Innovation (2006)

 

Pre Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning
2006 virtual conference

THEME 4: INNOVATION
2-20 October 2006  

Report of the Moderator
Dr. Olabisi Kuboni

 

 

Introduction

Probably the most important single comment that can be made about this eConference, is the wide spread of the topics discussed within the theme set. In this regard, there was a strong bias towards the sharing of experiences and views about professional practice in the teaching-learning environment that the new ICTs make possible. An equally important line of discussion centred on the low level of ICT use in resource-poor areas of the world. 

This report presents a summary of the conference discussion and a brief exploration of selected issues emerging from that discussion.

Summary of Discussion

The conference is summarized under the following headings:

• Adoption of and access to new technologies
• The digital divide
• Bridging the digital divide - Use of Open Source
• Strategies for disseminating information
• Using new technologies to enhance student supprt services
• The teacher and the technologist: reconciling the roles
• Online interaction
• Preparing management to support ICT innovations.

Adoption of and access to new technologies

Drawing on one of the issues addressed in the theme background paper, the conference started with a focus on the proliferation of mobile devices in the general population. It was further noted that their use was evident across all socio-economic strata. These devices have made their way into the teaching-learning environment, in particular at the tertiary level, with adult learners becoming skilled in gleaning information about their studies even when engaged in other activities. In seeking to define how they may be best used in the teaching-learning context, it was suggested that mobile technologies may provide access to digital resources that were previously inaccessible to many, that they can be used to deliver learning materials to people anywhere, anytime.

At the same time, it was noted that their use was encouraging passive learning; more specifically, one participant expressed concern about the direction that podcasting was taking: teachers were using it to summarise lecture notes, thus reinforcing the passive approach to learning.

The mobile phone was identified as a tool that could be effectively used for student support: sms messages can be used to send reminders to students about various types of study-related activities.

Special mention was made of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project, initiated by Nicholas Negroponte of MIT, and targeting children in poorly resourced areas of the world. The following were identified as the key features of this specially-designed laptop:

• It is built on the open source software, Linux.
• It will include an inexpensive LCD display unit
• It will not have a hard drive; rather it will use 'flash memory'.
• It will be WiFi enabled and have USB ports
• It is designed to use minimal electrical power; also has a hand crank, which, when turned, generates electricity which can then be stored in an internal battery.

Overall, this is a low-cost product that, according to its creators, will replace the books and textbooks that a child has to carry to school. Moreover it will both provide its users with a window into the world as well as a tool for supporting thinking.

Nigeria would be the first country to make use of this new technology with the government already set to invest millions to provide children throughout the country with this innovative laptop.

At the other end of the spectrum, in better-resourced environments, there is a noted increase in students taking laptops into classrooms, and with the added advantage of wireless access, are able to download lecture notes and powerpoint presentations quite easily. The laptop is becoming an everyday tool in teaching and learning, and is being used to undertake a wide range of tasks in the formal education setting.

The digital divide

The conference was reminded of the existence of the digital divide and of the factors that militate against the acquisition and use of the new technologies among disadvantaged sectors of the world's population. In this regard, poverty, disease, limited competence in the language of instruction (English) and unreliable electricity supply were all cited.  Notwithstanding these conditions, two participants, one in Botswana and the other in Nigeria, informed the conference of initiatives they were involved in, teaching computer skills to teachers without access to computers.

It was emphasized that notwithstanding the very poor living conditions in some areas of the world, all peoples of the world must be given the opportunity to build capacity for communicating, sharing knowledge and building networks in the web-based environment, and in so doing be able to support their own development through the use of the ICTs.

While not disregarding the divide as it exists between the haves and the have-nots, one participant drew attention to the social and psychological dimensions of the divide, which, as he noted, existed even among those who would not be considered disadvantaged in socio-economic terms. Even in those circles, one could detect varying levels of readiness and willingness to engage with the new technologies. This perspective of the digital divide also warrants attention.

Bridging the digital divide: Use of Open Source

Open Source was introduced into the conference as an umbrella concept embodying varying types of web-based resources that are now available to all at no cost to the user. Examples include

• Open Office, package that combines the tools for wordprocessing, database and presentation management; 
• Wikieducator, to be used for making content available to all;
• A website that compares the capabilities of the various learning management systems (LMS) available.
• Open Courseware Finder, which provides access to course reposititories
• Guidelines for quality provision in cross-border higher education, to provide the basis for the evaluation of web-based programmes offered internationally.
• eXe - accessed at http://exelearning.org an off-line authoring tool that can be used to create additional educational resources; one participant had used it for creating resources for e-tutoring.

