|
The Situation
One of the main barriers to social and economic development in
the Western Pacific is people's inability to obtain needed
information and knowledge in a timely and cost effective manner.
This problem impacts on both the public and private sector. Many
nurses and other health care practitioner are under trained and
ill equipped to provide even minimal levels of care to people in
need. Teachers working in remote island schools have very limited
opportunities for in-service training. In the private sector, the
situation is no better. Few people possess the know-how needed to
start-up and operate a small business, especially tourism related
businesses. Lack of knowledge about potential markets, sources of
financing and human resources stifle small business enterprise development
in the region.
Recent advances in telecommunications and multimedia technologies
combined with a decrease in the cost of those technologies have
caused a lot of interest in using these new technologies for distance
education. Less attention however, has been directed towards examining
some of the broader policy questions that need to be addressed regionally
in order to insure sustainability and equity across the Western
Pacific over the next decade.
The Challenge
A more fully rationalized regional framework needs to be created
so that the different colleges and universities in the region can
establish their own distance education policies and implementation
strategies in ways that are both well integrated and allow for seamless
interface (regional articulation) between credit and non-credit
DE programs being offered in the regions.
Questions to be answered include:
- How to insure what uniform quality standards should be put
in place and how to insure that they are being followed?
- How to generate the money needed to deliver high quality programs?
- How to avoid duplication, promote collaboration, and encourage
competition all at the same time?
The Objectives
- To provide key stakeholders from both the public and private
sector, as well as high level public officials, with an opportunity
to formulate a regional policy agenda and framework for action.
The focus of this effort will be designed to help ensure that
future distance education initiatives in the region are delivered
in ways that are both sustainable and equitable.
- To facilitate the establishment of collaborative networks and
working groups involving representatives from key stakeholder
groups (i.e., education, public heath, tourism, etc.) along with
their counterparts from the different post secondary education
institutions serving the region for the purpose of promoting greater
symmetry in distance education program design and delivery.
- To identify and train a cadre of course designers, technical
support personnel and subject matter resource people from across
the region in an effort to equip them with the knowledge and skills
needed for effective course packaging and delivery via distance
education.
What's going to take place?
First:
A policy seminar will be conducted, bringing together key stakeholders
and senior public officials from across the pacific region. The
purpose will be to formulate a regional framework for conducting
distance learning activities in the region in a sustainable manner.
Second:
Monthly teleconferences will be conducted to help distance education
program managers from across he region in designing and conducting
high quality distance learning activities in their respective jurisdictions.
DE specialists will be available for consultation during these over-the
air teleconferences.
Third:
An on-site workshop will be conducted for a select group of program
managers and course instructors. Those selected will be provided
with an opportunity to learn about state-of-the-art approaches to
distance learning curriculum design, course packaging and instructional
techniques.
Regional Policy Forum •
August 1st to 3rd, 2000
| 
