What makes Open and Distance Education: A SUCCESS?

What makes Open and Distance Education: A SUCCESS?

It is often deliberated informally “what makes Open and Distance Education a success?

Whether it is moral, ethical, social, political or an Individual question:
It is always a person builds the institutions? What kind of people we have? What kind of socialization we provide within the institution and transmitting culture (political culture) form one generation to another generation is very important.

I am emphasizing on political culture because I define and understood ‘politics is public affair’, it is also ‘power in public life’ (Morgenthau), it is also defined as ‘the relation between the two individuals or among the people’ which makes the culture (it is political) and also transmits form one generation to another generation. It is a cyclic process but the dimensions are ever changing depending upon time and space.

Hence, politics is enviable in all walks of life, including between wife and husband. The difference we should make that what kind of politics we are doing to do is important and a discussion point.

One of the foreign visitors to may room, while browsing through internet, she has posed a question ‘where do you stand in your institutional politics?’. My reply was that I was everywhere during my promotion time but I am no where after my promotion. She replied that politics is universal, she started explaining the global trends and given so many examples but finally she insisted that we may be more politically prone or crudely political but one should not miss professionalism in our pedagogical politics. I was inspiring. I always think that one can good politics and bad politics, the choice is always with us.

To sum up the above discussion, we can derive the best politics for ‘meaningful growth and development of individual and institution’ can be possible; if one have real objectivity towards an institution,

This sort of debate is unending, it is always beginning. Let us set the ball rolling towards our title.

After 21 years of service to Open University as a gross root service provider at study centre, regional centre and head quarters as a trainer and teacher. I would like to confess, my opinion on what makes Open and Distance Education: A SUCCESS?

It is good people with competencies or at least institutional commitments, if one possess institutional commitments, they would gradually acquire competencies, such process enable to bring effective coordination among the units, divisions, centres and people.

The second point is that the people working for the cause of Open and Distance learning, they borrow other knowledge and experiences for seam less education should have integrity, the integrity implies at both personal and public spheres.

Finally, a statutory policy on Open and Distance Education enable the Open and Distance educational learning systems credible in the public spheres.

To acquire or strive to reach above ideas/ traits, I believe that the people working for the cause of Open and Distance Learning should have flexible mindset, S/he accessible to people, places, mehods/logies and also frameworks and possess equity as their commitment in their professional walks of life, finally, S/he should be self-learners in their learning process. (more prone to Internal Lucas of Controls rather than External Lucas of Controls)

“We have always or mostly habituated to pursue reality from our own perception rather than evolving perception from the reality”.

Let us openly share our thought in open & distance learning

Sharing ideas on practice and observations on ODL

One can look at the things from one point of view, or many points of view or socially desirable credible points of view; the choice is always with us.

We share ideas / concepts based on our reading and reflections on our practices. The first category is ,’the celebrities’, who have acknowledged their excellence by thinking and reflecting on the issues of open and distance education on practice, on serious observation on practices. They are the broadly classified as original thinkers and writers, the second category of a writer, who contributes to the body of knowledge by practice (reflections), and the third category they watch professionally the dynamics and gives their own explanations. All these categories of people possess greater levels of commitment and acquire competencies in the discipline and its professional levels to contribute body of knowledge. It is well said in social sciences that they are three ways of attaining and acquiring knowledge, the first way, owning the entire gamut of resources, second way by participating and contributing the system and its process and the third way, is dispassionately, with un-selfish orientation to acquires the awareness about the process (i.e.. eager to now the (social) dynamics). In this way it is a small attempt to explain the basics of open and distance education.

In the spheres of open and distance education, it is one system but explained in different names/ways and view points. It is always possible to look at the things from one way or many ways and a desirable way. Hence we witness, the system of open and distance education is explained in different ways. Some are calling it mode(s), others are calling it is as method(s), and few calling it as a philosophy. With the intervention of IC T /E.learning, it is further redefined in many ways (i.e. open distance technology enables Learning or distance technology enabled learning). It is always desirable to explain a phenomenon in many ways but the only limit is that it should not make a psycho pansy to own point of view.

The above back ground makes the writer to define and adhere to some to the explanations without confusion. These ideas facilitate the forth coming open and distance educational institutions to design and develop their institutional framework to facilitate smooth accomplishment of its objectives.

Let us define & set the ball rolling…

To evolve any institutional strategy, it is always desirable to have clarity on the institutional design: for example we always say that the distance education is a mode, some say it is method, few other, it is both mode and method. Finally, open learning is understood and explained as philosophy. Let us deliberate on these issues in its definition.

Mode: According to dictionary:

Ø A way in which something occurs

Ø Is done (some how it is done)

Ø A Style includes ( nothing specific or based on learning principles)

Method:

The proponents of methods totally opposes mode, according to them mode is the crudest way of doing things which do not involves scientific principle of learning management.

Method for them involves:

Ø Better management planning and principles.

Ø Gives path way to plan of action based on scientific principle of management.

Ø Scope for innovation, experimentation and creativity and

Ø Evaluation of both promises and performances.