Strategies for disseminating information

While acknowledging the value of making resources available at no cost, the conference was also asked to consider strategies for transmitting content to disadvantaged groups. How could archival information be made available across the globe and across socio-economic and cultural lines? Language was highlighted as an issue to be addressed. The issue being highlighted here is not simply that of moving from one internationally accepted standard language to another, but of translating the content into the various languages that are spoken within a single country. Nigeria was cited as a case in point. In addition, the conference was informed about a tertiary level institution in the Cape in South Africa, which comprised five campuses that spanned a geographical area that encompassed eleven languages.
In order to facilitate a direct link between people in their local communities and  the archives of knowledge, there was need for appropriately trained intermediaries, in the form of locally-based tutors who would be managed by qualified content experts. It can be argued that this suggestion for (1) translations into local dialects, (2) the training and use of locally-based tutors and (3) the overarching support of content experts, is aimed at taking the notion of Open Source to another level.

Using new technologies to enhance student support services

At several points in the discussion, participants highlighted the importance of enhancing the quality of the student support services provided and of using the web-based technologies appropriately and effectively to achieve this objective. One institution reported the implementation of such services as admissions, registration and study material dispatch status. Another, in addition to admission and registration had tools that made it possible for students to scan the course calendar, access the syllabus, submit fees; in fact, in this institution, the entire student record was available online. Yet a third has developed a portal that gives course-related information, provides a link to an e-mail address for submitting assignments, and also links students to the computer system on which the Student Administration System is run. This institution has also made a scheduling tool available to students and has installed a system through which students with special needs, for example visually and hearing impaired students could be helped.

What was evident in the discussion is that the technologies are available to provide student services ranging from the most basic to the most sophisticated.

The teacher and the technologist: reconciling the roles

A substantial amount of the exchanges in the conference focused on the roles of the teacher and the technologist in a face-to-face setting. The term 'technologist' was used to describe the individual who manages the use of the hardware and software that the institution has in place for facilitating teaching and learning. Some participants pointed to a tension between the two roles. One emphasized that teaching is an art and should be recognized as such. Another observed that on the one hand, teachers do not think about effective teaching and on the other, technologists are not aware that a knowledge bank of effective teaching practice is available. Yet another participant expressed concern that at times teachers and technologists are hampered in the performance of their respective duties when they encounter their counterpart who is ill prepared for the task at hand.

One participant took the position that, if technologists do not educate others in the basic knowledge necessary for using the technologies, the tools would not be used. She then emphasized that "whether one approves of it or not, virtual communication and technology are here to stay".

In support of this point of view, another participant introduced a paper that was proposing a meta-cognitive approach to teaching teachers about ICT. Rather than 'imposing' specific objectives or outcomes, this approach to the professional evelopment of teachers encourages them to identify, articulate and pursue personally relevant goals.

Another perspective was that one ought to focus on the functions to be performed rather than on the personalities, with a view to specifying how the two sets of functions may be integrated to support the ultimate goal of facilitating learning. Two sets of resources that were identified in the conference can be regarded as representative of this perspective. The web-based assessment system, ASSISTment that, as stated, offers instruction to students while providing a detailed evaluation of their abilities, is a useful example of the integration of technology and teaching. Similarly, the Toolbox, developed by the Australian Flexible Learning Network, which brings together learning strategies and selected resource materials to provide support for teachers and trainers, also reflects the merging of the teaching and technology functions.

Online interaction

In a related exchange, the conference debated the value of online interaction when compared with the face-to-face version. One participant was of the view that pushing learners into the independent learning mode that is required for online interaction may be harmful to the learners. Another cautioned that students entering higher education were not ready for online interaction, given their long experience with face-to-face.
Other participants did not care to get into a comparison of one with the other. Neither did they see the need for combining the two, as was also suggested. The view was expressed that online interaction by itself, can be effective, if done well. Indeed it was also felt that online interaction works best when the participants have not met.

One participant argued that the key to effective interpersonal learning relationships in the web-based environment was that participants should know the rules of the game, as was required of all human communication.

There were differing views about the context in which online interaction could be most successful. One participant spoke of the difficulties of getting researchers to collaborate online. This person felt that students who had a clearly defined goal and had clear steps provided to achieve that goal, were more likely to engage in interaction online. One can argue that students have a vested interest in doing so.

Another seemed to have the opposite perspective. This participant contended that one should look beyond prescribed learning and focus on the vast knowledge available globally in order to find the conditions best suited for online interaction and collaboration.

