Mr. P. Pradeep Kumar, General Manager II, State Bank of India in Chennai puts an honorary garland on Sir John Daniel, President and CEO of COL, at the Lifelong Learning for Farmers launch
"The world is watching you." With those words, Sir John Daniel, President and CEO of COL, launched the Lifelong Learning for Farmers programme in the village of Govindanagaram, Tamil Nadu, India. This initiative draws on the methodologies of technology mediated open and distance learning (ODL) to improve the livelihood of farmers in rural India. It is supported through a unique partnership of villagers, banks, technology providers and educators.
Speaking at the April event to officially launch the project, Sir John expressed his confidence in the project's ability to improve the rural economy.
"I am here to tell you that the world is watching what is happening here in these villages of Tamil Nadu," he said. "They are watching because, if we are to make the 21 st century a happier and more prosperous time for humankind than the 20 th century, our key challenge is to help the millions of people in the rural areas of the world improve their lives. We believe that this programme, Lifelong Learning for Farmers, has the potential to do that.
The impetus for Lifelong Learning for Farmers is the growing need to provide information to farmers in a way that responds to their own practical questions. The conventional approach to agricultural extension cannot cope with the scale of needs in a country like India; there are too few agricultural extension workers and too many farmers. Information and communications technologies (ICTs) multiply the impact of extension workers and facilitate two-way communication.
Lifelong Learning for Farmers is a grassroots initiative that brings together four groups of people who hold the key to improving the rural economy:
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Villagers have identified the keys to better livelihoods, formed associations and learned computer skills.
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Banks are exploring how they can increase lending to farmers and improve market linkages.
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Providers of technology operate commercial ICT kiosks in villages that give farmers and villagers new possibilities of communication and easy access to information that can change their lives.
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Agricultural universities and other educational institutions are working together to provide farmers with information and knowledge in a relevant and usable form.
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Agricultural university adopts distance education Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has opened an Open and Distance Education Directorate. It is the first agricultural university in India that has formally adopted distance education. This is an important step that supports the Lifelong Learning for Farmers programme. Several other agricultural universities have expressed interested in adopting distance education. As this occurs, it will widen access to important information about agriculture, animal husbandry and other issues for farmers. |
One of the most important aspects of Lifelong Learning for Farmers is that five universities in Tamil Nadu and the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation have formed a consortium to support the programme. They are providing needs-based content materials about agriculture and animal husbandry in local languages to smallhold farmers in the Theni and Sivaganga districts in a pilot project. In the business model, this consortium of educational institutions provides the technology, Internet kiosks and community radio deliver the information and banks provide loans. The State Bank of India is a strong supporter of Lifelong Learning for Farmers and has already given loan sanctions of US$100,000 to five villages involved in the programme.
An example of how Lifelong Learning for Farmers can work is a guide about buying a cow. Good dairy farming starts with good cows. Lifelong Learning for Farmers partners have developed a simple guide that outlines relevant information. It is now widely available in distance learning formats. As more farmers learn how to buy a good cow, the quality of their dairy products increase, their business increases, since buyers are more interested in the product, and they are better able to obtain and repay bank loans. Everyone wins: as the farmers prosper, the technology providers see more usage of their ICT kiosks, the banks build their business and the universities fulfil their development role.
Another initiative has taught villagers how to control pests without chemicals, an approach known as "bio-control". Agricultural university experts are overseeing the knowledge transfer of science that uses insects to control harmful insects that attack crops. Usually produced in sophisticated labs, these insects can now be produced in a villager's home. Villagers are learning how to grow insect eggs and release them into crops. The science has been made more practical; crops are protected in a cost-effective way. As villagers start to demystify technology, they are reaping the benefits of lifelong learning.
There are indications already that Lifelong Learning for Farmers will become self-replicating, spreading to other regions as its success becomes known. This approach to agricultural development, poverty reduction and increased outputs on a sustainable basis could also be applied to other Commonwealth regions and countries.
