Issues Paper – African Education Ministers Conference on Open Learning and Distance Education

Introduction

The African Education Ministers Conference is being held in Cape Town, South Africa, 1–4 February 2004, to consider the use of an open learning philosophy and distance education methods to enable African countries to meet the need for social and economic development. Education is seen as vital in addressing this need and for developing educated and skilled citizens who can compete in the growing global economy. Current education models and extent of delivery do not meet the demands being placed on African countries and, therefore, alternatives need to be explored.

This paper identifies five key issues that will be addressed during the conference. The paper is designed to offer an introduction to the issues and to pose questions to guide the debate and discussion during the conference.

Throughout, this paper notes the distinction between “open learning” and “distance education” and uses the term “distance education” with the understanding that “open learning” represents the philosophy upon which distance education is based.

1. Scope of open learning and distance education

The terms “open learning” and “distance education” are often used interchangeably. However, there is a distinction between the two. While open learning refers to a philosophy of educational practice, distance education refers to the methodology.

Open learning can be defined as an approach or philosophy which combines the principles of learner centredness, lifelong learning, flexibility of learning provision, removal of barriers to access learning, recognition of prior learning experience, provision of learner support, construction of learning programmes in the expectation that learners can succeed, and the maintenance of rigorous quality assurance over the design of learning materials and support systems. Open learning is applicable to all education practice.

Distance education is used to describe learning activities in which the characteristics listed above are important. In distance education, there is a separation of teacher and learner, and such learning usually involves the use of mixed-media courseware with different modalities for learner support. Distance education is unique as it encourages a more flexible learner-centric approach and provides opportunities for learning anywhere and anytime.

Other terms used in the field of distance education include “correspondence education,” “distance learning,” “distributed learning,” “external studies,” “flexible learning,” “blended learning” and “self-instruction.” With the increased use of information and communications technologies (ICTs), more terms have been added to capture a rapidly changing and increasingly diversified field: e.g., “technology-mediated learning,” “e-learning” and “technology-enhanced learning.” Definitions of these and other terms can be found in the Appendix.

Distance education has had greatest success in higher education, especially in universities. The multitude of open universities in the world (and indeed in Africa) illustrates the value of distance education to this sector of the education system. However, there is increasing evidence that an open learning approach and distance education methods can be used for supporting other sectors, namely technical and vocational education and training, teacher education, continuing professional development, adult education and lifelong learning. There are also useful models emerging to illustrate how distance education can be used effectively and efficiently to support the secondary education sector and adult basic literacy.

In considering the field of distance education, the following questions are to be considered:

• How is the correct use of the appropriate terminology relevant to a country’s human resource development strategy?

• Does the scope of distance education reflect different understandings with respect to the quality of provision?

• How does this understanding of distance education affect a country’s use of such methods?

• Is distance education a “second rate, second chance” option?

• Can distance education be made an integral part of the educational landscape of a country in order to diversify the provision of education and training?

• Can distance education facilitate the achievement of Education for All and the other Millennium Development Goals?

2. Players involved

In distance education, various players are involved in its different dimensions, with each having a particular role. Firstly, ministries of education have a central role to play, together with other ministries and commissions like planning and development, communications and finance. The success of the great open universities of the world demonstrates political will and ministerial commitment.

Other players are identified when the key question underpinning the development of a distance education and open learning system is asked: Who actually delivers the education and monitors the quality? In answering this question, other players are identified as national and/or regional institutions, the leadership and management of these institutions, faculty and staff, support staff, parents, learners, employers, professional associations and civil society organisations.

In considering the players involved in distance education, the following questions need to be addressed:

• What role should the national, regional and local governments play in developing a distance education policy/system?

• How does one enable the delivery of quality distance education by the different players, both public and private?

• What kind of regulatory mechanisms need to be put in place to ensure that the interests of the learners are protected and the national needs addressed?

• What mechanisms can be used to encourage the involvement of all players in the distance education system?

