Open Universities: An Asian Perspective 9789814414258

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OPEN UNIVERSITIES An Asian Perspective

The Institute of Southeast Asian Studies was established as an autonomous organization in 1968. It is a regional research centre for scholars and other specialists concerned with modern Southeast Asia, particularly the multi-faceted problems of stability and security, economic development, and political and social change. The Institute is governed by a twenty-two-member Board of 'Trustees comprising nominees from the Singapore Government, the National University of Singapore, the various Chambers of Commerce, and professional and civic organizations. A ten-man Executive Committee oversees day-to-day operations; it is chaired by the Director, the Institute's chief academic and administrative officer.

OPEN UNIVERSITIES An Asian Perspective

SEET AIMEE

I5EJI!i

INSTITUTE OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN STUDIES

Published by Institute of Southeast Asian Studies Heng Mui Keng Terrace Pasir Panjang Singapore 0511 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

© 1992 Institute of Southeast Asian Studies

Cataloguing in Publication Data Seet, Ai Mee. Open universities: an Asian perspective. 1. Distance education-Asia. 2. Education, Higher-Asia . I. Title. LC5808 A8S45 1992 sls92-044807 ISBN 981-3016-30-2 The responsibility for facts and opinions expressed in this publication rests exclusively with the author and her interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views or the policy of the Institute or its supporters. Typeset by The Fototype Business Printed in Singapore by Kin Keong Printing Co. Pte Ltd.

Contents

Acknowledgements

I

Introduction

vii 1

• The Concept of Distance Education 2 II III

Open Universities

5

The Quality of Distance Education • Development of Materials • Modes of Delivery

16 17

• Monitoring and Evaluation IV

v

12

16

• Student Support Systems • Training of Personnel

11

18

Science and Technology Teaching

21

Continuing Professional Education 25 VI

Costs of Distance Education 27

CONTENTS

VII

Concluding Remarks 29 Notes

31

Select Bibliography

33

Abbreviations 34 Appendix: Member Institutions of the Association of Asian Open Universities 35

vi

Acknowledgements

I

is with gratitude that I acknowledge the support of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, for this study which is based on three months of visiting some open universities and distance learning institutions to observe and learn from the experiences of those involved in this special mode of education. I hope some of these lessons can be applied in Asia. This report is a presentation of the writer's observations and perceptions of what she observed and learnt on the study tour. It cannot by any stretch of the imagination be considered an expert report or a critique. It is the relating of the experiences of one who has been through a shower and perhaps ankle-deep floods when there are readers and experts who have had the experience of Noah and the great flood. T

vii

I

Introduction

T

ODAY, it is recognized the world over and especially in Asia with its growing population that education has not only a social and moral function but is also an economic necessity. The education system generally provides limited access to the rural poor and other disadvantaged groups and to a certain extent, contributes to the inequalities in society. How does one provide wider access to education to the rural poor, to working adults, to women at home and to disadvantaged groups? There is a growing perception that the schools and conventional universities cannot be the sole purveyors of knowledge and shapers of social attitudes and that mass communciations media such as radio and TV can play major roles in transmission of knowledge to large numbers of people. There are many reasons for looking into alternatives in education delivery especially for Asian countries. Good quality educational materials are not widely available. Human and financial resources are limited in many countries. There is not only increasing demand for education for city youths and working adults, but also a need to provide practical knowledge to rural youths and farmers for the development of related skills. Furthermore, among educational leaders and social and policy planners, there is a growing belief that despite quantitative gains in education in Asia, there has been a decline in its quality.

1

OPEN UNIVERSITIES

The Concept of Distance Education The terms "distance education" and "open learning" have been used with a variety of different meanings. "Distance education" is best referred to as the educational process where a significant proportion of the teaching is conducted by someone, removed in space or time from the learner; and where programmes use a combination of educational media varying from print to audio to TV broadcasts, video recordings and computers and microprocessors. Opportunities for face -to-face study as well as learning from recorded materials are included. There is a rich and oft changing mix of media and meeting - this is what has been the strength of distance education programmes. The term "open learning" often refers to the process of making learning readily available to learners regardless of situation or station. In some countries "open learning" is synonymous with us.e of distance education methods to reach and educate learners. In other countries a mixture of methods, which can include chalk and talk, and face-to-face learning experiences, are used to educate the masses. In the context of "open" universities, "open" implies usage of distance learning techniques to convey lessons to students in the distance. However, in some countries which include the U.K. and Israel, the word "open" is also used to mean "open" access to the university. "Open" access universities do not have any matriculation prerequisites. Everyone can register to be a student. In this report, the term "open university" should be taken to mean universities which teach distance students using currently available distance education techniques and media. Here, the term "open university" does not imply "open access university". For this report, distance education will be considered at the post secondary school level, i.e. , at college and university levels. Asian "open universities" (OUs), e.g., Sukhothai Thammathirat (STOU) and Ramkhamhaeng Universities (RU) in Thailand, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in India, and the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) in Pakistan, have much experience in the delivery of humanities 2

