The Key Note covers a brief history of higher education in Africa; the impact of funding on the purpose of education; the debates about the purpose of higher education within the global knowledge economy; and the possible role within all of this of OER Africa and of Open Educational Resources.
Crossing the Chasm: OER in Africa – A Sea Change: Reclaiming our Power – Rec...PiLNAfrica
OER in Africa: A Sea Change? A Keynote Address at the OpenEd 2009: Crossing the Chasm.&#160;This is a keynote address made by OER Africa Project Director Catherine Ngugi&#160;at the Open Education Conference: Crossing the Chasm held <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">at the </span><em>Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada</em> from the 12 - 14 August 2009. The video presentation can be viewed at <a target="_blank" href="http://openedconference.org/archives/1030">http://openedconference.org/archives/1030</a>. This is a 60 minute video, you can skip the first 11 minutes of the conference introduction and welcome address. The keynote focuses on&#160;how higher education has evolved on the African continent over the past three or four decades and the relevance of OER Africa and of Open Educational Resources, within this context.</p>
The document discusses plans for a Teach Africa Leadership Summit on June 3rd that will involve Digital Video Conferences (DVCs) between American students and students in Uganda, South Africa, and Liberia. Each DVC will last 30 minutes and focus on a different topic: for Uganda it will be the role of media, for South Africa it will be innovations in technology/science/connectivity, and for Liberia it will focus on women's leadership and conflict resolution. The goal is for students in different countries to share perspectives and learn about leadership through interactive discussion. Confirmation is requested from each country's representatives to identify hosting students and DVC facilities and ensure technical requirements are met.
The document summarizes the proceedings of the 2009 IAU International Conference on fostering inter-cultural dialogue and understanding through higher education, held in Lebanon. It discusses the importance of universities promoting inter-cultural dialogue to overcome conflicts, and highlights some of the practical approaches discussed, such as empowering marginalized groups, respecting different perspectives, and recognizing all civilizations. The summary concludes by outlining next steps, including making conference materials available online and continuing this focus in IAU's work on internationalization and its 2010 conference on ethics and values in global higher education.
The document discusses intra-regional and inter-regional cooperation in African higher education. It defines the different levels of cooperation, from national collaborations between institutions in a country to inter-regional partnerships between continental bodies. Examples are provided of existing cooperative networks and programs, including the Association of African Universities and organizations in Ghana and West Africa. Challenges and opportunities for African higher education are outlined. The conclusion emphasizes strengthening advocacy and leadership to further cooperation across borders.
The Foreign Minister of Liberia called for continued financial support for William V. S. Tubman University. He said the university is providing a good return on the government's investment and deserves more funding to further the national development agenda. The Foreign Minister recalled how the university was reopened in 2009 despite skepticism due to its remote location, with seed funding provided through the national budget with support from the President and other stakeholders. He praised the university's transformation and said it has justified the funds provided and deserves more government support going forward.
The document summarizes the proceedings of the 2009 IAU International Conference on fostering inter-cultural dialogue and understanding, held in Lebanon. It discusses the importance of the topic for overcoming conflicts and crises through dialogue. Key points included recognizing differences between cultures, empowering marginalized groups, and preparing graduates who can build understanding. Next steps discussed were making conference materials available online and continuing this focus in future IAU work on internationalization and values in higher education.
The document summarizes the proceedings of the 2009 IAU International Conference on fostering inter-cultural dialogue and understanding, held in Lebanon. It discusses the importance of the topic for overcoming conflicts and crises through continued pursuit of respectful dialogue. Key recommendations included assessing how universities can better educate students to be globally-minded citizens who recognize differences without prejudice. Next steps proposed continuing this work through publications, online resources, and future conferences on related themes like ethics in globalized higher education.
Etec 521 66 a final project linda (thu) phamphamlinda
The document discusses both the challenges and opportunities that technology presents for Aboriginal youth. Some of the key challenges include disadvantages of technology use, dealing with negative stereotypes, issues with cultural identity, and shortcomings in education for Indigenous students. However, technology also provides opportunities such as using digital media to revive cultural practices, expressing identity, countering oppression, educating broader audiences, and developing skills. Overall, Aboriginal youth face the task of engaging with technology in a way that respects and preserves their cultural heritage.
Crossing the Chasm: OER in Africa – A Sea Change: Reclaiming our Power – Rec...PiLNAfrica
OER in Africa: A Sea Change? A Keynote Address at the OpenEd 2009: Crossing the Chasm.&#160;This is a keynote address made by OER Africa Project Director Catherine Ngugi&#160;at the Open Education Conference: Crossing the Chasm held <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">at the </span><em>Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada</em> from the 12 - 14 August 2009. The video presentation can be viewed at <a target="_blank" href="http://openedconference.org/archives/1030">http://openedconference.org/archives/1030</a>. This is a 60 minute video, you can skip the first 11 minutes of the conference introduction and welcome address. The keynote focuses on&#160;how higher education has evolved on the African continent over the past three or four decades and the relevance of OER Africa and of Open Educational Resources, within this context.</p>
The document discusses plans for a Teach Africa Leadership Summit on June 3rd that will involve Digital Video Conferences (DVCs) between American students and students in Uganda, South Africa, and Liberia. Each DVC will last 30 minutes and focus on a different topic: for Uganda it will be the role of media, for South Africa it will be innovations in technology/science/connectivity, and for Liberia it will focus on women's leadership and conflict resolution. The goal is for students in different countries to share perspectives and learn about leadership through interactive discussion. Confirmation is requested from each country's representatives to identify hosting students and DVC facilities and ensure technical requirements are met.
The document summarizes the proceedings of the 2009 IAU International Conference on fostering inter-cultural dialogue and understanding through higher education, held in Lebanon. It discusses the importance of universities promoting inter-cultural dialogue to overcome conflicts, and highlights some of the practical approaches discussed, such as empowering marginalized groups, respecting different perspectives, and recognizing all civilizations. The summary concludes by outlining next steps, including making conference materials available online and continuing this focus in IAU's work on internationalization and its 2010 conference on ethics and values in global higher education.
The document discusses intra-regional and inter-regional cooperation in African higher education. It defines the different levels of cooperation, from national collaborations between institutions in a country to inter-regional partnerships between continental bodies. Examples are provided of existing cooperative networks and programs, including the Association of African Universities and organizations in Ghana and West Africa. Challenges and opportunities for African higher education are outlined. The conclusion emphasizes strengthening advocacy and leadership to further cooperation across borders.
The Foreign Minister of Liberia called for continued financial support for William V. S. Tubman University. He said the university is providing a good return on the government's investment and deserves more funding to further the national development agenda. The Foreign Minister recalled how the university was reopened in 2009 despite skepticism due to its remote location, with seed funding provided through the national budget with support from the President and other stakeholders. He praised the university's transformation and said it has justified the funds provided and deserves more government support going forward.
The document summarizes the proceedings of the 2009 IAU International Conference on fostering inter-cultural dialogue and understanding, held in Lebanon. It discusses the importance of the topic for overcoming conflicts and crises through dialogue. Key points included recognizing differences between cultures, empowering marginalized groups, and preparing graduates who can build understanding. Next steps discussed were making conference materials available online and continuing this focus in future IAU work on internationalization and values in higher education.
The document summarizes the proceedings of the 2009 IAU International Conference on fostering inter-cultural dialogue and understanding, held in Lebanon. It discusses the importance of the topic for overcoming conflicts and crises through continued pursuit of respectful dialogue. Key recommendations included assessing how universities can better educate students to be globally-minded citizens who recognize differences without prejudice. Next steps proposed continuing this work through publications, online resources, and future conferences on related themes like ethics in globalized higher education.
Etec 521 66 a final project linda (thu) phamphamlinda
The document discusses both the challenges and opportunities that technology presents for Aboriginal youth. Some of the key challenges include disadvantages of technology use, dealing with negative stereotypes, issues with cultural identity, and shortcomings in education for Indigenous students. However, technology also provides opportunities such as using digital media to revive cultural practices, expressing identity, countering oppression, educating broader audiences, and developing skills. Overall, Aboriginal youth face the task of engaging with technology in a way that respects and preserves their cultural heritage.
The document outlines the key outcomes and discussions from the 2016 Planet Earth Institute #ScienceAfrica UnConference focused on empowering Africa's future scientific leaders. Over 180 attendees participated in interactive workshops and panel discussions. Key themes that emerged included the need to foster science driven by African priorities and challenges, make STEM education more engaging and relatable for young Africans, empower more girls and women in STEM fields, facilitate international collaboration, and increase private sector involvement in STEM education and capacity building. The event highlighted the importance of these issues for developing Africa's scientific workforce and leadership.
UBE and English Language Teaching in the Primary School and the Nation’s Educ...iosrjce
This paper sets out to examine the challenges of English language teaching in the primary schools
and the language teacher educational progress in the UBE programme. It explores the effective ways of
enhancing English language teaching in primary schools and suggests that the federal government, the state
government, the local government, as well as PTA should assist in financing and supervision of the study
conditions of primary school children.
