Thomas H

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ODL for VETDistance Education and Vocational
Training

• Thomas Hülsmann
• Center for Distance Education (ZEF),
• Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Germany
• Workshop on "Innovative Approaches in the Field
  of Vocational Education an Training with
  particular focus on the East and Southeast Asian
  Region"25 - 27 November 2003, Hanoi University
  of Technology
• thomas.huelsmann_at_uni-oldenburg.de

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Aims of the workshop include
Introduction

• Explore synergies of network systems in higher
  education (VET)
• Identify potential benefits of such networks for
  non-academic VET

Aims of the this presentation

• Define distance education? How does it works and
  and for which purposes has it been used?
• What could be the role of distance education in
  such network systems?
• How can distance education be used in vocational
  education and training (VET) ?

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Structure of presentation
Introduction

• Introduction
• Explaining distance education
• The cost-effectiveness of distance education
• Audiences and organizational models
• The impact of ICT on distance education
• Application and inferences
• Synergy from strategic alliances through DE in
  higher education
• Supporting vocational training and outreach
  activities trough DE
• Conclusion

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Definition of Distance Education
Explaining distance education The
cost-effectiveness of distanceeducation
Definition

• the quasi-permanent separation of teacher and
  learner throughout the length of the learning
  process
• the use of technical media - print, audio, video
  or computer - to unite teacher and learner and
  carry the content of the course
• the influence of an educational organization both
  in the planning and preparation of learning
  materials and in the provision of student support
  services
• the provision of two-way communication so that
  the student may benefit from or even initiate
  dialogue.
• (based on Keegan, D. (1990). Foundations of
  Distance Education, Routledge)

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Distance Education is the most industrialized
mode of Teaching and Learning (Peters, 1967)
Explaining distance education The
cost-effectiveness of distanceeducation
Definition

• Keywords include
• Rationalization and division of labour
• Mass production through mechanization and
  automation.
• Systematic planning and organization
• Formalization and product standardization.

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Distance education as a system
Explaining distance education The
cost-effectiveness of distanceeducation System
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Economies of scale total costs
Explaining distance education The
cost-effectiveness of distanceeducation
Cost-efficiency
TCDE(N) FDE VDE x N
FDE
TC(N) F V x N
F
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Economies of scale Average costs
Explaining distance education The
cost-effectiveness of distanceeducation
Cost-efficiency
V
VDE
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Perratons Cost-Effectiveness Cube
Explaining distance education The
cost-effectiveness of distanceeducation
Cost-efficiency

• The formula TC F VN
• Relate it to the cube
• Media sophistication increases F
• Student-teacher interactivity contributes to V
• Number of student is N

Perraton, H. (1987). The roles of theory and
generalisation in the practice of distance
education. Hagen Zentrales Institut für
Fernstudien.
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Daniels Triangles
Explaining distance education The
cost-effectiveness of distanceeducation
Strengths and weaknesses

• Ideally, Distance Education could be regarded as
  a major strategy to
• expanding access
• raising quality
• while lowering costs
• These expectations depend to a large extent on
  the use of mass media (one-way traffic media).
  The weakness of this Fordist model of distance
  education is
• lack of teacher learner (and peer) interactivity
• lack of scope in course offerings

Daniel J. (2001, January). Technology and
education Adventures in the eternal triangle.
Paper presented at the LearnTec, Karlsruhe.
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Audiences and Organizational Models
Explaining distance educationAudiences and
organizational models

• Distance Education is used in all fields of
  education
• Non-formal and basic education and training
• Formal education such as
• providing alternative routes to school education
• supporting the teacher training
• offering alternative ways to higher education

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Non-formal and basic and continuing education
Explaining distance educationAudiences and
organizational models Non-formal DE
ACPO Accion Cultural Popular (Colombia) Radio
schools operating between 1947 to 1987. The
pedagogical model was "Listen, discuss, act".
FEPRA The Functional Education Project for Rural
Areas (Pakistan) An outreach project of the
Allama Iqbal Open University offering functional
courses for adults.
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Alternative Routes to Formal Education
Explaining distance educationAudiences and
organizational models Alternative routes to
school education
http//www.techknowlogia.org/TKL_Articles/PDF/255.
pdf

• Interactive Radio Instruction IRI (LA,
  Africa)Using Radio to teach allows to provide
  quality instruction with less qualified teachers,
  whose role is facilitation rather than
  instruction.