INTRODUCTION

and arts-based subjects effectively through distance education. However, because the need in Asia is for greater technical and science education to address the situation of a chronic shortage of skilled technical and scientific labour, and because the current interest of newly industrializing countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand is in technology development, this report takes a closer look at the experience of open universities in the teaching of technical and science subjects. Over the last 30 years, interest in distance education has grown and its use expanded. The establishment of the British Open University in 1969 was a landmark occasion, one which gave distance education a new legitimacy and technical expertise. The creation of this new, highly respected academic institution has set the path to the birth of open universities in various parts of the world. Some of the largest OUs are located in Asia, e.g., Universitas Terbuka (UT) in Indonesia enrolled more than 150,000 in 1988/89, while S1DU in Thailand has an enrolment of 150,000 with an annual intake of 80,000. Singapore and Malaysia are the most recent to start along the path to establish their own OUs. If distance education is to focus on quality improvement of education, the issues of size, clientele, content and modes of delivery must be addressed. In an economic world, the cost effectiveness of distance education programmes cannot be ignored and must be an important consideration in Asian countries where financial resources are limited. It is not possible to examine in depth all the above issues, neither is it my intention to take sides in the argument of pros or cons of "open universities". OUs are with us to staythe UKOU has paved the way. The character and form of each country's OU will be different. Like the proverbial tailor, depending on the cloth, one cuts the coat, not only according to the size of the cloth but also according to one's country's need. The challenge to educators in Asia is to design a system and learning packages which meet the priorities of their respective countries and which maximize, in a cost-effective way, the learning resources available.

3

II

Open Universities

C

ONVENTIONAL universities are expensive institutions to create and maintain, and as the number of younger Asians increases, there is a need to provide alternative routes to higher education. It is at this higher education level that many countries have introduced open universities to provide for those who were unable, for a variety of reasons, to have their opportunity for higher education earlier in life. Open universities, especially in developed countries, have also been found to satisfy the educational needs of disadvantaged people. They are particularly suited for those who find it difficult to leave the home environment, for example, handicapped people; those in prison; and women who work in the home. In many countries, such as in Australia, Canada, and Thailand, where there are interested people living in remote and sparsely populated areas OUs provide the only opportunity for higher education. While the British Open University has set the pattern for open universities, there are other patterns of open learning establishments which have emerged in the last two decades. The different types can be grouped into the following categories: (a) "stand alone" universities; (b) dual mode models; (c) "stand together" universities; (d) "parasitic" institutions/agencies.

5

OPEN UNIVERSITIES

"Stand Alone" Universities The British Open University (or UKOU) is the prime example of this category. Since its inception in 1969, this OU has been instrumental, by assistance and example, for the birth of similar "stand alone" open universities in Europe, the Middle East and Asian countries. They are independent academic institutions with formal structures. They establish the curricula, create the courses, provide the materials for students, the support services for student learning, conduct the monitoring and assessments of student performance and award the qualifications. Academic staff teach, develop, and write curricula and have research responsibilities. Non-academic staff administer, provide human support programmes, run assessments and examinations, run publishing services including fully independent printing operations. Some open universities have their own private operations or arrangements for media material development, both audio and video. The mode of teaching is often termed multi-media. This is especially true in the UKOU and open universities in more established and developed countries, where transmission of lessons over the air and through TV occur regularly. In poorer countries where possession of, or access to, media hardware is difficult and media transmission operations are not as sophisticated, there is a high dependence, if not total dependence, on print materials. Thus among the "stand alone" open universities, there is a range of institutions, from sophisticated academic institutions using the latest media methods including computer technology for teaching subjects at the forefront of academic development, to large but modest institutions which, because of resource and financial constraints, teach thousands of students using time-honoured methods of correspondence along with face-toface student support services.

Dual Mode Models The dual mode model is in existence in some countries like Australia and Canada. Examples are the Deakin and Laurentian 6

OPEN UNIVERSITIES

Universities where the same faculty staff who teach classroom courses develop the distance learning courses. This is the basis for the "dual mode" (conventional and distance instruction) a situation favoured in countries where there is no need for an autonomous distance teaching institution.

"Stand Together" Universities The "stand together" concept is in many ways implemented along the lines of a co-operative venture. One concept of such co-operation is practised in British Columbia, Canada., where the Open University admits students, conducts distance learning courses and has, in co-operation with the three conventional universities, provided support and facilities for the provision and delivery of the degree courses. A newer variation of the concept is in operation in the UK where the Open Polytechnic was established to cater to the increasing number of schoolleavers. 1\venty-one of the 33 UK polytechnics are "share holders" in this institution which uses existing infrastructure for effective delivery of services and existing staff for development of instructional materials. These co-operative concepts are very recent, novel and economical. Whether they succeed will depend much on the ability of the participants, firstly, and, secondly, the institutions, to work together collectively and to agree to priorities in course standards and participation.