The document summarizes the welcome speech given by Goolam Mohamedbhai, President of the International Association of Universities (IAU), at an experts seminar on higher education and education for all.
The speech provides background on IAU, its role in promoting higher education, and its work linking higher education to achieving Education for All goals. It also highlights three major obstacles to achieving Education for All goals: lack of information and communication technologies in developing countries, the ongoing HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa, and inadequate funding for education.
Learning Futures: Telling Tales Out of SchoolMark Brown
Keynote presentation at JMB Education Conference, Digital Technology for Teaching: Innovation, Integration, Invisibility. Croke Park, Dublin, 16th September.
This document discusses the relationship between globalization and nationalism, and the implications for education leaders. It notes that while globalization aims to integrate the world, nationalism has led to the fragmentation of nations. This fragmentation could persist and dilute the ability to address global problems. However, nationalism can also strengthen cultural identities. The document considers how education can balance these competing forces by developing global citizens while still promoting cultural diversity. It examines the various impacts of globalization on students' cultural, economic, physical, ethical, and academic lives.
The document discusses cultural pluralism as a challenge for universities in Nigeria to foster dialogue and understanding. It notes that Nigeria has over 400 ethnic groups and two major religions, creating cultural complexity that is sometimes exploited and causes social conflicts. These conflicts negatively impact the university system by intensifying competition between ethnic groups for control over university resources and management. However, the Nigerian constitution and policies aim to promote equity and national unity in higher education through principles like federal character. The document argues that Nigerian universities still manage to contribute to dialogue despite challenges, through policies governing admission diversity and equitable resource allocation.
Backing a Winner: A Form Guide for Higher Education in Uncertain TimesMark Brown
Backing a Winner provides a critical analysis of technology-enhanced learning initiatives in higher education. It argues that many such initiatives [1] reinforce traditional pedagogy and outcomes rather than transforming education, and [2] convey false promises through cycles of hype. The shifting landscape of higher education is challenging traditional university models, as new providers emerge and learning occurs across formal and informal settings. The document calls for a new "form guide" to help technology serve educational outcomes focused on learning to be, know, do, and live together in a way that enhances teaching and learning quality, challenges conventions, and prepares digitally literate citizens.
CHAPTER 4 E-Learning (Gardner and Holmes,2006)Hamid Darmadi
This document discusses maximizing learning opportunities through e-learning. It argues that e-learning can enable students to access relevant materials online, interact with objects of study, and make connections between theory and practice. E-learning also provides access to expert thinking. The document discusses how e-learning can help develop new 21st century skills and lifelong learning by providing flexible access to education regardless of time and location limitations.
MOOCs As Social Practice: The Political Ecology of Online LearningMark Brown
Invited opening presentation at International MOOC Conference: Where are MOOCs Going? The Future of Distance Learning. University of Naples Federico II, Naples/Capri, 25th September.
The Opportunities and Challenges of #OER/#OCW in the Developing WorldPaul Brown
A presentation of some of opportunities and challenges associated with deploying open educational resources, sometimes called open courseware, in developing countries.
The IAU-NDU International Conference on Higher Education and Intercultural Dialogue will take place from November 4-6, 2009 in Lebanon. The conference will explore how higher education can foster intercultural dialogue and understanding, which is especially important in diverse societies like Lebanon. Over 150 participants from various countries and backgrounds are expected to discuss practices and innovations in promoting intercultural learning and citizenship education.
MOOCs in the Media: The Story Behind the StoryMark Brown
This document outlines the agenda for a presentation on MOOCs in the media. It begins with an introduction that discusses what is already known about media coverage of MOOCs based on prior research studies. It then focuses on analyzing the Irish story and media discourse around MOOCs in Ireland. Finally, it discusses exploring the deeper narratives and interests behind the media story on MOOCs.
Hold the Front Page: The Story of MOOCs in the Irish MediaMark Brown
This document summarizes research on how MOOCs have been portrayed in the traditional newspaper media in Ireland. The research found that the majority of reporting was descriptive rather than interpretative, and took a positive stance. Most coverage came from elite institutions and focused on themes like increasing access, reducing costs, and supporting student readiness. However, the "real story behind the story" may be about political and funding issues in Irish higher education, including a restrictive funding model and lack of support for flexible learners. The conclusion is that MOOCs have become inherently political and are fundamentally about debates around the future of education.
This workshop presentation discusses the importance of community colleges in retaining African American students and advancing their higher education. It notes that community colleges enroll nearly half of all undergraduates, including over 50% of black and Latino students. The presentation aims to understand why community colleges are important for maintaining African American student retention and to have meaningful discussions around programming and partnerships with community colleges to improve retention. It encourages participants to consider innovative programs or partnerships between two-year and four-year institutions to help keep African American students progressing through the higher education system.
How to realize Sustainable Development Goal No. 4 (Inclusive and Equitable Quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all) through harnessing opportunities presented by the Internet.
Crossing the Chasm: OER in Africa – A Sea Change: Reclaiming our Power – Recl...Saide OER Africa
This document discusses the history and current state of higher education in Africa. It begins with a summary of how higher education developed under colonial rule, focusing on only a small number of universities. After independence in the 1960s, African nations sought to expand access to higher education to support national development goals. However, structural adjustment programs in later decades reduced government support for higher education. Today, African universities are under-resourced and face challenges in fulfilling their missions of teaching, research, and service. The document proposes that embracing open educational resources through projects like OER Africa could help African higher education institutions become more vibrant and sustainable in the global knowledge economy.
Redefining Education '˜'The Need through Innovative in Africa, for Sustainabl...ijtsrd
Redefining education in Africa is a process that has existed over the years with the hope of addressing African realities through reviewing western orientations that dominate educational systems and practices in Africa. The past two decades have seen the emergence of a global movement that calls for a new model of learning for the twenty-first century. There is now a significant body of literature focusing mainly on three topics motivations for a new model of learning, the specific competencies and skills needed for learners to function effectively in the twenty-first century, and the pedagogy required to stimulate those capabilities. Most African countries are still grappling and yet to understand and promote learning that can foster sustainable development. This policy driven conceptual paper identifies multiple drivers working to transform the content that African learners need to be taught and the methods for teaching and learning. Conceptualizations from Experts offered diverse reasons for the need to transform learning content and pedagogy of most African countries. Persistent disengagement among youth and high early dropout rates in African have increased calls for schools to become more relevant. Changing views on the merit of formal education and emerging student characteristics are also challenging the value of the curriculum in most African states. Shifts in labour market trends and skills shortages in most African workforce have highlighted widening inadequacies in students preparedness to tackle twenty-first century challenges. Growing concern about potential economic and global crises ahead have also led many to question whether todays African learners possess the combination of critical thinking, creativity, collaborative, and communication skills necessary to tackle future shifts in the marketplace. This paper explores these factors in depth and offers a sound rationale for redefining twenty-first century learning content and pedagogy in most African countries. Recommendations for educational planning and policy, curriculum development and teacher training dynamics were proposed for consideration. Tani Emmanuel Lukong | Sr. Therese Nyia Njamfa | Micah Ezekiel Elton Micheal"Redefining Education ˜The Need through Innovative in Africa, for Sustainable Development hrough and Creative Learning" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-1 | Issue-6 , October 2017, URL: http://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd2476.pdf http://www.ijtsrd.com/humanities-and-the-arts/education/2476/redefining-education-˜the-need-through-innovative-in-africa-for-sustainable-development-hrough-and-creative-learning/tani-emmanuel-lukong
1. The speaker discusses the Commonwealth of Learning, an organization founded to promote open and distance learning across Commonwealth countries in order to increase access to education.
2. He argues that while technology can enhance education, it does not replace human teachers. Educational goals should focus on developing individuals and creating a more compassionate society, not just economic outcomes.
3. The speaker advocates for open learning approaches and technology to increase educational access and opportunities across the Commonwealth, especially for those in developing countries, but cautions that approaches must be tailored to different contexts and build partnerships rather than take a paternalistic approach.
African Council for Distance Education KeynoteTerry Anderson
The document discusses three routes to achieving inclusive education:
1. Community-based education systems that engage learners in their local communities and environments.
2. Distance education solutions that increase access to education for all. Athabasca University in Canada is presented as a successful model.
3. A hybrid model combining community schools with distance education components, allowing students to learn locally while receiving instructional materials and guidance from distance education institutions.
This document summarizes a presentation on the internationalization of higher education in Africa given by Akilagpa Sawyerr. It discusses [1] the historical roots of internationalization through student/teacher movement and sharing of ideas; [2] contemporary challenges including global asymmetries of power/knowledge and commercialization of education; and [3] specific challenges for African higher education like resource shortfalls and dependence on foreign support.
The document outlines the key outcomes and discussions from the 2016 Planet Earth Institute #ScienceAfrica UnConference focused on empowering Africa's future scientific leaders. Over 180 attendees participated in interactive workshops and panel discussions. Key themes that emerged included the need to foster science driven by African priorities and challenges, make STEM education more engaging and relatable for young Africans, empower more girls and women in STEM fields, facilitate international collaboration, and increase private sector involvement in STEM education and capacity building. The event highlighted the importance of these issues for developing Africa's scientific workforce and leadership.