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The head table and award winners at the Strategic Leadership Awards gala
Through the participation of the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) in the Commonwealth Executive MBA/MPA programme, COL has been active in Pakistan throughout the period of its suspension from the Commonwealth. However, Pakistan's return to full membership provides an opportunity to review and expand COL's work in the country.
| Celebrating links between academe, industry AIOU organised a gala event in March to present Strategic Leadership Awards to businesses that had participated in the Commonwealth Executive Masters of Business Administration and Masters of Public Administration (CEMBA/MPA) programmes. Lt. Gen. Javed Ashraf, Pakistan's Minister of Education, and Sir John Daniel, COL's President and CEO, presented the awards to Pakistan State Oil, Seimens Engineering Company Limited and Muslim Commercial Bank. Mr. Amjad Pervez Janjua, General Manager of Pakistan State Oil, received the individual award. In addition to recognising excellence, the Strategic Leadership Awards are meant to strengthen links between AIOU and the business community. |
With this in mind COL's President, Sir John Daniel, visited Islamabad from 8-11 March and held discussions with Prime Minister, the Honourable Shaukat Aziz; Education Minister, the Honourable Javed Ashraf, and Minister of Special Education and Social Welfare, the Honourable Zobaida Jalal. He also spent time at Allama Iqbal Open University with Vice-Chancellor Professor Altaf Hussain, met the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission, Professor Atta-Ur-Rehman, and called on the British and Canadian High Commissions. COL's higher education specialist, Professor Asha Kanwar, accompanied Sir John and they both attended an awards ceremony for a case study competition for the MBA/MPA programme that is being offered jointly by the four national open universities of South Asia.
The Pakistan authorities were clear about the priorities for COL's work in the country. Expanding technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is a key objective for the Minister of Education. A major challenge will be training TVET teachers. COL will examine how the TVET diploma that has been developed with Jamaica's University of Technology for the Caribbean might be adapted for this purpose and offered by AIOU.
For the Minister of Special Education, the priority is to prepare teachers for the integration of children with disabilities into the mainstream schools. Here again, COL will examine whether programmes available elsewhere in the Commonwealth might be adapted to Pakistan's needs and offered through AIOU. The Higher Education Commission asked for help in establishing good quality assurance systems for Pakistan's universities as they embark on a period of rapid expansion.
The COL visitors were particularly pleased to see the great strides that Allama Iqbal Open University has made under the leadership of the current Vice-Chancellor. Over the last four years, student numbers have reached 600,000 and the budget has almost doubled. Media operations are being completely refurbished with help from Japan and research is developing vigorously. The AIOU campus has become a most pleasant environment. Of great help in AIOU's further development will be its twinning arrangement with the Open University, U.K., to be funded at US$1 million per annum for three years, which will concentrate on quality assurance, media training, research development, faculty exchanges and the creation of open educational resources.
Summing up the visit, Sir John said, "I was most impressed by the clarity with which the Pakistan authorities articulated their priorities and by the dynamism of the Higher Education Commission. It was a particular pleasure to see the AIOU, with which COL has had longstanding links, developing so strongly in numbers, academic strength and financial resilience."
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The Canadian Government, through the Canadian International Development Agency, has increased its core funding to COL, bringing its contribution to CDN $2.3 million for 2004-2005 and $2.6 million for 2005-2006 from a level of $2.2 million for the previous year. The announcement was made recently by the Honourable Aileen Carroll, Minister for International Cooperation.
The South African Government has also informed COL that it will raise its level of funding to CDN $250,000 per year from about $200,000 (Rand 1million), which gives South Africa official "major donor" status and entitles the Government to a seat on COL's Board of Governors - to be filled by an individual yet to be named. In a letter to COL's President, South African Minister of Education, the Honourable Naledi Pandor, said, "I have given consideration to the wide breadth of work COL is doing in our country and on the continent, and believe an increased contribution is merited."
Commonwealth Governments support COL financially on a voluntary basis. Major contributors include Britain, Canada, India, New Zealand, Nigeria and South Africa. COL reports directly to Commonwealth Ministers of Education and to Heads of Government.
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| COL's President and CEO, Sir John Daniel, with Ghana's President His Excellency John A. Kufuor at Christiansburg Castle in January 2005. During his first visit to Ghana, Sir John met with stakeholders and policy makers in education to discuss the practicalities of open and distance learning in the country, to assess COL's work there and identify needs from COL for the upcoming Three-year Plan 2006-2009. |
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COL recently completed training for staff at the Solomon Islands Development Trust (SIDT), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in the Solomon Islands through the COL Media Empowerment (COLME) programme. The SIDT office now has the training and the equipment to be able to produce their own videos about important health issues.
