virtual education plan developing countries khan

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A Quar terl y of the Commonwealth Educati onal M edia Centr e for A sia

Vol. 9 No. 1 September, 2003

ISSN 0972-284X

Guest Column... 2Spotlight on... 6

Case Study... 8

Regional Roundup... 11

Worth While Web... 12

Technology Tracking... 13

CEMCA News... 15

SMART Tips... 16

News in Brief... 18

Book Review... 20

Software Review... 22

INSIDE

Struggling to cope with the pace of change ininformation and communication technologies is anexperience we are all familiar with. Each time I go to aconference or meeting, I am flooded with new ideas,new media, new technologies. As an academic withold-fashioned skills, I feel out of place is a room full ofnew age educationists.

That new technologies are promoted as the latestmantra is something that we hear all the time. But

what we sometimes forget is that technologies are notneutral - they carry with them values, ideologies,assumptions and preconditions; use and management

practices; benefits and disadvantages (knowingly orunwittingly) of their source of origin.

But how technologies can be exploited in a societybegins to include society's ideologies, assumptions, andpreconditions. In other words, if in a given society,communities are denied education--they will also mostlikely be denied access to technology. Thus, one has togo beyond mere technology to determine what causesgender and digital divides.

But should we choose to deploy the technologies, it isessential that people like you or I need to understandthe conditions of their optimum use and application.That these technologies be demystified, stripped of

jargon and placed within social contexts is to me,asine qua nonof enlightened decision making.

It is for this reason, that we invited Dr. Badrul H Khan,an educational technologist of Bangladeshi origin, toreflect on what is needed to develop virtual education

plans to enhance education through e learning indeveloping countries.

We then turned our attention to an innovative use ofInternet technology in Malaysia, by showcasing theMobile Internet Unit experiment. But we chose to

profile an older and established media researchorganization, currently grappling with the social,environmental, and developmental issues in a fastchanging country.

All these efforts are futile without a proper and quicksense of the field. For this reason, by exploring

participatory rapid appraisal techniques, we show howit is possible to get the benchmark information we needto make project decisions.

In our book reviews, we focus on quality assurance onthe one hand and on line learning in Asia on the other.And in the regular section on software review, wehighlight authoring tools, their strengths andweaknesses.

Our usual new columns are also there with regionalnews, web reviews, and BiblioFile.

We appreciate hearing from you as it helps us torefocus our activities. At this stage we are interested inreader's views on the direction that this organizationshould move in as it prepares a perspective plan for thenext ten years. I would welcome any views andcomments that will help us to prepare a flexible,

responsive, and relevant organization.

So, enjoy your reading, but do write back to us.

Dr. Usha Vyasulu Reddi


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Badrul H Khan, Ph.D.

In information society, there is atremendous demand for Open,Flexible and Distributed Learning(OFDL) environment that is

affordable, efficient, easilyaccessible, well-designed and

learner-centered. Information andcommunication technologies(ICTs) facilitate the flow ofinformation and knowledge andmade it globally accessible to

people at reasonable cost.Attributes and resources of ICTs inconcert with learningmethodologies can help us createmeaningful OFDL environments.

There are numerous names foropen, flexible and distributedlearning (OFDL) activities,including e-Learning, VirtualEducation, Open Learning,Distributed Learning (DL),Advanced Distributed Learning(ADL), Distance Learning, OnlineLearning (OL), Web-Based

Learning (WBL), Web-BasedInstruction (WBI), Web-BasedTraining (WBT), Internet-BasedTraining (IBT), Mobile Learning(or m-Learning) or NomadicLearning, Remote Learning, Off-site Learning, etc. In this column, Iuse e-learningor virtual educationto represent OFDL.

I view e-learning as an innovative

approach for delivering well-designed, learner-centered,

interactive, and facilitated learning

environment to anyone, anyplace,anytime by utilizing the attributes

and resources of the Internet and

digital technologies along withother forms of learning materials

suited for open, flexible anddistributed learning environment.

In addition to virtual education,Information and CommunicationTechnologies (ICTs) can be used tosupport classroom-based learningas well. ICTs can also be used forblended learning(combination oftraditional classroom with e-learning). According to the VirtualColombo Plan notes, Emergingapplications of ICTs will have a

profound impact on the evolutionof virtual education by enabling

more access to educationalopportunities, enhancing thequality of teaching and reducingcosts. ICTs can improve thedelivery of education and broadenthe range of options available fordistance education, noting that

policy and strategy must be tailoredto local circumstances, and locallyappropriate technologies found, tomaximise the benefits andminimise the costs.Application of ICT in the educationsystems of developing countrieswill continue to lag behinddevelopments in other parts of theworld unless there are interventionsthat increase the capacity to

participate more actively.To meet the needs of education andtraining market today, more andmore educational institutions indeveloping countries are likely totake advantage of ICTs to offer

virtual education. In addition,educational institutions from abroadmay offer courses and degrees toeducation market in developing

countries. These institutions needpolicies and standards to participatein virtual education in developingcountries. To exploit the full

potential of virtual education, asound National Virtual EducationPlan (NVEP)benefiting all strata of

population, including persons withdisabilities (PWDs), should be in

place in each developing country.

What does it take to develop a

sound National Vir tual Education

Plan?Well, I would say the answerto this question depends on a

comprehensive understanding ofWhat does it take to create a

successful e-learning system thatmeets the needs of all stakeholders

groups? I believe a broadunderstanding of all important issuesof OFDL is critical to the planningof NVEP. In this column, I would

first describe various importantissues encompassing variousdimensions of e-learningenvironment and thenprovide anoutline for the development of

NVEP.

My involvement in OFDL startedwith my genuine interest to shareinformation and knowledge withothers across the globe. Whilegrowing up in Bangladesh duringthe 1970s, I used to dream abouthaving access to well-designedlearning resources that were onlyavailable to students in industrialcountries. In the 70s it wasunthinkable that we might haveequal access to those resources. Inthe 90s, it has become a reality. Weare blessed with the emergence of

the Internet's World Wide Web asone of the most important economicand democratic mediums of learningand teaching at a distance. Asindicated above the Internet has

become an increasingly powerful,global, interactive and dynamicmedium for sharing information.The Internet provides an open,dynamic and flexible learning

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National Vir tual Education Pl an:Enhancing Education throughE-Lear ning in Devel oping Countr ies


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environment with implications forcountless applications with respectto education and training. Internettechnologies provide an

opportunity to develop newlearning experiences for studentswhich have not been possible

before.

With the advent of the Internet andonline learning methodologies andtechnologies, providers ofeducation and training are creatinge-learning materials to fulfill thedemand. Online learning is

becoming more and more acceptedin workplace. Institutions areinvesting heavily in thedevelopment and deployment of

online programs. Academicinstitutions, corporations, andgovernment agencies worldwideare increasingly using the Internetand digital technologies to deliverinstruction and training.What does it take to create a

successful e-learn ing envir onment

for diverse learners?Well, asuccessful e-learning systeminvolves a systematic process of

planning, design, development,evaluation, and implementation tocreate an online environment wherelearning is actively fostered and

supported. In order for an e-learning system to be successful, itmust be meaningful to allstakeholder groups includinglearners, instructors, supportservices staff, and the institution.

Let's see what these stakeholdersgroups expect from an open,flexible and distributed learningenvironment. Since 1996, I have

been communicating with learners,instructors, administrators, andtechnical and other support servicesstaff involved in e-learning (in bothacademic and corporate settings) allover the world. Each stakeholdergroup has its own set of issues andconcerns about e-learning. Andthey are critical! We must payattentions to these issues if we wantto be successful in e-learning. Ifyou cluster these issues, they fallinto eight categories: institutional,

pedagogical, technological,interface design, evaluation,

management, resource supportand

ethicalin e-learning. With these

eight categories or dimensions, Ideveloped A Framework for E-Learning. A complete list of sub-dimensions and sections of theframework is available athttp://BooksToRead.com/framework/scroller.htm.

If you want to know, is youre-learning program meeting theexpectations of your stakeholdersgroups, I am sure you will get a

bird's eye view of your program ifyou start asking questions on issuesencompassing the eightdimensions. I learned that an

e-learning system is meaningful tolearnerswhen it is easilyaccessible, well-designed, learner-centered, affordable, efficient,flexible, and has a facilitatedlearning environment. Whenlearners display a high level of

participation and success inmeeting a course's goals andobjectives, this can make e-learningmeaningful to instructors. In turn,when learners enjoy all availablesupport services provided in thecourse without any interruptions, itmakessupport servicesstaffhappy

as they strive to provide easy-to-use, reliable services. Finally, an e-learning system is meaningful toinstitutionswhen it has a soundreturn-on-investment (ROI), amoderate to high level of learnersatisfaction with both the quality ofinstruction and all support services,and a low drop-out rate.