UBE and English Language Teaching in the Primary School and the Nation’s Educ...iosrjce
This paper sets out to examine the challenges of English language teaching in the primary schools
and the language teacher educational progress in the UBE programme. It explores the effective ways of
enhancing English language teaching in primary schools and suggests that the federal government, the state
government, the local government, as well as PTA should assist in financing and supervision of the study
conditions of primary school children.
The document summarizes the welcome speech given by Goolam Mohamedbhai, President of the International Association of Universities (IAU), at an experts seminar on higher education and education for all.
The speech provides background on IAU, its role in promoting higher education, and its work linking higher education to achieving Education for All goals. It also highlights three major obstacles to achieving Education for All goals: lack of information and communication technologies in developing countries, the ongoing HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa, and inadequate funding for education.
Learning Futures: Telling Tales Out of SchoolMark Brown
Keynote presentation at JMB Education Conference, Digital Technology for Teaching: Innovation, Integration, Invisibility. Croke Park, Dublin, 16th September.
This document discusses the relationship between globalization and nationalism, and the implications for education leaders. It notes that while globalization aims to integrate the world, nationalism has led to the fragmentation of nations. This fragmentation could persist and dilute the ability to address global problems. However, nationalism can also strengthen cultural identities. The document considers how education can balance these competing forces by developing global citizens while still promoting cultural diversity. It examines the various impacts of globalization on students' cultural, economic, physical, ethical, and academic lives.
The document discusses cultural pluralism as a challenge for universities in Nigeria to foster dialogue and understanding. It notes that Nigeria has over 400 ethnic groups and two major religions, creating cultural complexity that is sometimes exploited and causes social conflicts. These conflicts negatively impact the university system by intensifying competition between ethnic groups for control over university resources and management. However, the Nigerian constitution and policies aim to promote equity and national unity in higher education through principles like federal character. The document argues that Nigerian universities still manage to contribute to dialogue despite challenges, through policies governing admission diversity and equitable resource allocation.
Backing a Winner: A Form Guide for Higher Education in Uncertain TimesMark Brown
Backing a Winner provides a critical analysis of technology-enhanced learning initiatives in higher education. It argues that many such initiatives [1] reinforce traditional pedagogy and outcomes rather than transforming education, and [2] convey false promises through cycles of hype. The shifting landscape of higher education is challenging traditional university models, as new providers emerge and learning occurs across formal and informal settings. The document calls for a new "form guide" to help technology serve educational outcomes focused on learning to be, know, do, and live together in a way that enhances teaching and learning quality, challenges conventions, and prepares digitally literate citizens.
CHAPTER 4 E-Learning (Gardner and Holmes,2006)Hamid Darmadi
This document discusses maximizing learning opportunities through e-learning. It argues that e-learning can enable students to access relevant materials online, interact with objects of study, and make connections between theory and practice. E-learning also provides access to expert thinking. The document discusses how e-learning can help develop new 21st century skills and lifelong learning by providing flexible access to education regardless of time and location limitations.
MOOCs As Social Practice: The Political Ecology of Online LearningMark Brown
Invited opening presentation at International MOOC Conference: Where are MOOCs Going? The Future of Distance Learning. University of Naples Federico II, Naples/Capri, 25th September.
The Opportunities and Challenges of #OER/#OCW in the Developing WorldPaul Brown
A presentation of some of opportunities and challenges associated with deploying open educational resources, sometimes called open courseware, in developing countries.
The IAU-NDU International Conference on Higher Education and Intercultural Dialogue will take place from November 4-6, 2009 in Lebanon. The conference will explore how higher education can foster intercultural dialogue and understanding, which is especially important in diverse societies like Lebanon. Over 150 participants from various countries and backgrounds are expected to discuss practices and innovations in promoting intercultural learning and citizenship education.
MOOCs in the Media: The Story Behind the StoryMark Brown
This document outlines the agenda for a presentation on MOOCs in the media. It begins with an introduction that discusses what is already known about media coverage of MOOCs based on prior research studies. It then focuses on analyzing the Irish story and media discourse around MOOCs in Ireland. Finally, it discusses exploring the deeper narratives and interests behind the media story on MOOCs.
Hold the Front Page: The Story of MOOCs in the Irish MediaMark Brown
This document summarizes research on how MOOCs have been portrayed in the traditional newspaper media in Ireland. The research found that the majority of reporting was descriptive rather than interpretative, and took a positive stance. Most coverage came from elite institutions and focused on themes like increasing access, reducing costs, and supporting student readiness. However, the "real story behind the story" may be about political and funding issues in Irish higher education, including a restrictive funding model and lack of support for flexible learners. The conclusion is that MOOCs have become inherently political and are fundamentally about debates around the future of education.
This workshop presentation discusses the importance of community colleges in retaining African American students and advancing their higher education. It notes that community colleges enroll nearly half of all undergraduates, including over 50% of black and Latino students. The presentation aims to understand why community colleges are important for maintaining African American student retention and to have meaningful discussions around programming and partnerships with community colleges to improve retention. It encourages participants to consider innovative programs or partnerships between two-year and four-year institutions to help keep African American students progressing through the higher education system.
How to realize Sustainable Development Goal No. 4 (Inclusive and Equitable Quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all) through harnessing opportunities presented by the Internet.
Crossing the Chasm: OER in Africa – A Sea Change: Reclaiming our Power – Recl...Saide OER Africa
This document discusses the history and current state of higher education in Africa. It begins with a summary of how higher education developed under colonial rule, focusing on only a small number of universities. After independence in the 1960s, African nations sought to expand access to higher education to support national development goals. However, structural adjustment programs in later decades reduced government support for higher education. Today, African universities are under-resourced and face challenges in fulfilling their missions of teaching, research, and service. The document proposes that embracing open educational resources through projects like OER Africa could help African higher education institutions become more vibrant and sustainable in the global knowledge economy.
Redefining Education '˜'The Need through Innovative in Africa, for Sustainabl...ijtsrd
Redefining education in Africa is a process that has existed over the years with the hope of addressing African realities through reviewing western orientations that dominate educational systems and practices in Africa. The past two decades have seen the emergence of a global movement that calls for a new model of learning for the twenty-first century. There is now a significant body of literature focusing mainly on three topics motivations for a new model of learning, the specific competencies and skills needed for learners to function effectively in the twenty-first century, and the pedagogy required to stimulate those capabilities. Most African countries are still grappling and yet to understand and promote learning that can foster sustainable development. This policy driven conceptual paper identifies multiple drivers working to transform the content that African learners need to be taught and the methods for teaching and learning. Conceptualizations from Experts offered diverse reasons for the need to transform learning content and pedagogy of most African countries. Persistent disengagement among youth and high early dropout rates in African have increased calls for schools to become more relevant. Changing views on the merit of formal education and emerging student characteristics are also challenging the value of the curriculum in most African states. Shifts in labour market trends and skills shortages in most African workforce have highlighted widening inadequacies in students preparedness to tackle twenty-first century challenges. Growing concern about potential economic and global crises ahead have also led many to question whether todays African learners possess the combination of critical thinking, creativity, collaborative, and communication skills necessary to tackle future shifts in the marketplace. This paper explores these factors in depth and offers a sound rationale for redefining twenty-first century learning content and pedagogy in most African countries. Recommendations for educational planning and policy, curriculum development and teacher training dynamics were proposed for consideration. Tani Emmanuel Lukong | Sr. Therese Nyia Njamfa | Micah Ezekiel Elton Micheal"Redefining Education ˜The Need through Innovative in Africa, for Sustainable Development hrough and Creative Learning" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-1 | Issue-6 , October 2017, URL: http://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd2476.pdf http://www.ijtsrd.com/humanities-and-the-arts/education/2476/redefining-education-˜the-need-through-innovative-in-africa-for-sustainable-development-hrough-and-creative-learning/tani-emmanuel-lukong
1. The speaker discusses the Commonwealth of Learning, an organization founded to promote open and distance learning across Commonwealth countries in order to increase access to education.
2. He argues that while technology can enhance education, it does not replace human teachers. Educational goals should focus on developing individuals and creating a more compassionate society, not just economic outcomes.
3. The speaker advocates for open learning approaches and technology to increase educational access and opportunities across the Commonwealth, especially for those in developing countries, but cautions that approaches must be tailored to different contexts and build partnerships rather than take a paternalistic approach.
African Council for Distance Education KeynoteTerry Anderson
The document discusses three routes to achieving inclusive education:
1. Community-based education systems that engage learners in their local communities and environments.
2. Distance education solutions that increase access to education for all. Athabasca University in Canada is presented as a successful model.
3. A hybrid model combining community schools with distance education components, allowing students to learn locally while receiving instructional materials and guidance from distance education institutions.