"We have given SIDT the skills and tools to be able to collect, create and disseminate via video and audio, information which is culturally appropriate for the Solomon Islands," said Mr. David Walker, Education Specialist, Educational Technology with COL, who conducted the training and ongoing support and management of the COLME programmes. "The idea is to strengthen the capacity of SIDT to promote health activities in the country, especially to rural areas. The opportunities to reach underserved areas are great."
The video training project is a partnership between SIDT, the World Health Organization (WHO) and COL. COL links WHO, which has the most up-to-date health information and knowledge of in-country health issues, with local organisations that are effective conduits to large numbers of people. The emphasis is on health promotion, which addresses some of the Millennium Development Goals. The training in the Solomon Islands will result in information that targets issues such as infant mortality, maternal health, HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention.
COLME has worked with WHO in Swaziland and Sri Lanka on similar health-based efforts. In Sri Lanka, COLME facilitated the creation of a health media unit in the local NGO, Sarvodaya, which has been delivering water safe information to areas affected by the tsunami disaster. In most cases, WHO identifies the NGOs within the country that are effective in reaching disadvantaged people with health information. COLME works to give the NGO the ability to reach a broad audience through the use of mass media developed locally. There is also the potential for a group like Sarvodaya in Sri Lanka to partner with other local organisations to promote other health issues or literacy.
In The Gambia, COLME training and technology has enabled an NGO, the Nova Scotia Gambia Association, to reach over 40% of the population with information regarding sexually transmitted diseases. This has been achieved through radio, television and village cinema events developed in The Gambia, by Gambians. These models can be adopted in other areas or countries; the successful project in The Gambia has received funding to start up with the NGO sector in Sierra Leone.
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| COL is being assisted by seven Regional Experts as part of its wide consultation process in the development of its next Three-year Plan (2006 - 2009). Meeting in Vancouver in May with COL President, Sir John Daniel (foreground), are (left to right): Ms. Erin Keough (Canada), Ms. Anne Forster (South Pacific), Ms. Myra Harrison (U.K. and Team Leader), Professor Ram Takwale (South and Southeast Asia) and Dr. Dennis Irvine (Caribbean). Missing from photo: Dr. Ajaga Nji (West Africa) and Dr. Richard Siaciwena (Eastern and Southern Africa) |
COL's Three-year Plan is a comprehensive document that provides direction for the organisation while also explaining the activities we undertake. It is the basis for financial support from the Commonwealth Governments that fund COL.
In the lead-up to its new Three-year Plan 2006-2009, COL has hosted 14 regional consultations involving more than 350 people throughout the Commonwealth. Their views on COL's future direction have been invaluable, and under the guidance of COL's Programme Director, Rod Tyrer, work is underway to make a synthesis of them. This will be augmented by planning scenarios contributed by eight regional experts, with input from COL's Education Specialists and stakeholders in the various regions.
The next step is for COL's Board of Governors to have a first discussion of the 2006-2009 plan at their June meeting in Vancouver. Following that, COL will consult international organisations such as UNESCO, the World Bank, the World Health Organization and Commonwealth Government development agencies about the emerging plan at a two-day meeting to be held in Europe. It's expected that a draft plan will be available for consultation by the end of 2005.
Following final approval by COL's Board of Governors in 2006, the Three-year Plan 2006-2009 will be presented to the Conference of Commonwealth of Education Ministers (CCEM), which will take place in Cape Town, South Africa, in December 2006, for endorsement by the Ministers and funding pledges.
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| At the RETRIDAL opening, from left, professor Asha Kanwar, COL Education Specialist, Higher Education & Policy Development; Chief S.K. Babalola, the President of Nigeria's Special AdvisOr on Education; Sir John Daniel; Professor N.M. Gadzama, Chairman, NOUN Governing Council and Professor Olu Jegede, NOUN Vice-Chancellor and CEO |
COL has helped the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) to set up the Regional Training and Research Institute for Open and Distance Learning (RETRIDAL) as a Centre of Expertise in open and distance learning (ODL) for all West African countries.
"RETRIDAL will be a beacon throughout West Africa for research and training in distance learning," said Sir John Daniel, President and CEO of COL, while commissioning the RETRIDAL building at the NOUN headquarters in Lagos. Working with new technologies, which open and distance learning is all about, requires constant training, he explained. Plus, RETRIDAL will be a centre of research with a regional perspective. The opening of the institute is a symbol of the very steady development of NOUN, according to Sir John.
| RETRIDAL in Cameroon Working in collaboration with COL, RETRIDAL facilitated a weeklong Workshop on Course Writing and Logistics for Distance Education in March for 40 writers from universities in Cameroon. Participants learned writing skills, developed course materials and gained a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities of open and distance learning. |
To build capacity and give RETRIDAL a strong launch, COL supported a five-day Induction Workshop for 150 NOUN staff members at the Lagos campus in January. This workshop provided insight into ODL and how it works. It also trained potential trainers so they can conduct similar workshops for new staff or staff from other institutions. COL also facilitated an Orientation Workshop in Video and Audio Script-Writing, a five-day session that provided 50 NOUN staff members with skills and competence in using audio and video effectively as teaching tools.
