Designing Open and Distance Learning for Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: A toolkit for educators and planners

Everyone remembers a good teacher. Good teachers are the key to educational expansion and improvement. In many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is an urgent need to expand the number of primary and secondary teachers. In all African countries, there is an equally important need to improve the quality of teaching. To achieve this, it is clear that new approaches to teacher education are essential. Existing institutions of teacher education will continue to play an important role, but, alone, they will not meet the goals of Education for All (EFA) by 2015. It is fortunate that, just as the twin needs to improve the quantity and quality of teachers become imperative, so new forms of education and training are becoming available. The world is witnessing a revolution in information and communication technologies (ICTs), which can offer training and support of a type and at a cost hitherto impossible to consider, and thus, must be fully explored given the scale and urgency of demand. In doing so, however, it will be necessary to build on existing and well-tested strategies, including the best models of open and distance learning. This toolkit is the third in a series of recent publications by the Africa Region Human Development Department of the World Bank to share knowledge and experience on how distance education and ICTs can support education in Sub-Saharan Africa. It emphasizes the rigorous process by which new forms of distance-education programs for teacher education can be planned and implemented. The best models of established programs are considered along with the potential for incorporating, as the means become available, new modes of communication. Most forms of teacher education, particularly those concerned with qualification upgrading and ongoing professional development, will have to be based in schools. The authors demonstrate how school-based programs, appropriately resourced and supported, have the potential not only to raise significantly the number and quality of teachers, but also to improve classroom practice and school organization, generally. The guidance and advice, which is drawn from many years of experience in design and implementation, and embraces a range of case studies from across the region, will be of considerable value to those preparing new policies and programs of teacher education and to those seeking to improve existing programs

Open educational resources : conversations in cyberspace

172 p. : ill. ; 25 cm.Libro ElectrónicoEducation systems today face two major challenges: expanding the reach of education and improving its quality. Traditional solutions will not suffice, especially in the context of today's knowledge-intensive societies. The Open Educational Resources movement offers one solution for extending the reach of education and expanding learning opportunities. The goal of the movement is to equalize access to knowledge worldwide through openly and freely available online high-quality content. Over the course of two years, the international community came together in a series of online discussion forums to discuss the concept of Open Educational Resources and its potential. This publication makes the background papers and reports from those discussions available in print.--Publisher's description.A first forum : presenting the open educational resources (OER) movement. Open educational resources : an introductory note / Sally Johnstone -- Providing OER and related issues : an introductory note / Anne Margulies, ... [et al.] -- Using OER and related issues : in introductory note / Mohammed-Nabil Sabry, ... [et al.] -- Discussion highlights / Paul Albright -- Ongoing discussion. A research agenda for OER : discussion highlights / Kim Tucker and Peter Bateman -- A 'do-it-yourself' resource for OER : discussion highlights / Boris Vukovic -- Free and open source software (FOSS) and OER -- A second forum : discussing the OECD study of OER. Mapping procedures and users / Jan Hylén -- Why individuals and institutions share and use OER / Jan Hylén -- Discussion highlights / Alexa Joyce -- Priorities for action. Open educational resources : the way forward / Susan D'Antoni

Large-scale educational telecommunications systems for the US: An analysis of educational needs and technological opportunities

The needs to be served, the subsectors in which the system might be used, the technology employed, and the prospects for future utilization of an educational telecommunications delivery system are described and analyzed. Educational subsectors are analyzed with emphasis on the current status and trends within each subsector. Issues which affect future development, and prospects for future use of media, technology, and large-scale electronic delivery within each subsector are included. Information on technology utilization is presented. Educational telecommunications services are identified and grouped into categories: public television and radio, instructional television, computer aided instruction, computer resource sharing, and information resource sharing. Technology based services, their current utilization, and factors which affect future development are stressed. The role of communications satellites in providing these services is discussed. Efforts to analyze and estimate future utilization of large-scale educational telecommunications are summarized. Factors which affect future utilization are identified. Conclusions are presented

A Review of the Open Educational Resources (OER) Movement: Achievements, Challenges, and New Opportunities

