Transcript The Challenges Of Being Student-Centred

ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
ACHEA 2002 Conference
Distance Education at UWI:
Managing the Communication to
Facilitate Student-centredness
Olabisi Kuboni, Ph.D.
Campus-Coordinator,
UWI, St. Augustine, Trinidad
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Distance Education Sites
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
UWIDEC: The Organization
29 Sites in 16 countries
3 Campus-based Administrative Centres
to manage:
 Programme Delivery Across Network
 Operations at Sites in Own Jurisdiction
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
UWIDEC: The Delivery Format
• Pre-packaged, selfinstructional Materials
• Face-to-Face Tutorial at Sites
• Audio Conference Sessions
• On-line Component (being
introduced)
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
UWIDEC: The Mandate
• To Provide Caribbean People With
Increased access to Tertiary Level
Education
• To Serve as Vehicle for Transforming
UWI into Dual Mode Institution
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
UWIDEC Student: A Brief Profile
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Expectations/Needs of Mature Student
(As Client)
• Stability and predictability in
dealings with institution
• Rules, Regulations, Procedures
Clearly Articulated and Adhered
to
• Institution that is Responsive to
Needs/Demand of the Individual
• Awareness that Services are Paid
for and Should be Efficient
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Expectations/Needs of Mature Student
(As Student)
• Adequate Human and Non-human
Resources
• Adequately Trained Teaching Staff:
High Level of Commitment to Job
• Integrity and Credibility of
Institution Recognized
• Certification Recognized
• Certification Attainable Without
Undue Stress
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Expectations/Needs of Mature Student
(As Learner)
• Guidance in Managing Their
Own Learning
• Assistance in Developing Selfconfidence as Learner
• Assistance in Developing
Strategies for Self-evaluation
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Communication for
Student Centredness
Within the Organization (for Programme Delivery)
Within Students (for Learning)
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
The Communication Model
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Communication for Programme
Delivery: Key Participants
Campus
Co-ordinator
& Staff
Academic
Programmes
Co-ordinator
(UWIDEC-based)
Site
Co-ordinators
& Staff
Telecommunications
Manager &
Site Technicians
Programme
Co-ordinators
(Faculty-based)
Course
Co-ordinator
Courier Services
Registry – Appointments
Section
Tutors
Registry – Examinations
Section
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Distribution of Course
Materials
Programme Delivery –
Main Activities
Reporting of
Examination Results
Selection/Appointment of
Course Co-ordinators, tutors
Scheduling, Planning
and Conduct of
Audio-conference
Sessions
Scheduling, Planning
and Conduct of
Scheduling, Planning and
Tutorials
Administering of Mid-semester
Assignments,
Examinations, and
Final Examinations
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Brief Pause
Short
Questions
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Communication for
Programme Delivery: Issue #1
• Do Sender and Receiver Share
Common Understanding of Message?
• Single Message – Composite of
Several Units of Information
• The Goal: Analyzing the Message in
Order to Bridge the Gap Between
Sender and Receiver
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Communicative Devices for Building
Common Understanding of Self-Study
• Devices Within Course Materials
(Overviews, Objectives, Headings,
Learning Activities, Reading links)
• Devices Accompanying Course Materials
(Cover Sheet, Study Schedule, Course
Guide)
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Communication for
Programme Delivery: Issue #2
a) Does Receiver Perceive Information as
Meaningful
b) Placing the Message in its Context to Enhance
Meaning Acquisition
c) The Context as:
Explanatory Framework (the what, why, when,
how, who of the message)
Classification (highlighting the generic
properties of the message)
Interpretive Framework (what are the
implications
Cont’d …
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Communication for
Programme Delivery: Issue #2
d)Increased possibility of meaning erosion
when message disconnected from its
context
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Messages Frequently Disconnected from
Context: Rules, Regulations and Procedures
 “All sites must return the Materials Request Form by date
specified”
 “Course registration is not complete unless fees are paid”
 “Tutors must attend orientation sessions with course coordinators”
 “All tutorial sessions must be arranged through the site
co-ordinator”
 Submit mid-semester grades to site co-ordinator by date
specified”
 “Use student numbers rather than names and ensure that
they are accurately entered”
 “All mark sheets must be signed by both the First and
Second Examiners”
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Communication for
Programme Delivery: Issue #3
• Avoid Exclusive Reliance on ‘Long
Distance’ Communication with Tutors
and Students
• Always Include a
Duplicating/intermediary Point for all
Messages
• Locating the Site Co-odinator at the
Mid-point in the Communication Chain
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Role of Site Co-ordinator as Intermediary in
Communication System
Receiving and
Re-transmitting
Messages
Re-structuring, Rewording,
Re-packaging Messages
For Wider
Dissemination
Receiving Responding and Acting on Feedback
From Final Recipients
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Skills Required as Intermediary in
Communication System
A
Ability to Design, Maintain and Implement a System for
Receipt, Classification and Dissemination of Messages
B
Redefined Set of Decision-making Skills:
Cont’d …
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Skills Required as Intermediary in
Communication System
B
Redefined Set of Decision-making Skills:






When to Send Message, in What Format;
Whether or not to Require a Response
Whether There Should be Follow-up Messages
Should There be Main Recipients and Subsidiary Recipients
What Vehicle Should be Used for Transmitting the Message
What Alternative/Supplementary Information to Transmit in he
Event of Problems Arising with the Original
 Should This Message be Sent Prior to or After Another
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Communication For
Programme Delivery: Issue #4
• Designing and Using Appropriate Methods for Soliciting Responses
• Is a Response Required, and if so, Through What Medium, In
What Form?