This document summarizes a presentation on the internationalization of higher education in Africa given by Akilagpa Sawyerr. It discusses [1] the historical roots of internationalization through student/teacher movement and sharing of ideas; [2] contemporary challenges including global asymmetries of power/knowledge and commercialization of education; and [3] specific challenges for African higher education like resource shortfalls and dependence on foreign support.
Role of Open in African Higher Education - University of BotswanaThomas King
This document discusses scholarly communication in Africa and opportunities for open access. It notes that African countries seek African knowledge that is widely accessible from and for Africa. While the internet offers higher access, quality and lower costs, national policies often favor prestige over public good. Open access repositories and journals could help address this by profiling all scholarship and raising quality. The University of Botswana could harness this potential to deliver its strategic goals of applying knowledge to development challenges through open access.
This document discusses the importance of diversity in higher education. It notes that universities have historically served elite, homogenous populations but are now more diverse due to policies increasing access. While participation has increased, not all groups are represented equally. The document argues that diversity is important for exposing students to different perspectives and building social cohesion. It provides examples of programs at Edith Cowan University aimed at increasing access for underrepresented groups. Overall, the document advocates for inclusion and equitable access to higher education.
The opening address at the IAU Durban Conference in 2000 focused on three main topics:
1) Values in higher education - discussing the need to balance academic freedom with public accountability and prepare students for democratic citizenship.
2) Knowledge - noting the impact of technology and commercialization on knowledge production while emphasizing the need to maintain universities' critical functions.
3) Leadership - addressing the divide between academics and administrators and challenges to define universities' public role and bridge internal rifts through open communication.
2011 - OER Movement and its Implications for Local KnowledgesAlfonso Sintjago
The document discusses the open educational resources (OER) movement and its implications. It provides background information on OER, defining them as digitized materials that are freely available for educators, students, and self-learners to use and reuse. It notes several major OER initiatives including Wikieducators, the Free Textbook Movement, and Connexions. It also discusses who is involved in OER globally, including universities in the US, China, Japan, and France that have opened up hundreds of courses. The document analyzes data from MIT's OpenCourseWare initiative showing that OER users are broadly international and use the resources for a variety of educational purposes. It concludes by reviewing the most commonly used Creative Commons
This document provides an opening address given at the 11th General Conference of the International Association of Universities in Durban, South Africa in August 2000. The address discusses the history and evolution of universities over the past 50 years since the founding of IAU, including their growing importance for development, changes in student demographics and relationships with the job market, and the impact of new technologies. It emphasizes the need for universities to maintain excellence and autonomy while also serving social needs through partnerships.
This document discusses how open access can strategically benefit African universities. It notes that currently, Africa is viewed primarily as a consumer rather than producer of knowledge, undermining partnerships and indigenous knowledge. Open access is presented as an answer by overcoming barriers to distribution and access, and working across the entire publishing ecosystem including journals, books, cooperative platforms, repositories, and African research centers. The key question is how to build a scholarly communication policy that addresses the whole ecosystem and allows Africa to both produce and share knowledge.
How open access to research can strategically benefit African universitiesBioMedCentral
Eve Gray, Honorary Research Associate, Centre for Educational Technology, Associate, Intellectual Property Law and Policy Research Unit, University of Cape Town and Michelle Willmers, Programme Manager, Scholarly Communications in Africa Programme speaking at Open Access Africa 2010
This document summarizes the keynote speech on internationalization of higher education in Africa given by Akilagpa Sawyerr at the 2006 International Conference of the International Association of Universities. The speech addresses:
1) The historical context of internationalization in higher education globally and in Africa.
2) Contemporary challenges for internationalization in African higher education systems including asymmetric power relations between the global North and South, and a tendency to treat Africa as an export market for foreign higher education.
3) Initiatives by African countries and institutions to participate internationally, but reliance on Northern financial support resulting in predominantly North-South relationships rather than South-South.
The document summarizes a keynote speech given at the 11th General Conference of the International Astronomical Union in Durban, South Africa in August 2000. The speech discusses the changing nature of learners and delivery of education in knowledge societies.
It notes that in knowledge societies, learners will be more diverse in age and experience, pursuing both full-time and part-time education. It also argues that traditional universities will not be able to meet the demand for education alone, and that distance education will need to play a larger role in delivering flexible, lifelong education to more learners.
Presentation at OGP Regional Meeting 2016, May 5/6, Cape Town South Africa: Open Education and opportunities for sustainable education in Africa, advocating of and for the inclusion of Open Education and OER in African regional National Action Plans (NAPs) which are being developed within member nations, geared to meet global Sustainable Development Goals.
Publishing Development Research and Adding ValueEve Gray
A presentation made at the UNESCO workshop on Open Access in Africa, Pretoria, 22-23 November 2010, co-sponsored by the Academy of Science of South Africa and EiFL
The Changing Fabric of Education: Impact on Intellect and Industryabhishek bagchi
The document discusses the evolution of education over time and the disruptions caused by various events throughout history. It then focuses on the paradigm shift occurring in education, moving from a 20th century teacher-centric model to a 21st century student-centric model. It outlines the many impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on education, including physical, psychological, technological, socio-emotional, cultural, financial, and pedagogical impacts. It also discusses the challenges faced and potential solutions.
This document provides an assessment of perceptions of Zimbabwean students on the South African higher education system, specifically referencing the University of Venda. It examines the motives driving Zimbabwean student mobility into South Africa for study purposes. Interviews with Zimbabwean students at the University of Venda revealed certain motives and challenges, including the role of student mobility on South Africa's education system and challenges of integration. The research recommends expanding international student integration, assessing the impact of student mobility on institutions, and considering the role of institutions in promoting "brain circulation" over "brain drain".
Gastric lavage, also known as stomach pumping, is a medical procedure used to empty the contents of the stomach. It involves flushing a liquid, such as water or salt water, in and out of the stomach through a tube to induce vomiting. Gastric lavage is primarily used to treat poisoning from a substance that was ingested.
This document provides specifications for a game-based assessment template created for training activities. The template can be adapted by identifying content to create questions and answers for each block on the gameboard. Users can then paste their own questions and answers into the template to create a game to review material either competitively or independently. The template was created to provide a simple game for assessing any health informatics content.
This interactive template was created for HIBBs module developers or users of HIBBs in training activities as a tool to create a simple game for any content. Game adaptors can identify the content to be covered, create questions and answers for each gameboard block, and paste them into the game template. The game can be used in a classroom setting with teams of players competing against each other or it can be modified for use by an independent learner as an aid in reviewing material. Instructions for adapting the game: 1) Select the content to be learned from a Health Informatics textbook, class lecture, or other learning resource; 2) Create questions and answers for each block on the gameboard; 3) Have questions and answers reviewed by a content specialist; 4) Replace existing questions and answers by pasting your content into the game template. LINKS TO RELATED HIBBS MODULES: Managing Change in Healthcare IT Implementations: an Introduction; Ethics and Integrity in Data Use and Management; Data Quality: Missing Data. AUXILIARY MATERIALS: HIBBs Game Scoresheet in Microsoft Excel 97-2003
Fostering Cross-institutional Collaboration for Open Educational Resources Pr...PiLNAfrica
Although there are over a quarter of a million open courses published by an increasing number of universities, it remains unclear whether Open Education Resources (OER) is scalable and productively sustainable. The challenge is compounded when OER is examined in the light of its potential to allow both educators and learners in developing countries to contribute geographically bound learning resources in the context of varied infrastructural, technological and skill constraints. Between October and December 2009, 52 participants involved in various roles related to Health OER from five universities (one in the USA, two in Ghana and two in South Africa) were interviewed. The aim of the study was to investigate sustainability of OER based on possible cross-institutional collaboration as well as social and technical challenges in creating and sharing OER materials. The analytical framework was adopted from prior research in related areas: distributed scientific collaboration; cyber infrastructure; open source development; and Wikipedia. We adopted a qualitative approach for data collection, which included semi structured interviews and document analysis. The findings were analyzed and reported with many direct quotations included. The outcome of the data analysis is a model for productive, scalable, and sustainable OER based on cross-institutional collaboration. The report concludes with practical recommendations on how to the model can be operationalized.
Ethics and Integrity in Data Use and Management Detailed SpecificationsPiLNAfrica
This module defines key concepts related to ethics in data use and management. It compares the ethics of using clinical and research data, and reviews guidelines and regulations like HIPAA. It outlines how concepts like data retention, sharing, security, ownership, and analysis are affected by these ethics considerations. The module was created to teach healthcare data managers about identifying pertinent guidelines, describing good practices, and ensuring data integrity. It consists of slides, audio, and video and was used in a 2-week training course in Kenya.
This HIBBS presentation provides background on how to assess the value of a medical informatics solution, explains implementation issues with regard to rolling out any type of electronic medical record system, and mentions points that will help ensure the successful implementation of a medical informatics solution.