Examines the state of the foundation's efforts to improve educational opportunities worldwide through universal access to and use of high-quality academic content

Diffusion of E-textbooks in K-12 Education: A Delphi Study

This basic interpretive qualitative study was conducted to discover why e-textbooks had not been adopted extensively in K-12 education as a replacement for printed textbooks. The objective was to determine the barriers and challenges being confronted by state educational technology directors when introducing this innovative technology in a formal learning environment that could greatly impact teaching, learning, and creative analysis. This research was based on diffusion of innovation theory using a Delphi method of inquiry. The Delphi panel consisted of 12 experts who had knowledge of digital text technologies and were the most influential when making purchasing decisions when introducing new technologies into a K-12 instructional setting. The Delphi questionnaire consisted of 2 initial rounds and the final consensus round (for a total of 3 rounds) that determined the panel\u27s reasoning for the late adoption of e-textbooks in K-12 classrooms. The results of this study clearly identified cost and equipment management in addition to the lack of supportable funding to sustain e-textbook technologies as the major reasons hindering their adoption. This study promotes positive social change by providing decision-makers an opportunity to reflect on the challenges impacting their adoption of e-textbooks in K-12 education so they can work towards a solution. This can be accomplished by appointing visionary leaders on the state and local levels who can develop a strategic plan to initiate the transition from printed materials to digital content that are relevant, flexible, and educational. Thus, new policies could be implemented that would provide funding flexibility to finance the acquisition of devices to support digital content and allocate funding that can help to sustain them

Diverging Perspectives: A School District\u27s Response to and Instructional Support Application

Diverging Perspectives: A School District’s Response To An Instructional Support Application Sarah L. Crose, Ph.D. University of Nebraska, 2009 Advisor: David Fowler The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study is to better understand how teachers and district leaders respond when implementing a technology instructional support application. The study also explores the influences affecting that implementation process. Secondary mathematics teachers who had been presented with the option to implement a web-based instructional software were interviewed to understand their perception of the implementation process. District leaders were interviewed to understand district philosophies and policies influencing technology decision making within the district. Findings of this study indicate that teachers are willing to invest time toward the implementation of a web based application if given adequate support along with an application that supports student learning by utilizing both mastery learning and reduction of cognitive load. The presence of a champion for the application and strong interest from the district offices impact how successfully teachers are able to implement an instructional application. This study suggests that teachers, district leaders, and the champion of the innovation being implemented have distinct perspectives and attitudes. Implications of this study point to the need for additional quantitative and qualitative research exploring how teachers choose to use technology and how that use affects student learning

Student Perceptions of an Effective Learning Environment Across the Dimensions of Synchronous, Asynchronous, and Face-to-Face Instruction

Prior to the implementation of computer technology in the classroom, the traditional classroom dynamic consisted of a chalkboard, a lectern, a teacher handout, and the occasional group assignments. However, as technology continues to evolve, so has the restructuring of the educational system (Woods & Baker, 2004). This evolution, which began as correspondence courses by mail, has resulted in a Web-based learning community characterized by its rich learner-centered environment where both student and instructor collaborate and engage in constructivist practices (Conrad & Donaldson, 2004). This study sought to expand the existing body of knowledge on distance learning and employed quantitative techniques (multiple linear regression, One-Way Manova, and Repeated-measures design) to investigate students\u27 perceptions of the quality of courses delivered through synchronous and asynchronous instruction and compared their perceptions to face-to-face instruction. A sample comprised of undergraduate and graduate students from five regional universities was used to complete the study. Results from the study showed no statistically significant relationship among student demographics and technological skills. The researcher did find a statistically significant difference between students\u27 rating of quality instruction when given a preference between synchronous online instruction with voice and asynchronous online instruction. Such findings reveal that when students are given a choice between synchronous online instruction with voice and asynchronous online instruction they tend to prefer an asynchronous online environment. Last, there were no statistically significant differences regarding students\u27 perceptions of quality instruction based on gender. These results suggest that university administrators should consider investing in computer instructional technologies regardless of student demographics. Other results from the study show that despite the many features of SOIV, seem to prefer an asynchronous online learning as compared to synchronous online learning regardless of gender. n

How to design for persistence and retention in MOOCs?