• The Form as a Vehicle for Transmitting a Response; Some Design
Issues:
•
•
•
•
•
Establish the Boundaries of the Information Sought
Identify all its Composite Elements
Use Clear, Precise Terminology to Formulate Information ‘Slots’
Sequence and Arrange ‘Slots’ in Logical Order
Evaluate Form for Accuracy and for Ease of Use
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Communication for Programme
Delivery: Issue #5
• Are Staff Members Beginning to Suffer
From Information Overload?
• Which Staff? In Which Operational Area?
• Need for Managers of the Communication
System to be Alert to Signs of Information
Overload and Take Corrective Measures
Cont’d …
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Communication for Programme
Delivery: Issue#5 cont’d …
• Staggering and measuring the Flow of
Information so that it is Received in
Manageable Chunks
• Diverting Some Aspects of the Information
to Other Sectors of the Organization
• Devising Training Strategies to Equip Staff
to Deal With Larger Blocks of Information
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Extending Staff Capacity for Handling Larger
Amounts of Information; Some Issues:
• Information Increases Not Only in Terms of
Volume, but Also in Terms of Complexity
• At a Given Point Information Increase
Requires Changes in Information
Management Systems and Organizational
Structure
• What Technology to Use for Management of
What Type of Information?
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Brief Pause
Short
Questions
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Communication Between Institution
and Student to Enhance Learning
a. Emphasis on learners taking
responsibility for their learning
b. Learners as active participants
in their own learning
c. Do mature learners have all the
skills for functioning as
autonomous learners?
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
The Potential of the New Technologies
for Supporting Learning
a.
Environment for fostering interaction between
teachers and students on equitable basis
b. Environment for supporting learners’ search for
new knowledge.
c. Any time, any place access-allows learner space
and time to incorporate reflection in learning
d. Leveling of the communication field between
teachers and students
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
UWIDEC Introduction of
On-line Teaching and Learning:
• Component of technology mix for
distance delivery: (courses in degree
programme)
• Complement for face-to-face teaching
(Vacation Student Support
Programme)
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Objectives to be Achieved
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
To develop willingness to participate in
interpersonal exchange
To facilitate development of higher order thinking
skills through collective analysis of materials made
available
To provide one-on-one feedback
To encourage self-evaluation of own work
To develop in students an appreciation of sharing
and collaborating and to undo conceptions of
sharing as ‘cheating’
To facilitate the development of skills to participate
in sustained exchanges (the ‘threaded discussion’)
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Strategies for Attaining Objectives:
a.
Providing computer-use training for students as
pre-requisite for participation in on-line teaching
and learning
b. Enhancing customer-service skills of site
technician
c. Use familiar technology as stepping stone to
facilitate use of the unfamiliar (the Newsletter in
VSSP)
d. Establishing and defining the function of
intermediary instructional design assistant
between content specialist and end-user (students)
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Underpinning
Theoretical Issues
• Learning as Individual or Collective
Activity? (Kaye, 1992)
• Power Relations Between Teacher and
Student (Kuboni, 1997)
• Transactional Distance: Structure and
Dialogue (Moore and Kearsley, 1996)
ACHEA Conference July 2002
‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’
Thanks for Sharing
Comments,
Questions?