Learning Objectives:
Assess the value of a medical informatics solution
Be aware of issues associated with the rolling out of any type of electronic medical record system
Explain what is necessary for a successful implementation of a medical informatics solution
Data Quality: Missing Data detailed specificationPiLNAfrica
This document summarizes a module on managing missing data to maintain data quality. It explains how to plan for missing data by defining different types and documenting reasons for missing values. The module teaches how to minimize missing data and develop procedures to record why data is missing. Its learning objectives are for students to understand why missing data should be reduced and how to code the reasons for missing values.
These resources were taken from the Research Ethics Program Website, University of California at San Diego (http://ethics.ucsd.edu/resources/resources-data.html). All web links have been verified and updated by the HIBBs project, as of 8/2101.
This document discusses ways to prevent childhood tuberculosis, including:
1) BCG immunization to reduce the risk of disseminated TB and TB meningitis in children.
2) Avoiding exposure to untreated TB patients through improved living conditions and screening contacts of active cases.
3) Giving isoniazid prophylaxis to children under 5 who are contacts of active TB cases to prevent infection from progressing to disease.
4) Reporting and recording cases of childhood TB and those receiving prophylaxis to monitor the tuberculosis program's effectiveness.
Childhood TB: Management of childhood tuberculosisPiLNAfrica
Childhood TB was written to enable healthcare workers to learn about the primary care of children with tuberculosis. It covers: introduction to TB infection, the clinical presentation, diagnosis, management and prevention of tuberculosis in children
Childhood TB: Introduction to childhood tuberculosisPiLNAfrica
Childhood TB was written to enable healthcare workers to learn about the primary care of children with tuberculosis. It covers: introduction to TB infection, the clinical presentation, diagnosis, management and prevention of tuberculosis in children
This document provides information about a learning programme called "Childhood TB" that was developed by the Desmond Tutu Tuberculosis Centre to improve the care of children with tuberculosis. It outlines the format, study approach, and content of the programme, which uses self-study, case studies, and questions to teach healthcare professionals about childhood tuberculosis diagnosis, treatment, management, and prevention. The goal is to make quality tuberculosis education more accessible to rural primary healthcare workers.
Childhood TB: Diagnosis of childhood tuberculosisPiLNAfrica
Childhood TB was written to enable healthcare workers to learn about the primary care of children with tuberculosis. It covers: introduction to TB infection, the clinical presentation, diagnosis, management and prevention of tuberculosis in children
Childhood TB: Clinical presentation of childhood tuberculosisPiLNAfrica
Childhood TB was written to enable healthcare workers to learn about the primary care of children with tuberculosis. It covers: introduction to TB infection, the clinical presentation, diagnosis, management and prevention of tuberculosis in children
"Child Healthcare addresses all the common and important clinical problems in children, including:immunisation history and examination growth and nutrition acute and chronic infections parasites skin conditions difficulties in the home and society."
Child Healthcare addresses all the common and important clinical problems in children, including:immunisation history and examination growth and nutrition acute and chronic infections parasites skin conditions difficulties in the home and society.
Child Healthcare: The history and examinationPiLNAfrica
Child Healthcare addresses all the common and important clinical problems in children, including:immunisation history and examination growth and nutrition acute and chronic infections parasites skin conditions difficulties in the home and society.
Child Healthcare addresses all the common and important clinical problems in children, including:immunisation history and examination growth and nutrition acute and chronic infections parasites skin conditions difficulties in the home and society.
Child Healthcare addresses all the common and important clinical problems in children, including:immunisation history and examination growth and nutrition acute and chronic infections parasites skin conditions difficulties in the home and society.
LAND USE LAND COVER AND NDVI OF MIRZAPUR DISTRICT, UPRAHUL
This Dissertation explores the particular circumstances of Mirzapur, a region located in the
core of India. Mirzapur, with its varied terrains and abundant biodiversity, offers an optimal
environment for investigating the changes in vegetation cover dynamics. Our study utilizes
advanced technologies such as GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and Remote sensing to
analyze the transformations that have taken place over the course of a decade.
The complex relationship between human activities and the environment has been the focus
of extensive research and worry. As the global community grapples with swift urbanization,
population expansion, and economic progress, the effects on natural ecosystems are becoming
more evident. A crucial element of this impact is the alteration of vegetation cover, which plays a
significant role in maintaining the ecological equilibrium of our planet.Land serves as the foundation for all human activities and provides the necessary materials for
these activities. As the most crucial natural resource, its utilization by humans results in different
'Land uses,' which are determined by both human activities and the physical characteristics of the
land.
The utilization of land is impacted by human needs and environmental factors. In countries
like India, rapid population growth and the emphasis on extensive resource exploitation can lead
to significant land degradation, adversely affecting the region's land cover.
Therefore, human intervention has significantly influenced land use patterns over many
centuries, evolving its structure over time and space. In the present era, these changes have
accelerated due to factors such as agriculture and urbanization. Information regarding land use and
cover is essential for various planning and management tasks related to the Earth's surface,
providing crucial environmental data for scientific, resource management, policy purposes, and
diverse human activities.
Accurate understanding of land use and cover is imperative for the development planning
of any area. Consequently, a wide range of professionals, including earth system scientists, land
and water managers, and urban planners, are interested in obtaining data on land use and cover
changes, conversion trends, and other related patterns. The spatial dimensions of land use and
cover support policymakers and scientists in making well-informed decisions, as alterations in
these patterns indicate shifts in economic and social conditions. Monitoring such changes with the
help of Advanced technologies like Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems is
crucial for coordinated efforts across different administrative levels. Advanced technologies like
Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems
9
Changes in vegetation cover refer to variations in the distribution, composition, and overall
structure of plant communities across different temporal and spatial scales. These changes can
occur natural.
Strategies for Effective Upskilling is a presentation by Chinwendu Peace in a Your Skill Boost Masterclass organisation by the Excellence Foundation for South Sudan on 08th and 09th June 2024 from 1 PM to 3 PM on each day.
How to Setup Warehouse & Location in Odoo 17 InventoryCeline George
In this slide, we'll explore how to set up warehouses and locations in Odoo 17 Inventory. This will help us manage our stock effectively, track inventory levels, and streamline warehouse operations.
Main Java[All of the Base Concepts}.docxadhitya5119
This is part 1 of my Java Learning Journey. This Contains Custom methods, classes, constructors, packages, multithreading , try- catch block, finally block and more.
Walmart Business+ and Spark Good for Nonprofits.pdfTechSoup
"Learn about all the ways Walmart supports nonprofit organizations.
You will hear from Liz Willett, the Head of Nonprofits, and hear about what Walmart is doing to help nonprofits, including Walmart Business and Spark Good. Walmart Business+ is a new offer for nonprofits that offers discounts and also streamlines nonprofits order and expense tracking, saving time and money.
The webinar may also give some examples on how nonprofits can best leverage Walmart Business+.
The event will cover the following::
Walmart Business + (https://business.walmart.com/plus) is a new shopping experience for nonprofits, schools, and local business customers that connects an exclusive online shopping experience to stores. Benefits include free delivery and shipping, a 'Spend Analytics” feature, special discounts, deals and tax-exempt shopping.
Special TechSoup offer for a free 180 days membership, and up to $150 in discounts on eligible orders.
Spark Good (walmart.com/sparkgood) is a charitable platform that enables nonprofits to receive donations directly from customers and associates.
Answers about how you can do more with Walmart!"
This slide is special for master students (MIBS & MIFB) in UUM. Also useful for readers who are interested in the topic of contemporary Islamic banking.
This presentation was provided by Steph Pollock of The American Psychological Association’s Journals Program, and Damita Snow, of The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), for the initial session of NISO's 2024 Training Series "DEIA in the Scholarly Landscape." Session One: 'Setting Expectations: a DEIA Primer,' was held June 6, 2024.
Executive Directors Chat Leveraging AI for Diversity, Equity, and InclusionTechSoup
Let’s explore the intersection of technology and equity in the final session of our DEI series. Discover how AI tools, like ChatGPT, can be used to support and enhance your nonprofit's DEI initiatives. Participants will gain insights into practical AI applications and get tips for leveraging technology to advance their DEI goals.
How to Manage Your Lost Opportunities in Odoo 17 CRMCeline George
Odoo 17 CRM allows us to track why we lose sales opportunities with "Lost Reasons." This helps analyze our sales process and identify areas for improvement. Here's how to configure lost reasons in Odoo 17 CRM
The simplified electron and muon model, Oscillating Spacetime: The Foundation...RitikBhardwaj56
Discover the Simplified Electron and Muon Model: A New Wave-Based Approach to Understanding Particles delves into a groundbreaking theory that presents electrons and muons as rotating soliton waves within oscillating spacetime. Geared towards students, researchers, and science buffs, this book breaks down complex ideas into simple explanations. It covers topics such as electron waves, temporal dynamics, and the implications of this model on particle physics. With clear illustrations and easy-to-follow explanations, readers will gain a new outlook on the universe's fundamental nature.
2. Catherine Ngugi, Key Note Address, OpenEd 2009, 12th August, 2009, UBC,
Vancouver, Canada.
