Can the worldwide expansion of distance education help developing countries to realise their education goals? Could new information and communication technologies (ICTs) help attain the Education for All goals adopted at the Dakar education forum? How can public and private providers and donors work together to increase the quality and spread of distance learning?
A report from UNESCO’s Division of Higher Education reviews recent developments in open and distance learning. Highlighting initiatives in capacity building and international co-operation, it suggests policies and strategies to help developing countries make the best use of culturally-relevant and affordable distance learning technologies.
As the Internet has expanded and the cost of processing, storing and transmitting information continues to fall, teachers are beginning to change their views of distance education and its design, delivery and administration. The major drawback in earlier forms of distance education – the lack of opportunities for discussion between teachers and students and among students – is disappearing due to email and electronic conferencing.
However, there is little evidence so far about the cost structures of ICTs-delivered education such as enrollments, curriculum size, how long the courses are offered without change, course development costs, the level of student support and market practices.
In 1997, UNESCO established the Institute for Information Technologies in Education in Moscow, to provide policy advice, research new ICT applications in education, train educational personnel and monitor the use of information technologies in all aspects and levels of education, including open and distance education. Further UNESCO activities in open and distance learning include:
- helping Member States to initiate and develop open university schemes and other higher education programmes making use of distance education
- focusing on the special needs of people with disabilities, migrants, minorities and the forcibly displaced who cannot be reached by traditional education delivery systems
- supporting in-service teacher training and training of trainers by encouraging and assisting Member States to make wider use of open and distance learning techniques including new technologies such as CD-ROM, television and radio satellite broadcasting
- helping to build capacity in open and distance learning by generating public interest in its use, training personnel, improving student support systems and course production
- promoting ICTs-supported learning by co-operating with international and regional development banks, private and public sector partners and non-governmental organisations such as the International Council for Open and Distance Education.
UNESCO argues that because of lack of resources, demographic trends and the HIV/AIDS pandemic it may no longer be realistic to expect traditional educational structures to provide an adequate basis for knowledge development in poor countries. In efforts to meet the new and changing demands for education and training, open and distance learning should be seen as a complementary approach which, under certain circumstances, can be an appropriate substitute.
UNESCO calls on policy-makers to join its efforts to:
- generate public interest in distance learning and make decision-makers aware of its potential
- undertake cost studies which do not simply compare the costs of single mode distance-learning with that of conventional systems, but also take into account the broader qualitative and social benefits that distance learning can bring to marginalised people and to workers whose skills are upgraded
- balance open learning funding within general education expenditure – taking care to remedy any unjustified economic discrimination between distance learning and other students
- critically examine the common assumption that students in open and distance learning are working adults who can afford to pay a higher proportion of the costs than conventional students
- increase access to learning and training and provide increased opportunities for updating, retraining and personal enrichment.
Source(s):
‘Open and distance learning: trends, policy and strategy considerations’
edited by M. Moore and A. Tait, UNESCO, 2002 Full document.
Funded by:
UNESCO
id21 Research Highlight: 2 October, 2003
Further Information:
Mariana Patru
Programme Specialist in ICTs and DE
Division of Higher Education
UNESCO
7, place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP
France
Tel:
+33 1 45 68 08 07
Fax:
+33 1 45 68 56 26
Contact the contributor: m.patru@unesco.org
UNESCO
Michael M. Moore
409E Keller Building
Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802
USA
Tel:
+1 814 863 3501
Fax:
+1 814 865-5878
Contact the contributor: mgmoore@psu.edu
Alan Tait
Education and Language Studies
The Open University in the East of England
Cintra House
12 Hills Road
Cambridge CB1 3QL
UK
Tel:
+44 (0) 1223 364721
Contact the contributor: a.w.tait@open.ac.uk
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'Can virtual education travel South?'
See Insights Education #1 'Missing the connection? Using ICTs in education'
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Find out more about the UNESCO Information System for Information
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