The GCRF Pathways project aimed to enhance professional development for university lecturers and teacher educators in Africa, responding to the increased demand for online and blended learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two programs, 'Skills for 21st Century Learning and Teaching' and 'Take Your Teaching Online', were delivered between July and August 2020, reaching educators from 16 countries. The project demonstrated significant improvements in participants' confidence and understanding of effective online teaching practices, suggesting a lasting impact on educational approaches across the continent.

1. Pathways to Learning: International
Collaboration Under Covid-19
Open Education Global, 28th September 2021
Dr. Robert Farrow
Open Education Research Hub
Institute of Educational Technology
The Open University, UK
rob.farrow@open.ac.uk
@philosopher1978

2. 2
OVERVIEW
GCRF PATHWAYS PROJECT
• This project addressed a need for professional development for educators moving their
teaching to online or blended approaches.
• It was a collaboration between IET, the International Development Office, colleagues
working on the TESSA initiative, and the African Council for Distance Education (ACDE).
• Institutions involved:
• The Open University (UK)
• Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies
• Institute of Educational Technology
• International Development Office
• School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport
• Centre for Research in Distance and Online Learning in Lagos, Nigeria
• National Open University of Nigeria
• The Open University of Tanzania
• University of South Africa
• Aim was to provide professional development for university lecturers and teacher
educators across Africa.
• Two programmes were rapidly produced and delivered in July – August 2020 using OER
courses, webinars delivered by experts and a variety of platforms.
• Participants came from 16 countries and at least 31 HEIs across Africa

3. 3
CONTRIBUTORS
Anne Adams, Professor of Engaged Research, Institute of Educational Technology, The
Open University (UK)
Magreth Bushesha, Director of Quality Assurance and control at The Open University of
Tanzania
Olivier Baird, Senior Project Manager, Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language
Studies, The Open University (UK)
Simon Cross, Senior Lecturer, Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University
(UK)
Tim Coughlan, Senior Lecturer, Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University
(UK)
Chris Edwards, Lecturer, Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies, The
Open University (UK)
Margaret Ebubedike, Research Associate, School of Education, Childhood, Youth and
Sport, The Open University (UK)
Robert Farrow, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Educational Technology, The Open
University (UK)
Matthew Foster, Director, International Development Office, The Open University (UK)
Christothea Herodotou, Senior Lecturer, Institute of Educational Technology, The Open
University (UK)
GCRF PATHWAYS PROJECT

4. 4
Nashwa Ismail, Research Associate, Institute of Educational Technology, The Open
University (UK)
Felix Kayode Olakulehin, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Research in Distance
and Online Learning in Lagos, Nigeria
Kate Lister, Lecturer in Education Studies, School of Education, Childhood, Youth and
Sport, The Open University (UK)
Khehla Ndlovu, Vice Principal (Strategy, Risk and Advisory Services), University of South
Africa
Edephonce Nfuka, Lecturer and Director of Institute of Educational and Management
Technologies, The Open University of Tanzania
Dorothy Ofoha, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, National Open University
of Nigeria
Rachel Rogers, Project Co-ordinator, Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language
Studies, The Open University (UK)
Kris Stutchbury, Senior Lecturer, School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport, The
Open University (UK)
Denise Whitelock, Director, Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University (UK)
CONTRIBUTORS
GCRF PATHWAYS PROJECT

5. 5
OPEN LEARNING IN THE AGE OF PANDEMIC
GCRF PATHWAYS PROJECT
This presentation reports the results of a recent open education research collaboration
between The African Council for Distance Education and The Open University (UK).
Pathways to Learning: new approaches in higher education (OpenLearn, 2020a) hosted
two free professional development programmes for university lecturers, instructional
designers, technical and professional staff, managers, and heads of department who share
responsibility for providing quality distance and online learning.
• A Teacher Educator programme, Skills for 21st Century Learning and Teaching
(OpenLearn, 2020b)
• A Tertiary Educator programme, Take Your Teaching Online (OpenLearn, 2020c)
The courses ran over six weeks between 13th July and 20th August, 2020, and was
contextualized by a rapid rollout of online learning during the Coronavirus pandemic. The
programmes combined a course of study using OER materials with supplementary
activities including a total of 12 webinars and interactive events alongside use of new
platforms created by The Open University’s Institute of Educational Technology: nQuire
(Herodotou et al., 2018) and Our Journey (Coughlan et al., 2019).

6. CC BY Jernej Furman https://www.flickr.com/photos/91261194@N06/49754054057
• What activities do you know of that were developed
to support educators in response to the pandemic?
• What are the longer term impacts of the pandemic
on education?
• What do the longer term impacts mean for
educators’ professional development?
• What does an open response look like?