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Alternative Routes to Formal Education
Explaining distance educationAudiences and
organizational models Alternative routes to
school education
Telesecundaria (Mexico)Uses Television to reduce
the number of specialized subject teachers
allows to run cost-effective schools in rural
areas and reduces urban migration (963000
students in 16000 schools). The model has been
replicated in other LA countries (e.g. Costa
Rica).
http//www.escuelafemeninademontefalco.edu.mx/foto
snuevas/telesecundaria.JPGThe pedagogical model
works similar to IRI. Subject matter presentation
is left to the TV teacher while the classroom
teacher takes the role of a facilitator and
monitor.
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Alternative Routes to Formal Education
Explaining distance educationAudiences and
organizational models Alternative routes to
school education
Open Schools (India) Safety net for school
dropouts and those who missed out and are over
the age of the respective level of schooling
classical example of DE. It is, with about
160000 students (in the
year 2000), the largest open schooling system in
the World. Study material is written in Hindi,
English, or the respective local language.
Ambasht, N. K. (No date). Open schooling in
India A challenge to technologies for learning
and training. COL.
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Teacher training
Explaining distance educationAudiences and
organizational models Teacher training at a
distance
PERFORMAÇAO (Brazil)is a distance teacher
capacity building course aimed at providing
training to 27,372 non-certified teachers
already teaching the first four years of primary
education. The program uses print, video and
bi-weekly workshops.
Reseau Africain pour la Formacion à Distance
(RESAFAD or African Network for Education at a
Distance) Burkina Faso has developed a course
for the in-service professional development of
headteachers. For course development ICT was used
but print, coupled with face-to-face meetings of
headteachers, were used for delivery. Over four
years it reached about a quarter of Burkina
Fasos headteachers.
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Explaining distance educationAudiences and
organizational models Higher education
Distance education in HE
The University of South Africa (UNISA) is the
oldest distance teaching university of the world.
As a university it was established in 1873 and
beccame a pioneer of distance education at
tertiary level in 1946. With ist 130000 students
it is among the world's 10 mega universities.
The British Open University was founded 1969 and
opened up a new area od distance education away
from the image of the correspondence schools into
the multimedia generation of distance education.
In close cooperation with the BBC the OU created
attractive study programes which helped to move
distance education into the academic mainstream.
Courses include management, computing, education
or health and social welfare. The university has
200000 student enrolled 75 of them are in paid
employment.
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
was established in 1985 to democratise higher
education. The university has about 1000,000
students. 48 Regional Centres 1156 Study
Centres, all over India. State-of-the-art
telecommunication systems have further helped in
reaching out to the hitherto unreached sections
of the society.
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Distance education in HE
Explaining distance educationAudiences and
organizational models Higher education

• The African Virtual University (AVU) was
  established in 1997 and entered phase 3 (2003
  2007) of ist development program, including
• expanding ist reach by establishing 150
  learning centres in 50 African countries
• establishing AVUs own communications
  infrastructure i.e. a hub, studio and VSAT at its
  headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya
• offering four-year degree programs in Computer
  Science and Business studies, both in French and
  English
• http//www.avu.org

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Higher Education
Explaining distance educationAudiences and
organizational models Higher education
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Can we teach successfully with media?
Explaining distance educationEducational media
and technologies Media effectiveness

• Media Equivalence Hypothesis"Communication
  media do not differ in their educational
  effectiveness." (Perraton, 1987)
• Media CapabilitiesEssential modes of learning
  are
• Attending (reading, viewing, listening)
• Practising (making experiments conducting
  tasks)
• Discussing (with teacher or/and peers)
• Articulating (writing tests,essays, assignments)
• Media support those modes of learning in a
  different manner
• Perraton, H. (1987). The roles of theory and
  generalisation in the practice of distance
  education. Hagen Zentrales Institut für
  Fernstudien.

