African Congress for Distance African Congress for Distance Education July, 2008Education July, 2008

Lagos , NigeriaLagos , Nigeria

Three Routes to Inclusive Three Routes to Inclusive EducationEducation

Text

Terry Anderson, Ph.D.Terry Anderson, Ph.D.Canada Research Chair in Distance EducationCanada Research Chair in Distance Education

terrya@athabascau.ca

What is Inclusive What is Inclusive Education?Education?

Right and a Benefit:Right and a Benefit:• inherent right to education on inherent right to education on

basis of equality of opportunity.basis of equality of opportunity.• All students can learn and benefit All students can learn and benefit

from education.from education. Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inclusive_classroomWikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inclusive_classroom

What is Inclusive What is Inclusive Education?Education? Adaptative:Adaptative:

No student is excluded from, or No student is excluded from, or discriminated within education on discriminated within education on grounds of race, colour, sex, language, grounds of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, national, ethnic or social origin, disability, birth, poverty or other status. disability, birth, poverty or other status.

Schools adapt to the needs of the Schools adapt to the needs of the students, rather than students adapting students, rather than students adapting to the needs of the school.to the needs of the school.

Individual differences between Individual differences between students are a source of richness and students are a source of richness and diversity, and not a problem.diversity, and not a problem.

What is Inclusive What is Inclusive Education?Education?

Student Centered:Student Centered:• The student’s views are listened The student’s views are listened

to and taken seriously.to and taken seriously.• The diversity of needs and pace The diversity of needs and pace

of development of students are of development of students are addressed through a wide and addressed through a wide and flexible range of responses.flexible range of responses.

The old models of education have failed to meet these basic needs

Who are the Students?Who are the Students?

By the year 2020, 40% of the global workforce will By the year 2020, 40% of the global workforce will be knowledge workers, with a need for tertiary be knowledge workers, with a need for tertiary qualifications. qualifications.

to achieve sustainable economic development, the to achieve sustainable economic development, the Age Participation Rates (APR's) in Higher Education Age Participation Rates (APR's) in Higher Education (HE) must be in the region of 40 to 50%, as they (HE) must be in the region of 40 to 50%, as they are in many developed countries.” Angela Kanwar, are in many developed countries.” Angela Kanwar, Commonwealth of Learning 2007Commonwealth of Learning 2007

““In numerous countries in South In numerous countries in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa these participation rates languish these participation rates languish below 10 percent”.below 10 percent”. Daniel, Kanwar & Daniel, Kanwar & Uvalic-Trumbic 2006 Uvalic-Trumbic 2006

Right to Education 2008 - Special Issue five peer reviewed

Journals

Article 26 of the UN declaration states everyone has the right to education, and that …technical and professional education shall be made generally available.

Irrodl Special Issuewww.distanceandaccesstoeducation.org/

New Educational Models

The old model of providing expensive residential education for small elite numbers of the population has not worked in developed countries and is even less likely to work in developing countries.

1) We need to re-examine older community models of education

2) We need to insure that current models of open and distance education are operating most effectively and

3) We need new models, new ideas, new technologies and new visions to allow learners to actively participate in the creation of their own education and learning opportunities.

1. Community Based 1. Community Based Education SystemsEducation Systems

John Dewey (1915) pointed out engagement with John Dewey (1915) pointed out engagement with the geographic spaces as ‘place-based education’ the geographic spaces as ‘place-based education’ that we inhabit is critical for effective and engaged that we inhabit is critical for effective and engaged learning.learning.

"Experience [outside the school] has its "Experience [outside the school] has its geographical aspect, its artistic and its literary, its geographical aspect, its artistic and its literary, its scientific and its historical sides. All studies arise scientific and its historical sides. All studies arise from aspects of the one earth and the one life lived from aspects of the one earth and the one life lived upon it" (p. 91). upon it" (p. 91).

It is the meeting of the needs of all learners in a given community, in formal and non-formal settings, without sacrificing their uniqueness, that constitutes inclusive education.”(Tanzanian, Joseph Kisanji, 1998 P. 66)

What is community education?

process designed to enrich the lives of individuals and groups by engaging with people living within a geographical area, or sharing a common interest,

to develop voluntarily a range of learning, action and reflection opportunities, determined by their personal, social, economic and political needs. (CeVe Scotland 1990)

Kisanji (1998) “indigenous Kisanji (1998) “indigenous customary education” customary education”

takes learning away from individual content acquisition to takes learning away from individual content acquisition to social opportunity to validate, test, reinforce and challenge social opportunity to validate, test, reinforce and challenge each other. each other.