Within the scope of this guestcolumn, I would like to discussseveral important issues related toeach dimension of the e-learning

environment. Please note that thereare myriad of important items orquestions encompassing the variousdimensions of e-learningenvironment that need to beexplored. As you know eache-learning project is unique. Iencourage you to identify as manyissues as possible for your owne-learning project by using theframework. One way to identifycritical issues is by putting eachstakeholder group (such as learner,instructor, support staff, etc.) at thecenter of the framework and raising

issues along the eight dimensions ofthe e-learning environment. Thisway you can identify many criticalissues that can help createmeaningful e-learning environmentfor that particular group. Byrepeating the same process for otherstakeholder groups, you cangenerate a comprehensive list ofissues for your e-learning project.

Let me present some importante-learning issues (as questions) thatmight be raised by differentstakeholders groups:

Would I be awarded the same credit

for the development of an e-learningcourse as I would receive for the

publication of an article in a

professional journal or magazine?Developing a well-designed onlinecourse requires a great deal of timeand effort. A non-tenure faculty(i.e., instructor) would probably bemore interested in publishing thandeveloping an online course if thecourse development does not

provide any impetus toward tenureand promotion. This is a type ofquestion an instructor would askwhen focusing on issues relevant toacademic affairssection ofinstitutionaldimension.

How often is dynamic coursecontent updated?In designinge-learning, we need to consider thestability of course content. Contentthat does not need to be updated can

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be categorized asstatic(e.g.,historical events, grammar rules,etc.). Content that has the potentialto change over time can be

considered dynamic(e.g., laws,policies, etc.). Because dynamiccontent needs to be revised fromtime to time, it is necessary toidentify such content in a courseand establish an ongoing methodfor timely updating as needed. Itwill be very frustrating for learnersif they find outdated or obsoleteinformation. This is a type concernthat a studentwould have. This isan example of an issue relevant tocontent analysissection ofpedagogicaldimension.

Are all learning objects created forthe course reusable and shareable?If your institution creates learningobjects by following theinternational interoperabilitystandards (such as IEEE, SCORM,etc.), they can be reused and shared

by various courses within yourinstitution and beyond. Reusableand shareablelearning objectsnot only savemoney but also

promotecollaborationsamong e-learning partnerinstitutions.This is a type ofissue that anadministrator

would beinterested inseeing includedin the

infrastructureplanningsectionof technologicaldimension.

Does the coursemake an effort

to reduce or

avoid the use ofjargon, idioms,

ambiguous or

cute humor, andacronyms?To

improve cross-cultural verbalcommunication and avoidmisunderstanding, we should notuse jokes or comments that might

be misinterpreted by others. Forexample, in Bangladesh, we use thethumbs-up sign to challenge

people, but to other cultures, thatmeans you did well. This is aconcern for learnerswith differentcultural backgrounds. This is anissue relevant topage and sitedesignsection of in terface designdimension.

Are students actually doing the

work?How do we know we areassessing fairly and accurately?These are the types of questions

will always be in the minds ofonli ne instructorsandadministrators.Assessment oflearners at a distance can be achallenge. Issues of cheating are amajor concern and an institutionoffering e-learning should have amechanism in which a learner can

be truly measured and not cheat.

This is an issue relevant toassessment of learnerssection ofevaluationdimension).

Does the course have encryption(i.e., a secure coding system)

available for students to send

confidential information over theInternet? No institutions areimmune from hackers. Academicnetworks can be targets of hackers ifthey lack security. This is a concernfor network managerwhich fallsunder thesecurity measuressectionof managementdimension.

Does technical and other supportstaff receive training on how to

communicate with remote learners

in difficult situations?Whenstudents encounter repeatedtechnical difficulties with e-learning, they become veryfrustrated. It is not easy for technicalsupport staff to deal with learners insuch situations. Technical staffneeds training to improve theirhuman skills. This is a concern for

technical orhelp

line staff. This isan issue relevantto the online

supportsectionof resourcesupportdimension.

Are e-learning

materials

accessible toeveryone?Indesigninge-learningactivities, digitaldivide issuesshould beconsidered toinclude thelearners who areaffected by thisdivision.E-learning

providers shouldmake equalaccess toe-learningresources and

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1. Vision

2. Needs Assessment

3. Virtual Education Policy

3.1. Technology

3.2. Disability

3.3. Copyright and LegalIssues

4. Virtual EducationGuidelines

4.1. Faculty

4.2. Students

4.3. Partnership with Others

4.4. Credit Transfers

4.5. Compliance with VirtualEducation Policy

5. Resources and Finance

5.1. Budget5.2. Human Resources

5.3. Content Available

5.4. Equipment

5.5. Existing Infrastructure

5.6. Time

5.7. Potential Participants

5.8. Administration

5.9. Funding Sources

6. Content Development

6.1. Instructional Design andMethodology

6.2. Technology for Development of Content

7. Content Delivery

7.1. Technology for Delivery

7.2. Human Support Systems

7.3. Technology SupportSystems

8. Evaluation

8.1. Dashboard of SuccessIndicators (what willsuccess look like?)

8.2. Formative Evaluation

8.2.1. Evaluation of ContentDevelopment

8.2.2. Pilot Testing8.3. Summative Evaluation

8.3.1. External Measurement

8.3.2. Accreditation

8.4. Assessment of Learners

8.5. Instructor Evaluation

8.6. Technology and SupportServices Evaluation

National Virtual Education Plans


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materials to wider population.Since the loading speed on theInternet may vary with users'Internet connection speeds, e-

learning designers should usemultimedia elements that areessential to content. E-learningdesigners need to respectdifferences in bandwidth.Individuals with slow andunreliableInternet connectionshave to wait longer time todownload large files which is veryfrustrating. Since images andvideos without text alternatives areinaccessible to learners who arevisually impaired for any reason,the use of alternate text for all non-text elements is essential in this

regard. This is an ethical concernfor administratorsand institutionwhen it comes to issues relevant to

digital dividesection of ethicaldimension.

As you can see there are numerousissues that might be of concern toyour stakeholder groups, mostspecificallythe learnersyour e-learning customers. You may bethinking--how many issues do Ihave to address? how many issuesare necessary?It depends on thegoals and scope of your project?

The more e-learning issues youexplore and address, the moremeaningful and supportive alearning environment you help tocreate for your target population. Ifyou want your e-learning programsto be marketable beyond yourcampus to the world. As youventure into global market, yourscope of operation is extended.With this extended market, youhave more issues to address forgeographically diverse customers(i.e., learners).

Designing open, flexible, anddistributed e-learning systems fordiverse learners is challenging;however, as more and moreinstitutions offer e-learning tolearners worldwide, we will

become more knowledgeable aboutwhat works and what does notwork. We should try our best to

accommodate the needs ofstakeholder groups by asking asmany critical questions as possiblealong the eight dimensions of e-

learning environment. The numberand types of questions may vary

based on each unique e-learningsystem. Given our specific e-learning contexts, we may not beable to address all the critical issueswithin the eight dimensions of e-learning. We should find ways toaddress them with the best possiblemeans that we can afford. It isimportant to ask many questions as

possible during the planning periodof e-learning design.

I hope that several examples of

issues encompassing the eightdimensions of the E-LearningFramework discussed above

provide a snapshot of what an e-learning environment looks like. I

believe that communities aroundthe globe can benefit from the E-Learning Framework whendeveloping their National VirtualEducation Plans. The frameworkcan provide guidance for countriesto create their virtual education

plans with specific focus on localcircumstances and locally availabletechnologies. Countries shouldthink globally and act locally for

preparing their virtual educationmaterials. The framework providesas examples of graphicalrepresentation of national virtualeducation models, I have createdthe following images forBangladesh and India based on myE-Learning Framework,

Finally, in this column, I outlinemajor elements of a virtualeducation plan (in sidebar) whichcan be used by developing countries

for their National VirtualEducation Plans (NVEPs).Important issues within the eightdimensions of the E-LearningFramework should be considered in

planning for each element of NVEP.

In conclusion, I hope thatdeveloping countries will considercreating their own virtual education

plans, and enhance their educationby appropriately utilizing learningmethodologies and technologies that

best suit their national visions. I amvery interested in assisting

developing countries to developtheir National Virtual EducationPlans.

Badrul H. Khan, Ph.D., is an international

speaker, author, educator and consultant inthe field of distributed learning. Dr. Khan hasbeen instrumental in creating a coherent

framework for open, flexible and distributedlearning. In his first book, Web-BasedInstruction (1997), he took a leadership role

in defining the critical dimensions of this newfield of inquiry and practice at all levels ofeducation and training. Reflecting its

enormous acceptance worldwide, Web-BasedInstruction has become a bestseller and hasbeen adopted by colleges and universities

worldwide. His other books include,Web-Based Training, E-Learning Strategies,E-Learning QUICK Checklist, and

Web-Based Learning. Founder ofBooksToRead.com and Professor andProgram Director of Educational Technology

Leadership Cohort program at GeorgeWashington University. His Website iswww.BadrulKhan.com/khan.