Philosophy:

Ø It is a search for knowledge creation suited to social, economic and pedagogical needs of the

Society;

Ø It is a vision or a Darshan and a way and view of life

In the context of open learning:

The issues involved are flexibility (it is an approach), Accessibility (it is a promise) and Equity (longing for education for all). Flexibility, accessibility and equity are the hall mark of Open University or open learning. It is otherwise said “closed mind and open learning do not go together’ hence the people working for open & distance education do not hesitate borrow the knowledge (shamelessly) for seam less education. Seam less education is the begging and end of gamut of open and distance education

When planners and policy makers possess clarity on the above issues, it would facilitate clarity in action, otherwise, there is possibility to define one ones own way, it may leads to psycophancy. Let us think and deliberate on these issues to suit our purpose, context and fittest to the purpose.

Distance Education Indian Experiences/explanations

The picture explains and compares the situation of the students of conventional System of education (F2F) to MARJALA SUTA NAYA, (MARJALA (Cat) SUTA (kid/child) NAYA (justice),) i.e. Cat’s doing justice towards to her kitten. (it is called teacher centered education) in which mother cat protect her kids and giving training by shifting the kitten in seven houses to train the kitten for hunting, and the situation o of Open and Distance Education to MARKATA SUTA NYAYA (justice), (MARKATA (Monkey’s) SUTA (Kid/Child) NYAYA (justice), in which the mother monkey does not protect her kids, but the kids should protect themselves by clinging on the belly of their mother…. (It is called Learner Centered education or self-directed learning)

Distance Education: Knowledge workers:

Vocabulary and Idioms in F-2-F and in ODL

F-2-F	ODL
Ø Students	Ø Learners
Ø Instruction	Ø Self learning/self-directed learning
Ø Text books	Ø Self-Learning materials
Ø Books	Ø Blocks
Ø Teachers	Ø Tutors/Academic counsellor
Ø Colleges/university	Ø Study centred/Programme centred
Ø Subjects	Ø Courses
Ø Chapters/Lessons	Ø Units
Ø syllabus	Ø Program/Course content.
Ø Studies	Ø Programmes
Ø Books	Ø Study materials
Ø Chapters	Ø Units
Ø Headings	Ø Sections/subsections
Ø Question/Answers	Ø Reflective questions
Ø Small questions	Ø Check your progress
Ø Teaching	Ø Counselling
Ø Exam	Ø Evaluation
Ø Mostly marks	Ø Both marks & grads
Ø Mostly Multi media	Ø Multiple media

Ø One can pursue paradigm shift from face-to-face and Open and Distance Education right from its vocabulary/idioms.

Ø F2F is considered as a teacher centred education whereas Open and Distance Education is considered as Learner centred education.

Ø In the F2F the teacher teaches where as in Open and Distance Education the institution teaches.

Ø In the F2F the place is restricted where as in Open and Distance Education it is seamless access to education other wise it is borderless education.

Major Perceived Differences between F2F Education and Open and Distance Education

1. Face-to-face (F2F) is teacher centred education and Open and Distance Education () is a leaner centred education.

2. F2F the teachers excellence is recognised, in ODL the team excellence is recognised as a individual teacher in ODL is an acknowledged legislator of the knowledge for knowledge society.

3. F2F is mostly content centred and ODL is experienced centred education

4. F2F is mostly content centred and ODL is experienced centred education

5. F2F is mostly community oriented education; ODL is market & technology oriented education.

6. F2F Traditional education is mostly service motivated education and ODL is profit motivated education.

7. F2F Traditional education is mostly one time activity and ODL is life long & self-learning education/activity.

8. F2F Traditional Education was a privilege ODL is a right and an opportunity.

9. F2F teaching learning takes palace around the four walls of the class room, in ODL, it is industrialized and techno based teaching learning aims at seamless education and by borrowing the best talent from all available resources and places.

10. F2F text books are the major source of learning, in ODL self- learning book are only from frame work to understand concepts, remaining from self-learning, reflections, life long learning and Interactive technology are the major source of leaning.

11. F2F media and methods are used as supplementary in teaching learning process, in ODL, it is multiple media and methods of learning process.

12. F2F Instructional designs dominates teaching learning process, in ODL it is the self-directed learning design dominates in learning process since adults learners mostly validates their knowledge from their subjective experiences

13. F2F course/design development is mostly done by board of studes and delivery and examinations are being done by the teachers, In ODL design, development, evolving an appropriate delivery strategies and evaluation are integrated.

14. F2F quality/excellence is aimed; in ODL both quality and quantity are aimed.

15. F2F target group is restricted; in ODL it is flexible, accessible and longing for equity in education.

16. F2F it is closed teaching learning process, In ODL it is open to people. Places and subject to praise and criticism by overall society ( the Learning materials are always open).

17. Objectives are based on the conditions or subjectivity, in ODL it is explicit or open in its activities and its objectives.

18. F2F accessibility of knowledge is restricted to few, in ODL the accessibility of knowledge has seamless access.

19. F2F creates its own infrastructure, in ODL system, mostly uses spare infrastructural resources from its host institution, and they are the good pay masters and also good monitors of the system.

20. F2F system best practices are evolved in its process, in ODL best practices are identified, adopted, experimented and consolidated.

21. F2F teaching learning is mostly based on conventional designs, in ODL it is a fertile land for experimentations, innovations and creativity.

22. F2F system least importance given to administration by teachers, in ODL it is equal importance given by the teachers as a coordinators and facilitators of the programme.