"Parasitic" Institutions/Agencies The term "parasitic" aptly describes the fourth type of open learning institution. Because of the expected lower-cost nature of such institutions, they are growing at a rapid rate. Among "parasitic" institutions, there are again different methods of operation: (i) 1\vo organizations make a contract where the first partner (normally the more established institution) develops, produces, examines courses and lends its name to the awarding of the degree while the second partner designs and delivers 7

OPEN UNIVERSITIES

a support system. A good example of this partnership exists between the Open Learning Agency of British Columbia and the Disted College of Malaysia. (ii) The two organizations contract to purchase courses from each other. They then adapt and change these for delivery to their students and act as their own examining and awarding body. TWo such organizations are the Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong and the Open College of the University of East Asia, Macao. (iii) TWo or more organizations contract to design and deliver courses which are then used in their separate institutions independent of each other. A further enlargement of this concept is that of the free marketing of distance learning materials as a commodity which is then contractually purchased by the delivering institutions. The latter adapts and modifies these courses whose origins can be as far south as New Zealand and north as Holland. There is no direct relationship between the organizations save that of purchaser and "manufacturer". Many open learning agencies are moving in this direction. The Commonwealth of Learning, which was created as a Commonwealth institution to promote co-operation in distance learning in 1988, has stated that its first key function will be in the assisting of the acquisition and delivery of teaching/ learning materials, and, more generally, facilitating access to them. 1 There is now in existence throughout the Commonwealth, and indeed the world, a range of distance education materials covering a broad spectrum of subjects and available in different media, whose shared use, whether through cooperation or contractual purchase, could create greatly increased learning opportunities in a cost-effective manner. The above descriptions and classifications of open universities and open learning agencies are by no means comprehensive. It is necessary for the Asian country which is considering an open university education system to study current systems that are now in operation, and to choose the type which best suits the given country. Within the range of options and institutions, each one has its own strengths and weaknesses. For example, the UK Open University on the one hand has 8

OPEN UNIVERSITIES

continuity, is strong academically, has lower unit costs compared to conventional universities, has good systems for student support, monitoring and assessments and its courses are offered nationally. Yet, on the other hand, its course production system and its highly formalized decision-making process is slow and, to be cost-effective, the numbers of students it accepts must be high. Despite a large student body, the range of courses remains modest for cost-effectiveness. The choice for each Asian country may well be a "mix and match" one, or a new open university of the UK Open University stature and tradition. The former may be cheaper, the latter needs more financial resources but ensures continuity and possibly, quality. Whatever the choice, the decision will not be q.n easy one for the planning country. There is much available information and expertise today for assistance in this decision-making process and we would do well to learn from the experiences of those who have walked and worked like-paths earlier.

9

III

The Quality of Distance Education

F

ROM Thailand to Israel, discussions on distance education focus on quality. With the maturing of distance education has come rapid recognition of the need of quality to satisfy the educational demands of persons and needs of nations. The concern for quality in education, particularly in higher education, is expressed in most policy and planning documents and recurs even in the best of institutions. The question often asked is: For distance education, is relevance going to be the criterion for quality? For most open university programmes in Asia and developing countries, courses offered are, by and large, need-based. Nearly 85 per cent of the 150,000 students of Sukothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU) in Thailand are working adults, and the Allama Iqbal Open University in Islamabad (AIOU) lays strong emphasis on the training of primary school teachers, literacy workers and village leaders side by side with its degree programmes. There is a tendency to compare distance learning universities and conventional universities. Doubts are often expressed over the quality of print and media materials of the courses and concern is expressed for the levels of achievement attained in distance education. Such reactions are understandable, but there is no evidence to show that one approach is necessarily superior to the other. Indeed, it is reported that STOU graduates are doing equally well and in a few instances better

11

OPEN UNIVERSITIES

than graduates of conventional universities in postgraduate entrance examinations. Quality is relative. Nevertheless, maintaining quality must be a long-term perspective. Short-term gains in "mass education" where the numbers game is evidence of success must not overshadow the need for quality. In the consideration for quality, there is need to ensure that it is practised at several levels: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

development of materials, i.e. , the content of delivery; modes of delivery; student support systems; training of personnel; monitoring and evaluation.