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Centre for MediaStudies (CMS) is anindependent, not for

profit national levelmulti-disciplinarydevelopment

research and facilitative body ofeminent professionals nationallyknown for its advocacy initiatives.The Centre has been set up with anobjective to tap and integrate

various sources of information,analysis and initiate researchtowards a more informed decision.

CMS'soriginal thrust was to focuson media strategies, motivation andcommunication (IEC) trends,considering the all-encompassinginfluence of media in particular andthe field of communication ingeneral. Now, it has expanded itshori zon of activiti es to include

social , envir onmental and

developmental i ssues.

Today, CMS has emerged as aninter-disciplinary research groupwith wide interest and capability inthe areas of social research,communication research, publicopinion surveys and operationresearch. The centre emphasisesonresearch, moni tori ng, evaluation

and advocacy for pol icy and

planning. It also organises dialogueand debate on important publicissues, disseminates researchfindings to contribute to knowledgeand understanding of society andthus helps in better-informeddecision-making.

VisionResearch is not an end in itself,rather it is a means for change, the

betterment of society and topromote equity in people.

Mission

Going beyond the conventionalconcerns of research and analysis,CMS mission includes advocacy,

planning, promoting peoples'participation, facilitating interfacebetween different sections of thesociety, and sensitising the publicon issues of national concern. Themotto of CMS is objective

information gathering and analysiswhich can contribute to a bettersociety.

CMS' Division

In the due course of time, CMS hasdeveloped expertise in variousdisciplines.

CMS SocialCMS has identified research onsocial development as a priorityarea of study so that the knowledgeand understanding of socialdevelopment issues can lead to

better informed decision-makingand formulation of more realisticsocial policies.

CMS' spheres of research expertisein the broad area of socialdevelopment include Public Health,Poverty, Rural and Urban

Development, Women and ChildDevelopment, Education, Labour,Social Welfare, Social Security,Social Safety Net, Housing andSocial Justice issues. Socialdimensions of development projectsand their impact on tribal and rural

populations, employment andenvironment are other areas ofconcern. CMS has extensiveexpertise in evaluating socialdevelopment programmes andconducting feasibility studies priorto launching of social programmes.

CMS Communication

Communication is a vital element inany development activity as it

prepares people for change anddevelopment, provides informationon key areas and helps in decision-making. Studies of a varied naturesuch as assessing communicationneeds, designing social messages,social marketing strategies andevaluating campaigns and

programmes of development areundertaken by CMS.

CMS has been an active player inthe rapidly changing media scene inthe country. Through numerousresearch studies and organisinginteraction between experts, CMShas been striving for the bettermentof electronic media in the country.In the field of businesscommunication, CMS has beenregularly monitoring advertising in

Centr e for Media Studies:Independent Mul ti-discipl inar yDevel opment Resear ch Centr e

Discipline Specialisation

Health Health Infrastructure/ RCH/ Public Health/ AIDS/STD/Economics/IEC/ Immunisation/Adolescent girls/Patients satisfaction

Education Adult Education/Vocational Education/Primary Education/Tracer Study

Rural Development Irrigation/Training Needs/Tribal Development/Water Supply &Sanitation

Social Development Women and Child Development/Food Security/Child labour

Environment Environmental Education/IEC/Evaluation/Assessment Studies

Communication Developing Communication strategies, Communication NeedsAssessment, Concurrent, Mid-term and End line Evaluation ofProgrammes on Electronic media, Training on BehaviouralChange Communication/ Communication Skills


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different media and undertakenreadership and viewer ship studies,thus serving as a national forum forinitiatives in this regard. Creating

awareness, ensuring people'sparticipation and making themactive citizen is the ultimateobjective of IEC studies of CMS.

Recently CMS has also giving

training on Behavioural ChangeCommunication in RCHprogrammes to NGO personnel.

CMS Environment Division

Environment division of CMS hasbeen working closely with Ministryof Environment and Forests(MoEF) in reviewing effectivenessand identifying missing links inimplementation strategies forenvironmental protection.

CMS have been empanelled underMoEF for undertaking concurrentevaluation of the various schemes

initiated by the Ministry. Inrecognition of its contribution, and

pioneering work in the area ofmedia awareness, evaluation andsocial development, Centre forMedia Studies (CMS) has beenmade an ENVIS CENTRE in thecountry by the MoEF forCommunication Strategies,specifically in the context of theelectronic media. The basicobjective is to collect, classify,retrieve, and disseminateinformation in the subject areaallotted to decision-makers, policy-

planners, scientists, researchcommunity, students, etc. all overthe country.

CMS ENVIS Centre had alsoorganized country's firstEnvironment & Wild Life Filmfestival VATAVARAN-2002at Siri Fort Auditorium inApril 8-9, 2002.

The SDNP Node at CMS collectedand supplied information onenvironment and media relating tosustainable development toUniversities, Registered Societies,all private bodies or StateGovernment Departments. Nowthe same is continued as ENVIS

Node under World Bank assistedEnvironment management CapacityBuilding Technical AssistanceProject (EMCBTAP).

The Centre also publishes aquarterly Newsletter onCommunication and ElectronicMedia with the aim to network

NGOs and professionals involvedin environment, development,communication and media related

programmes.

CMS Academy

The continuous process of updatingits expertise and knowledge has

been formalized with the creationof CMS Academy which conductsseminars, training and advocacy

programs for professionals in thefields of social development,

particularly to do withcommunication campaign andmedia strategies.

CMS design programmes thatenable participants to develop their

communication skills throughcompleting challenging projects,applying theory, using participatorymethods, interactions with experts,taking part in facilitated reviewsand feedback. Communicationskills programmes are designed toensure integration of relevant

project knowledge, practices andmaximise the transfer of learning.

CMS also has developedmanpower-training modules,conducted workshops and hasundertaken preparation ofoperational manuals for field levelfunctionaries and studies forreorganization and restructuring.The CMS Academy has an ongoing

program, supported by PFI, forTraining NGOs working on RCHissues, onManagement SkillsandonBehavioral ChangeCommunication.

CMS believes that research findingson issues of national concern should

be disseminated to all concerned fortheir effective use. CMS achieves

this objective by organisingseminars and bringing outmonographs. The monograph serieson Family PlanningCommunication, RuralDevelopment Communication andEmerging Trends in Mass Mediahave been widely appreciated.

Seminars and workshops organizedby CMS are attended by socialactivists, public representatives,senior administrators, subjectspecialists, eminent journalists,

jurists', Voluntary Organizations,Government and international

government representatives, etc. Inthese activities, CMS seeks active

association with concerned bodieslike National Commission forWomen, National Commission forHuman Rights, Press Council, etc.for ensuring follow-up.

Other events in this area includeseminar series on Social Effects of

Electronic Media around thecountry and special 'SensitizationWorkshops for the Media

Professionals on Issues RegardingChildren'. Recently CMS hasconducted training programme on'Communication & PresentationSkills' for guides and rickshaw

pullers at Bharatpur Bird Sanctuaryfor World Wide Life Fund and

Nature & Forest Department.

Centre for Media Studies (CMS)RESEARCH HOUSE, CommunityCentre, Saket, New Delhi - 110 017Phone: (011) 2686 4020, 2685 1660Fax: (011) 2696 8282E-mail: [email protected] site: www.cmsindia.org


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Rozhan M . Idrus

Overview

The Mobile Internet Unit (MIU) isa development project on computer-mediated education for schoolteachers and students, as well as

people in rural and urbanmarginalized communities. TheMIU originated in Malaysia as a

project lead by the MIMOS Berhadsince Nov. 1998 and the firstoperational MIU unit was launchedin August 1999. Also involved inthe project are several strategic

partners, including organizationssuch as the Malaysian National ITCouncil (NITC), United NationsDevelopment Programme (UNDP) /Asia-Pacific DevelopmentInformation Programme (APDIP),Automotive Corporation Malaysia(ACM/HICOM) and the Ministry ofEducation of Malaysia (MOE) and

professionals from the fields ofeducation, IT experts, Universityand secondary school teachers andsome other private sectororganizations.

The MIU is basically a self-contained coach, consisting ofseveral MIU basic ICT literacytraining modules, a set of project

evaluation pack, local areanetworked computers, a content-rich server, modems, routers, LCD

projectors, a pull down screen,colour television, CD player,cassette players, PA systems, digitalcamera, polaroid camera, otheraudio visual aids, colour and laser

printer, fax machines, scanner,courseware, software, reference

books and other facilities. The MIU

is driven by a driver-cum-facilitatorand a co-driver-cum-team leaderand it goes round the non-mainstream schools (Non-mainstream schools are schools that aredeprived of access to informationand opportunity to acquire ICTskills) to conduct basic ICTLiteracy Programs.

Objectives

The main objectives of the mobile

Internet unit are: promote ICT awareness &

literacy among the teachers andstudents in non-main streamschools.

assess and collect data on ITpotential / capacity of theteachers & students in theseschools.

provide electronic classroomexperiences for these schools.

assess the impact of ICT on theteaching & learning processesin the new environment.