In the process social capital is gained by individuals and In the process social capital is gained by individuals and groups allowing them to define and create their own groups allowing them to define and create their own futures, rather than being controlled and constrained by futures, rather than being controlled and constrained by the often oppressive constraints of powerful elites and the often oppressive constraints of powerful elites and minorities.minorities.

Saw this in the activities of the ACDE virtual Saw this in the activities of the ACDE virtual conference proceeding this conferenceconference proceeding this conference

“The name they chose, Schools Uniting Neighborhoods, or SUN schools, reflects the belief that schools, working with their communities can do more than just teach math and reading, they transform neighborhoods.” Portland Oregon

Key Components of Community Education

Shared accountabilityHigh expectationsBuild on community strengthsEmbrace diversityStrong partnershipsAvoid Cookie Cutter solutions

www.communityschools.org

Nigeria 923,000 sq KmsPopulation 148,000,000

KNet First NationsE-Supported Communities

Delivery Model – Moodle Open Source LMSReal Time Web ConferencingA teacher at every community

Students must complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities.

Challenges:Bandwidth – installation of wireless in all

communitiesFunding – competes with residential school

modelTeacher innovation -We teach the way we were

taught

Slate Falls Ka Band Satellite Dish Install

“One project in particular demonstrated how ICTs could benefit the entire community. Shortly after Eabametoong

was connected, the school started a community-based GPS map making project that documented the traditional lands of the First Nation.” http://research.knet.ca/?q=node/218

First Nations Education in First Nations Education in Canada Canada

Despite being connected to the Internet since Despite being connected to the Internet since 1999, First Nations schools and communities 1999, First Nations schools and communities are in trouble!are in trouble!

A 2007 study of First Nations Schools across A 2007 study of First Nations Schools across Canada stressed the need to: Canada stressed the need to: encourage students to be aware of and feel encourage students to be aware of and feel

responsible for the lands their ancestors have responsible for the lands their ancestors have occupied and occupied and

better prepare and encourage the students better prepare and encourage the students for employment opportunities that exist for employment opportunities that exist within Indigenous territories and beyond.within Indigenous territories and beyond.

(O’Connor, 2007) (O’Connor, 2007)

Local ContextLocalized Issues, Opportunities,

Support, Elders

Challenges

Internationally Defined Standards of Accomplishments, PISA

Rather than attempting to shape stakeholders tothe needs of some internationally defined conception of progress .....explore ways in which schooling might take account of the aspirations of stakeholders in order that it might be meaningful to their lives and to their own development needs (Carney, 2003)

x

2. The Distance Education Solution

Distance education is about access - without access, there is no inclusive education - everyone is excluded!

“fully centralized, single-mode, national distance education provider, gaining greater economies of scale by offering courses to a mass market, thereby justifying a greater investment in more expensive course materials” (Simonson, et al, 2003, p. 49).

Athabasca University, Athabasca University, Alberta, CanadaAlberta, Canada

* Athabasca University

Fastest growing university in Canada

34,000 students

700 courses

Graduate and Undergraduate programs

Largest Master and Doctorate of Distance Education programs

Only USA Accredited University in Canada

Athabasca University

Costing/funding of Distance Costing/funding of Distance EducationEducation

““In 2005, Athabasca University received In 2005, Athabasca University received approximately $18 million, or about 34% of its total approximately $18 million, or about 34% of its total revenue, from provincial government operating revenue, from provincial government operating grants. The University of Lethbridge received grants. The University of Lethbridge received about 54% of its total revenue from government about 54% of its total revenue from government grants during the same period. (Annand 2005)grants during the same period. (Annand 2005)

Lethbridge 3% annual growth Athabasca 10-20%Lethbridge 3% annual growth Athabasca 10-20%

Yet both institutions have the same tuition costsYet both institutions have the same tuition costs

The Distance Education The Distance Education contribution to Inclusivenesscontribution to Inclusiveness

““Indonesia’s Universitas Terbuka, even though it Indonesia’s Universitas Terbuka, even though it had a very low graduation rate, had a total cost had a very low graduation rate, had a total cost per graduate that was one-third of the cost in per graduate that was one-third of the cost in conventional universities, while the cost per conventional universities, while the cost per graduate to the state was less than 30% of the graduate to the state was less than 30% of the cost elsewhere.” Daniel, 2003cost elsewhere.” Daniel, 2003

Enhancing and Creating Enhancing and Creating New DE ModelsNew DE Models

Western Governors University “It was the first US “It was the first US university to build its entire academic system university to build its entire academic system around a competency-based academic model that around a competency-based academic model that relies upon students demonstrating skills and relies upon students demonstrating skills and knowledge through rigorous assessments instead knowledge through rigorous assessments instead of class time and grades.”of class time and grades.”

