COLL - Centre for Open and Lifelong Learning

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http://196.216.167.205/handle/10628/44

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Open and distance learning in Namibia: Country report submitted to the Advocacy Workshop on Distance Education and Open Learning, held in Mauritius from 10-11 April 2008.
(Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA)., 2008) Möwes, Delvaline
Paper discusses how to implement ODL activities at both pre-tertiary and tertiary level in the Namibian public sector,four publicly-funded institutions provide ODL programmes: the Centre for External Studies at the University of Namibia (UNAM-CES), the Centre for Open and Lifelong Learning at the NUST (PoN-COLL), the Namibian College of Open Learning (NAMCOL) and the National Institute for Educational Development (NIED).
National ODL policy development for Namibia.
(Commonwealth of Open Learning., 2008) Nekongo-Nielsen, Haaveshe; Möwes, Delvaline; Murangi, Heroldt; Beukes, Jerry; Bennett, Norah
Experiences of working with the COL electronic template.
(Commonwealth of Learning., 2008) Frohlich, Georgina
At PCF-4 2006 in Jamaica, the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) launched an electronic template designed for the development of distance education instructional material. In this paper I discuss the experiences of working with the COL electronic template. These discussions mainly revolve around how the writers, who are often novices with the use of computers and writing of distance education instructional material, cope with the two tasks, and in the process develop professionally. This paper will outline the changes made within the template to suit the Centre for Open and Lifelong Learning (COLL) House Style Manual and how it has helped to improve the quality of instructional material. I will also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using the template within the Centre for Open and Lifelong Learning with the hope that such information can be transferred as lessons learned to other open and distance learning institutions thinking about using such a tool.
Instructional design challenges within the NUST.
(Commonwealth of Learning., 2006) Frohlich, Georgina
Education in Namibia, since independence (1990), is underpinned by learner-centred and social constructivist learning theories. Within the NUST’s Centre for Open and Lifelong Learning (COLL) efforts are being made to ensure that instructional material are in line with these learning theory principles. However, for varying reasons educationalists are struggling to implement these principles in practice. Additionally, in a world where technology is king and e-learning is rapidly becoming the norm in distance education circles, Namibia’s status as a developing country is limiting its ability to electronically interact with its students. As a consequence, Namibia is at a beginner stage for e-learning, and print-based materials are still the major medium of instruction. This paper outlines the need for COLL to rely on appropriately developed print-based instructional materials for learner support. Initial research has focused on investigating COLL’s instructional materials alignment with the education principles subscribed to in Namibia and on the perspectives of writers on the support they get as writers of distance education instructional materials. Analysis of the results will help develop strategies to improve print-based instructional materials, through the support of writers.
Building Namibia for competitiveness through Open and Distance Learning: A critical review.
(Namibian Open Learning Network Trust (NOLNet)., 2005) Asemota, O. O.
Throughout human history, learning has been a continuous process acquired through the three methods of education, training and development. Traditionally, formal learning has been restricted to the classroom setting. But, as the society develops, a paradigm shift occurs in the system of impacting knowledge to people. In the older system, people move towards the classroom to acquire knowledge, but now education is brought to the people wherever they are and in whatever circumstances they may be. Every society is always confronted with one form of competition or another, and except countries develop their peoples through education and human capital formation, their economies stagnate. Consequently, the quality and quantity of all educational opportunities accessible to its citizenry determine their levels of industrialisation and human development indices. From the foregoing, the paper attempts to examine the history of the formal school system, open and distance learning vis-à-vis the primary, secondary and tertiary educational settings, in Namibia. More specifically, the paper will assess the strategies adopted by government in making education available to all, through open and distance learning and to further recommend ways on how open and distance learning could be managed for competitive advantage and optimum benefits.
Evaluating the quality of student support services at the University of Namibia's Centre for External Studies.
(Namibian Open Learning Network Trust (NOLNet)., 2005) Möwes, Delvaline
Distance education and open and flexible learning policies have done much to extend accessibility to higher education throughout Namibia. However, open and distance learning is not just a move away from learning in the classroom. It is a complete paradigm shift and when delivering learning materials outside the classroom, across any distance, it is important that technologies and techniques support students. Against this background, this paper reports on a research project concerned with various issues related to student support services in the University of Namibia’s distance education system. Evaluation and student opinion are important sources of information needed to identify strengths and weaknesses in a support system, and areas where improvements need to be made. This paper specifically summarises recent data on the evaluation of student support services provided to distance education students at the northern campus of the University of Namibia. The results of the study have provided evidence that adult distance education students expect and indeed value the provision of student support services. Specifically, students in this study placed the greatest importance on student support services related to getting started with their studies, for example orientation sessions about available student support services; contact and communication with tutors and fellow students by means of vacation schools, face-to-face tutorials on Saturdays at regional centres and support through tutor-marked assignments and study groups. The research further found that students expected specific guidance and support from tutors within a largely directive framework. From student data, their expectations, analysis and review of different teaching and learning models in distance education, and extrapolating from personal experience, the author suggests a model of support services for distance education students. The paper concludes with recommendations and implications for institutional policy and the crucial role of management in the establishment of an effective student support model to facilitate open and distance learning.
The role of open and distance learning in institutional transformation: The NUST experience.
(Namibian Open Learning Network Trust (NOLNet)., 2005) Möwes, Delvaline
Open learning through distance education has come to be accepted as a well-recognised mode of education and training relevant to, and necessary for meeting the emerging demands of the Namibian society. Areas until now unreached by the conventional education system are gradually being taken care of by the open learning system in Namibia. This paper reports on the changed nature of the role of universities in developing countries. Specifically, the author argues that the NUST, while remaining a university of academic excellence and creative thought, was prepared to transform its conventional role of transferring knowledge to the number of students it could accommodate in classrooms. The NUST, through its Centre for Open and Lifelong Learning, has become within the short period of ten years an institution that seeks to provide knowledge and academic expertise to a much wider community than could be reached through on-campus teaching. The NUST can now, through distance learning techniques and open learning philosophies, reach out to the whole community in which it serves. This required not only new initiatives and approaches to teaching and delivering degrees, but also an acceptance that the most sophisticated concepts can be taught in formats that off-campus students can understand. The NUST transformed into a truly dual-mode university, recognising the equal importance of open and lifelong learning programmes to the more conventional programmes of full-time on-campus studies and research. Through its Centre for Open and Lifelong Learning the NUST indicates that open and distance learning has the ability to provide a rich learning environment in a flexible, effective and interactive manner, provided careful design and implementation approaches are adopted. This paper specifically examines the recent initiatives and the major design and implementation strategies at the Centre for Open and Lifelong Learning. The author concludes that the Centre’s initiatives have clearly proven that there can be little doubt that instructional design and provision of sound administrative and academic support can effectively meet the training needs of off-campus students and is at the centre of quality distance education.

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