OER in Africa: a Sea Change
Crossing the Chasm
OpenEd 2009 – Key Note by Catherine Ngugi
This Key Note covers a brief history of higher education in Africa; the impact of
funding on the purpose of education; the debates about the purpose of higher
education within the global knowledge economy; and the possible role within all of
this of OER Africa and of Open Educational Resources. The focus of this address is
that OER presents an opportunity to revolutionise how we think about and practice
higher education - and how education as a collaborative endeavour - a cornerstone of
the OER movement - is far more likely to result in success than going it alone.
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Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
3. Catherine Ngugi, Key Note Address, OpenEd 2009, 12th August, 2009, UBC,
Vancouver, Canada.
Salutation
Good morning everyone. May I say what a pleasure and a privilege it is to be here.
When I first attended the international Open Education Conference at Utah State
University, I and the institution I worked for then, were grappling with the concepts
of technology mediated learning and of Open Educational Resources. I certainly did
not imagine that seasoned practitioners like David Wiley would one day ask me back
to give a key note address drawing on those experiences.
Thank you David for inviting me to speak at a conference which you created and have
institutionalised over the past six years and which many of us working in this field
look forward to every year.
Most of you here are familiar with the concept and indeed the practice of OER, so I
will not dwell too much on the many definitions and interpretations. Rather, I would
like to talk with you this morning about the relevance or other wise of open
educational resources within the context in which I work, which is primarily higher
education institutions in Africa.
Introduction to OER Africa
In David’s very kind introduction, he mentioned that I head up a project called OER
Africa. We started OER Africa in February 2008, with funding from the Hewlett
Foundation. [show slide 2]
• Whilst operating under auspices of SAIDE
• Headquartered in Kenya
• More logical place to situate a project established to harness African expertise
from around the continent, in driving the creation and use of OER in Africa
David has described OER Africa as a juggernaut and whilst at the moment, that status
may be more aspirational than factual, there are compelling reasons for our desire to
bring to African HEIs, the concept and practice of Open Educational Resources.
These reasons are numerous and varied – but – if those of you who are all too
familiar with this terrain will indulge, me, I would like to speak a little about how
higher education has evolved on the African continent over the past three or four
decades and the relevance of OER Africa and of Open Educational Resources, within
this context.
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Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
4. Catherine Ngugi, Key Note Address, OpenEd 2009, 12th August, 2009, UBC,
Vancouver, Canada.
Background to higher education in Africa – colonial era
Much of Africa – and accordingly much of African higher education – was under
colonial dominion from as early, in some cases, as the 1600s, until the period between
the late 1950s and early 1970s.
[Slide 3 - chart re independencei] - [Same slide – map showing
independenceii]
This table and map depict the period during which many African countries attained
independence from colonial rule. Research conducted by OER Africa has
demonstrated that the origins of many universities on the African continent –
particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa - lie in the colonial era. This same piece of
research alludes to such higher education institutions as having been “a key
component of the colonial governments’ strategy to manage social change effectively.”
That said, these universities were few and far between.
At the time of independence in both Kenya and Tanzania, those eligible for higher
education were obliged to take the train to Uganda and enrol at Makerere University
– the only university in the region. The politics of exclusion were paramount then as
the perceived purpose of higher education was to provide the dominant power with
a small but loyal cadre of professionals who would espouse to their own people, the
merits of a Western-style higher education, whilst assisting the colonial
administration in managing any restless natives. As Frantz Fanon points out, in such
circumstances restlessness is to be expected. Unsurprisingly, then, in many instances,
this limited cadre soon became the bare bones of an independent administration.
The newly independent nations had different challenges ahead of them and their own
social changes to manage.
Writing about The African Experience with Higher Education, Nigerian Emeritus
Prof. of History, J. F. Ade Ajayi noted that “...the rapid social and economic change
taking place during the 1960s... provided a new context for higher education. The need to
staff the newly independent civil service and to foster economic growth justified
substantial budget allocations to higher education institutions, which were expected to
contribute to the national development effort...”iii.
The limited access to higher education and the substantial cost to both individuals
and students alike were challenges recognised as much in the United States as they
were in the newly independent countries. Kenya, at that time, was fortunate to have
in a position of leadership, a visionary called Tom Mboya. A Trade Unionist,
consummate organiser, and an erudite autodidact, Tom Mboya’s networks included
friends in the US government such as the then Senator John F. Kennedy. [Slide 4 –
Access]
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Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
5. Catherine Ngugi, Key Note Address, OpenEd 2009, 12th August, 2009, UBC,
Vancouver, Canada.
As a result of their collaboration, many hundreds of Kenyan students (as well as
students from Uganda, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.iv) were
airlifted to the United States and provided with scholarships that enabled them to
acquire not only a strong liberal arts foundation, in some cases, but also the technical
skills required for the nation building project at hand. The current Chancellor of the
University of Nairobi, J B Wanjui is one such graduate. Another is Kenyan Nobel
Laureate, Prof. Wangari Maathai.
[Slide 5 – Leadership]
Thirty years later, Tom Mboya’s daughter Susan, has established the Zawadi Kenya
Educational Fund, one of whose key objectives is to provide exceptional young
African women from rural and disadvantaged backgrounds, the opportunity to attend
some of the best universities in the United States of America.
Then as now, essential ingredients for a successful higher education endeavour
appear to remain a collaborative approach, a recognition of education as an
unassailable human right, a pocket deep enough to meet the contesting priorities of
societal change and a hunger for education that remains unabated on the African
continent – perhaps just another of those unintended, unexpected results of the
bygone colonial era.
Our research goes further to note that:
During the Conference of Ministers of Education of Independent States in Africa
in Addis Ababa in 1961, education was promulgated as being sine qua non [–the
essential ingredient –] for development at all levels of society; be that individual,
local, regional, or national.... [Indeed, Ghanaian professor] Aki Sawyerr, a former
and long-standing head of the African Association of Universities, noted that the
perceived role of these universities was“…to help the new nations build up their capacity
to develop and manage their resources, alleviate the poverty of the majority of their people, and
close the gap between them and the developed world”. (Sawyerr, 2002).
What was being alluded to here was a need for leadership, a desire for a higher
education system that would enable these new nations to become, as far as possible,
self-sufficient and no longer dependant on the economies of others to sustain
themselves.
Moving swiftly ahead in time to the present day, it is clear that whilst the social
changes faced by the new nation states of the 1960s are somewhat different than from
those faced today, this notion that the purpose of higher education lies in equipping
nations with the human resources capable of effectively managing, if not mastering
social change, remains central. Unfortunately, we may have cause to argue that HE in
Africa today, seems either to have lost sight of that purpose or to be prevented from
fulfilling it through under-funding or statev control.
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Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
6. Catherine Ngugi, Key Note Address, OpenEd 2009, 12th August, 2009, UBC,
Vancouver, Canada.
Open, Distance and Quality Education – the new
movements
The global social and developmental changes undergone since the 1960s have had a
dramatic impact on educational practice across the world. Within the higher
education realm in which OER Africa operates, this is very apparent. As in any
developing region of the world, faced with the need to educate a greater cadre of
professionals, mid-level managers, teachers, doctors, nurses, technicians and so forth,
distance education, once perceived by some as a poor relative to face to face
education, has taken on new meanings. Print-based Distance Education coupled with
good tutorial and assessment feedback systems remains critical in Africa.
Yet, in order to meet the ever growing demand for higher education, pedagogy has
evolved, and technology has enabled the morphing of the paper-based
correspondence course into synchronousvi and asynchronousvii online distance
education. Despite its many successes, and indeed quite properly in some cases,
educators and potential students alike, maintain mixed feelings about the quality of
education possible at a distance. The concept, however and indeed the demand for
access to life-long learning is now a widely accepted precept.
As regards access to education, the notion of opening education has spurred not
only the growth of open and distance education institutions across the globe but also,
that of “movements” – (for lack of an alternative term) – such as the open courseware
and open educational resources movements, which are at the heart of this conference.
Open educational resources of course refer to educational resources that can be used
without the need to pay royalties or licence fees. The need to pay for educational
resources then brings us to the question of how higher education is funded and the
possible impact therefore, of open educational resources upon the current funding
paradigms.
Globalization and higher education in Africa –present day
We have seen how in its heyday African higher education was a top government
priority. National budgets accommodated adequate pay for lecturers, provision for
visiting lecturer exchange programs, research grants and well oiled university presses.
Local and foreign governments and even international philanthropic Foundations
also invested in African higher education, providing scholarships and even building
laboratories. Whilst learning in enviable circumstances, students were also
accommodated and fed in pristine, if simple student hostels. Campus life was
punctuated by rigorous intellectual debate and the occasional polite demonstration –
usually in support of a principle.
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Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
7. Catherine Ngugi, Key Note Address, OpenEd 2009, 12th August, 2009, UBC,
Vancouver, Canada.