The Mobile Unit

"'APDIP was thinking of an oldbus. But we decided if we weregoing to do this, we might, as welldo it right. After all, this isMalaysia, home of the world'stallest building!. We wanted togenerate excitement about the

project to draw the people to IT. Wefelt challenged to come up with atotal solution, and that's how theMobile Internet Unit (MIU)developed."

It became a "Malaysia Boleh"(Malaysia Can Do It) effort for thelocal experts who pitched in tohelp. UNDP provided a US$75,000

grant (RM285, 000) but DRB-Hicom donated the luxury coachworth RM620,000 and Mimos andHup Lee Coachbuilders Sdn Bhddesighned the bus to fit 20 PentiumIII computers.

A team of 40 experts from MimosBhd, Hup Lee Coachbuilders SdnBhd And Automotive Corporation(M) Sdn Bhd (ACM) worked on atight deadline to put out a

roadworthy working model.Everyone involved was proud to saythat it was a 100 per cent "made-in-Malaysia" project using localmaterials, designers, engineers and

information technology experts - theonly imported component was thecomplete-knocked-down bus chassisfrom Japan which was assembledlocally.

This was the first time Mimos BhdCreative Design Centre (CDC) had

been asked to design a bus to beused as a mobile classroom to teach

IT, said CDC manager AliasIbrahim. More used to designingweb pages, brochures and trade

booths, it was quite a challenge forthe team to design a bus butknowing the benefits gave them asense of purpose, said Alias. "Weknew the cyber coach will benefitthe nation, but realising the chainreaction it could ignite in otherdeveloping countries inspired ourimagination." Using a "living-in-small-spaces" concept, the team hadto find a wav to utilise every square

centimetre of available space to givean atmosphere similar to a cybercafe.

The team of designers was dedicatedto the project and senior designerHizbollah Kampo Rajo even spentnights at the office researching thedesigns, said Alias. Working hand-in-hand with the coach builders,factors such as the maximumnumber of computer stationsconducive to student comfort, powersupply and ventilation had to belooked into.

Other details looked into includeddesigning cabinets to hold

computers and other equipment andmaking sure things don't fall outwhen the bus is on the move. The

bus has 20 workstations, foldableseats, overhead storage bins, bookshelves, TV, pull down screen,

printer, fax machines, slideprojectors public address system,fridge and a toilet. Two generators

provide power supply and powerfulair-conditioning units keep thecomputer and equipment in working

Mobil e Internet Unit (MIU) -Mul timedia Cyber -Learning Station:The Mal aysian Exper ience


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order while the bus is wired up withan alarm system. Hup Lee generalmanager Khaw Soy Ou andengineer Rostam Abdul Manaflooked into the practical aspects of

refurbishing the bus to make theMIU more "down to earth".

Ergonomics - the study of therelationship between people andtheir working environment - was a

prime consideration in figuring outcomfort levels in a confined space.Team leader Khaw said "Althoughwe have been in the coach-building

business for 30 years, this is thefirst time we have been asked to fita bus for a mobile classroom. Afterlistening to the proposal we felt itwas a good idea, and, as engineers,we knew it could be done.

The bus engine provides power

supply for the air-conditioningwhen the bus is mobile while thegenerators would be used to

provide electricity when it isparked. Mind-boggling details suchas zig-zag arrangement ofworkstations, bolting everythingonto the desktop and covering upwindows to cut out glare wereattended to.

The Operation

The biggest of the three buses,equipped with 20 PCs, visits 20schools without computer facilitiesin central Selangor state while thetwo smaller ones, with 12

computers each, visit another 20schools in the capital. ''Theresponse is fantastic, very positive,''says Kang Wai Chin, the MIU

project manager in Mimos.The buses visit a school once afortnight and spend the whole dayon site, says Kang. A typicalmorning session sees five groups of20 pupils and teachers, spendingone hour each on the bus. A coupleof trainers from Mimos provide thegroups with hands-on training onthe basics of PCs and the Internet.Afternoons are reserved for opensessions for another 40 pupils,teachers and parents. The buses

make 10 fortnightly visits to eachschool, apart from pre-trainingbriefing and post-trainingevaluation visits.

Each pupil in the group is thusgiven about ten hours hands-onexposure on the computers. ''Ourobjective is to reach as many

people as possible,'' Kang said. Itmay just provide a taste of theInternet, but Kang says the

excitement and enthusiasm itgenerates is infectious.

At the end of a series of trainingsessions in a school, it is commonto find the school head and the

parent-teacher association chippingin to buy more PCs to add to theInternet-ready PC that the projectteam leaves behind. Critics,however, argue it is more pressing

to resolve basic rural needs beforegoing for high-tech projects such asSmart Schools and mobile Internetunits.

School Selection Cri teria

schools are selected from all thenine districts in Selangor.

non- Computer-In-Education(CIE) schools

non- Smart Schools.

schools without computingfacilities (given preference)

support & commitment from

State Education Department,school administration, staff &PTA (Parents TeachersAssociation)

ResponsesWhen the bus visits Syed MashorSchool in the small town of BatangKali more than two hours north ofKuala Lumpur, students clamour to

board it. "It's a golden opportunityfor us," says teacher Abdul RazakYusoff, who is also the secretary ofthe Parent Teacher Association(PTA). "We've only heard about theInternet-about 50 percent of thecountry doesn't know what it is.Especially in the rural areas, therecan be a sense of being left out. Inthis school, the PTA pushed for acomputer club and for the childrento attend lessons."

Zulfendi Zulhisam is a 13-year-old,Malaysian aborigine (Orang Asli) ofthe Mah Meri tribe, lives in SungaiPelek village, a three-hour drivefrom the capital Kuala Lumpur.Zulfendi's aspirations contrast withhis setting. He wants to be anengineer when he grows up. Butfirst, he declares, "I want to learnhow to build web pages." Hisinterest was sparked when a hugesilver bus, or Mobile Internet Unit,started visiting his school in SungaiPelek. Inside the bus was an excitingnew world: rows of monitor screens,trendy headsets and buttons that

prompted silver disks to pop out. It

was his first encounter withcomputers. After 10 sessions of

basic computing and Internet skills,the precocious Zulfendi stated thatwhile he was initially scared ofcomputers, "I'm used to themnow.".Zulfendi is among 2,400students and 400 teachers in thestate of Selangor to benefit from thisMIU.

BibliographyAnil Netto, IT Literacy High on Govt Priority List in Malaysia, Inter Press Service.http://www.miu.nitc.org.my/miu.htm

http://www.undp.org/dpa/choices/2000/june/p15-17.htmhttp://www.undp.org/dpa/flash/flashback/1999/august/23aug99.htmHanizah Hashim, Teamwork and spiritthe driving force of project,New StraitsTimes, Wednesday, 1 September 1999

The Case Study has been compiled andsynthesised by Dr. Rozhan M. Idrus,Associate Professor at the School of DistanceEducation, Universiti Sains Malaysia,11800USM, Penang, Malaysia.

Facilities inthe Mobile Internet Unit

IT Equipments

20 multimedia Pentium personal

computers

1 server (400 MHz DualP, 8.6 GB HD)+

back up systems 1,

24 ports hub (10/100 Base T)

1 UPS

1 modem

1 digital handset

1 generator (compact portable AC/DC

Diesel Generator 4,800 watts)

1 digital camera

1 digital video camera

1 colour portable camera

1 portable colour printer

1 laser printer

1 portable photocopiers LCD projector

ICT Modules

Basic Computing Skills (files & folders

management, word processing, spreadsheet

Basic Internet Skills (finding useful

information, sending & receivingemails, designing & publishing owninformation)

Basic Multimedia Production (simple

computer graphics, video & audioincorporation)


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Ramanujam, P.R. (2002) Di stance and OpenLearning: Challenges to Developing Countri es,

Shipra: New Delhi ISBN: 81-7541-098-1

Distance education has been practiced by more than

1300 institutions in about 130 countries offering

70,000 odd courses to nearly 90 million students with

varied academic, economic and cultural backgrounds.

While the successful, well-equipped and competitive

institutions of open learning in the advanced countries

are merrily marching ahead under the banner of

globalization, the under-fed institutions in the

developing countries stand at a cross road. This book

provides an incisive analysis and critical perspective on

the factors affecting developments of open distance

learning in developing countries.

Kumar, Shailendra (2003) European Li brari es in the

New M ill ennium (V-Book), SoftLink Asia: New

Delhi, ISBN: 81-88797-00-6

A practical and easy to use V-book CD package, this

book guides the reader through the video, images and

scrolling text of library organization and technology

supported activities. The one hour and twenty minutes

hypermedia CD presents actual set-up of library and

information centres, LIS education and step-by-step

orientation of library and use of information

technology. It is one of first of its kind in India.

Panda, Santosh (ed) (2003) Planni ng and

Management in D istance Education, Kogan Page:

London ISBN: 0-7494-4068-6

Distance education and training is being adopted

throughout the world as a cost-effective, flexible

answer to widening access for all. The book provides

critical reflections, experiences and research on how to

balance quality management and quality learning.