WGU receives no state support yet is able to grow WGU receives no state support yet is able to grow dramatically with one of the lowest tuitions among dramatically with one of the lowest tuitions among online universities (approximately $5,800 per year online universities (approximately $5,800 per year for most undergraduate and graduate programs). (for most undergraduate and graduate programs). (June 4, 2008)

In Malawi, use of correspondence education with tutorial In Malawi, use of correspondence education with tutorial support through study centers was shown to operate at from support through study centers was shown to operate at from one quarter to one fifth the recurrent cost per student of one quarter to one fifth the recurrent cost per student of that in a regular secondary school (Curran and Murphy, that in a regular secondary school (Curran and Murphy, 1992).1992).

Africa pioneering world cost innovation in Interactive Radio:Africa pioneering world cost innovation in Interactive Radio:

There is consistent and significant evidence that IRI can increase learning across subject matter, age, gender, and rural or urban location. Students show progressively greater learning with time.

There is evidence that the benefits of IRI can be sustained over the long term and can be adapted for other countries. (World Bank, 2000)

“the developed world can learn from uses of radio in developing countries, and that the medium deserves greater attention as a means of giving educational opportunity to rural, isolated peoples worldwide”. (Berman, 2008 in IRRODL)

Costing is a Complex!

Community Schools + Community Schools + Distance EducationDistance Education

The system's strength is that despite having to work with less The system's strength is that despite having to work with less able students and being starved of resources, students do learn. able students and being starved of resources, students do learn. p. 21 Notes: p. 21 Notes: Meet daily in buildings equipped for education,Meet daily in buildings equipped for education, Study good quality printed materials,* Listen to instructional Study good quality printed materials,* Listen to instructional

radioradio Benefit from the guidance of trained peopleBenefit from the guidance of trained people Receive general supervision from a prestigious distance Receive general supervision from a prestigious distance

education institutioneducation institution Benefit from significant community involvement.Benefit from significant community involvement.

Curran &.Murphy 1992Curran &.Murphy 1992

Distance Education IssuesDistance Education Issues

Self paced versus cohorts Self paced versus cohorts ““A likely consequence of the increased emphasis on digitized A likely consequence of the increased emphasis on digitized

media will be to increase learner demand for autonomy, media will be to increase learner demand for autonomy, particularly self-pacing” Annand, 2007particularly self-pacing” Annand, 2007

Need to develop “optional but compelling cooperative activities Need to develop “optional but compelling cooperative activities within self paced programming” Anderson, Annand and Wark, within self paced programming” Anderson, Annand and Wark, 2004)2004)

Mediated versus printMediated versus print Putting books onto screens is not an effective instructional Putting books onto screens is not an effective instructional

designdesign

Innovation and change in times of rapid growthInnovation and change in times of rapid growth

From Industrial to Information Production

Models Industrial Models:

Distance education - higher fixed costs (largely course production expenditures)

Campus based - lower fixed costs, but higher variable costs (teacher salary, classrooms etc)

Information Models Distance Education: OERs collaborative development, learners

as producers, supplying global niche markets, learners supporting themselves.

Campus based: “blended learning”, increased IT costs, increased transportation costs.

3. Opportunities for Inclusion in 3. Opportunities for Inclusion in a Net centric Worlda Net centric World

35

Wayne Gretzky - The Great One!

