I note that David has dropped my name into the conversation along with Nancy's. The point that Isswar raises is key. Small states are unable to achieve the economies of scale than large (and richer!) states. Accordingly, the cost of producing distance education materials in even a limited range of courses makes no sense. It is when small states co-operate and I guess that I am thinking of small island states, that costs can be shared when it starts to become economically feasible to develop materials which are appropriate to the local context. The Technical Teacher training programme that David refers to is one in which the island states in the Caribbean have agreed to co-operate and have worked together with COL to produce and now to deliver a distance education package which has been developed and adapted to meet local needs. The process has not yet worked through all of the issues but we are further down the track today than we were 2 years ago and we continue to move forward.
I am hoping that my colleagues from the Pacific are also reading this exchange where similar processes are being developed. We are working in the area of Technical and Vocational Education, co-operating in the development of Tourism learning materials and looking at Marine Technology.
On a slightly different tack, iIn Samoa, the Polytechnic has been working on a package that was developed jointly by the Island States, UNESCO and COL to produce a set of distance learning materials which were designed to be adapted. The framework and the learning model is established,in the materials, the contribution from the institution that adapts these materials is to breathe Samoan fire, or the Vanuatu spirit into them, to make them Samoan or Vanuatuan, and very relevant and recognisable by the local communities for whom they are designed.
This process reduces significantly the cost in-country and also acts as an action training tool for the staff who are involved in the local adaptation and delivery.
Copies of "Learning About Small Business" are available from COL (postage only for Commonwealth Countries) if you want to look at where we have gone with this model. for more insight into the Samoan experience, Dr Emma Kruse might wish to comment.
Thanks
John Bartram
TVET Specialist
COL
-----Original Message-----
From: David Rand [mailto:drand@utech.edu.jm]
Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2002 9:33 AM
To: small@hub.col.org
Subject: RE: [PCF2-SMALL] PCF2 Small ...
I think this is a point that bears repeating, that of collaboration among smaller states for general types of programs and courses which can then be specifically tailored to the multiple audiences involved. Again, I refer to the COL project on teaching training as one such example of fairly standardized materials developed and then modified by different individuals for the circumstances.
I believe that Dr. Nancy George has also noted this in one of her posts to this list serve, and John Bartram at COL would be a good source for those of you that wish to explore the possibility of utilizing these materials.
David Rand
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-small@hub.col.org [mailto:owner-small@hub.col.org]On Behalf Of I. Jheengut
Sent: Tuesday, May 07, 2002 3:59 AM
To: small@hub.col.org
Subject: [PCF2-SMALL] PCF2 Small ...
Hello everyone,
I am Isswar Jheengut, Senior Lecturer and Officer-in-Charge of the Division of Distance Education at the Mauritius College of the air, Mauritius.
I think the following need careful attention especially for small island states:
Effective and efficient provision of distance education programmes requires resources which are often underestimated. Resources required in terms of study materials, human resources and funds are quite limited. Moreover the target audience for a particular programme is often too small. It often becomes difficult for small island states to design/develop/deliver and manage relevant distance education programmes effectively and efficiently.
The above points raised calls for sharing of resources. In terms of study materials, these can be designed for a broader audience so that they can be utilised in various small island states as core study materials. They may be then supplemented to make it island specific by the respective small island states. Collaboration between different distance education providers becomes essential. Establishing a network of distance education providers will no doubt help the small island states. Another issue is Professional training of staff in the design/development of distance education programmes, management of distance educationn programmes and student support. The COL and ICDL do provide some guidance but this is not sufficient.
That's all for now. I would like to know more about effective and efficient provision of distance education in other small island states.
I.Jheengut
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