Topics covered include: policy and planning,

institutional management, management of processes,

quality assurance and accreditations and

internationalization.

Albalooshi, Fawzi (Ed) (2003) Virtual Education:

Cases in Learn ing and Teaching Technologies,IRM

Press: Hershey ISBN: 1-931777-39-XAdvances in technology are making virtual education a

force for use in today's universities. And, the further

technology advances and changes, the more

opportunities and requirements there are within

organizations to implement and adopt the technologies

in support of the on-going mission to create effective

and efficient environments. This book examines the

challenges and issues that universities face when

implementing and utilizing virtual education

technologies.

A recent survey by The Sloan Consort ium

reports the fol lowing finding s:

Over 1.6 million students took at least one

online course during Fall 2002.

Over one-third of these students (578,000)

took all of their courses online.

Among all U.S. higher education students inFall 2002, 11 percent tool at least one online

course.

Among those students at institutions where

online courses were offered, 13 percent took

at least one online course.

The number of students taking at least one

online course is projected to increase by 19.8

percent over the one-year period from Fall

2002 to Fall 2003, to include a total of 1.9

million students.

Eighty-one percent of all institutions of higher

education offer at least one fully online or

blended course.

Complete online degree programs are offered

by 34 percent of the institutions.

A majority of academic leaders (57 percent)

already believe that the learning outcomes for

online education are equal to or superior to

those of face-to-face institution.

Source: Allen, I. E. and Seaman, J. (Sept. 2003) Sizing the

Opportunity: The quality and Extent of Online Education in the

United States, 2002 and 2003. Olin Way, Needham: Sloan-C

Onl ine Education in the U.S.


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11

networking whichwill enhancewomen's

participation in

the information economy,especially in the developing world.

There were over three hundredparticipants attending the Forum,most from developing countries.Through support provided by COLand its partners, GKP, IDRC, theCanadian InternationalDevelopment Agency (CIDA) andinfoDev, many women from

developingregions of theCommonwealth were enabledto attend the

Forum, andcontribute tothe

proceedings.All expressed their thanks andappreciation for the opportunity togain and share knowledge andexperiences through the

presentations and discussions.Source: http://www.col.org/wdd/

UkeU Courses inMalyasiaInti Management Services Sdn Bhd(IMS) and UK eUniversities

Worldwide Limited(UKeU) have signed amemorandum ofagreement (MoA) tomarket and support theonline provision ofdegree courses from

British universities. With theagreement, IMS will be UKeU'saccredited partner for Malaysia inoffering online degree courses fromrenowned universities in Britain.

A government-backed company,

UKeU brings together leading-edgeinformation and communicationstechnologies via the Internet andWorld Wide Web to deliverinteractive, managed-learningenvironments globally. Designedfor individuals and students whodesire to pursue their professionaldevelopment, the alliance will setthe pathway for the introduction of

four programmes -- MSc in Tourismand Travel Management from theUniversity of Nottingham, MSc inBiomedical Science from theUniversity of Ulster, MSc inInformation Technology andManagement from Sheffield HallamUniversity, and MSc in ComputerScience from the University ofHertfordshire.

IMS centre director Yee Wee Chunsaid more programmes were beinglined up and that the synergisticlinkage between IMS and UKeUwill provide Malaysians with widerchoice and flexibility to further theireducation.Source: http://star-techcentral.com

Prof. V. S. Prasadat NAACThe National Assessment andAccreditation Council (NAAC), aregistered society of the UniversityGrants Commission (UGC),

responsible formonitoring andmaintainingstandards andaccreditation ofcolleges anduniversities inIndia, has Prof. V.S. Prasad as itsnew Director.

Prof. Prasad brings decades ofexperience to this position,including more than 30 years asteachers in the higher educationsystem in India. Prior to thisassignment, he was Vice-Chancellorof Dr. B. R.Ambedkar OpenUniversity at Hyderabad, and actingVice-Chancellor of the IndiraGandhi national Open University,

New Delhi. Through his writingsand research, Prof. Prasad hasemerged as a thinker, scholar and

administrator with a vision forquality higher education in therecent past. Readers may recall thathe contributed the Guest Column ofthe last issue of EduComm AsiaonQuality Higher Education. Wecongratulate Prof. Prasad, and wishhim all the best in his newassignment.

Forum on ICTs &Gender:OptimisingOpportunities,Kuala LumpurCOL, the Global KnowledgePartnership (GKP), Canada's

International DevelopmentResearch Centre (IDRC), theInternational TelecommunicationsUnion and the Government ofMalaysia (Ministry of Energy,Communications and Multimedia,the Ministry of Women and FamilyDevelopment and the MalaysianCommunications and MultimediaCommission) organised aninvitational forum on ICTs and

gender at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysiafrom 20-23 August 2003.

Participation at this event was byinvitation only. Topics included theareas of "Confidence & Security inthe Use of ICTs", "Health &Education","SME/Entrepreneurship" and"Rural & Disadvantaged Groups".Several other agencies alsosupported the Forum. The Forum

brought together public, private andnot-for-profit stakeholders for the

purpose of creating awarenessabout and a greater appreciation ofthe gender-related barriers that existin developing and developedcountries, to discuss strategies forovercoming these barriers, and todevelop an understanding of whywomen need access to ICTs. It isanticipated that the awareness andappreciation will translate into

policies that support women'saccess to ICTs, as well as


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12

The Internet and its World Wide Web has become agreat source of information. However, finding qualityand reliable information is still a problem. In thisissue we focus on Free Electronic Journals onEducation and r elated areas. We hope these linkswould be useful to you in design and developments ofelectronic discussion groups. All the links wereworking fine at the time of going to the press.

The AASA Professor:

Academe:

Academic Leadership:

Australian Educational Computing:

Australian Journal of Educational Technology:

Canadian Journal of EducationalAdministration and Policy:

Canadian Journal of Learning andTechnology:

Converge:

Current Issues in Education:

Education Policy Analysis Archives:

Educational Researcher:

Educational Technology and Society:

Electronic Journal of Science Education:

http://www.aasa.org/publications/tap/index.htm

http://www.aaup.org/publications/Academe/

http://www.academicleadership.org/

http://www.acce.edu.au/journal/

http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet.html

http://www.umanitoba.ca/publications/cjeap/

http://www.cjlt.ca

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/converge/

http://cie.asu.edu/index.html

http://epaa.asu.edu/

http://www.aera.net/pubs/er/

http://ifets.ieee.org/periodical/

http://www.eastern.edu/publications/emme/

Interactive Multimedia Electronic Journal ofComputer-Enhanced Learning:

International Education Journal:

International Review of Research in Open andDistance Learning:

Journal of Career and Technical Education:

Journal of Educational Enquiry:

Journal of Interactive Media in Education:

Journal of Research for Educational Leaders:

Journal of Scholarship of Teaching andLearning:

Journal of Special Education Technology:

Networks: An On-line Journal for TeacherResearch:

New Horizons for Learning Online Journal:

Practical Assessment, Research andEvaluation:

T.H.E. Journal:

Teacher Magazine:

Training Journal:

Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education:

Compiled from the World Wide Web by Sanjaya Mishra, PhD

http://imej.wfu.edu/

http://wwwed.sturt.flinders.edu.au/iej/

http://www.irrodl.org/

http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JCTE/

http://www.education.unisa.edu.au/JEE/

http://www-jime.open.ac.uk/

http://www.uiowa.edu/~jrel/

http://titans.iusb.edu/josotl/

http://jset.unlv.edu

http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/~ctd/networks/

http://www.newhorizons.org/journal/newjournal.htm

http://edresearch.org/pare/Home.htm

http://www.thejournal.com/

http://www.teachermagazine.org/

http://www.trainingjournal.com/

http://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/

Encouraging

Doctoral Research in Media

In order to promote doctoral research in educational media,

CEMCA invites research scholars to undertake research on

utilization of educational media, and in various other areas of

media and learning. A modest funding will be given to cover

survey and report writing work. Registered research scholars

are requested to apply in the application format, which can be

available from theDirector, CEMCA

Educational Media

ConsultantsCEMCA is in the process of

developing a database of Educational

Media Consultants in the region to

p r o m o t e t h e e x c h a n g e o f

professionals and utilise the expertise

available within the region. For

inclusion in the database send your

resume to Director, CEMCA or register

online at http://www.cemca.org.


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13

George Siemens

This is the second and last partof the Technolog y TrackingonBlogging. This second partshould be read along with thePart 1 published in June 2003issue of EduComm As ia .