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Media and educational technologies used in DE
Explaining distance educationEducational media
and technologies Types of media
Print Audiomedia Radio has long been one of the
most important forms of audio technology. Radio
can reach people in remote areas. Audio cassettes
are more flexible. Audiographics combine audio
media with posters and flip charts. Audiomedia
are low cost and applicaple in situations wher
learners have a low level of literacy.Telephone
has been used occasionally to offer student
support, but telephone support tends to be
individualistic and expensive. You may combine
more listeners by establishing a telebridge.
Audioconferencing uses the telephone as the basis
for communicating with learning. This is usually
used in conjunction with self-paced materials.
Video media Television is a powerful medium.
Unlike radio, television programmes permit the
richness of full symbolic representation.
However, television is more expensive to
produce. Videocassettes are a powerful resource.
They do use television, but not the air time.
Like audio cassettes, they can be used by
students at their convenience, either at home or
at the study centres individually or in groups.
Videoconferencing allows learners to attend a
convenient and suitably equipped location and
participate in a class at another location. This
reduces the time and resources that the learner
may need to commit in travelling to classes.
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The Impact of ICT on Distance Education
Explaining distance educationEducational media
and technologies Impact of ICT

• ICT stands for the convergence Information and
  Communication Technologies. The impact of ICT on
  DE opens two different lines of development
• Type-i systems (possibly stand alone computer)
  offer Computer-Based Learning (CBL) involving
  textual, audio, and video course materials in
  electronic format (e.g. CD-ROM). No student
  support is involved. Main cost driver fixed
  costs of course development. Cost structure
  compatible with scale economies.
• Type-c online systems offer Computer Mediated
  Communications (CMC Virtual Seminars) supporting
  tutor-student and student-student interaction.
  This support may be offered in synchronous mode
  (Type-c1) or asynchronous mode (Type-c2).Main
  cost driver teaching costs. No scale economies.
  Possible economies of scope.
• Rumble, G. (2001, 1 - 5 April). The costs of
  providing online student support services. Paper
  presented at the 20th World Conference of the
  International Council for Open and Distance
  education, Düsseldorf, Germany.

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Computer-based teaching and learning
Explaining distance educationEducational media
and technologies Computer-based technologies
Computers can be used in two ways stand alone,
without link to the Internet. CD-ROMs can be part
of self-paced learning packages sent to the
learner by post. They may included CBTs which
facilitate learner-content interactivity.
Online delivery provides computer-based learning
materials via the Internet. As Computer
conferencing (CMC), this technology also allows
the learner to interact with other students and
staff through the use of e-mail and computer chat
sessions and asynchronous computer conferencing.
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Kothmale Internet Radio
Explaining distance educationEducational media
and technologies Shared access
An innovative approach to share access is
Kothmale Internet Radio in Sri Lanka. The radio
station includes a telecenter which allows access
to the internet. Requests for web searches can be
posted or handed in and will be broadcasted by
the station.
In SA telecenters are often 'Multipurpose
Community Telecenters (MCTC). They can be used as
learner centers in DE.
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Comparative cost per student learning hour
Explaining distance educationEducational media
and technologies Costs of media
Medium Cost in 1998 US Ratio to print costs
Print 825 1
Radio 24,750 to 44,550 x 50
Television 148,500 to 206,250 x 150 to x 180
Audio 280,050 x 36
Video 29,700 to 138,600 x 36 to x 170
CD-ROM 33000 x 40
The table shows the different orders of magnitude
of fixed costs of development per student
learning hour (SLH).
Based on Hülsmann, T. (2000). The costs of open
learning a handbook (Vol. 2). Oldenburg bis.
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Distance education as a system
Explaining distance education The
cost-effectiveness of distanceeducation System
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ICAR and NOS
Application and inferencesVET by DE
The Indian Council of Agricultural research
(ICAR) disposes of 281 agricultural learning
centers, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK). ICAR
commissioned the development and delivery of
courses from National Open Schools (NOS).
Hands-on training is 'workplace-based' at the KVK
centers. - Courses include plant protection,
water management, etc. Calder, J. (2002). The
key players. In A. K. Mishra, Bartram, J. (Ed.),
Skills development through distance education
Vancouver COL, pp. 9-20
Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) and Scitech
Educational
OUSL bought in material from Scitech Educational
to upgrade skills of lab technicians at
universities and secondary schools. The needs
specification was done by the University Grants
Committee and funding came from COL. OUSL takes
on the delivery/tutoring of the course taking
material developed by Scitech Educational.
Hands-on skills are conducted either institution
or workplace-based. Calder in A. K. Mishra,
Bartram, J. (Ed.), Skills development through
distance education Vancouver COL. 2002, p.17
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DAE and BOU
Application and inferencesVET by DE
The Department of Agricultureal Extension (DAE)
is a government service which set up in
cooperation with the Bangladesh Open University
(BOU) a program for women farmers in Bangladesh.
The curriculum was developed in a particpatory
manner. BOU developed a trainer handbook for the
DEA extension workers and study material for
conductiong the teaching sessions. The
implementation included the identification and
training of female leaders being in charge of 20
women in a given community. They held sessions
twice a week in the mid-afternoon.The material
included instructional modules, posters, flip
charts as well as instructional video. Funding
came also from the Grameen Bank. Dunbar in
A. K. Mishra, Bartram, J. (Ed.), Skills
development through distance education Vancouver
COL. 2002, p. 33Hampton Bartram, ibid. p. 67
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IGNOU
Application and inferencesVET by DE
The governemnt decided to upgrade skills in an
important industrial sector, the leather industry
(1.4 million workers). IGNOU developed courses,
skills training was workplace-based and
assessment comptency based. Material included
print and audio tape apart from the
demonstratio-based training at the workers
tannery. Dunbar in A. K. Mishra, Bartram, J.
(Ed.), Skills development through distance
education Vancouver COL. 2002, p. 33Ibid.
Hampton Bartram, p. 69)
TAFE (Technical and Further Education)