In addition to this training programme, COL has donated a "suitcase" FM radio station to the university. The radio station, which is currently being tested, will be used for training purposes within the university. The signal can be picked up within a 100 km radius of the university. As there is only a 5% penetration of technology in Africa (e.g., very few people have access to computers), accessible modes of communication such as radio are important ways of delivering instruction.
After meetings with Nigerian President, His Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo and Government officials, Sir John promised to "do whatever we can" to help NOUN, emphasising that COL's role is to bring in people, resources, ideas and experiences from around the world to help make planning and implementation more efficient.
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An important part of COL's mission involves the sharing of best practices. Recognising that human resource development is part of organisational development and that successful and sustainable open and distance learning (ODL) requires proper staff knowledge and skills, COL supports professional development in several ways. Our new Policy on Attachments and Conference Support outlines how we contribute to human resource development in our field, including:
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Executive Secondment Programme
COL offers secondment/sabbatical opportunities for senior officials in Commonwealth Governments or institutions to live in Vancouver, Canada for up to one year and work on specific projects related to COL's mandate. Sponsoring organisations provide individual's salary and benefits during the attachment; COL provides a monthly stipend, the equivalent of a return economy airfare and the use of the COL apartment in Vancouver.
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Attachments Programme
COL provides financial support for ODL professionals who are at an early stage or mid-point in their careers and would benefit from a short-term experience with another institution. Usually the attachment is within the geographic region of the applicant. Applicants find their own attachment institution and organise their own travel and professional development activities. COL may provide a grant of up to CDN $5,000 to support the attachment. Further support must be sought from the applicant's own institution and the receiving institution.
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Study Tour Programmes
COL provides both technical and financial support to an institution and/or country that is seeking to develop their ODL systems to visit other ODL providers within the same region.
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Visiting ODL Professionals to COL Headquarters
Occasionally COL provides use of COL's Information Resource Centre and other resources for international and local ODL academics and professionals.
COL is exploring making available electronically a list of institutions and contact points that have indicated their willingness to receive professional attachments. Please contact Ms. Helen Lentell, COL Education Specialist at hlentell@col.org if your institution is interested in participating in the Attachments Programme.
The director of the Namibia College of Open Learning (NAMCOL), Ms. Frances Mensah, is currently on secondment to COL for three months as part of the Executive Secondment Programme. The first Namibian to be seconded to COL and winner of the COL Learning Experience Award in 2002, Ms. Mensah is focusing on costing and financing of ODL institutions and programmes.
"As the head of an institution with 29,000 students, I want to ensure the sustainability of NAMCOL," Ms. Mensah said. "My reason for focusing on financing and costing of distance education is that there's a lack of expertise in this area in Southern Africa. I hope my learning will benefit our institution, our country and our region. It is a privilege to be here at COL and to have this opportunity to learn from international experts."
While in Canada, Ms. Mensah attended the Canadian Association of Distance Educators conference where she shared the South African Development Community (SADC) experience of ODL.
Dr. Leonard Webster is a distance, flexible learning and educational development specialist who is on sabbatical from his post as Director of the Educational Development and Flexible Learning Unit, Faculty of Law at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. An expert in online learning environments, Dr. Webster recently won an award from the Australian Society for Computers in Teaching and Learning for his co-creation of the online interactive environment "InterLearn". He is also involved in quality development and teacher accreditation for higher education, establishing and teaching the graduate certificate in law teaching as well as the graduate certificate in higher education.
As part of his research for a book on research methods in flexible learning, Dr. Webster spent six weeks in Vancouver recently in the context of the Visiting ODL Professionals to COL Headquarters programme.
"I share COL's interest in research and practice in distance education and educational technologies, so this was a good opportunity to research my book," explained Dr. Webster. "I've had many contacts with COL over the years. This was a valuable experience to get to know the people, their work and the organisation firsthand."