Innovative Approaches for in-service Teacher Training in Mauritius
1. Innovative Approaches for Teacher
Education in Mauritius
@
Virtual Centre for Innovative Learning Technologies (VCILT)
http://vcampus.uom.ac.mu
http://vcilt.blogspot.com
Santally Mohammad Issack
Officer-in-Charge
m.santally@uom.ac.mu
2. “........there is absolutely no way the bricks and mortar
institutions of teacher training created in the last
century will be adequate for 21st century needs........
....... the training needs of new and existing teachers far
outstrip the capacity of existing institutions.............’’
Bob Moon,
The Open University
3. Menu of the talk
The Six Strategies proposed by Bob Moon
The emergence of ICT as a main driver for education reforms
The VCILT as a major player in further teacher training
Pedagogical Approaches and Philosophies
Barriers, constraints and possible bottlenecks
Is it the time for radical change in teacher education?
4. Is it the time for Radical Change in Teacher Education?
Between 10 and 13 million additional teachers will be
required if the millennium targets to achieve UBE are to
be reached by 2015 (UNICEF, 2000)
Sub-Saharan Africa, for instance is losing teachers
through AIDS (Remy, 2002)
The move towards knowledge-based society is diverting
potential teachers towards new occupations
millions of new and existing primary teachers will be
‘unqualified’ and many will have had only a rudimentary
secondary level education
5. Is it the time for Radical Change in Teacher Education?
Slow progress has been observed as traditional bricks and
mortar institutions do not have the resources to match
the expected output (Moon, 2010)
The mismatch between educational policies, availability
of resources and field teaching practice (Lewin, 2002).
Limited involvement of traditional teacher training
institutions in long term career development of teachers
(Moon, 2010)
The need to tap in on modern technologies (Moon, 2010)
6. In many parts of the world, the supply, retention, education
and training of teachers is verging on crisis.
In Mauritius, we ‘bond’ them plus a low
salary
Pre-requisite Entry Qualification – still low
Teaching (primary level) is seen to be an
‘ordinary’ job
More than 20 yrs old practice in terms of
recruitment and training policies....
7. Six Broad Strategies proposed by Bob Moon
Fully integrate school-based, distance approaches into
national training policies: not “bolt-on projects” to deal
with crises but fully integrated strategic thinking
Establishing a new, practical, classroom
focussed, curriculum for upgrading courses, and for
continuing professional development
Adapt more formative portfolio assessment systems giving
primacy to classroom practice
8. Six Broad Strategies proposed by Bob Moon
Model costs in programme design in advance of
implementation: problems of sustainability almost always
arise when this is not done.
Plan for the progressive adaptation of information and
communication technology (ICT), especially mobile
technologies: too many distance programmes continue to
ignore the potential of this.
Use media, especially radio, to make training more
interesting and stimulating
9. ICT as a main driver for Education Reforms
ICTs come to play an increasing role in the professional
support of teachers
Digital Libraries, OER Repositories,
Social Networks, Interactive Resources
ODL, with new forms of ICT, gives the flexibility for learners to
study at a time and place which is convenient to them......
..........rather than a timetable or schedule predetermined by
institutional organizational requirements.
10. ICT as a main driver for Education Reforms
Digital Education Enhancement Project (DEEP) shows
that the most remote communities can access the very
latest forms of on-line multi-media support
TESSA (Teacher Education for sub-saharan Africa)
Project brings together a consortium of international
organisations to develop in region resources which can
be adapted and reused
11. The VCILT, Teacher Education, and ICT
Promote innovative teaching and learning practices
through the use of technologies
Experiment with new educational delivery systems
Increase access to university education through innovative
modes of delivery
13. Educator’s Licence Programme (2009)
“bolt-on project” that works....
A short online crash course for initiating secondary school
in-service teachers to the basic concepts of pedagogy
Stakeholders – the Mauritius Institute of Education, the University
Of Mauritius and the HRDC
The pilot programme kick-started further batches to be
run by the MIE in a sustainable way
14. MSc in Educational Technologies (2004-)
ICOOL 2005 – CAPE TOWN, SA
The principal objective of this Postgraduate Programme is to train
professionals, who after a minimum of two years of studies and industrial
placement, will be able to master the engineering of e-learning content
development, communication and pedagogies to benefit educational institutions
Fact Sheet
• Launched in August 2004 with a batch of 15 students
• Backgrounds and profession: teachers [11], programmers [1],
technicians [2] and a police officer
• Delivered in Blended Mode: 75% Online + 25% face-to-face
• Course Materials: CD-ROM + Website + Printed Articles
Fully integrate school-based, distance approaches
15. Programme Content Overview
• Eight Modules [4 core and 4 electives] spread over 4 semesters
• Research Thesis [Masters Level]
CORE MODULES ELECTIVE MODULES
• Research in Learning Technologies
• Social Networking
• HCI and Interactive Systems
• Visual Communication
& Image Processing
• Multimedia Animation Tools
• Design Principles of MLEs
• Mini-Project
• Web Development Techniques
MSc in Educational Technologies (2004-)
16. BSc (Hons) Educational and Instructional Technology
(2009-)
Diploma in Education
Holders
Certificate in Education +
Experience
BSc (Hons)
Top-Up
Masters
Continuous Professional Development
and Lifelong Learning Opportunities
24. Sustainability of the Approach
Teachers have to pay for the formal training they receive...
Sir John Daniel talks of continued professional
Development of teachers as an entitlement
We focus on Open Educational Resources and Open-Source
Technologies to keep cost of programme development low
Programme become more financially viable but access is limited
25. Content – Open Educational Resources
Content from OpenLearn, UK Imported and
restored on Local Platform
27. Content – Open Educational Resources
Interactive Video Lectures
HTML Content
Value Addition in terms of pedagogical design to imported OERs
28. Content – Open Educational Resources
OER in Courseware design:
• as building blocks of new courses
• as supplementary and complementary materials
to existing courses
• as ready-made courses that are imported in the local e-
learning platform
29. Constructive Disruption......still is disruption
from the institutional perspective.....
Quality assurance processes have to be altered
Traditional QA forms and stereotype questions do not apply
The ‘classroom’ is not a centralised physical location but a virtual and
distributed location in cyberspace
Educational Processes and Learning Support Processes
Assessment methods differ
Online learner support, tutorial activities
Need for flexibility
30. Constructive Disruption......still is disruption
from the academic staff perspective.....
Activity-based teaching is a demanding process
Correction of learning activities is time-consuming
Difficult to provide timely feedback
Need to be available virtually at any time to fulfil the role of
Orchestrator, guide and monitor
31. Constructive Disruption......still is disruption
from the student perspective.....
Activity-based learning is a demanding process
Student inputs more time in the learning process
Have to maintain a balance between social and professional
obligations as well as complying with course exigencies –
online chats, group work etc....
Have to get familiar to a new learning environment – for some
the learning curve is an insurmountable task...
32. Conclusion
It is undoubtedly the time for radical change in teacher education.....
Are all the stakeholders well-prepared?
Do we have all the resources needed?
Will it officially be an entitlement for teachers or they will
have to meet the costs?
How will and how long it will take and is there the will
for brick and mortar institutions to bring in related
changes in existing rules?