"Some people skate to the puck. I skate to where the puck is going to be.“

61 NHL records 35

36

Distance Education:InstructivistLearner CenteredTextBroadcastStructured Educ Resources

Self Directed

TraditionalEducation:

ConversationalistTeacher CenteredLecturesEliteTeacher developed ResourcesGroup Based

Communities

Life LongLEARNING NETWORKS

Trades

Professions

ProdUsers

ChurchesIndustry

Vision of Tomorrow’s Distance Education

From Mass Education to Mass Customization Infinite amount of quality contentExtensive customization by both learner and

teacherCreating individual and community paths through

contentAdding context to create new contentCreating lifelong records of learning

accomplishments - e-portfolioLow cost

““see a cultural bent in OER. Africa in particular see a cultural bent in OER. Africa in particular believes in sharing, we see ourselves as our believes in sharing, we see ourselves as our brothers' keepers and are thus prepared to share, brothers' keepers and are thus prepared to share, co-own and joint-produce.”co-own and joint-produce.”

Professor Babatunde Ipaye National Open Professor Babatunde Ipaye National Open University of Nigeria, ACDE pre-conference University of Nigeria, ACDE pre-conference group ,2008group ,2008

A Tale of 3 booksA Tale of 3 books

32

Open Access

90,000 downloads

4 years after pub. - 6,000/month

350 hardcopies sold @ $50.00

Creative Commons License

Free at www.aupress.ca

Commercial publisher

934 copies sold at $52.00

Buy at Amazon!!

E-Learning for the 21st CenturyCommercial Pub.1200 sold @ $135.002,000 copies in Arabic Translation @ $8.

Africa Average 5.3% - World Average 21.1%Increase of 1,030% since 2001Nigeria increase 0f 4,900% since 2,001

EASSy

Internet Users in Nigeria

Open Educational Open Educational Resources:Resources:

Vision + AffordanceVision + Affordance““At the heart of the open At the heart of the open

educational resources movement is educational resources movement is the simple and powerful idea:the simple and powerful idea: the world’s knowledge is a public the world’s knowledge is a public

good in generalgood in general the World Wide Web in particular the World Wide Web in particular

provides an extraordinary provides an extraordinary opportunity for everyone to share, opportunity for everyone to share, use and reuse that knowledge.”use and reuse that knowledge.” Hewlett Foundation Smith, & Casserly. The promise of open educational Hewlett Foundation Smith, & Casserly. The promise of open educational

resources. Change 38(5): 8–17, 2006resources. Change 38(5): 8–17, 2006

““Seventy-five percent of all phones in the least-Seventy-five percent of all phones in the least-developed African nations are cellphones -- and developed African nations are cellphones -- and usage in many places is increasing by 30 or 40 usage in many places is increasing by 30 or 40 percent per year.” New York Times Jan 13 2008percent per year.” New York Times Jan 13 2008

Ushahidi.comUshahidi.com

“Ushahidi.com is a tool for people who witness acts of violence in Kenya in these post-election times

Being an Intelligent Community, is not a matter of Being an Intelligent Community, is not a matter of technology, rather it is a matter of creating a technology, rather it is a matter of creating a culture of use for that technology.”culture of use for that technology.”

Idris, N. 2006

Intelligent Community Intelligent Community Indicators Indicators

Intelligent Community Forum (2007) uses five Intelligent Community Forum (2007) uses five Intelligent Community Indicators as a Intelligent Community Indicators as a conceptual framework for understanding the conceptual framework for understanding the factors that determine how competitive a factors that determine how competitive a community will be in the Digital Age:community will be in the Digital Age:Broadband InfrastructureBroadband InfrastructureKnowledge WorkforceKnowledge Workforce InnovationInnovationDigital DemocracyDigital DemocracyMarketingMarketing

http://www.intelligentcommunity.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=4

A New Type of Economic A New Type of Economic ProductionProduction

““produce use-value through the free produce use-value through the free cooperation of producers who have access to cooperation of producers who have access to distributed capitaldistributed capital

a 'third mode of production' different from for-a 'third mode of production' different from for-profit or public production by state-owned profit or public production by state-owned enterprises. enterprises.

Its product is not exchange value for a market, Its product is not exchange value for a market, but use-value for a community of users. but use-value for a community of users. Michael Michael Bauwens, 2005Bauwens, 2005

www.ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=499

“The use of a learning resource, through adaptation and repurposing,becomes the production of another resource. Though there is a steady stream of new resources input into the network by volunteers, this represents, not the result of an OER sustainability project, but the beginning of it.”Stephen Downes (2006)

Prod-Users - From production Prod-Users - From production to produsage - to produsage - Axel Bruns 2008Axel Bruns 2008

Users become active participants in the Users become active participants in the production of artifacts:production of artifacts:

Examples:Examples: Open source movementOpen source movement WikipediaWikipedia Citizen journalism (blogs)Citizen journalism (blogs) Immersive worldsImmersive worlds Distributed creativity - music, video, FlickrDistributed creativity - music, video, Flickr

Produsage PrinciplesProdusage Principlesprodusage.orgprodusage.org

Community-Based –Community-Based –the community as a whole can contribute more than a closed the community as a whole can contribute more than a closed

team of producers.team of producers.

