The Commonwealth of Learning - COL in the Pacific <http://www.col.org/regional/COLinPacific.htm>
Being largely comprised of small island states, the Commonwealth South Pacific faces challenges similar to those in the Caribbean and Mediterranean regions. Most countries possess limited resources to sustain a large education and training infrastructure.
In the Commonwealth South Pacific, the University of the South Pacific is the key provider of off-campus tertiary education and employs distance education methods to reach learners throughout the region. However, challenges remain in the use of distance and flexible learning to enhance people's capacity to increase economic production in all countries of the region and improve literacy levels in some. A further need to be met is to increase local capability in the application of information and communications technologies in developing and distributing training programmes. Many of the activities related to these may have to be done by encouraging and establishing partnerships among institutions of the region. The centrepiece of COL's activities in the Pacific is a new initiative in using open and distance learning to upgrade the skills required to strengthen local economies, complemented by a pilot project on credit recognition designed to enhance the mobility of workers amongst the island states.
The Commonwealth South Pacific also includes several of Australia's, New Zealand's and the United Kingdom's "associated states": Coral Sea Islands Territory and Norfolk Island (Australia); Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau (New Zealand); and Ducie & Oeno Islands, Henderson and Pitcairn (United Kingdom).
Recent COL Initiatives/Activities
1. COL AND THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC
Since its inception, COL has had a very close working relationship with the regional university, the University of the South Pacific, jointly launching several initiatives and consultations, as well as exporting expertise to other regions of the Commonwealth. COL was invited to participate in the review of USP in its provision of open and distance learning courses.
2. SKILLS TRAINING AND CREDIT TRANSFER
COL met with Ministers of Education from the Commonwealth Pacific in March 2000 to arrive at an action plan for improving skills training systems for the region, based on two complementary projects. One will improve skills training, in key areas of economic expansion, by developing learning materials for use throughout the region. The second will focus on developing policies and procedures to facilitate credit transfer across institutional, national and even regional boundaries. Particularly for those in small island states, acquiring a suite of accredited skills will become easier, thereby enabling them to contribute to the national economy and increase their employment prospects. The lessons learned are also expected to benefit other small states of the Commonwealth.
Senior officials have now formed a Regional Distance Education Coordinating Committee that met in Brisbane in August 2000 and again in Adelaide in March 2001. Work is underway to commence development of learning materials in key course areas of tourism, information technology and basic trade skills.
3. REGIONAL PROJECT MANAGER
In 2001, The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand seconded a staff member to provide support for COL activities in the region. The Regional Manager works primarily with the Skills Training programme but is involved with other activities as well.
4. TRAINING AND CONSULTATIVE WORKSHOPS
Training workshops and consultative meetings for distance education professionals have been conducted throughout the Pacific on topics ranging from instructional design through to educational broadcasting. One on gender barriers to information and communication technologies was held in April 2001, with funding support from New Zealand Official Development Assistance.
In October 2001, COL held the first of three Management Training Institutes for senior managers of technical and vocational education in the South Pacific. Support from New Zealand Official Development Assistance, provided for attendance by managers in Cook Islands, Tokelau and Niue.
COL has also co-sponsored other regional meetings and has provided funding assistance for several Pacific educators to attend important regional and international conferences.
5. COL INTERNSHIP/FELLOWSHIP PARTICIPANTS
COL internship/fellowship short-term professional attachments were awarded in 1998 to individuals in Kiribati and Solomon Islands. Radio Australia and Central Queensland University in Australia and The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand and The Correspondence School in New Zealand received COL fellows on attachment.
Educators from several Pacific countries participated in the first presentation of COL's Rajiv Gandhi Fellowship Scheme through which approximately 60 students from 15 developing Commonwealth countries received a Masters of Arts in Distance Education from India's Indira Gandhi National Open University. COL has invited selected countries in the Pacific region to take part in the second presentation of the Scheme.
6. TRAINING LABORATORY TECHNICIANS
A regional workshop to explore the feasibility of developing a certificate training programme, delivered by distance, for laboratory technicians was hosted by the University of the South Pacific and sponsored by COL and the Commonwealth Secretariat.
7. LEGISLATIVE DRAFTING
The COL/Commonwealth Secretariat distance education training programme for legislative drafters has been adopted by the University of the South Pacific, for use throughout the region, and also by the University of Papua New Guinea.
See: COL Clippings <../clippings/leg_draft.htm>
8. DISTANCE EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
COL has encouraged the establishment and supported the administration and communications programmes of regional and national associations for distance education professionals and has facilitated the formation of a pan-Commonwealth federation of these associations.
COL has facilitated meetings, sponsored newsletters (e.g., the Pacific Islands Regional Association for Distance Education) and assisted with the development of web sites (e.g. Papua New Guinea Association for Distance Education).
9. SMALL ISLAND STATES MEETING
Two Pacific regional representatives were sponsored by COL to attend a consultative meeting on education in small states that was convened by the Commonwealth Secretariat in Seychelles held in September 2000.
