Associate Professor Wayne Mackintosh, founding director of the Centre for Flexible and Distance Learning (CFDL) at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, will be joining COL as Education Specialist, Educational Technology: Policy, in early 2006.
Wayne has extensive experience in the theory and practice of open and distance learning (ODL). Prior to moving to New Zealand he spent eleven years working at the University of South Africa (UNISA), a distance learning institution and one of the world's mega-universities. At the University of Auckland, he is currently responsible for implementing eLearning strategy and leading CFDL's professional staff team.
He has participated in a range of international consultancies and projects including work for COL, the International Monetary Fund, UNESCO and the World Bank. Wayne also serves as a member of the Editorial Board of Open Learning and publishes regularly in the field of flexible and distance learning.
Wayne is a committed advocate of free/libre and open source software for education. He is currently the project leader for the eLearning XHTML editor (eXe) project, which is funded by a grant from the Tertiary Education Commission of New Zealand.
He has a keen interest in pedagogical innovation for sustainable development. "I look forward to my new role assisting countries of the Commonwealth realise their educational potential through ICTs for development. I firmly believe that the future of multi-modal learning in a digital world will be pioneered by the developing nations of our world. Together with COL's vision for the future and a team of experienced professionals, we can make a real difference in the lives of people throughout the Commonwealth."