Development of Materials Today, much material has already been developed and for Asia, the extent of how the available material can be used and how institutions can join in developing new programmes has to be explored. Materials can be translated into required languages. The establishment of a materials bank will facilitate access and use of materials, be it directly or as models for the development of specifically written materials. Because students of open universities have to study independently, quality of course material is important. From the discussion in Chapter 2 on "parasitic" open universities, it can be argued that as there is a world market for distance education materials, any investment in course development and writing should take this into consideration. One of the differences between conventional university and open university teaching is that the first is dependent on the quality of the lecturers. This varies not only between institutions but within faculties and departments. For the student, oral expression and language proficiency are important skills to be able to understand and interact during lectures. In open universities, however, the same materials - be they print, audio or video - are used by all students. Students 12

THE QUALITY OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

can learn from these at their own pace. Materials are prepared and are used for a period of time. Revisions and rewrites are generally planned for every 5-8 years and much thought is put into the production of quality student interactive teaching materials. For some students in isolated areas, the course materials are their only teachers while students in cities have tutor assistance and peer and group encouragement. Good OUs have good course materials and these serve as necessary tools of learning for the distance student. In the early years of distance education, materials were scarce: the rush to produce courses and the inexperience of young OUs contributed to lack in excellence. Today some of the best university teaching course materials are published by open universities and it is no secret that many conventional universities and their students use OU books as preferred text materials. While good materials do not make good students, the effective use of good materials will ensure good learning for distance students. Among the "stand alone" open universities, much emphasis is given to course development and course writing by full-time academic staff as in the case of the British Open University. In Thailand, STOU course development is the task of a committee and the course writing is contracted to top national academics who are experts in the particular subject. Bodies like the Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong, Open College of the United Kingdom, and Open Learning Agency of British Columbia also contract out the writing of courses to individuals or university academics, often under a committee overseeing the development and writing and a professional staff editing the materials. Course development is time-consuming and the costs are high in "stand alone" open universities like the British Open University, because of the highly structured and programmed efforts which go into course and curriculum development. Costs are also high because a large academic structure has to be maintained not only for course development but also for the open university to run as a full functioning and free standing institution with course development, teaching/tutoring 'and research as important functions of academic staff. Course development, especially in the multi-media mode of distance education delivery, is more than just the writing 13

OPEN UNIVERSITIES

of books and study materials. It also involves production of audio, audio-visual, and visual support materials for student teaching. In UKOU, STOU, Ramkhamhaeng OU in Thailand and the Open University of Israel (OUI), much of this is done in-house. In STOU all materials - from printing to videos to broadcast programmes - are produced in-house following the pattern of UKOU. UKOU also has a unique arrangement with the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) for the production of audio and audio-visual teaching materials for broadcast. At the other end of the spectrum, the "parasitic" institutions buy complete packages which include books, broadcast materials and computer instructional materials. These materials are then used, sometimes with major adaptations, at other times with only minor changes. Such institutions source for materials from the world market, the whole procedure being very much a market-dictated supply and demand exercise. If quality is to be upheld during the development and production of materials, it is necessary to have stringent quality control measures in the writing of the books and the production of teaching support media materials. This emphasis on quality has distinguished the UK Open University and it is this which has made it the premier institution of distance education world-wide. The problem faced by the UK Open University and other like open universities, who are "stand alone" and maintain high-quality standards for their programmes, is the high cost involved. "Parasitic" institutions are cheaper to run, but then, without the existence of stand alone institutions where curriCula are developed and written and then made available for sale, "parasitic" institutions cannot survive for lack of "hosts". The Open University of Israel (OUI) is one stand alone open university that has managed to keep its operations trim while maintaining quality standards and administering to the educational needs of Israeli nationals who are working, either in the army or in the smaller townships. The OUI does function independently but has a mix-and-match mode for the production of media materials and, sometimes, in the writing of books also. OUI staff organize and supervise the materials production, together with writers from other universities and 14

THE QUALITY OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

media specialists/contractors from other sectors. In the printing of the books, the editing and layout is done in-house, and the printing by private, contracted printers. Costs are still high but are lower than in the fully independently-functioning open universities. The whole exercise of course production - from concept to curriculum planning, to development of materials (print and media), to production, storage and finally delivery to the student learner - is a major logistic exercise which involves a wide variety of people from the academics and TV producers to the storekeepers. The manpower and space requirements for the production and delivery of materials are high. The smaller operations that run off materials using computerized desk-top printers in response to purchase orders, thus reducing storage costs, appear to be more cost effective, but these are very small agencies. In almost every case, curricula which is developed and written is country-specific. They meet the specific needs of their immediate market. To be used by other countries, besides the need for translation, much adaptation and changes have to be made to materials. Sometimes, however, as is the experience of the STOU, the translation and adaptation costs far exceed the cost of development of their own curricula and materials. This problem exists particularly in the writing of humanities courses, where geographical, historical and cultural norms dictate differences in the learning and teaching of subjects. It is less a problem in the technological/scientific and business/ commerce areas. Because of this country-specific nature, it is difficult to use these programmes without adaptations by other countries. Is the solution in each country having its own "stand alone" open university, writing its country-specific materials? Surely not. The solution lies in modular presentation of curricula, and, at the stage of curriculum planning, this problem of "universal" and "country-specific" content in text and exercises can be addressed. The "universal" modules can be used unchanged, and the "country-specific" ones can be adapted or changed specifically by the user. Media materials developed should also be considered in the same light. The vision of curricula planners should be that the world is their market. 15