Getting StartedThe best way to learn to blog is to

blog. Fortunately, getting started isfairly simple. Three main options

exist: hosted,remote server, anddesktop. A hosted service is theeasiest and quickest way to start.Services like Bloggerallow newusers to set up an account (for freeor a premium version for $35 peryear) and begin posting literally ina matter of minutes. Blogger canhost the blog, or the user can postto his/her own site. A remotelyinstalled blog is perhaps the mostinvolved to setup. Movabletypeallows users to install on a server(free for non-commercial, $150 forcommercial). Some technical skillsare required to configure the blog

and database. Documentation,however, is excellent forMovabletype. Installation is alsooffered for a fee. Desktop blog

programs are installed on a user'scomputer, and posts are thenuploaded to a host. RadioUserlandis a desktop program for$35.95, which includes hosting andupgrades for a year. Start up

process for desktop blogs is almostas simple as hosted services likeBlogger.Blogger, Movabletype, and Radio

Userland are only a sampling ofavailable blog programs.Webcrimson(http://webcrimson.com),greymatter(http://www.noahgrey.com/greysoft/), Drupal (http://www.drupal.org),and Tinderbox(http://www.eastgate.com/Tinderbo

x/) are also available. For acomplete listing of blog resources,visit Blogrootshttp://www.blogroots.com/resources.blog).

Once your blog has been setup,you're ready to start blogging!Getting your blog noticed takessome time...but linking to other

bloggers, posting comments ontheir sites, engaging in dialogue,and "pinging" (an option availableon most blogs) sites like Weblogs

(http://www.weblogs.com) help toincrease recognition. How toPubl ici ze Your B log(http://www.blogger.com/howto/pu

blicize.pyre) offers some greatconcepts for increasing readership.Interesting, provocative writing,however, is the best way to getnoticed.

Examples

Reading other blogs is an excellentway to learn - not only about thecontent being blogged, but aboutthe process of blogging. Selecting avariety of blogs and writing stylesaffords a broad perspective of howto use the medium. Some bloggersof note:

News: Scripting News(http://www.scripting.com)

Links/Commentary:elearnspaceblog(http://www.elearnspace.org/cgi-bin/elearnspaceblog/) ,OLDaily(http://www/dpwnes.ca/news/OLDaily.htm)

Editorial: InstaPundit(http://www.instapundit.com)

Technology: Bluetooth(http://bluetooth.weblogs.com)

New Media/journalism:Hypergene Media Blog(http://www.hypergene.net/blog/weblog.php)

Audio: Audioblog News(http://radio.weblogs.com/0100368)

Education: SchoolBlogs(http://www.schoolblogs.com)

This sampling of blogs reveals animportant issue: blogs are used as atool (replacement?) for virtuallyevery type of traditional media,communication, and interaction.

Blogs have infiltrated broad areas ofthe Internet and appear to be poisedfor significant, "overnight" successand adoption. Where the Internet isabout availability of information,

blogging is about makinginformation creation available toanyone.

How to blog

Writing effective blogs is similar toeffective writing for traditionalmedia. While sentence construction,

basic grammar, and spelling areimportant, bloggers are often moreconcerned about communicatingconcepts. Writing rules areemployed (and broken) to thedegree that they support effectivecommunication of a message.However, some differences do exist.Traditional writing is audiencefocused. Bloggers often write

primarily for themselves or for asmall group - as a way of organizingthoughts, sharing information, orcreating a personal resource of links(as compared to a monolithic"Favorites" folder). The Internet isalso more dynamic and media-richthan traditional media. Bloggers canincorporate audio, video,

animations, andpictures...hyperlinks are also used tocreate connections betweeninformation and ideas.The following is a list of guidelinesfor beginning bloggers:1. Start.As stated earlier, blogging

is best learned by blogging...andby reading other bloggers.So...start.

2. Know your motivation.Whyare you blogging? What do youhope to achieve?

3. Link.The heart of blogging islinking...linking andcommenting. Connecting and

communicating - the purpose ofthe Internet.

4. Experiment.Developing awriting style is an evolutionary

process. Try differentapproaches and formats untilyou find one that fits yourmessage, audience, and personalmotivations.

5. Use life and your experiences ayour "idea generation" file.

The Ar t of Bl ogging - Par t 2Getting Star ted, "How To", Tools, Resources


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14

6. Get an opinion.Then expressit.

7. Express your personality...letyour humour, your perspectiveon life, and your values shine inyour writing.

8. Post regularly.This isimportant - readers drop off/loseinterest with irregular blogs(syndication and aggregatorsallow blog readers to stay intouch with infrequently updated

blogs - more on that in thesection "Extending Blogs").

9. Keep writing clearandconcise. Avoid jargon...bututilize the unique aspects of themedium (visual, links, sound).Focus on communication(function) before form.

10. Write for a reason, notrecognition. Most bloggers havesmall audiences. Satisfaction isderived from the writing

process, not the audienceresponse.

Tools & Resources for

Blogging

As you progress in blogging, youmay find increased interest inadditional tools to enhance your

blog. Many resources areavailable...and the listis

expandingcontinually.Here's afewresources toconsider:

eatonweb - Extensive resourcepage, including definitions,tools, books, and courses

Microcontent News - Covers:"the microcontent sector:weblogs, Webzines, emaildigests, and personal

publishing.. as well as howweblogs combine to form the

Blogosphere." Blogroots - An excellent

resource listing tools,accessories, directories, and

books Blogging Software Roundup -

You can get lost in this list!Lots of information

Weblogs Compendium - Tools- Extensive list of blog tools

elearnspace - blogs - Listingof blog resources and articles

Library Weblogs - Link-richresource, focused, but notlimited to, libraries

Weblog to Moblog - Niceoverview article of mobile

blogs Code of Ethics - Short article

addressing an importantconsideration for all bloggers- ethics

History of Weblogs - See alsoDave Winer'stake on bloghistory

Extending Blogs -

Aggregating

A few days (or even hours!) ofsearching the blogosphere can

overwhelm newcomers. Theamount of information is incredible.How can a user keep track ofvarious blogs? It seems impossibleto stay in touch with more than ahand full of bloggers each day.Fortunately, a solution exists tosimplify the process of readinglarge numbers of blogs: RSS (rich(or RDF) site summary). Somearticles detailing RSS/syndicationand aggregators:

"RSS is a way of creating abroadcast version of a blog or newspage. Anyone who has frequently

updated content and is willing to letothers republish it can create theRSS file. Typically calledsyndication, the RSS file is anXML formatted file that can beused at other sites or by other

intermediary software such as newsaggregators. The originalincarnation was to use RSS toinclude several headlines on a

personalized portal page. But an

RSS feed can also be easily pulledinto other functions, such as anaggregator."

The Blog Realm: RSS,Aggregators, and Reading the BlogFantastic(http://www/infotoday.com/online/nov02/OnTheNet.htm)"Content developers make theirRSS files available by placing them

on their web server. In this way, RSSaggregators are able to read theRSS files and therefore to collectdata about the website. Theseaggregators place the site

information into a larger databaseand use this database to allow forstructured searches of a largenumber of content providers.Because the data is in XML, and nota display language like HTML, RSSinformation can be flowed into alarge number of devices. In additionto being used to create newssummary web pages, RSS can be fedinto stand-alone news browsers orheadline viewers, PDAs, cell

phones, email ticklers and evenvoice updates. The strength of RSSis its simplicity. It is exceptionallyeasy to syndicate website content

using RSS. It is also very easy to useRSS headline feeds, either byviewing a news summary web pageor by downloading one of many freeheadline viewers. Though most RSSfeeds list web based resources,several feeds link to audio files,video files and other multimedia."

An Introduction to RSS forEducational Designers(http://www/downes.ca/files/RSS_Educ.doc)

Through the use of RSS, bloggerscan keep up to date with a large

number of blogs. The link to theRSS file can simply be added to anaggregator. The aggregator thensearches the RSS files and generatesa page listing posts and topics sincethe last visit. A user can view largeamounts of news/information in avery short period of time.

Conclusion

The simplest innovations are oftenthe most effective in responding toground swells of trends and change.The potency of the blog

phenomenon is two fold: perfect

match for its medium and ease ofuse.

George Siemens, an instructor at Red RiverCollege (http://www.rrc.mb.ca) in Winnipeg,

Manitoba, Canada. He can be reached [email protected]. Published withpermission from elearnspace.org sitemaintained by the author. Original versioncan be found athttp://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/blogging_part_2.htm.


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15

New PublicationEducational BroadcastingResearch Toolki t has been

published by CEMCA forimproving the quality ofeducational broadcasting

programmes in the Commonwealthcountries in general and the AsianRegion in particular. The toolkitincludes the following:

A monograph entitled Know

Your Audience: A manual forEducational MediaResearchers by Usha V. Reddi

andJagdish Singh; and

Seven Media Research Capsules

The media research capsules are:

MRC-1: Pre-Production ResearchbyMira B. AghiMRC-2: Prototype ProductionResearch by D.Rukmini VemrajuMRC-3: Feedback Research andmonitoring of Broadcasts bySunil MishraMRC-4: Critical Review of ExitingMaterials vis--vis the ProjectObjectives byArbind SinhaMRC-5: Experimental ResearchMethod in Media Research by

Akshilesh Kumar SinghMRC-6: Action Research andParticipatory Research by

Usha V. Reddi andJagdish SinghMRC-7: Monitoring Utilization ofthe Broadcasts and StudyingFactors Affecting Utilization by

Abhilasha Kumari

The toolkit is targeted to thoseinstitutions that have a need toknow, but do not have the resourcesand luxury of time to commissionexpensive market research firms. Itis designed to be useful as much forthe experienced media researcher asfor the beginners; for a large mediahouse and even for a small outfilwith a handful of staff.

