The global need for teacher education is greater now in the early 21st century than ever before. According to UNESCO, half of the world’s 195 countries will have to expand their stock of teachers significantly – some by tens of thousands – if the goal of universal primary education as articulated in the Dakar Framework for Action in 2000 is to be met by 2015. Socioeconomic inequities, political instability, demographic changes and crises such as the HIV/AIDs epidemic have engendered huge shortfalls in teacher supply and low teacher quality in many developing countries. It is now clear that “bricks and mortar” approaches to expanding teacher education may not be adequate if the current and projected shortfalls in teacher supply and low teacher quality are to be properly addressed.
Today, however, both research and practice are showing the tremendous opportunities in large-scale education provision offered by open and distance learning (ODL). Capitalising on the strengths afforded by innovative information and communication technologies and media, ODL broadens and streamlines access to teacher education in a way that traditional delivery modes cannot. At the same time, adopting ODL requires new thinking about learning and teaching strategies, applications, costs and other practicalities.
The contributors to the 13 chapters in this book are nationally and internationally renowned scholars in teacher education, ODL or both. Collectively, the perspectives and insights they provide – varying in a range of contexts and countries – respond to three key questions:
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What are the intentions, forms and effects of current enactments of ODL?
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What are the implications of those enactments for envisaging and implementing effective, efficient and equitable teacher education?
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What new perspectives on educational provision are created by the contemporary and possible future intersection between teacher education and ODL?
As readers will find, whether they are new to the topics or well familiar with them, the result is an authoritative, contemporary and thoughtful discussion of both the promise and ongoing challenges of mobilising the benefits of teacher education through ODL.
Contents:
Preface
Contributors
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1 : Setting the Scene for Interrogating Teacher Education through Open and Distance Learning – Abdurrahman Umar and Patrick Alan Danaher
Chapter 2 : Contemporary Research on Open and Distance Learning in Teacher Education – Patrick Alan Danaher and Abdurrahman Umar
Chapter 3: Educational Principles and Policies Framing Teacher Education through Open and Distance Learning – Mary Simpson and Benjamin Kehrwald
Chapter 4 : Open and Distance Learning for Initial Teacher Education – Ann Shelton Mayes and Hilary Burgess
Chapter 5 : A Capability Approach to Open and Distance Learning for In-Service Teacher Education – R.E. (Bobby) Harreveld
Chapter 6 : Learning and Teaching Strategies and Practices in Teacher Education through Open and Distance Learning – Glen Postle and Mark A. Tyler
Chapter 7 : Using ICT to Train Teachers in ICT – Colin Latchem
Chapter 8 : The Use of Media in Teacher Education through Open and Distance Learning – Ken Stevens
Chapter 9 : Using the New Information and Communication Technologies for the Continuing Professional Development of Teachers through Open and Distance Learning – Sólveig Jakobsdóttir, Lindy McKeown and Debra Hoven
Chapter 10 : Creating New Forms of Teacher Education: Open Educational Resources (OERs) and the Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa (TESSA) Programme – Bob Moon
Chapter 11: The Cost-Effectiveness of Using Open and Distance Learning in Teacher Education – Bruce Thompson
Chapter 12 : Quality Assurance in Distance Teacher Education: The Experience of Universitas Terbuka – Tian Belawati and I.G.A.K. Wardani
Chapter 13 : Creating New Perspectives on Teacher Education through Open and Distance Learning – Patrick Alan Danaher and Abdurrahman Umar
(185 pages)
Series title from 2012: Perspectives on Open and Distance Learning