OPEN UNIVERSITIES

Modes of Delivery What distinguishes the current concept of distance education from its predecessor, the correspondence schools, is the different modes of delivery of educational materials. In less developed countries, there is still greater evidence of the printcorrespondence model. The vast majority of open learning institutions, particularly those in developing countries, do not deliver distance education through the effective use of educational telecommunications and technology. The open universities at the cutting edge of distance education are addressing the issue and the Commonwealth of Learning has identified this as yet another area of co-operative development. Few institutions have made use of advanced communications technologies in their teaching. Radio and TV programmes are good classical examples. Today, there are videos and computer-access terminals. With optical fibre lines, computer tele-conferencing can be a reality and a teacher at one point can communicate with thousands of students not only by voice but also visually through monitor screens. Thus, distance education becomes more interactive, less remote. There are cost considerations and again, the use of these new modes are country-dependent. Countries with more advanced telecommunciation systems have greater opportunity for experimentation in the new educational technology areas. Others can at this stage settle for time-tested radio and TV modes of delivery. However, a word of caution is in order: that is, that distance education should not be driven by technological advancement to change and adapt, but should use tested technologies to enhance the learning of students who are studying on their own. The cart must not drive the horse.

Student Support Systems Yet another area which has distinguished distance education is that of the development of student support systems. Thtors are assigned to specific students. There is face-to-face interaction as well as telecommunication contact. There are systems for 16

THE QUALITY OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

advice on courses and in some cases, counsellors to assist students with course problems. Where student support systems are in effective operation, the success rate is high and attrition is low. The high success pass rate of 60 to 70 per cent of the UKOU stems from the result of a good student support system, a recognition that students studying on their own do need help and advice with their course work from time to time.

Training of Personnel The quality of support systems is highly dependent on quality of personnel. The staff of distance teaching institutions normally come from formal sectors of education and require training to develop the necessary skills for managing and delivering quality distance teaching and learning programmes. Co-ordinated regional training programmes to train trainers in Asia would be useful. The more successful distance education institutions are those that have well-trained staff at all levels of student support. Many of the staff of established OUs have learnt on-the-job and have been with the institutions since their inceptions. For Asian open universities, it would be useful to have access not only to trainer workshop resources but also materials to conduct the workshops within the country or as in-house training. Yet another useful tool would be a catalogue of training resources available. The nature of open universities is varied. Hence the training programmes themselves must cover the whole gamut of student support services. Unlike conventional universities, open learning institutions require highly skilled and market-oriented administration and marketing staff. Some open universities have found it necessary to set up regional centres to handle enquiries and sales. The administration of tutor-marked assessments, examinations and conduct of graduation exercises of student enrolments of 60,000-150,000 are massive exercises and staff need to be trained in the management of these areas. Course development and course adaptation are areas where staff coming from other sectors of education need to be trained 17

OPEN UNIVERSITIES

in. The self-education mode is different from 'normal' education ones. The materials are interactive not didactic and new skills have to be learnt by educators for the writing of distance learning materials. Perhaps the area which needs the most concentrated training effort will be the area of student support staff, like tutors, counsellors and advisers. The biggest problem among Asian countries is that of adapting to the distance education method of learning. Self-instruction is not common. Throughout Asian history, the model for education has been that of students sitting at the feet of the teacher. Today, in most schools, didactic methods prevail and learning by rote is still in use in many countries. Universities use the centuries-old method of notetaking during lectures. Self-education is new to many Asian cultures and to tutors recruited for distance education courses. Not only have new tutors to be taught new approaches and interactive skills, but old habits of chalk-and-talk also have to be untaught and tutors and counsellors "converted" to the gospel of distance learning and self-instructional programmes. Probably the most significant characteristic of distance education is the fact that its organizing principle is the needs of the learner. Whatever the inherent demands of the course content, it must be made accessible to the learner across the distances of space and time, and across the gap between knowing and learning. The tutor is the linking bridge. As students are not uniform learning machines, tutors have to be trained to recognize the importance of their role in guiding the students through a self-instructional programme.