Those days are in the past now. Of significant impact on the quality and quantity of
higher education accessible in Africa today is the notion of who funds it – and
accordingly – who is positioned to influence what is taught and how it is taught. The
structural adjustment programs proffered by the Bretton Woods institutions in the
1980s and 90s put paid to the notion of higher education as a developmental
government priority. Indeed, in many instances, these structural adjustments were
welcomed by authoritarian regimes which now felt their power threatened by vibrant,
thriving Higher Education systems.
Today, in Africa as in the rest of the world, industry and the private sector are playing
a noticeable role in the funding of higher education. Their commercial and industrial
lenses are focussed more towards equipping students with the skills necessary for
gainful employment, than to the notion of imparting “the ability to discern, appreciate,
and criticize with respect to culture, values, information and ideas”viii which is seen by
some educators at least, as one of the key purposes of Higher education. Diversity of
thought, a key ingredient to a quality Higher education experience is sometimes a
casualty of expediency.
The impact of shrinking government support, growing student numbers, and thinly,
thinly stretched faculty means that higher education institutions on the continent are
overwhelmingly, and structurally, under resourced for the key roles which they are
expected to perform. Sierra Leones’ Fourah Bay College; Nigeria’s Ibadan University;
Uganda’s Makerere and the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania each continue to
suffer from – and struggle against – this neglectix.
Slide 6 – Problem / Theory of Action
As is the case elsewhere, HEIs in Africa are expected to produce Research,
Publications and provide Service. Teaching is implicit, but rarely fore-grounded in
terms of policy.
Whilst a university is expected to offer a broad domain of expertise, the reality is that
most HEI’s specialise in / are known for particular strengths.
Whereas faculty with the skills to teach in a broad spectrum of subjects may exist, the
time they have to re-visit and modify curriculum on a regular and systematic basis is
constrained.
Slide 7– Problem / Theory of Action (2)
New publications produced by the universities (via journals, books, or digital
formats), are an infrequent occurrence, partly because of lack of finances – and
research grants are few and fiercely competitive.
The cost of contemporary, copy-righted texts – are prohibitive and so the library
stacks are mainly filled with outdated texts.
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Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
8. Catherine Ngugi, Key Note Address, OpenEd 2009, 12th August, 2009, UBC,
Vancouver, Canada.
Slide 8– Problem / Theory of Action (3)
As elsewhere in the world, subject matter experts are not necessarily great teachers.
Opportunities for peer interaction and observation via lecture exchange programs are
few – and in a competition, seniority will usually win over genuine passion.
Technology too, is often a challenge: it is not always the case that faculty have access
to a personal lap top – although this is increasingly common. We have often found
that Faculty are not supported in making the best use of what IT is available. This
could be related to the absence of appropriate institutional policies or because those
with the IT skills needed to enable use of new technologies are frequently poached
from Higher Education Institutions by industry (such as the mobile phone
companies).
Insufficient and costly bandwidth makes a mockery of the notion of browsing the
internet for content. Access is limited not only by cost and erratic power supplies, but
also, in some cases, location, - whereby hotspots may be situated nowhere near
faculty offices, rendering moot the notion of using the internet to participate in inter-
institutional collaborations or indeed to access content created elsewhere.
The impact of all of this is an increasingly frustrated faculty and student body.
When we speak to faculty about the possibilities of OER, they remind us that chronic
under-funding means:
• That they are lecturing 200 students in classrooms designed for 50; one
professor ironically described this phenomenon as a very special example of
distance education;
• They remind us that they barely have enough time in the day (week, month or
year), to write up their class notes; deliver their lectures; write exams; create
marking schemes; mark exams; conduct any meaningful research; follow
through to get that research published; either complete their own PhDs or
have an entire conversation with their spouse.
• And as we listen, we see that faculty is growing older and there is scant
evidence of clear transition policies being in place.
So when earlier I spoke of thinly stretched faculty, I also meant that many of our very
best intellectuals are teaching outside of the continent – and that the very best of
those who remain – or return – work desperately hard to fill that void.
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Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
9. Catherine Ngugi, Key Note Address, OpenEd 2009, 12th August, 2009, UBC,
Vancouver, Canada.
A litany of woes? - Possibility of marginalization from the global
knowledge economy
Some, of course, succumb to apathy – and who could blame them? We too could
choose that course of inaction. But even the harshest realities are subject to human
interpretation and if we are to operate from a deficit model – a litany of woes – we
acquiesce, in essence, to a notion of higher education [Slide 9– A Sisyphean
Task?] as a thankless Sisyphean task!
Perhaps, then, we need a different sort of conversation. By we, I mean, of course,
everyone here who is interested and keen to contribute to a different kind of vision for
higher education in Africa, one comprised of
[Slide 10– A Vision for Higher Education in Africa]
Vibrant, sustainable African higher education institutions that play a critical role
in building and sustaining African societies and economies, by producing the
continent’s future intellectual leaders through free and open development and
sharing of common intellectual capital.
In other words, a vision in which Africa plays an active role as a producer of
knowledge within this global economy.
• If Africa’s HEI’s are neither vibrant, nor sustainable, we may continue to be
faced with the sort of leadership that exacerbates our economic and societal
challenges.
• There is so much we can learn from each other, that open development and
sharing between our HEI’s of all our intellectual capital can only be to the
benefit of the entire world.
• This is a vision then, of African higher education institutions which fulfil their
purpose – to develop the future intellectual leadership of the continent – a
leadership both willing and able to direct the much needed social and political
checks and balances missing from so many of our societies.
Yet, in today’s world the purpose of education continues to be bitterly contested.
Steven Schwartz, Vice-Chancellor of Brunel University in the UK, has lamentedx that,
Universities and their representative bodies routinely trumpet their economic
impact. We have put so much emphasis on this aspect of our activities (he
decries) that the government now believes that universities exist mainly to bolster
the economy.xi
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Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
10. Catherine Ngugi, Key Note Address, OpenEd 2009, 12th August, 2009, UBC,
Vancouver, Canada.
Is the purpose of higher education purely economic?
Harlan Cleveland, founding dean of the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public
Affairs in Minneapolis and describedxii as an author, statesman and lifelong learner,
has yet another perspective. In his book, "Nobody in Charge: Essays on the Future of
Leadership" (2002, p.54), Cleveland argued the notion of education as revolution
– suggesting that
“The spread of education around the world has meant that change often starts
with students – especially those who take seriously the idea that the purpose of
education is to enable them to think for themselves.”xiii
That said, a reportxiv of the International Council for Open and Distance Education
strongly emphasises the growing importance of the global knowledge economy;
stating that
“...access to knowledge and learning is a universal right, one of the key rights of
the global community... increasingly regarded as the solution to individual and
collective social and economic problems: it has become a new global
religion...” (my emphasis)
Having offered this provocative salvo, the report, quite predictably, then warns that
“...this new solution may soon be embroiled in the inevitable discussions of the new
knowledge imperialism and the new marginalizations.”
[Slide 11 – Disagreement]
Within this global knowledge economy in which all of us here are arguably a part, the
playing field is no longer national, but global. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Linguistics Professor, Shigeru Miyagawa, has cautioned that by not addressing these
concerns, we may see a global information society that resembles “a map of the world
in the 16th century composed of those that colonise and those that are colonized.”xv
(Miyagawa 2005)
What then is the role – if any – of open educational resources either in bridging or
amplifying the chasm between those who benefit from this new knowledge economy
and those whose educational fate may have been signified by its arrival?
Is it to provide content which may or may not be fit for purpose?
Slide 12– Why do we exist?
10
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
11. Catherine Ngugi, Key Note Address, OpenEd 2009, 12th August, 2009, UBC,
Vancouver, Canada.
Or might the role of Open Educational Resources be that old adage about teaching a
man to fish?
Well, at OER Africa, we believe that...
Slide 13– Key Assumptions
OER provide a bridge to improving and enriching the landscape of higher education.
They present us with the potential to access affordable, high quality resources and
adapt them to specific needs and specific contexts.
As educators create and adapt OER, they have the opportunity to to re-examine the
ways in which they teach, to rethink they ways in which their students learn – to
consider and to re-consider the art or science of pedagogy.
As educators share their resources with others, they open the door to have others
share with them: collaborative development of educational materials results in a far
richer product than a single mind, however beautifully trained, might have created on
its own.
As students gain access to OER, whatever their format – paper or electronic – they
are empowered to study on their own, to seek out alternative ways of learning, to play
a part in how and what they learn.
At the same time, just because content exists or is accessible, does not mean that it is
relevant, or even that it is factually correct! Meaningful participation in this OER
movement demands of educators as of students, rigorous standards of discernment if
we are to sort the wheat from the chaff
Slide 14– Key Assumptions (con’td)
As institutions are faced with educators and students who are thinking about
education in a different way than in the past, they are obliged to review their policies
– policies pertaining to remuneration and promotion; policies pertaining to quality
and to licensing; policies pertaining to the frequency with which an institution should
review its curriculum offering, if it is to remain true to its mandate.
In engaging with the concept and the practice of OER, institutions then come to
realise that their potential to revolutionise teaching and learning, is worthy of
considerable attention.