• Onkaparinga Institute of TAFE in South Australia
  in a joint partnership with the viticulture
  industry produced a Viticulture and Wine Studies
  training programme. Theory delivery comines
  print, classroom sessions and CD-ROMs. Hands on
  training is in the vineyards under industry
  supervisors.

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Examples of consortia or strategic alliances
Application and inferencesConsortia and aliances
in HE

• National Technological UniversityNTU is an
  independent university but functions as
  coordinatingunit for the engineering
  departments of 30 participating
  universities.Provides programms for major
  corporations like IBM and Motorola.
• Scottish KnowledgeA global higher educaton
  consortium comprising Scotlands 14 universities
  and other international partners such as Edith
  CowanUniversity from Australia, and News
  International plc
• Universitas 21An international partnership of 17
  elite universities in 10 countries to pursue
  significant global initiatives that would be
  beyond their individual capabilities
• NOS (National Open Schools in India)serve as an
  example that strategic alliances are nt
  restricted t HE
• Rumble, G., Latchem, C. in H. Perraton, H. and
  Lentell, H. (Eds.) (2004) Policy for Open and
  Distance Learning (pp. 117-137)

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Reasons for strategic alliances
Application and inferencesConsortia and aliances
in HE

• share costs ore spread them over larger numbers
  of students
• share resources includng expertise and
  experience
• attract funding opportunities achieve a
  competitive edge and a greater market share
• be fast to market
• promote and operate credit transfer/recognition
  of pror learning
• jointly operate and broker programs
• capitalise on partners knowledge of, and
  reputation in, local markets
• accommodate other countries governmental
  requirements
• ensure adequate provision of local services
  (e.g. invigilation of exams)
• de-bundle learning materials, tutorial support
  and course assessmentto provide expanded market
  opportunities
• achieve franchise arrangements
• based on Rumble, G., Latchem, C. in H. Perraton,
  H. and Lentell, H. (Eds.) (2004) Policy for Open
  and Distance Learning (pp. 117-137

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Network systems a new organizational paradigm
ConclusionNetwork systems

• Strategic alliance
• means that "participants in a network contribute
  technological and managerial expertise and
  capital and share the costs of developing new
  technologies, spreading the financial risks of
  entering new markets."
• Vertical disaggregation
• means "outsourcing some of design and a lot of
  the product development of course materials. It
  means devolving learner support services to to
  local points of contact and specialized
  services."
• cf. Moore, M. G. (2003). Network systems The
  emerging organizational paradigm. Editorial. The
  American Journal of Distance Education, 17(1),
  1-5.

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Network systems
ConclusionNetwork systems
Network systems an organizational paradigm also
for VET?
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Completing the system through cooperation
ConclusionNetwork systems
A complete distance education system
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ConclusionNetwork systems
Thanks for your attention.