To receive copies of theEducational Broadcasting ResearchToolkit,send your request toDirector, CEMCA [email protected]

Staff NewsMr. DalipKumar Tetri

joinedCEMCA asHead,Administration

& Finance inJuly 2003.

He holds aMaster's Degree in Arts from HPUniversity, Shimla, Post GraduateDiploma in Distance Educationfrom Indira Gandhi National OpenUniversity and Professionalqualifications of Subordinate

Accounts Services and RevenueAudit Examination from theComptroller & Auditor General ofIndia.

He brings with him a versatileexperience of 36 years in the IndianAudit & Accounts Department, theMinistry of Communications,Government of India and the IndiraGandhi National Open University(IGNOU). Prior to joining CEMCA,he was working with IGNOU asJoint Registrar, and played a

pioneering role in designing,developing and implementingsystems in the Finance & Accountsdivision. He has contributedChapters to the Manuals ofOperations for Regional and Study

center functionaries and framed aScheme for Decentralization ofOperations to Regional centers. Healso contributed extensively inorganizing and conducting training

programmes for the benefit ofheadquarters and Regional/Studycenters' staff.

Mr. Nimal T.Fernandocompleted histerm asProgrammeOfficer

(BroadcastMedia) atCEMCA and

left for Sri Lanka at the end ofJune 2003.

Dr. SanjayaMishra,ProgrammeOfficer atCEMCA alsocompleted histerm at CEMCAand joined backStaff training

and ResearchInstitute ofDistance Education at IGNOU inJuly 2003.

We at CEMCA wish both of them abright future.


16/24

16

accuracy of the data. Researchbecomes cost effectiveness andpractical.

Action Orientation

The methodologies generallyincorporate methods and techniquesfor translating the knowledgegained into practical decisions andfeasible courses of action.

Parti cipatory Process

Since these are participatory bydefinition, there is emphasis on

involvement of local stakeholdersand the professional researchers and

planners in a joint learning process.The method aims at empoweringthe participants and enabling themin the process of collectiveinformation gathering, discussionand decision-making, while alsoencouraging and supporting them inundertaking appropriate action.

Redefin ing the Roles

The professional becomes more asa facilitator and less an expert.Working methods are selected andmodified to become appropriate forthe community.

Non-random Sampling

Instead of choosing respondents toaccount for all variation in the

population, PRA methodologiesaim at limited, non-random,common sense coverage of therespondents in most cases in so faras it can include types of users andnon-users of the programme.

PRA Methodologies

Some common PRA techniques are:social mapping, historical mapping,rapid social orientation profile,group brainstorming, ranking

exercises, focus group discussion,etc. We discuss each one of themhere to elaborate how you can usethem.

Social MappingIt is especially useful for providingan overview of the local situationsuch as geographical distribution ofenvironmental, demographic, socialand economic and developmental

features in the territory. It is alsohelpful in monitoring and evaluatingchanges in the community (e.g.adoption of improved practices,distribution of social resources likeschools and health units, etc.) and inthe use of natural resources.

Steps in Using the Techni que

Start with collective discussionamong a group of thecommunity about the subjectand the purpose of the mappingexercise.

Agree on the graphic symbols tobe used. Allow the participantsto choose their own symbols.

Ask a participant (or a group ofparticipants who may volunteerthemselves) to draw their ownmap and help them improve

upon it. Purchased maps oraerial photographs can also beused.

Let a participant plot symbolsaccording to the suggestions ofthe group in relation to the issueunder investigation. (Forexample, asking people toindicate on the village mapwhere the drain or hand pumpsor forest areas are).

Promote participation of allgroup members by posingindividual questions anddiscussing different opinions

and perceptions. Once the map is finalized, it can

become a starting point todiscuss, identify main problemsrevealed by the map, and askthem about possible solutionswithin the locally availableresources.

This exercise is helpful in providingpeople a broad overview of thesituation, seeing links, patterns andinter-relationships in their territory.Individuals who are non-literate canalso participate.

H istorical Mapping

In historical mapping a series ofmapping exercises are done to

portray the demographic and naturalresources situation of thecommunity at different moments ofits history say 20 years ago, at the

present time and what is expectedafter 20 years or so in future.

Introducing the time dimension inthe method helps to provide

Jagdish Singh

In this issue of EduCommA s i a in the section ofSu cce ss fu l Me d i a An dR e s e a r c h T e c h n i q u e s(SMART), we present to yousome tips to undertakeparticipatory approach in yourresearch works.

Introduction

Participatory Rapid Appraisal(PRA) methodologies are agrowing family of tools, whichemphasize quick qualitativemethods for gathering timelyinformation for programme

planning, implementation andevaluation. Used with the

participation of the beneficiarypopulations, these tools serve asuseful aids to assist planners assessthe relevance of a project orexercise in a field setting.

As against conventional research,the idea of using PRAmethodologies is to gather

information not for its own sake,but to take steps towards possiblesolutions and affectingimprovements by responsible

participation of the people. Thesemethodologies are, therefore, attimes, referred to as 'actionresearch' or 'participatory learningand action' too.

Features of PRA

Local F ocus

The focus is on the felt needs of thecommunity and local institutions.The PRA methodologies are usedto identify issues directlyexperienced and explicitlyacknowledged as problems orneeds by the people who areinvolved in the process.

Qui ck Research

There is emphasis on gatheringquick information in a systematicmanner. Timelines and user-friendliness of research anddecision-making techniques aremore important than precision and

Using Participator y RapidAppr aisal (PRA) Methodol ogies


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evidence of changes that haveoccurred and expected trends, andthus pave a way to discuss andidentify determinants (such as ofenvironmental degradation,

population growth, etc.) andconsider suitable means of

balancing the situation. Adding atime dimension also assists in theidentification of spin off effects ofan intervention.


A map of the currentdemographic andenvironmental situation, as thecase may be, is drawn with the

participation of the people.

With the help of the oldermembers of the community, thesame exercise is repeated to

show the situation as it existedin the past say about 20 yearsago.

The two maps are comparedand discussed (using suchtechniques as brainstorming,group discussion) tocollectively identify majorchanges and their causes.

Based on the list of changes andcauses, a prospective map isdrawn by the participants toshow the picture 20 years aheadif the current trends continue.

This can be used to discuss andidentify potential means foraddressing the problem (such asenvironmental degradation and

population growth)

Rapid Social Or ientationProfileEvery community has groupsengaged in useful activities such asself-help groups, credit society, co-operative society, and culturalgroup, radio/TV club etc. Thesegroups can be explored asresources in relation to a particulardevelopment project (e.g. health,gender sensitization, incomegeneration, etc.).


The community members may beencouraged to collect informationof the different social groups. The

participating members may first beassisted to prepare a matrix or aschedule containing relevantcategories to collect information ina systematic manner. Some usefulcategories could be as under:

Name of the group

Size

Gender of the members

Age groups

Admission rules/conditions andfee, if any

Activities

Achievements

Period of start of the group

Location

Link persons in the group

After completing the matrix in thefield, a discussion can lead to anexploration of the ways the groupscan prove relevant to the projectactivities.

Group Br ainstormingIt is a technique to elicit multiple

perceptions of a given issue. Thediscussion that follows can helpfind the basis for a consensusamong group members andcapsuling the common ideas in theform of a list.


The issue to be discussed isintroduced by the facilitator isthe form of an open-endedquestion. The facilitator avoidsopening statements that areleading and can bias the ideas ofthe participants.

The key question is written on

the black board or on a flip-chart.

Participants are asked toprovide short answers.

Stress that all ideas are goodideas and would be welcome.Avoid arguments among themembers. Encourage freshideas.

Each participant is allowed toexpress his/her view. No

participant is allowed todominate.

Pick the basic point out of theparticipant statements, and writeit down on the black board.

Review the results with thegroup. Remove duplicateditems. Club groups of similarideas.

Highlight differences of opinionand discuss to achieveconsensus.

Keep the brainstorming sessionshort (less than an hour) whichdoes not tire the participants.

It requires understanding of thegroup dynamics on the part of thefacilitator to keep the discussion ontrack as well as good mediation andsummarizing skills.

Ranki ng ExercisesRanking exercises are a way toenable people to express their

preferences and priorities about agiven issue. This technique alsogenerates insights about the criteriathrough which different individualsmake decisions about their

preferences.


Make a list of the items to beprioritized. This could comefrom interviewing, groupdiscussion or brainstormingexercises.