Monitoring and Evaluation Assignments play an important role in distance teaching systems. Based on question-answer strategies, they constitute a dynamic channel for a didactic dialogue with the student and an active and meaningful participation of the student in the learning process, while at the same time, serving as a tool for monitoring his progress and assessing achievement. The Open University of Israel has approached this problem 18

THE QUALITY OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

from a theoretical framework leading to the development of a multiple-feedback system. OUI then developed a computerized question bank for each course from which questions are drawn for monitoring and evaluation. The system developed by OUI is worth looking into for potential adaptation in the Asian open university context. It is necessary to ensure that the courses, the delivery system, the modes of delivery, the student support systems, etc., are meeting the needs of the students. The student, who is studying on his own, needs to have detailed feedback on his performance in assignments, diagnosing his mistakes and instructing him to continue with his studies. Course co-ordinators and tutors need additional feedback on the quality of their instruction. Yet another variable in distance teaching is the multiplicity of teachers/tutors for each course. Can all be the same? Certainly not, but they can all achieve the same level of results. To do so, teachers need a feedback mechanism for purposes of evaluation of teaching and for decision-making. The institutions themselves require this information for improvement of courses and for the didactic training of staff. Where possible, a system of monitoring and evaluation, however simple or complex it may be, should be instituted at the stage of planning of the open university. It should be seen as part of distance education planning and quality control and not as a policing device brought in only after mistakes have occurred. Prevention, after all, is better than cure and early detection of mistakes through continuous monitoring and evaluation will prevent the setting in of "incurable disease conditions" within the open university.

19

IV Science and Technology Teaching

A

s mentioned earlier, most open universities teach humanities and for a time it was considered difficult to teach science-based subjects through distance learning. This problem was solved by the introduction of Home Science Kits which are used in conjunction with teaching materials for the Sciences. Yet another approach has been to utilize laboratory space available at existing institutions to conduct intensive science practicals. This can be done if the students have travel access to the centres, i.e., in city-based situations. This is the age of technology. To stay at the cutting edge of education, distance education universities cannot ignore the challenge of teaching technology. Some open universities like the Open University of Israel have developed an electronic teaching kit which is sent on loan to all electrical and electronic engineering students. Others like the UK Open University have worked out inexpensive computer loan schemes for their computer studies students. With available hardware at their finger tips, it has been possible to teach these subjects from the distance. Because of the time-lag between course and equipment development in areas of rapid growth, as in computer science, often the distance learning courses are a little less current than what is available. Nevertheless, this issue can easily be addressed now that open universities have managed to find solutions to the problems of bringing the sciences, 21

OPEN UNIVERSITIES

engineering skills and computer technology to the student in his own home. For countries with highly developed communication systems, through use of interactive computer modems, communicating with tutors will be easy and teaching of engineering through computer screens may prove more effective than the conventional lecture techniques. Distance education is only beginning to look seriously into the teaching of science and technology. This is an exciting area - an area that open universities in Asia should keep abreast of. The future lies in the area of technological advancement and it augurs well for open universities in Asia to start or expand in this area to bring technology education to more people. If open universities are meant to give opportunities to the population, who for numerous reasons could not gain access to tertiary education, then it behoves distance education institutions to ensure that courses taught are not only in the areas of humanities, business and commerce but also in the area of need for the Asian continent: that of science and technology. Yet another solution to the problem of teaching sciencebased subjects through distance learning would be to utilize existing facilities in the evenings in conventional tertiary institutions for science practicals. Some method of co-operation between open universities and existing universities and polytechnics could be worked out to the benefit of both institutions. These sharing measures can, of course, take place only in city-based distance education programmes as accessibility would be a problem for widely dispersed populations. For the latter, the solutions tried by the UKOU and the Open University of Israel are worth pursuing. The cost of development and supply of special teaching practical kits may be high but the benefits reaped from educating a large percentage of the population for highly relevant technical degrees are immeasurable. Furthermore, governments must consider the potential political cost if there is an over-supply of graduates in the humanities and the arts as they may find it difficult to secure jobs relevant to their training. Some Asian countries are already experiencing these political pressures which have arisen from "open" and "ajar" universities.

22

v Continuing Professional Education

W

interviewed in 1989 on the goals or purposes of the UKOU, Lord Walter Perry, first Vice-Chancellor, had this to say:z HEN

One main purpose was to offer those who had not earned a basic degree, for whatever reason, a chance to do so . .. . A second goal, one that I always believed was of the utmost importance, was to offer to many the chance of updating their education with refresher courses that could be taken without having to drop out of the work force and without having to build extensive new brick and mortar campus facilities to house them .