10. LOW-COST VIDEO, SAMOA
COL provided cameras and a low-cost desk-top video editing/production system to Samoa Polytechnic and trained staff in the production of educational videos. A similar model is being developed in Kiribati. The first course to be developed using this educational video technology will be "Seaweed Production" with a focus on people living in the outer islands.
11. SMALL BUSINESS COURSE, WITH UNESCO
In partnership with UNESCO, COL commissioned The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand to prepare an instructional package entitled "Learning about Small Business". Using a different model for the development of course material, the package is specifically designed to guide adaptation and the production of learning aids by local communities to meet their particular needs. It is currently being piloted in Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.
12. SCHOOLNETS
COL is initiating and co-ordinating efforts to establish electronic networking of schools throughout the Pacific region to support students, teachers and administrators in communications and provide access to training resources. The first phase has commenced with a study of the opportunities to develop electronic networking of schools, focussing on Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Nauru, Kiribati, Samoa, Tuvalu and Tonga. The study will be available during late 2001.
13. GLOBAL DISTANCE EDUCATION NETWORK
In partnership with the World Bank, as part of global network providing information on open and distance learning, COL is co-ordinating the development of an online database of reference material of particular relevance to the small states of the Pacific and the Caribbean.
14. VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY FOR SMALL STATES
At their last meeting in November 2000, Commonwealth Ministers of Education specifically requested COL to pursue the establishment of a virtual university to serve small states such as the many Commonwealth members in the Pacific. COL has commissioned a study to look into the purpose, design and economics of establishing a Commonwealth Virtual University. The findings of the study will be presented to Ministers of Education when they next meet in 2003.
15. WORKING WITH AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
Financial and programme co-ordination/partnerships with institutions and government agencies in Australia and New Zealand have been important components of COL project planning and activity in the region.
October 2001
For immediate release - 10 April 2002
A VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY FOR SMALL STATES
VANCOUVER -- Higher education experts from around the Commonwealth will meet at the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) headquarters in Vancouver, Canada, next week to explore the idea of setting up of a "Commonwealth virtual university" for small states.
A virtual university was one of the recommendations of the 14th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (14CCEM) in Halifax, Canada, in November 2000. The university would cater to states with less than 1.5 million people.
Small states and small island developing nations account for 32 of the 54 Commonwealth members and issues affecting them, such as threats associated with national disasters, weak economies and isolation, have been a concern for the association as a whole. Recognising the value of a co-ordinated programme offering and delivering a system designed specifically for small states, the Halifax Statement on Education in the Commonwealth, issued at 14CCEM, had requested COL to pursue the establishment of a virtual university.
Dr. Glen Farrell, a senior COL consultant who is supporting an international technical advisory committee that is studying the design and economic viability of the venture, has suggested that COL create a "virtual organisation" that relies on Commonwealth-wide partnerships and alliances rather than creating completely new structures. "We are thinking not in terms of a university in an institutional sense but in terms of functions that could be added to existing models. For example, the creation of content databases that could be shared, faculty development via virtual means, course material sharing and collaboration on programme and curriculum planning, and credit bank options," he said.
Dr. Farrell explained that a virtual institution "can be defined as a single entity that makes intensive use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) to carry out its functions, such as the development of material, the delivery and tuition of courses and the provision of student support services. But it can also be defined as a virtual organisation that consists of a consortium of institutions that work together using ICTs to facilitate their co-ordinated efforts in providing these services."
A survey of current practice has already been completed to assist the committee in its discussions next week. "Later, COL will seek contributions from a wider group of education administrators and government officials," Dr. Farrell stated, "and then COL will present its recommendations to Commonwealth Ministers of Education at their next meeting, scheduled for September 2003 in Edinburgh."
The meetings will be held from 16 - 19 April 2002 in Vancouver.
COL was founded in 1987 at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Vancouver to encourage the development and sharing of distance-education knowledge, resources and technologies.
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TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE COMMONWEALTH VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY FOR SMALL STATES:
CHAIR:
Professor Gajaraj Dhanarajan, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Commonwealth of Learning
MEMBERS:
Dr. Henry Alamango, Executive Director, Commonwealth Network of Information Technology for Development (COMNET-IT)
Professor Lawrence Carrington, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Distance Education and Non-Campus Territories, University of the West Indies - to be represented at April meeting by Professor Badri N. Koul, Director of Distance Education, Distance Education Centre (UWIDEC), University of the West Indies
Professor Rajesh Chandra, Deputy Vice Chancellor, The University of the South Pacific
Professor Donald Ekong, Vice Chancellor, University of The Gambia - unable to attend April meeting
Professor Michael Gibbons, Secretary General, Association of Commonwealth Universities
Professor Goolam T.G. Mohamedbhai, Vice Chancellor, University of Mauritius
Dr. David Souter, Executive Director, Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation - unable to attend April meeting
SECRETARY:
Dr. Glen Farrell, COL Senior Consultant and former President of the Open Learning Agency in British Columbia, Canada
Further information:
www.col.org
www.col.org/ccem00/statement.htm
www.col.org/about/whatis
www.col.org/newsrelease
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