Yet another view was that too much was being made of the need for online interaction. Learners should be provided with various modes for interaction, both online and off-line and should be given the option to choose the mode(s) that suits them. The key to successful interactions therefore was flexibility.

Taking a somewhat different line, but still addressing the sub-theme of online interaction, another participant drew attention to the five steps for interaction proposed in Gilly Salmon's work: it was being proposed that this model offers a useful framework that could be used to build and support successful online interactions. Others disagreed. Rigid structures should not be imposed on the process; conceptual models, while helpful, should not be applied in a dogmatic way. It is not feasible to expect that groups of learners can be systematically taken through the five stages that Salmon proposes. Individuals will eventually put their own stamp on the process and define their own approach to the interaction. Salmon's stages may be useful if one focused on the principles underpinning the five stages and used these principles to evaluate what is going on in the learning community.

One participant offered what may be considered as the ultimate goal of online interaction as discussed in this forum. This participant used the term collaborative discovery to define an approach to creating an online environment where the vast expanse of information and knowledge can be searched, filtered and reasoned with by collaborators, with the ultimate aim of discovering (and creating) new knowledge. Online collaborative problem solving was also proposed as an alternative descriptor for this higher-level cognitive activity.

Preparing management to support ICT innovations

A strong case was made for emphasis to be placed on providing guidance to the managers and decision-makers, since the knowledge and attitude of administrators was just as important to ICT innovation, as providing each child with a laptop, for example. Administrators need to be guided in the development of ICT policy, as well as in the planning and implementation of ICT operations.

Continuing this thread, one participant contended that decision-makers were influenced by three factors, when making decisions about ICT in their respective institutions: what will attract funding, what makes the institution look good, what will assist learners to learn more effectively, and by extension, increase enrolment. Some decision-makers were also interested in the research aspect.

A paper that outlined a model of leadership capable of supporting institutional innovation was introduced into the conference. The paper seeks to explore the leadership impact skills and the organizational commitment and strategies required to engender and sustain innovation and innovators in educational environments.

 

Emergent Issues

1. For most of the three weeks, the conference appeared to be divided along the lines of the digital divide, in the sense in which this concept is commonly defined. In fact, it even seemed that there was an unspoken, implicit agreement that both sides would not occupy the discussion space at the same time. This division existed even though a few issues were introduced which, in my view, cut across the cultural/economic lines and could have provided a platform for useful exchange. Examples include the issue of the social and psychological dimensions of the divide, strategies for disseminating information from standard language contexts to communities with multiple dialects.
2. Two important sets of initiatives are currently being explored to close the digital divide, namely Open Source and the OLPC project. While the resources available through the Open Source route are available for all, there is a prevailing view that this initiative, like the OLPC offers a special opportunity for poorly resourced areas of the world to enter into and participate in the world of the ICTs. Of special interest to me are the various strategies for making content freely available. Given the greater capability of agencies and individuals in the North to source and build these repositories of information, there is the danger that the top-down, dependency syndrome may persist even where the clear intention is to enhance the capacity of the South to participate on an equal footing.
3. This report was written after PCF4, thus making it possible to refer to issues and initiatives that were introduced in the Forum itself. Two presentations are cited here as a follow-up to the concerns raised in (2) above. The first is the workshop conducted by Sue Dark and Wayne Mackintosh to build skills for designing and integrating educational resources and learning activities using open source technologies. The second is the initiative to build a computer for use in rural Nigeria that was described by John Dada in his presentation "Informal ODL in resource-poor settings, case study from rural Nigeria".
4. The design and development of student support services is an important area of innovation that deserves continued focus. It is evident that the types of services provided are evolving. What is also required is clear systematic thinking across all socio-economic contexts that would allow for the design of services that simultaneously can facilitate the development of independent (lifelong) learners.
5. The debate about how best to achieve successful online interactions will continue for a long time. The differing views regarding the use of Salmon's 5 stages bring to mind Moore's concept of transactional distance and the balance between dialogue and structure on which that concept is built. In assisting students to understand the 'rules of the game' about online communication, is there a justification for tilting the balance more towards structure and less to dialogue at any time? Further, if there is a case for such 'tilting', in what circumstances should this be done?
6. A related issue is whether online interaction should be 'compulsory' for all. Should capacity for communicating in a web-based environment be a compulsory requirement of education in the 21st century?

 

Report submitted by:

Olabisi Kuboni
EConference Moderator

November 7, 2006.