RECENT TRENDS IN ACCREDITATION OF OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING DELIVERY SYSTEMS AND

HIGHLIGHTS OF QUALITY ASSURANCE OF THE PAN AFRICAN UNIVERSITY (PAU)

 By: Prof. T.S.A. Mbwette

President PAU Council , Prof. Envir. Eng. (UDSM) & Prof. Envir. Sci. and Techn. (OUT)

e-mails: tsambwette@yahoo.com or tsambwette@gmail.com

PRESENTATION OUTLINE

o Introduction: Definition of Some Termso Recent Trends in Use of Mobile ICT

Deviceso Presentation of Six Principal Modes of

Delivery of ODL in Africao Existing Global and African QA

Frameworkso Achievements of Africa in Development of

QA Systems/Frameworkso Challenges Associated with the six

identified ODL Delivery Systems.

Presentation Outline Contd….

o Brief Historical Overview of PAUo Objectives of Establishment of PAUo Overall Purpose of PAUo Highlights of the QA Framework of PAUo Some Recommendations on Accreditation

of ODL delivery and QA Framework for PAU

INTRODUCTION

o UNESCO (2015a) defines Distance Education as “Use of specific instructional techniques, resources and media to facilitate learning and teaching between learners and teachers who are separated by time or place

o Maxwell (1995) defined Open Learning to be “A student-centred approach to education that removes all barriers to access while providing a high degree of learner autonomy”

INTRODUCTION Contd…

o Open and Distance Learning (ODL) to be “a mode of educational delivery that utilizes a variety of multi-media technologies including print media to support the learners as well as possible, considering the technological limitations and changes in the immediate environment”

Recent Trends in Use of Mobile Devices

o No matter where one is located in Africa, the delivery of ODL education is evolving from exclusive use of print media (i.e. traditional distance education) to some sort of blended learning in view of the increase in the use of ICT facilities in day to day life as confirmed by the increasing ownership of mobile phones by most remote rural dwellers in Africa.

Recent Trends in Use of Mobile Devices Contd…

o It will be necessary to maximize the use of various mobile ICT devices to make educational delivery much easier to the learners who rely on solar energy as their exclusive source of energy. Such devices ought to be flexible enough to use them in on-line or off-line modes (Nfuka, 2015).

Principal Modes of Delivery of ODL in Africa

o ODL delivery by a local ODL institution to learners who are located in one geographical area within one country that is not very big by African standards.

o ODL delivery to learners located in many different locations within one large country area-wise like Tanzania (945,000 square Kilometres), Sudan or Ethiopia.

Principal Modes of Delivery of ODL in Africa Contd….

o ODL delivery within a region as exemplified by UNISA (South Africa), African Virtual University (AVU) Kenya, Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU), Zimbabwe and Open University of Tanzania (OUT) ,Tanzania.

o These institutions are involved in in-country as well as regional ODL delivery involving cross-boarder operations that at times goes across continents.

Principal Modes of Delivery of ODL in Africa Contd….

o ODL delivery exclusively from an ODL institution headquartered in a country from outside Africa located in a different continent. Examples include RMIT from Australia (see http://www.rmit.edu.au) as well as MIT of USA (http://www.mit.edu).

o ODL education delivery to African learners exclusively by on-line approach. Some of these ODL institutions are accredited and fully recognized. However, at times these courses are delivered by a University that is not even locally accredited back home

Principal Modes of Delivery of ODL in Africa Contd….

o Non-existent, Fake or Rogue institutions that claim to be delivering by ODL mode degree or diploma mills for sale to the unsuspecting learners.

o According to IUCEA (2014), Accreditation is defined as the process of formally recognizing the quality of a Higher Education Institution (HEI) or a programme having met certain pre-determined minimal criteria or standards as established through evaluation by an authorized body.

Accreditation Process Contd…

o Both the regulatory organs and the professional bodies have to be capacitated to understand the ODL system of delivery so as to avoid situations of doing their work out of ignorance.

o If one considers the continent of Africa, AfriQAN has a duty to coordinate all sub-regional and regional organs with respect to quality assurance frameworks.

Cross-Boarder Accreditation

o When ODL universities are involved in cross border delivery in professional disciplines, apart from the complications of recognition by the local regulatory organizations if there is no regional quality assurance framework, learners face constraints associated with lack of co-operation between the respective professional organisations and a lot of time has to be spent to educate them before they recognize the qualifications.