This is [Show Slide 15– OER in Action] OER in Action
11
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
12. Catherine Ngugi, Key Note Address, OpenEd 2009, 12th August, 2009, UBC,
Vancouver, Canada.
Slide 16– Janister – TESSA in Naivasha as an anecdote: Who has time to
whinge?
Tell the story about Naivasha on the escarpment – a different sort of chasm
(opening photograph) and being invited to see OER in action at primary school level.
• Community funded school
• Exposure, via Egerton (an HEI) to TESSA materials
• Adaptation / localisation means no more rote learning
• How we (visitors) were taught – and out-classed by 10 year olds:
o Interactive learning
o Self expression
o Collaboration
o A new paradigm
• What we were taught
o Exposure to TESSA revolutionised how Janister taught
o In an environment of “no resources” she has created a resource centre
o Next door at Gachobo, another community funded school
[Slide 17 – Wind Sock / Boys on a mound]
• The students have built a weather station
• They taught us: -
o That if the sock points in a particular direction, the wind is coming
from the opposite direction
• interactive learning – “they learn by doing” – problem based learning – a new
pedagogy
I wanted to share with you this example of OER in Action in Africa even as Our
Mission at OER Africa is:
Slide 18 – Our Mission
To build networks of OER practitioners across higher education institutions in
Africa and join them with similar-minded academics across the world.
12
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
13. Catherine Ngugi, Key Note Address, OpenEd 2009, 12th August, 2009, UBC,
Vancouver, Canada.
Slide 19 – Health OER Network
Please listen to participants from one such collaborative network of like-minded
individuals and institutions, comprising OER Africa, the University of Michigan,
KNUST, UG, UCT & UWC, as they share their experiences of OER as a collaborative
venture, which supports diverse thinking, concepts, approaches and understandings.
Slide 20 – KNUST – click to play video
OER in Action – Medical practitioners love knives and boils – thanfully,
here they only talk about them – they don’t show them!
• Impact on staff – they were inspired!; they created; they were proud of their
work; they showed off that it had been “copied” by their students; they were
energised to do more;
• Impact on students – they had something to look at before and after class;
they came to class prepared to ask questions and not needing to elbow each
other aside for a better view of whatever blood and gore was at hand that day;
• Impact on institution – unexpected collaborations and harnessing of latent
institutional talent; College of Health Sciences + Faculty of Fine Arts learning
together about creative commons licensing!
Summary
Collaborative energy is a wonderful thing: in Naivasha, we saw how students and
their teacher harnessed the power of the wind to learn about direction and velocity;
and in Kumasi, we saw how dedicated, sober professors had their imagination
captured by a technology called Dream Weaver.
Clearly OER need not always be high-tech. And just as clearly all of this collaborative
OER energy needs to be sitting on a foundation:
• There is a need for sensitisation about what OER is and what it is not – and
for dispelling some myths – which may appear self-evident but are not always
so:
Slide 21 – Dispelling Some Myths
There is a need:
Slide 22 – OER Africa Activities
• To work systematically with partners to enhance institutional capacity in
higher education to design, develop, and deliver quality higher education
programs and materials;
13
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
14. Catherine Ngugi, Key Note Address, OpenEd 2009, 12th August, 2009, UBC,
Vancouver, Canada.
There is a need:
• To advocate the merits of collaboratively creating and sharing intellectual
capital in higher education as a mechanism to improve quality and enhance
long-term cost-effectiveness;
There is a need:
• To help higher education institutions establish policy frameworks that support
openness in the development, adaptation, and use of educational resources,
and convert this into sustainable business models;
In short, we at OER Africa see Open Educational Resources not as a panacea, but as
one possible incremental step to improving the quality of higher education in Africa –
a bridge to improving and enriching the landscape of higher education.
Some conclusions
Brian Lamb, David Wiley and their colleagues have invited us here to this year’s Open
Education Conference, to think together about “how to cross the chasm from early
adopter to early majority adoption.” We might quibble with the question – suggest
that it is a morass rather than a chasm or even that a movement can never transform
higher education – neither in North America nor in Africa.
Alternatively, we could think again about the potential power inherent within
commonality of purpose – the power of individuals linked by a common wish to truly
educate and to be truly educated. And if we choose to think in those terms, then we
will know that, when Janister stands before a classroom of bright-eyed, poorly shod
children, whose hands shoot up to answer questions that befuddled those of us who
came before them, and Janister has to choose not only whose waving hand will get to
answer the question but also whose answer will project above the noise of rain
hurtling against a tin sheet roof, in the shadow of a quarry where children learn – we
will know then, that open educational resources can indeed powerfully and positively
transform education.
When I think of how politely – yet distantly – Provost Peter Donkor of the College of
Health Sciences, KNUST –listened to me expound the possibilities of open
educational resources whilst he no doubt mentally tallied the cost of medical
equipment that he would wish his students had; the cost of medical texts that are
beyond the reach of faculty and students alike and the competing realities and
priorities of those who fund universities and those who determine their policies – and
then, just ten months later, listened to him talk of open educational resources as
though they were his own personal project – then I am forced to accept that open
educational resources, whilst not an end in and of themselves, have not only the
potential, but in the cases described here today, have offered proof that a sea change
is possible in education.
14
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
15. Catherine Ngugi, Key Note Address, OpenEd 2009, 12th August, 2009, UBC,
Vancouver, Canada.
In a previous life, I was a literature major and very taken by this verse from
Shakespeare’s Tempest:
Slide 23 – A Sea Change
Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes:
Nothing of him that doth fade
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange...
Nations need a thriving economy as much as they need responsible leadership.
Higher education should produce competent, self-reflective graduates whose diverse
talents will inform the quality of that leadership;
Higher education should produce doctors and nurses and technicians who improve
our health; engineers, architects and telecommunication experts who build, maintain
and improve upon our physical infrastructures;
Higher education should nurture artists, writers, musicians – whose talent and
passion improve the quality of our lives;
Higher Education Institutions should provide a place for people to meet others whom
they might never have met – and to learn the possibilities of mutual acceptance and
the value of diversity
There are many things that higher education should or could do. Perhaps OER can
catalyse a revolution – a sea change – able to yield in seemingly unpromising
circumstances, something rich and wonderful – not a thankless Sisyphean task, but
rather an endeavour in self-fulfilment – teachers and learners enthused by the
educational task at hand, however they may define it.
We hope you will join with us at OER Africa in changing the seascape of higher
education in Africa. Together we might truly form that juggernaut David spoke of.
Slide 24 – Thank You!
15
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17. i
http://ipoaa.com/african_independence.htm
ii
http://images.google.co.ke/imgres?
imgurl=http://pds5.egloos.com/pds/200706/28/15/d0015015_05063679.png&imgrefurl=http://theneosr.e
gloos.com/534114&usg=__bzByxn35e45RwuKMAE6H8jdPbQw=&h=690&w=752&sz=37&hl=en&start=5&
um=1&tbnid=yNWnOeNgRpPLHM:&tbnh=129&tbnw=141&prev=/images%3Fq%3DAfrica,
%2Bindependence%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26sa%3DX
%26um%3D1
iii
Ajayi J., Lameck G., & Ampah Johnson G. (1996) 'The African Experience with Higher Education'.
iv
http://www.jfklink.com/speeches/jfk/misc60/jfk010860_africangrant.html
v
Two depressing stories: (1) Ghana government no longer giving money to universities but instead giving
posts (i.e. they control who is employed and how many people can be) and (2) Uganda government refusing
to increase student fee schedule (last updated in 1999) and now trying to change the law to enable direct
appointment of VC without senate approval
vi
Synchronous learning: Learning where people are online at the same time and interaction occurs
without a time delay (real-time) and which requires them to attend at specific times.
vii
Asynchronous Learning: learning where people are not online at the same time and interaction may
occur with a time delay, allowing people to participate on their schedules. Examples are email, discussion
groups, and self-paced courses delivered via Internet or CD-ROM.
viii
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1997, purpose of education as quoted by J. M.
Espinoza, 1999, in [http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-060899-172321/unrestricted/BODY.pdf]
ix
See Ugandan scholar Mahmood Mamdani’s Scholars in the Market Place The Dilemmas of Neo-Liberal
Reform at Makerere University, 1989-2005, (CODESRIA, North American Distribution, 2007)for more
detailed analysis and case studies.
x
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=176727
xi
ibid
xii
[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/05/AR2008060503520.html]
xiii
http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=JH9FK9bQyUkC&pg=PA54&dq=Cleveland+Harlan,
+education+is+revolution&client=firefox-a#v=onepage&q=&f=false
xiv
Global Trends in Higher Education, Adult and Distance Learning. ICDE Environmental Scan,
[http://www.icde.org/] January 2009, p.3
xv
Miyagawa S. (2005) Presentation on MIT Opencourseware at the 16-17 May 2005 Tokyo Ubiquitous
Network Conference. Available from: http://www.onlinelearning.unu.edu/Resources/UNU-OL9.pdf.
[Accessed: November 11 2007].