Define a simple rankingmechanism. This may be basedon a pair-wise comparison ofitems, asking the participants toselect one out of the two. Ideally,for this items should not be morethan six for manageable numberof pairs. Another way is to writeeach item on a separate card andasking the participants to sortcards in order of preference. Yetanother way is to list the itemsand asking the participants toassign a score to different items.

Ask the participants to explain

the criteria on which they madethe choice

Prepare a matrix on whichpreferences given by theparticipants are marked. Workout the frequency or scoreagainst each item.

Carry out a quantitative analysisof the ranking scores andinterpret the findings in relationthe criteria of choice.

Use the analysis to promotediscussion and consensus amongthe participants.

Focus Group Di scussions

These are semi-structureddiscussions with a small group of

persons sharing common interestsand concerns (e.g. women ofreproductive age, dry land farmers,

beneficiaries of a health centre, etc.).A few specific, open-endedquestions are used to start and focusthe discussion. A series of suchdiscussions with different groupsgive a fair idea about the felt needs,


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perceptions, attitudes, etc. of thepeople, and preliminary ideas aboutpossible solutions.


Design a guide for thediscussion on a topic, listingrelevant questions in their

proper sequence.

Decide on the number of focusgroups, each of 6-10 membersrepresenting key opposingcategories (e.g. men andwomen, big and small landholders, etc.). Additional groupsessions may be organized if theissue is not settled or somegroups do not function well.

Select appropriate facilitators,who may match on gender, age,interest, vernacular languageability, etc.

Select a second person to takenotes, as verbatim as possible,during the discussion. Considerusing a tape recorder, ifavailable and the members haveno objection.

Explain the purpose of thesession, and pose the topic fordiscussion.

Use relevant probing questionsto extract ideas.

Moderate the discussion to keepit focused.

Encourage each member to

express his/her idea, anddissuade the talkative ones todominate the discussion.

Analyze the discussion and

summarize the main points,giving key statements of theparticipants.

This information may be useddirectly, or as a basis for collectingadditional information throughsurveys, interviews, case studies,etc.

Strengths, Weaknesses,Opportuni ties andLimitations (SWOL)AnalysisA variation of the much usedSWOT analysis, the SWOLanalysis is a tool for brainstorming

aimed at eliciting group perceptionsof the positive factors (strengths),the negative factors (weaknesses),the possible improvements(opportunities), and the constraints(limitations), related to a project oran issue.

Steps in Using the Technique

A four-column matrix isprepared on the blackboard or aflip chart.

The four judgment categoriesare explained to the participants

The facilitator starts thebrainstorming by asking a key

question about the strengths

The key statements in theresponses are written down inthe relevant column.

Similarly, the group alsoidentifies weaknesses,opportunities and limitations.

In case contradictory statementsare forwarded about an issue, thefacilitator works toward asolution before it is placed in thematrix.

SWOL is a good technique tostimulate the participants to thinkabout an issue in a holistic manner,and build consensus within thegroup.These are a few common PRAmethodologies. More can be

devised or improvised dependingupon the people, the situation andthe nature of the project. The ideashould be to collect relevant,reliable and quick information withthe active participation of the

people. In the process, the partnersof the research should feelempowered and responsible to takeactions towards possiblesolutions.

Reference: Barton, Tom (1997) Guidelines tomonitoring and evaluation; how are wedoing? CARE International in Uganda.

Dr. Jagdish Singh is a Consultant atCEMCA, New Delhi.

three awards forinstitutionalexcellence. Theawards recognise

significant institutionalachievements in the innovative andeffective application of learningtechnologies and open and distancelearning (ODL) methodologies toreach students who might otherwisenot have participated in thelearning or training experience.

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

FOR DISTANCE EDUCATIONMATERIALSThis award recognises excellencein distance education materials

produced by publicly funded ornot-for-profit organisations ofCommonwealth countries. Thereare two categories under thisaward:Category A:materials as part of adistance education

course/programme andCategory B:multi-media materialssupporting non-formal education.

In 2004, COL will present up tothree awards in each category. Thedistance education materials inCategory A may support courses or

programmes at any level of studyacross all sectors of education andtraining, from basic education totertiary education includingcontinuing professionaldevelopment. Multi-media materials

under Category B should be stand-alone materials for informal/non-formal education. They would notnormally be offered for anyaccreditation.

AWARD RECOGNISINGDISTANCE LEARNINGEXPERIENCEIn 2004, COL will present oneaward for excellence in distance

Excellence inDistanceEducationAwards 2004COL's Excellence in DistanceEducation Awards (EDEA)includes four categories,

acknowledging excellenceoccurring at the overall institutionallevel, in the development oflearning materials, of a lifetime'swork as an educator and in studentaccomplishment.

AWARD OF EXCELLENCEFOR INSTITUTIONALACHIEVEMENT

In 2004, COL will present up to


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learning experience. This categorywas developed to provide a forumfor the expression of studentexperience in learning through

distance education. Submissionsdescribing a distance educationlearning experience, that has beennotable for any reason, are invited.In recognition of the winningsubmission, a travel grant(economy class) and registrationfee may be awarded to one studentfrom a Commonwealth country toattend the Pan-CommonwealthForum on Open Learning inDunedin, New Zealand, from 4 to 8July 2004. Eligibility is limited tocitizens of Commonwealthcountries.

HONORARY FELLOWS OFCOLThe designation of HonoraryFellow of COL recognisesoutstanding individualcontributions to distance educationin the following categories:leadership/service, published works(including courseware),lectures/presentations,international/national presence andmentorship.Consideration is normally limitedto citizens of Commonwealthcountries and designations are for

life. COL does not seeknominations for this award.

Details regarding submission ofnominations for awards in variouscategories are available athttp://www.col.org/edea/

GATE is part ofUSDLAJonesInternational(TM), Ltd.announced on 12

August 2003 that it isdonating the GlobalAlliance forTransnationalEducation (GATE) tothe United StatesDistance Learning

Association (USDLA). GATE is aJones International subsidiaryfounded in 1995 by Glenn R. Jonesto address issues relating to quality

assurance in transnationaleducation. "The USDLA is thesource on distance education," saidJones. "We are transferring theownership of GATE to the USDLA

because it is a quality organizationthat has demonstrated thecommitment and has theinfrastructure to forward GATE'smission."

When GATE was formed, therewere no organizations of its kindaddressing the unique issues relatedto cross-border education, such asstandards for its consistency.Annual GATE conferences broughttogether an international alliance of

business, higher education andgovernment leaders to share best

practices for furthering the

globalization of all education.Today, the GATE accreditation

process and principles fortransnational education have

become measures of qualityassurance for institutions of highereducation operating across national

borders. Quality assurance,networking and multinationalorganizations worldwide haveadopted GATE's mission of

promoting access to qualityeducation around the globe.

"The USDLA is very pleased tocarry on the work Jones began with

the founding of GATE. On adomestic and international basis,USDLA will ensure that the higheststandards of excellence for distancelearning are available, said Dr.John Flores, Executive Director ofthe USDLA. In the past GATE hasgranted accreditation to sucheducational institutions as MonashUniversity in Melbourne, Australia;Tomsk Polytechnic University inTomsk, Russia; and UniversidadRegiomontana in Monterrey,Mexico. Once GATE has become

part of the USDLA, Jones

International University(R)(JIU(TM))--the first fully online,accredited university, with studentsin 70 countries--will be seekingGATE accreditation (JIU receivedits U.S. accreditation in 1999 fromthe Higher Learning Commission, amember of the North CentralAssociation).Source: http://www.businesswire.comSee also: http://www.edugate.org/http://www.usdla.org/

ISSN 0972-284X

is published quarterly by

CommonwealthEducational MediaCentre for Asia(CEMCA).

CEMCA, a centre ofThe Commonwealth of Learning(COL) Vancouver, Canada, is an

international agency.

CEMCA's mission is to promote theapplication of media and technology

in education in AsianCommonwealth countries.For more

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visit us at :52, Tughlakabad Institutional Area,

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please call us at:+91 11 29955730+91 11 26056965

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presented as apresidentialaddress,emphasises upon

the social need to expandeducational opportunities,technological developments andstrong political will in institutionalexpansion. By confessing BRAOUtravel from first to best university,he also referred to other sister ODLinstitutional wisdom, such asIGNOU and state OpenUniversities. He says, Thesituation is competitive and inknowledge society only a learningorganization can survive (p. 3).

C. Subba Rao in his paperpresented as inaugural address --Towards Integration of Systems of

Learning for Excellence in HigherEducation, focuses on AndhraPradesh Consortium of DistanceEducation (APCODE) and theSWOT (Strengths, Weakness,Opportunities and Threats) report.He also stresses on sharing ofresources by networking, the needfor a dialogue forum on what openuniversities are doing to tell the

people around.

The paper on 'Managing paradigmshift: parameters and benchmarksfor best practices in Open andDistance Education' by Prof. Ram.G. Takwale has reviewed broad

areas of higher education in India,its historical process along with itsclassification. The focus ofattention in his paper is on ICT as adriving force, curriculum, delivery,transform

virtual education plan developing countries khan

Documents