• What role should multilateral and bilateral organisations play in supporting distance education?

3. Policy environment

The delivery of quality distance education relies on many things. At the level of government and institutions, there are a number of key factors, of which a strong political will and appropriate resource allocation is vital. This political will and vision needs to be translated into an enabling policy environment and an implementation strategy to support a human resource development plan for the country. It is critical for this policy to take into account the increasing convergence between distance education and face-to-face learning that results from a growing use of and reliance on new ICTs.

In considering the policy environment for distance education, the following questions are to be noted:

• What policy processes are necessary to ensure that a distance education system is designed to support the achievement of the country’s human development goals?

• How can the policy process include the necessary advocacy, training and research required?

• What are the key elements of any good distance education policy?

• How can the use of ICT be integrated into distance education policy?

• What quality-assurance mechanisms need to be put in place to develop and monitor standards?

• What will be the processes of accreditation and recognition of qualifications of those who learn through the distance mode?

• What will be the policy in relation to funding/subsidising of the distance learner/institution?

• What regulations will be necessary to cope with the growing phenomenon of transnational education?

• What will be the role of governments/institutions in dealing with intellectual property rights?

4. Strategies for distance education and open learning

In shaping any distance education policy, strategies for its implementation are crucial to the realisation of the policy. Any implementation strategy requires careful planning, research, understanding of the risks and benefits associated with using different mixes of distance education methods, and understanding of the cost implications and having realistic time frames. Contrary to common belief, distance education is not cheap; it is, rather, resource intensive and requires initial investment in infrastructure and human capital.

In considering strategies for distance education and open learning, the following questions are to be taken up:

• How does one conduct an analysis of the risks and benefits of using different strategies for implementing distance education? What are the existing studies/reports/tools available and where?

• What is the realistic role of technology in any strategy?

• How are the following issues addressed: technology infrastructure; training; local content development capacities, including creation and use of learning objects; attention to local languages; cultural specificities and accessing open source materials?

• How does one ensure that the implementation becomes part of the national education system and that institutions are renewed and developed?

• How does one construct partnerships to encourage resource-sharing, achieving economies of scale and leveraging existing capacities within the country and region?

• Can any implementation strategy include private-public partnerships to encourage innovation, research, education and training?

• What type of leadership and management training is necessary?

5. Resource requirements for distance education

Not all countries in Africa have access to adequate resources (human, financial and infrastructural). Therefore, the success or failure of any distance education policy and implementation plan depends on an accurate assessment of the resources required and the innovative ways of getting access to such resources. In identifying the resource need and the ability to meet that need, it is imperative to address the long-term issue of sustainability. Any resourcing model for distance education needs to include both government resources and institutional revenue generation.

In considering resource requirements for distance education and open learning, the following questions need to be highlighted:

• What resources are required for the development of distance education systems and institutions?

• What revenue models can be used for sustainable provision (a user fee, government subsidy, private-public cost-sharing, income generation by institutions)?

• How does one create a cadre of skilled distance education managers, researchers, tutors, administrators, course and materials developers and support staff to sustain the distance education system?

• What is the role of bilateral and multilateral agencies and donors?

6. Concluding Remarks

1. Implementing a distance education system within a country may appear to be a daunting task, but is ultimately doable, as the success of open learning and distance education in the developing and developed world has demonstrated.

2. Distance education is no longer seen as a “marginal” delivery mode but is becoming integral to all educational provision.

3. The “moment” of the dedicated open university is increasingly giving way to a conversion of existing institutions into dual-mode and more flexible learning arrangements.

4. Distance education is often touted as a cheap option. Any quality education and training needs sufficient resource inputs.

5. Distance education is not a panacea for all ills besetting our educational systems. It has to be inducted after due planning and research and viewed in the overall context of educational development in a country.

6. Distance education is about the learner, which means that the learner must always remain at the centre of all our educational processes.

7. Collaboration and resource-sharing are useful strategies in dealing with paucity of resources, expertise and infrastructure.