuals as well as for societies. In recognition of its economic and social importance, many countries in the developed and developing worlds alike have placed a high priority on attaining higher and higher levels of knowledge through widespread education and training.
For the industrialized countries, the need to sustain overall competitiveness has placed increasing demands on both the formal educational processes as well as on the system for industrial training. In the developing world, there is the same requirement to equip large numbers of citizens with basic skills necessary for economic and social advancement. For this reason, educational policy has risen to the very top of the global public policy agenda.
In the face of growing demand for learning, policy-makers have accelerated their search for more and more powerful means of delivering education and training, and have turned their attention increasingly to the application of techniques and approaches associated with "open learning" and "distance education". At the same time, the steady expansion of the role of communications and information technologies in society has brought about an increasing awareness of their value for education and training purposes. The combination of distance learning approaches and advanced communications and information technologies has substantially enhanced the prospects of responding to the "learning imperative", some have claimed that it has brought the virtues of mass production to the supply of education and training.
New Paradigms of Learning
Both education and training are currently experiencing a period of unprecedented questioning of some fundamentals. Advances in communications and information technology have been a major contributing factor in the current debate on new paradigms on learning. The focus has shifted from teaching to learning. Some of the major changes are:
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from institutional based learning to learning organisations with just-in-time knowledge provisions;
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from fixed curricula to personalised curricula;
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from front-ended education to life-long education; and
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from teaching to learning.
These changes have brought about fundamental changes not only in enlarging the goals of education and training but also in the types of learners and the nature of educational organisation. Education is no longer a front-ended activity where learner of certain age group (5-29) participate in full-time learning activities in schools, colleges and universities. Today a variety of learners pursue a variety of learning goals in a variety of learning environments.
Each major transition in communication media, from speech to writing, writing to print, and now from print to electronic forms have resulted in changes in our means to create, record, store, distribute and retrieve information, and these changes have had significant impact on developments in human thought, behavior and culture. The implications of new communications technologies for education arise both from within and outside the classroom. Inside, technology promises the potential to transform the nature of teaching and learning. Outside, the digitization of the society and an information-based economy are redefining society's expectations of our education system. It is not a coincidence that the term, like Distance Education, Open Learning, Flexible Learning, Technology-Based Learning, Technology Enhanced Learning, Just-in-Time Open Learning, Life Long Learning and Workplace Learning is being frequently mentioned in the writing on education. Expressions like virtual university, virtual campus, virtual classroom are frequently mentioned in educational debates.
The current excitement over distance education and open learning stems from the tremendous technological advances taking place and revitalized cries for systemic education reform. This statement can be validated when we look at the various indicators of growth in distance education. These indicators include such measurements as:
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The number of academics working in distance education full time. Although the majority of academics working in distance education institutions are recruited from the conventional system, increasingly they view themselves as distance education professionals and the demand for professional training in the area is evidenced by the number of programmes at a master of distance education level.
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The number of professional associations formed. Several new professional associations have emerged recently in the developing world, especially in Africa, as distance educators strive to share experiences, learn from each other and improve their practice of distance education.
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The amount of money spent. There is no accurate assessment of the budgets allocated to support distance learning initiatives, however, the fact that several governments have recently recognised a role for distance learning in their five-year plans and dedicated specific funds to support the development of distance learning institutions and activities, would indicate that it is receiving an increasing portion of government funding to education.
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The number of conferences and seminars held. There has been an overwhelming array of conferences and seminars targeting distance learning and related fields, such as educational technology, in recent yeas. While many of them clearly are aimed at the more lucrative markets in the developed world many also are beginning to recognise the potential in the south.
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The number of international consortia and organisations in the field of distance education. New alliances are emerging which bring together not only partners from the education community but also from the private sector, i.e. educational and communication technology industries. As well, there is increasing evidence that organisations such as international donors and development agencies are beginning to seriously consider distance education approaches as appropriate solutions to the educational dilemma facing many developing economies.
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New research in distance learning. All of the above indicators demand that increased attention is paid to the critical analysis and serious reflection on the issues of effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of distance education undertakings. We are now seeing more quality research being produced by the distance education community to address many of these issues.
A number of factors have contributed to the growing global acceptance of distance learning. These include:
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population growth, particularly in the developing countries;
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increase in demand for education and training;
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dwindling resources for education;
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growing demand for equality of access to educational opportunities;
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flexibility and user friendliness of the methodology of distance learning;
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cost effectiveness for users and providers; and
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advances in communications and information technologies.
Implications of Technological Advances
The convergence between communications and information technologies has resulted in an unprecedented increase in the capacity to generate new knowledge, its storage, retrieval and distribution. There are far-reaching educational implications of the developments. These include:
Need for Partnerships
There is a long history of partnerships between academia and industry as evidenced in the investment in research and teaching activities. However, there is an unprecedented opportunity, given the emergence of new technologies, for new partnership possibilities. No longer can we rely on the public sector to provide the necessary infrastructure to support and enhance communication and information technology uses for education. Indeed the investment by governments in education is being reduced significantly leaving a wide gap between what is required for development and what is available.
Indeed the investment by governments in education is being reduced significantly leaving a wide gap between what is required for development and what is available. As economics become more knowledge-based, education and training will become a major market for the CIT industries and for the economy as a whole. Therefore, they too have a stake in developing partnership with education. There is a clear trend in this area as a number of CIT industries are getting involved in not only supporting distance learning but offering distance learning and training programmes. The corporate training sector have also embraced the value of open and distance learning in their own operations. Therefore, there is clearly a case for symbiosis between the educational community and the industry in general and in particular the CIT industry.
Although there have been discussions between education and industry and some notable examples of cooperation, this interaction has remained limited. There is a need for increased dialogue.
The Commonwealth of Learning, with a mandate to widen access to learning opportunities in response to the development needs of Commonwealth countries by means of the application of the techniques and technologies associated with distance education has taken a lead role in creating a dialogue. It was in keeping with this mandate that Educational Technology 2000: Creating a Global Vision for Open and Distance Learning was conceived.
The main objectives of the conference were:
This conference held in Singapore, August 15-17, 1996, attracted 200 participants from 38 countries. The conference programme included four keynote addresses by world-renowned experts: Dr S. Ndlovo, Dr Tony Bates, Ms Elizabeth Smith, and Dr Motilal Sharma. As well, 68 concurrent sessions addressed a variety of applications of media and technology in the various educational sectors. Regional panels explored issues pertinent to their particular circumstances.
This collection of papers is rich in diversity and experiences and we are certain it will be a valuable addition to the literature in the field.