7. 7
CONTEXT & RATIONALE
GCRF PATHWAYS PROJECT
The pandemic created/catalysed demands on educators to move online
• Diverse people, contexts and resources
• Some are extremely busy, others not working
• Some have access challenges
The Open University (UK) has:
• Free courses and resources, OERs
• Expertise in teaching educators to teach online; and in distance and online education
• Innovative platforms/pedagogies/cultures
• Networks and partners who can engage educators internationally
Given the need for responses to the pandemic:
• How can we harness and enhance these free open courses?
• What could work for educators with different goals and capacity to engage?
• What can we do when we combine the resources we have available?

8. 8
24 hour free Badged Open Course created in 2018
Learning outcomes include:
• identify the differences between teaching online and teaching in a face-to-face
environment
• make informed decisions when choosing new tools and pedagogies for online
teaching
• Understanding how to make accessible learning content
• identify benefits and challenges of teaching online
• making use of social networks and open educational resources
• devise and evaluating approaches to online teaching.

9. 9
Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa (TESSA) has produced materials in collaboration
with African authors for teacher educators. A 16 hour OpenLearn MOOC has reached
4000+ African educators
Learning outcomes include:
• Develop a plan to incorporate ICT tools and OER into your practice and to support
teachers you work with
• Explain how to promote active learning
• Explore OER repositories that are relevant to your practice
• Explain and demonstrate the value of learner-centred education

10. 10
CONTEXT & RATIONALE
GCRF PATHWAYS PROJECT
The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) supports cutting-edge research to address
challenges faced by developing countries. It is part of the UK’s official development assistance
(ODA) and is managed by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
GCRF Pathways Objectives:
• Deliver two programmes based around:
• Take your teaching online BOC
• TESSA MOOC
• Provide additional sessions, guidance and activities wrapped around these
• Work with the African Council for Distance Education (ACDE) to promote these
programmes at institutions across the continent.

11. 11
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
GCRF PATHWAYS PROJECT
• 2 x 5-6 week programmes (Tertiary Educator and Teacher Educator)
• ‘Core content’ including an open course and 2 or 3 webinar events per programme
• A statement of participation achieved for completing the core content
• A range of optional ‘Community activities’
• 7 expert webinars on a range of topics across the weeks
• Invitation to use IET developed platforms: nQuire and Our Journey
• Forum and Telegram group
• Evaluation through pre- and post- surveys; interviews; platform data
KEY CHALLENGES:
• Administration/co-ordination across countries and institutions
• Difficulty of predicting number of registrations/degree of activity
• Would learners understand what they were signing up to?
• Running synchronous activities to develop a sense of cohort

12. Week 1: Tertiary Educator programme
• Introductory webinar (core)
• Study 1st week of Take your Teaching
Online (core)
• Our Journey platform to record their study
journey (optional)
• Course start survey (optional)
• Telegram group (optional)
Week 2: Tertiary Educator programme
• Study week 2 of Take your Teaching
Online (core)
• Webinar: Assessment and Feedback with
Prof Denise Whitelock (optional)
• Telegram group discussion (optional)

13. Week 5: Tertiary Educator programme
• Study weeks 6 and 7 of Take your Teaching
Online (core)
• Quality Assurance webinar led by ACDE
team Prof Tanglang and Dr Mhlanga
(optional)
• Learning Design and Tricky Topics
webinars led by Prof Anne Adams and Dr
Nashwa Ismail
• Telegram group (optional)

14. Registrations
• 771 registered for the Tertiary Educator programme, 684
attended the introduction webinar (plus view recording
option)
• 602 for the Teacher Educator programme, 401 attended
the introduction webinar
• 16 African countries
• 45-50% from Nigeria and 25-33% from Kenya

15. 15
PRE-COURSE SURVEY (N=307)
GCRF PATHWAYS PROJECT
77% (234) had some experience of teaching online
57.6% (175) had taken part in an online course as a student
11.2% (34) had taken a free OU course
62.5% report major changes in the way in which online learning was used in their work.
Prior to COVID-19
pandemic
at time of responding
to survey (c. July-Aug
2020)
All face-to-face 32.2% 5.9%
Mostly face-to-face 31.3% 7.9%
Balance of face-to-face and at a
distance
8.9% 6.9%
Mostly at a distance 16.8% 12.5%
All at a distance 8.2% 42.8%
Teaching has been paused N/A 22.0%

16. 16
ENROLMENT AND COMPLETION
GCRF PATHWAYS PROJECT
1057
1807
3601
17845
19900
68
126 185
3181
3719
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
May-19 Jul-19 Sep-19 Nov-19 Jan-20 Mar-20 May-20 Jul-20 Sep-20 Nov-20 Jan-21
OpenLearn Take your Teaching Online course
Enrolments Badged awarded

17. 17
ENGAGMENT OVER THE COURSE: TERTIARY EDUCATOR COMMUNITY
GCRF PATHWAYS PROJECT
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Complete ticked Zoom registrations Zoom attendees Presentation unique user views