Before the second objective could be achieved, it was necessary to achieve the first - through the building of a credible institution in the eyes of the academic world. Today, the UKOU services twice the number of its undergraduate students as "associate students", i.e., those enrolled in the continuing professional education programme. Change is the norm in today's world and it is often said that technology-based training is outdated within a decade, and in some areas, within five years. There is therefore a need for systematic updating and upgrading of knowledge, skills, and attitudes through continuing professional education and training. As the countries in Asia move towards greater 23

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

and greater technological advancement, distance education institutions will be the ones which will provide greater impetus to this area of continuing education. Most working adults cannot afford to stop work to update or upgrade their knowledge and skills. The economic and opportunity costs are high and many need to keep working to support themselves and their families . The distance education mode of teaching and learning offers the mature worker the opportunity to learn while remaining economically active. Conventional universities have played, and will continue to play, important roles in continuing education. These are normally in the form of evening extra-mural classes or evening postgraduate lecture programmes. Whereas conventional universities treat continuing education as an extension or an extra-mural activity, open universities see this as their second major function. The philosophy in distance education puts the learner's needs upfront, hence courses are tailored to assist learners to learn. Continuing education (CE) programmes through distance education are also the only chance for those women, who have left the work-force to raise children, to keep abreast with the times and prepare themselves to return to the work-force. Currently, CE programmes in open universities are in the areas of business, accountancy and finance management, law and law-related occupations, public administration, health services, resource management, support services for national development and engineering. The future in CE is in the area of engineering technology and the sciences. There must be continuous upgrading of such programmes, taught with the assistance of media and computers to keep technology-based professions upfront in their fields of expertise. The drive to provide upfront professional courses is as beneficial for the open university as much as it is for the worker and the country. Open universities are forced to be modern to be relevant in their continuous education teaching: the conscientious worker is helped to be current in his knowledge and skills; and the country benefits by having a working population which is not mc:~.de redundant because of changing technological advancements. 24

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

The second goal of the UK open university, viz., the provision of continuing education, is thus an important one. In many open universities, its development is still in its infancy. The future of open universities, especially in developed countries, thus lies in the strengthening and growth of programmes for continuing education.

25

VI Costs of Distance Education

C

of distance education is a complex task as open universities function in several modes - some single, some dual, some mixed. Indeed, the Comonwealth Secretariat addressed this issue in a report in 1986.3 Whilst there is general consensus among economists that economies of scale are reaped by distance education systems, the structure of distance education cost systems is a problem. The majority of costing models are crude and many institutions tend to underestimate costs involved or have found it difficult to explain and justify the level of costs to their political masters, the governments or institutions which have set them up.4 The costing problems are bad enough with stand alone institutions providing government-subsidized undergraduate programmes. However, when continuing education and postgraduate programmes, which are often self-funding, are added to the existing programmes, the costing becomes even more complicated. When one has to deal with dual-mode teaching where a distance teaching unit is set up in conventional universities, the problems are exacerbated because no common measures exist to compare costs of conventional and distance education. An important consideration of cost is how distance education is presented and what growth stage the institution has reached. Some generalizations can be made: OSTING

27

OPEN UNIVERSITIES

(a) in the initial stages, there is high capital investment in buildings and equipment; (b) cost varies with the types of media used- the more media, the higher the cost; the more electronic media, the higher the cost; 5 (c) where country-specific materials have to be developed because of culture and language requirements, course development costs in the production years are high. Therefore, different distance education institutions have different types of expenditure. Generally, however, lower costs and expanding educational opportunities are still the main advantages of distance education. Over the years, there have been changes in policies of financing distance education. One change in policy is in the movement from dual mode universities for distance education to "stand alones". Yet another change is in the source of income where the shift is from the government to the students. Student fees in some countries have become the major source for financing distance education. Compared with conventional universities, institutional operating costs of open universities are lower. This is true in the United Kingdom, Pakistan and Thailand. In Thailand and the United Kingdom, the average cost per graduate is also lower than in conventional universities. It is not possible to determine a figure for the opportunity costs to students studying in open universities as compared to those in conventional universities. Should this opportunity cost to working adults be taken into account and should there be a means to compute benefits to the country through students learning as they work and workers upgrading as they remain in the work-force, the cost advantages of open universities over conventional universities would be that much greater.

28

VII Concluding Remarks

I

is pertinent at this stage to recapitulate on the strengths and weaknesses of distance tertiary education institutions. Distance education is flexible and accessible. Its courses do not impose rigidities. It reachespeople in their homes and provides large numbers of people with access to education. Several institutions produce very high quality teaching materials. What is unique in the system is that all students benefit from the same material unlike in conventional university teaching, where quality varies from lecturer to lecturer, and from university to university. The rapid developments in technology have strengthened the potential of distance education. The electronic and technology developments lend greater flexibility and innovation. As the cost of these technologies is decreasing and electronic media are improving and growing, they will be used extensively in the near future for the support of distance education. Distance education has its weaknesses. A major weakness is the isolation and loneliness of the learner. The home-based student, deprived of peer group interaction, is also deprived of learning from others. It is therefore worthy to note that in countries where there are well-developed regional study centres and good support systems for students, the success rate for undergraduate studies is correspondingly high. It is T

