COL-JBTE ProjectCapacity Building Workshop on Quality Assurance (QA)JBTE, Jamaica—Sept. 28-Oct.1, 2009

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UKOU started functioning in 1969: A new mode of education/training (ODE/L) comes into being; Its significant features—a) open entry, b) limited f2f transaction,

c) self-instructional study materials, d) multi-media inputs and e) extensive learner support services.

Immediate reaction: the socio-academic credibility of open distance education/learning (ODE/L) was questioned: Entry qualifications an issue, Pedagogic transactions another issue, (therefore) its educational standards were questioned.

2009: the developed societies have overcome these issues, but the developing societies continue to be in doubt.

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Traditional notion of educational standards: A mere notion, opinionated construct and a widely circulated

hearsay, None of them defined explicitly, nor even discussed publicly.

Admittedly though, well known criteria were in place to label institutions standard or substandard: Adequate infrastructure, Well qualified and experienced faculty, Established entry levels and fixed durations of study, Well defined course content and evaluation schemes, and Well defined teaching-learning transactions.

The convention continues (with modifications) in f2f systems: it is time honoured and does not broach any discussion.

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The 1970s: ODE/L as a new mode of educational transaction struggles to establish its credentials—additional/different criteria identified to reflect standards in it. Process of curriculum development, Process of course (study materials) preparation and

instructional design, Learning transaction (counselling, f2f tutorials, assignments,

multi-media inputs), and Suitability of the ODE/L for course delivery (issue of

science/technical subjects). Uneasy differences questioning its standards:

Lack of contact between teachers and learners, among peers, socialization and sharing of experiences;

Relaxed entry qualifications.04/24/23 4

The 1970s and 1980s—different experimental models used to assess relative advantages in the f2f mode against the ODL mode and vice versa, did not show any significant advantages in the one over the other. ODE/L mode gains confidence.

ODL professionals (beginning to get over the boggey of standards) identify distinct quality concerns patently specific to ODE/L: Systemic concerns: process based (curriculum, evaluation,

etc.) Philosophic concerns: value based (equity, access, relevance,

new learner, social and economic orientation, etc.) Pedagogic/andragogic concerns: transaction based (diverse

mixes of cognitive, psychomotor and affective elements as usual, but in different ways…….)

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Financial stringency: persistent demand for increasing return on public

investment; ODE/L becomes a favorite (unusual growth during the last

4 decades); Issue of quality comes into focus.

Educations as the engine of economic growth and a means for realizing one’s full potential: Education has to be cost-effective and cost-efficient; Education develops market orientation (requiring

sensitivity regarding competition, shrinking and expanding or new markets;

Issue of quality comes into focus. 04/24/23 6

Education as a birthright: More and more states obliged to provide equal educational

opportunities to ever increasing numbers—unusual expansion has thus been necessitated;

Issue of quality is in focus again. Rise of technology in and for education:

No one can avoid/escape its influence; ODE/L has experienced many incarnations in just 40 years:

self-instructional study materials, on-line courses, synchronous and asynchronous didactic communication, free course-ware, virtual institutions, multimedia delivery systems, degree mills, ……….

galloping sophistication in and falling prices of technology together with new techniques of marketing are driving education/training out of ivory towers to the road-side, homes and remote locations.

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Trans-modal education/delivery: Learning objects, educational/training assets, multimedia

possibilities, dynamic testing methods and learner management systems add new dimensions to educational dispensation.

Learners can switch modes (as per their needs) in a single academic year or over the duration of a training/educational programme.

Cross-border education: Market/commercial orientation is forced on educational

dispensation; Mode of education/training ceases to be a deciding factor in

judging standards; instead the plans, processes and products within a mode become the bases of quality assessment.

Significance of quality concerns regarding educational plans, processes and products reaches unprecedented heights.

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The notion of standards in education and the expression itself get replaced and conveyed by varied expressions like ‘value for the money spent on education’, ‘ultimate market value of education’, ‘value added to the individual’, etc.

And the cover term quality (of education/training) that came to be used more and more is certainly of market orientation.

It is no more a matter of hearsay, nor even purely academic in nature. Instead, it is partly academic and significantly socio-economic and technological in perception as well as practice.

The all important academic/professional base, however, continues to receive full attention.

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Content: The extent in terms of the volume of the content, The competencies prescribed and their depth, width, topicality

and relevance, The way the content is built.

Instruction and practice: F2f, self-study, assignments, audio-video components, tutorials,

on-line communication, peer interaction, practical and field-work……

Infrastructure: Physical resources: ICT units, institutional corners, work and

practice centres, etc. are new additions; Human resources: instructional designers, web masters, etc.

are new additions; Extended infrastructure through membership of or participation

in consortia also is a new dimension. 04/24/23 10

Ensuring quality on the basis of only these three academic factors is not considered tenable any more .

The professional view is that quality be measured in terms of the degree of fitness of a prescribed content and the related activities and transactions for a specific purpose.

It is required to be expressed in terms of the success achieved in meeting the aims (i.e. the direction sought) and the objectives (i.e. the magnitude to be reached) visualized for a particular programme.

And we notice that we have moved ahead from standards in training or education to quality of training/education.

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