Fluid Heterarcy -Fluid Heterarcy - produsers participate as is appropriate to their personal produsers participate as is appropriate to their personal

skills, interests, and knowledge, and may form loose sub-skills, interests, and knowledge, and may form loose sub-groups to focus on specific issues, topics, or problemsgroups to focus on specific issues, topics, or problems

Unfinished Artifacts –Unfinished Artifacts –projects are continually under development, and therefore projects are continually under development, and therefore

always unfinished; their development follows evolutionary, always unfinished; their development follows evolutionary, iterative, palimpsestic paths.iterative, palimpsestic paths.

Common Property, Individual Rewards –Common Property, Individual Rewards – contributors permit (non-commercial) community use, contributors permit (non-commercial) community use,

adaptation, and further development of their intellectual adaptation, and further development of their intellectual property, and are rewarded by the status capital they gain property, and are rewarded by the status capital they gain through this processthrough this process

OERs as Disruptive Technologies

Christensen (1997,2008) studies innovation and the impact of disruptions

A disruptive technology “transforms a market whose services are complicated and expensive into one where simplicity, convenience, accessibility and affordability characterize that industry” p. 11

Unless steered by very wise leaders organizations will “shape every innovation into a sustaining innovation - one that fits processes, values, and the economic model of the organization - because organizations cannot naturally disrupt themselves” p. 74

OER production as an end in itself

“peer production offers a new platform for human connection, bringing together otherwise unconnected individuals and replacing common background or geographic proximity with a sense of well developed purpose ... as the condensation point for human connection.” Yochai Benkler, 2006 p. 375

Can creating OER’s be that common purpose and serve as a technique and catalyst for empowering Distance Educators globally?

In production, we change from a consumer mind set.

Will Educators and Learners Will Educators and Learners Produse?Produse?

How to integrate OER with formal, credentialed How to integrate OER with formal, credentialed learning?learning?

Is recognition by peers enough reward for Is recognition by peers enough reward for educators?educators?

Will students use OERs with/without Will students use OERs with/without accreditation?accreditation?

How do build effective produser communitiesHow do build effective produser communities

(see Keats (2003)(see Keats (2003)Collaborative development of open content: A process model to unlock the potential for African http://http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue8_2/keats/www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue8_2/keats/

OER Communities of OER Communities of PracticePractice

www.oerafrica.org/

peoples-uni.org

www.africaodl.org/

Don't Underestimate the good will Don't Underestimate the good will of produser communitiesof produser communities

Communities need to share to growCommunities need to share to grow

Exploite the power of networks to make that Exploite the power of networks to make that sharing possible:sharing possible: Access to research (314 Open Source journals published in Access to research (314 Open Source journals published in

Africa)Africa) Collaborative learning partnershipsCollaborative learning partnerships Advice and counselAdvice and counsel

Free loaders welcomed! The more use the better Free loaders welcomed! The more use the better the product!the product!

You and Your Institution as You and Your Institution as Catalysts for ChangeCatalysts for Change

Use Net tools for institutional functionsUse Net tools for institutional functions

develops critical staff competenciesdevelops critical staff competencies

allow staff to experience new forms of learning and produser allow staff to experience new forms of learning and produser communitiescommunities

Creates new platforms for collaboration and productionCreates new platforms for collaboration and production

empower staff with new sense of ownership and creative empower staff with new sense of ownership and creative capacitycapacity

Create new source of credibility and leadershipCreate new source of credibility and leadership

Develop a culture of innovationDevelop a culture of innovation

Is fun!!Is fun!!

Susbcribe, Contribute!

Community

Distance Education

Networks

INCLUSIVE EDUCATIO

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INCLUSIVE EDUCATIO

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Conclusion

“"He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever."

-  Chinese Proverb

Terry Anderson terrya@athabascau.ca

Blog: terrya.edubogs.org

Your comments and questions most welcomed!