Design of educational interventions is typically carried out following a design cycle involving phases of investigation, conceptualization, prototyping, implementation, execution and evaluation. This cycle can be applied at different levels of granularity e.g. learning activity, module, course or programme. In this paper we consider an aspect of learner behavior that can be critical to the success of many MOOCs i.e. their persistence to study, and the related theme of learner retention. We reflect on the impact that consideration of these can have on design decisions at different stages in the design cycle with the aim of en-hancing MOOC design in relation to learner persistence and retention, with particular attention to the European context

DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ORIENTATION TO ONLINE LEARNING MINI COURSE WITH UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS WITH VARYING LEVELS OF ONLINE COURSE EXPERIENCE

This case study examined the implementation of an orientation to online learning mini-course that introduced the learning management system (LMS) and the support services available for online learning students involved in undergraduate and graduate coursework. The purpose of the mini-course was to address issues with online course attrition related to students\u27 technology preparation and skills described in the literature (Bozarth, Chapman, and LaMonica, 2004; Dupin-Bryant, 2004). The course design featured elements of Keller’s (1968) Personalized Systems of Instruction and Bloom’s Mastery Learning (Guskey, 1997), specifically, student demonstration of unit mastery, monitored by the instructor, and the use of correctives. Sixty-five (65) undergraduate and graduate students took the mini-course concurrently with required for-credit coursework. Using implementation science as a conceptual lens (Greenhalgh, Robert, McFarlane, Bate & Kyriakidou, 2004) the research focused on students\u27 interaction with the mini-course design features and documented the implementation process on multiple levels of a user system: system readiness, adoption/assimilation, end-user implementation and consequences. Demographic data, scores from technology skills surveys and an assistance needs questionnaire were analyzed along with data from student emails and course evaluations with open-ended questions. Perhaps the most unanticipated finding was the lack of system readiness to test and integrate a research-based orientation course that, given the attrition rates among students with varying levels of course experience, is needed to support students\u27 effective participation in online coursework. Serious issues regarding system readiness to implement the mini-course included a lack of support resources to incorporate the mini-course within existing coursework systems. Across several institutions, and with positive responses to the need for online course orientation, administrators were unable to clearly commit and schedule a course that would cost neither the student nor the institution and was customized to their institution’s LMS. Access was negotiated at the course/instructor level only. Readiness issues then affected motivations for the adoption and assimilation of the mini-course. At the system level of implementation, a more comprehensive strategy to obtain institutional buy-in to facilitate implementation is needed. At the end-user level of implementation, participants with varying levels of experience responded differently to the various skill options. Frustrations with a mastery approach was reported, in particular wait times for instructor response needed to proceed. And while many reported the course was not useful for them, but would be for new students, they clearly needed the skills related to software navigation, hardware and internet communication tools and competencies. Future design of the orientation course needs to include 1) multiple versions to accommodate students’ perceptions of their needs, 2) direct feedback on skill levels to promote acceptability and 3) more automated instructor response features. The limited number of freshman and students new to online coursework did not support conclusions about the utility of such a course to address attrition among those groups

Microcomputer utilization in elementary schools : a Henderson county case study

The purpose of this study was to report the results of a survey on computer programs conducted among the certified personnel in Henderson County elementary schools. Respondents registered the intensity of their attitudes to two groups of stimuli: factors which limit the current program, and factors which might be added or changed to improve the program in the future. The survey also gathered information about the teachers' certification levels, experience, and computer training. The results of the survey indicated that respondents to the survey are comparable to the entire staff in certification and experience, that they are comparable to statewide norms in the area of experience, and that they are slightly above state averages in terms of graduate degrees. Survey responses indicated that teachers' chief concern is for planning time. Other strong concerns are for a specifically trained staff member to assist in the computer area, for an expanded computer inventory, and for a greater supply of software