29

OPEN UNIVERSITIES

therefore necessary to develop and strengthen study centres to support distance learning in Asia. Another important problem is that in the eyes of the conventional academic, and many political leaders, who were trained in conventional universities, distance education does not have parity of esteem with formal systems. It is sometimes viewed as a fringe form of tertiary education. Media broadcast material and actual broadcast time costs are high for distance education. Compounded to the economic cost is the difference in the philosophies between education and broadcasting. In the former, repetition and getting the lesson across is important, whereas broadcast producers are on the lookout for novelty. To overcome these problems, audio and video tapes would be good alternative media to assist the distance learner. However, audio and video-cassette players are costly and students in some poorer countries cannot afford them. Likewise, TVs may not be affordable to every distance learner. Distance education today, unlike in its early years of development, is in an excellent position to utilize a variety of technologies not only to improve dissemination and delivery, but also to improve its quality. A multi-media approach is necessary to overcome some of the weaknesses of distance education. Overcoming the bias in university status will take time. It is only when graduates of open universities show sceptical academics and others that they are as good, and sometimes better, than their peers of conventional universities, that this battle will be won.

30

NOTES

NOI'ES

1. The Commonwealth of Learning, Strategic Planning Document 1990-1993 (Vancouver, 1990). 2. "Britain's University of the Air", an interview with Lord Walter Perry conducted by Harold G. Shane, The Futurist, July-Aug 1989, pp. 25-27. 3. Commonwealth Secretariat Education Division, Costing Distance Education, 1986. 4. B.L. Snowden and J.C. Daniel, Distance Education I, no. 1 (1980): 68-91. 5. Daniel Granger, Change, July/Aug 1990, pp. 45-50.

31

Select Bibliography

Asian Development Bank. "Distance Education" Vols I and II. Proceedings of the Regional Seminar on Distance Education, 26 Nov-3 Dec 1986. Commonwealth of Learning. "Perspectives on Distance Education''. Report on a Round Table on Training Distance Educators. Vancouver, 2-6 Apr 1990. Commonwealth Secretariat. "Commonwealth Co-operation in Open Learning: Background Papers", 1988. "Experiences in Distance Education". Report of a Conference. Kingston, Jamaica, 14-16 July 1990. B. Holmburg. Status & Trends of Distance Education. Lund: Lector Publisher, 1985.

"Open Universities of Asia: Problems and Prospects". Proceedings of the Seminar. Islamabad, Pakistan, 10-11 Nov 1989.

H. Perraton. "Alternative Routes to Formal Education" . World Bank, 1982. UNESCO. "Distance Education in Asia and the Pacific UNESCO Bangkok" . Bulletin no. 26, 1985. D. Wichit Srisa-an. "Distance Education: The STOU", 1980.

33

Abbreviations

IGNOU

Indira Ghandi National Open University

AIOU

Allama Iqbal Open University (Islamabad)

CE

continuing education

ou

open university

our

Open University of Israel

RU

Ramkhamhaeng University (Thailand)

STOU

Sukothai Thammathirat Open University (Thailand)

UKOU

The British Open University

UT

Universitas Terbuka (Indonesia)

34

Appendix

MEMBER INSTITUTIONS OF THE ASSOCIATION OF ASIAN OPEN UNIVERSITIES 1. Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University

Bangpood, Pakkred Nonthaburi 11120 Thailand 2. University of the Air 2-11 Wakaba Chiba City 260 Japan 3. Universitas Terbuka PO Box 6666 Jakarta Indonesia

4. Korea Air and Correspondence University 169 Dongsung-dong Chongro-ku Seoul 110-791 Republic of Korea 35

OPEN UNIVERSITIES

5. Allama Iqbal Open University Sector H-8 Islamabad Pakistan 6. The Open University of Sri Lanka PO Box 21 Nawala, Nugegoda Sri Lanka 7. Indira Gandhi National Open University Maidan Garhi New Delhi 110 068 India 8. Payame Noor University PO Box 19395-4697 Lashgarak Road Tehran Islamic Republic of Iran 9. Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong 9-13 Trade Department Tower 700 Nathan Road Mongkok, Kowloon Hong Kong 10. Kota Open University Pushpa Niwas, Station Road Kota (Rajasthan) 324 002 India 11. Nalanda Open University Camp Office: 136 AID SK Puri, Patna-800001 (Bihar) India

36

APPENDIX

12. Dr B R Ambedkar Open University 6-3-645 Somajiguda Hyderabad 500 482 (AP) India 13. Yashwantrao Chvan Maharashtra Open University College Road Nashik 422 005 India

37

THE AUTHOR SEET AI MEE, Ph.D., was a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore in 1991. She is a Clinical Biochemist with research interests in clinical enzymology and immunochemistry. Her areas of personal interest have been in education of the learning impaired and science education.