Existing QA Frameworks for ODL Delivery

o Comprehensive and dedicated QA frameworks for ODL delivery have been developed by the following institutions at different times; UNESCO, EADTU, ICDE, ACDE, AAOU and COL.

o The author believes that over time, the preferred delivery mode for both residential and ODL universities will ultimately be “blended” in differing proportions only

Some Achievements : Africa

o To date, Africa has been able to develop its own Quality Assurance toolkit for ODL delivery through the African Council for Distance Education (ACDE) that was developed in 2012/13 following establishment of the ACDE Quality Assurance Agency hosted by NOUN abbreviated (ACDE-QAAA).

o I am pleased that a colleague from NOUN will be presenting the ACDE-QAAA toolkit developed shortly.

Some Achievements : Africa Contd…

o SADC countries have embarked on a capacity building programme for policy decision makers, teachers and planners since the year 2012 and a Centre of Specialisation for ODL in Teacher Education has been established at the OUT.

o A SADC Regional ODL Policy Framework was approved in June 2012 (SADC, 2015) and individual countries are finalising approval of the respective national ODL policies.

Some Achievements : Africa Contd…

o AfriQAN is working to establish a comprehensive African network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Africa.

o The ability of content developed by such African ODL universities like OUT and UNISA as well as the Science materials prepared by African Academicians (coordinated by AVU) to attract international interest demonstrates that where there is a will, there is a way.

Some Challenges

o As regards the enforcement of any continental quality assurance framework, it will be necessary for all the agreements or conventions reached at continental level to be legally backed up at national level through ratification by most member states.

o It is necessary for Africa to take action against any ODL educational institution that that fails to comply with the laid down rules guiding quality assurance and thus leading to the possibility of being banned from operating in Africa

Some Challenges Contd….

o It is necessary for an African-wide body to be charged with the responsibility of updating the list of fake, or unaccredited degrees or other qualifications that are fraudulently awarded publicly or secretly so that such information can be shared widely or become public secrets in order to expose both the recepients and the awardees.

Establishment of PAU

o Objectives of establishment of PAU: Strengthen African Higher Education and

Research address quality; intra-African collaboration; Innovation

and links with industry and the social sectors. Produce a critical mass of high quality

intellectual capital; Make African higher education and research

attractive, globally competitive, and locally relevant; and

Serve as a model for quality education delivery in Africa.

Overall Purpose of PAU

o The overall purpose of establishment of PAU was to promote quality in higher education and research institutions as well as strengthen intra-African collaboration & networking. The PAU will also act as an important catalyst for attainment of the Agenda 2063 Aspirations on the Africa that we want.

EXISTING AND ENVISAGED QUALITY ASSURANCE FRAMEWORK OF PAU

o The four Institutes of PAU that are now operational are located within the four accredited universities that are in turn located in the four zones of the African continent.

o These include, PAUSTI, PAULES, PAUWES and PAUGHSS. The selection and admission of postgraduate students follows the provisions of the existing PAU statutes that require ultimate approval by The Council.

EXISTING AND ENVISAGED QUALITY ASSURANCE FRAMEWORK OF PAU

Contd….

o All course programmes are being offered under close guidance of the quality assurance frameworks of the host universities that were selected competitively.

o The first batch of graduates from PAUSTI in November 2014 already graduated after publishing their research findings and at least two patents went through the process of being registered. This in a way demonstrates the determination of PAU to excel in the next few years.

RECOMMENDATIONS

o Africa is part of the global community and hence all efforts must be made to ensure that the guidelines for quality assurance for ODL delivery are observed by all providers of such education to and from Africa.

o AfriQAN should work with GUNI, ACDE and AAU to facilitate further coordination of the quality assurance framework in Africa to cover the many delivery modes as identified in this paper.

Contd….

o African providers of ODL education outside its borders have to ensure they benchmark their operations with the best in the world in order to stop the belief that Africa is merely a market for content from elsewhwere as proven by OUT & UNISA and the Science materials developed by African academicians through the AVU.

o The Pan African University will soon become an important flagship for cutting edge research and innovation championed by its postgraduate students research, academics in the diaspora as well as post-doctoral research.

 

THE END

o I TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.

o MERCI BEAUCOUP

o MUITO OBRIGADO

o SHUKRAN

o AHSANTE SANA, NAWASHUKURU NYOTE.