18. 18
ENGAGMENT OVER THE COURSE: TEACHER EDUCATOR COMMUNITY
GCRF PATHWAYS PROJECT
0
100
200
300
400
500
Teacher educator
webinar 1
Making Teacher
Education 1
Making Teacher
Education 2
Teacher educator
webinar 2
Making Teacher
Education 3
Making Teacher
Education 4
Teacher educator
webinar 3
Completed course
Complete ticked Zoom registrations Zoom attendees Recording unique user views

19. 19
TELEGRAM GROUP
GCRF PATHWAYS PROJECT
• Teacher Educator course had
a forum in OpenLearn Create
• Tertiary Educator didn’t have
this option (OpenLearn based).
• Telegram group chosen as a
good option for easy access
across African countries
• Weekly facilitated drop ins
• 954 messages
• Lengthy discussions of
course content

20. 20
EVALUATION
GCRF PATHWAYS PROJECT
159 (self-selecting) responses indicates 97% satisfaction with the quality of
the programmes offered
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Designing online
courses
Teaching online Designing online
assessments
Agree Strongly agree

21. 21
IMPACT ON PRACTICE
GCRF PATHWAYS PROJECT
74.8%
18.2%
7%
Yes - a lot Yes, somewhat Other

22. 22
IMPACT ON PRACTICE
GCRF PATHWAYS PROJECT
Will the programmes lead to any changes in practice in your department or institution?
• 74.8% stated “Yes, a lot”, 18.2% “Yes, somewhat”.
Comment themes include:
• Change in organisation of teaching
• Change in design of learning
• Change in practice of assessment
• Newly organised activities to upskill
colleagues
• Promoting staff development:
encouraging participation in external t
raining
• Personal status/role: Become champion or expert for colleagues to consult
• Changes to student access to
technology
• Augmenting an existing change process

23. 23
EVALUATION SUMMARY
GCRF PATHWAYS PROJECT
• The pandemic led to a substantial shift in teaching across the African
continent and a requirement to better understand and gain experience
of online learning. Change is likely to persist post-pandemic, although
infrastructure and cultural barriers are reported.
• The project surveys, interviews and the data generated through
interactions that occurred in the programmes can be analysed further to
explore challenges and opportunities for online and blended learning
across the African continent and globally.
• The evaluation data provides evidence that the programmes led to
important understanding of course design and confidence in online
facilitation for a large majority of those who took part in them.
• There is evidence that the programmes built confidence, particularly
through the experiences of these educators themselves learning online
with well-designed materials, and engaging with platforms and experts.
A pre-post measurement of self-reported confidence levels shows
improvement for those who started with low confidence.

24. 24
EVALUATION SUMMARY
GCRF PATHWAYS PROJECT
• The flexibility and choice offered in the programmes led to different
behaviours. Many aimed to complete all the available activities despite
time pressures and other barriers. Some were unable to attend live
events so recordings were appreciated.
• Given the courses were free to join and many educators faced barriers
and pressures, retention figures were very positive with around 66% of
those who took part in the first week of each programme completing
the rest of these programmes.
• Most were positive about the new platforms (nQuire and Our Journey)
but reported that they had limited time to use these.

25. 25
EVALUATION SUMMARY
GCRF PATHWAYS PROJECT
• A more detailed understanding of different behaviours and the drivers for
these could be gained through further analysis of the collected data. This
could be analysed according to factors such as the programme, country
or roles and areas of expressed interest.
• Assessment, Open Educational Resources (OER), and understanding of
technologies that can be used for online learning and learning design
were areas that learners reported as being particularly valuable.
• There is qualitative evidence of current and expected impact from the
programmes on practices and strategies, particularly in the interviews.
Individuals felt greater confidence to push for change and wanted to
integrate the concepts from the programmes (such as learning design or
OER) as part of the shift to greater online and blended approaches. At the
same time, barriers existed both in institutional cultures and in practical
matters such as power, bandwidth, cost and time.

26. 26
NEXT STEPS
GCRF PATHWAYS PROJECT
https://www.open.ac.uk/research/news/pathways-e-assessment-african-higher-education

27. THANK YOU
rob.farrow@open.ac.uk
@philosopher1978
go-gn.net
oerhub.net

28. 28
Coughlan, T., Lister, K. & Freer, N. (2019). Our Journey: Designing and utilising a tool to
support students to represent their study journeys. In: Proceedings of the 13th Annual
International Technology, Education and Development Conference (INTED) 2019 pp.
3140–3147. https://doi.org/10.21125/inted.2019
Herodotou, C., Aristeidou, M., Sharples, M. et al. (2018). Designing citizen science tools for
learning: lessons learnt from the iterative development of nQuire. RPTEL 13, 4.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s41039-018-0072-1
OpenLearn (2020a). Pathways for learning: new approaches in higher education.
https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/index.php?categoryid=423
OpenLearn (2020b). Teacher educator programme: skills for 21st century teaching and
learning. https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/enrol/index.php?id=5757
OpenLearn (2020c). Tertiary educator programme: take your teaching online.
https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/enrol/index.php?id=5759
Special thanks to Tim Coughlan for contributing slides!
REFERENCES
GCRF PATHWAYS PROJECT