Transcript PowerPoint Presentation - USPNet 2000: towards technolog

USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
Using Cutting-Edge
Telecommunications for distance
education: the case of the USPNet
at the University of the South
Pacific
Professor Rajesh Chandra
Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Chairman, Distance and Flexible Learning Committee
Chairman, Communications and Information
Technology Committee
USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
Outline of the Presentation
 ICT
and Education: the fundamental role
of ICT and education in the creation and
enhancement of the knowledge
economy/society--general remarks
 USP at a glance
 Distance education at USP
 USPNet: using cutting edge technologies
 Current limitations and future plans
USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
ICT and Education
ICT has both tremendous potential to help the
education sector as well as needing the education
sector for its growth and development
 The Pacific islands lag behind the more
progressive developing countries in applying ICT
to education and health, and generally in making
their economies more productive and competitive
 The Ministers of Telecommunications adopted a
Regional ICT Policy and Action Plan in April this
year (2002)

USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
ICT and Education-Continued
This policy framework provides a good basis for
urgent national action in the ICT area
 (e.g. liberalizing the telecommunications sector
and creating national ICT infrastructure)
 USP is making a major effort to ensure that it
remains at the forefront of ICT both in terms of
teaching related to it, and in making the best use
of ICT in its teaching and other functions

USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
The proposed ICT Centre at USP
To improve its services to the Region and help in
its leadership of ICT, the Fiji Government has
submitted a regional proposal to the
Government of Japan for a major ICT Centre at
USP. Preliminary indications are positive and we
anticipate that this project will be the highlight
of the proposed PALM 2003.
 USP represents the largest and most
sophisticated ICT system in the South Pacific:
useful ICT demonstrator for the Region

USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
The University of the South Pacific
Serving the
Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands,
Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu
USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
USP at a Glance
 Regional
university for 12 countries
 Established in 1968
 Covers area of 33 million km2
 Great pressure to meet urgent human
resource development needs
 Produces over 1,600 graduates per annum
USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
USP at a Glance--Continued
 14,383
students, 51 percent are females
 Student growth at about 10 percent per
annum
 Great pressure to ensure increased access
to education
 Sensitivity to location/decentralization-importance of distance
education/internet/broadcast of lectures
USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
USP ICT
1600 PCs
 1200 PCs connected to the network
 40,000 email messages a day
 5 km of fibre on Laucala and 2 km at Emalus
and Alafua
 Private network that links 12 countries over an
area of about 33 million square kms
 USP is the best demonstration for the region of
what can be done with ICT and how to do it

USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
Distance Education at USP
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We now come to the third part--distance education
Distance education was seen as important from the
beginning: “The University should have an Extramural Department to enable it to carry university
studies to towns and villages through the Region, and to
promote understanding of and affection for the
University in the people of distant places” (Morris
Report, 1966: 48).
UGC has put great emphasis on distance and flexible
learning and teaching and its improvement
USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
Enrolment by on-campus, distance and total number of students, 1968-2002
16000
14000
12000
External
Internal
Total
8000
6000
4000
2000
Year
68
70
72
74
76
78
80
82
84
86
88
90
92
94
96
98
20
00
0
20
02
Number
10000
USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
Distance Education at a Glance
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8728 students, or 61 percent of the total number of
students (14383) study by distance
Programmes offered by distance include continuing
education certificates, Certificate in Foundation
Studies, Certificates in almost all the subject areas
across the five schools
Diplomas, and degree programmes, such as BEd,
BA (various majors and minors), BSc (some courses
only), LLB (all courses upto year 2 are available but
in the next three years, the entire degree will be
available
USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
Distance Education at a Glance
Selected Master courses
 More equitable since participation by females
higher: 57 percent and share of students from
countries other than Fiji is higher than for oncampus students (23 and 32 percent
respectively)
 Fees have been kept low: currently 53 percent
of on-campus fees; projected to reach the same
level in 2010.
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USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
Distance Education at a Glance
Distance education is provided via three
campuses and 14 University Centres, some of
which are expected to be declared campuses in
the near future
 Distance education is being transformed in
terms of its organization and delivery options
 Mainstreaming distance and flexible learning
and teaching: strengthening the one-university,
one system approach
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USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
USPNet was inaugurated
in March 2000 by HE the then
Vice-President of Fiji
USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
What is USPNet?

A private educational telecommunications
system based on a VSAT system owned and
operated by the USP through educational
licences from member countries
 Integrates
all technologies: satellite, PCs,
high speed document readers, telephones,
faxes, advanced control software, and
various e-learning software such Web-CT
USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
USPNet
USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
The USPNet hub-Laucala campus
USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
 It
What Does USPNet Do?
allows the University to support
distance and flexible learning and
teaching by enabling 4 video
broadcasts of lectures at any one
time--can reduce duplication and
make available courses quickly
 It allows reliable audio and
videoconference tutorials for students
USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
USPNet Operation - Video
Video Channels
1
2
3
4
e
a
e
a
l
l
Lecture Broadcast
(Campuses Only)
Received at all Locations
USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
USPNet Allows:

Student Internet access: general access, can also
do Internet courses
Intranet access, with access to on-line resources

Distributed learning resources: the digitization project

Greater student interaction: on-line platforms
allowing for discussion groups, emails, and chats
Data to be transmitted to support teaching,
research and administration
Telephony and faxes to be integrated
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USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
Breaking the Ultimate Tyranny of Distance
Problem of assignment turn-around: airline
schedules
 Experimentation with electronic transmission of
assignment and returns
 Electronic transmission and local printing of
some course materials when Centres run short
 Logging of turn-around times of assignments
and the quality of responses to student work

USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
USPNet Operation
- 64kbps Circuits
USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
USPNet as a Symbol of Transformation
Designed to support a major shift at USP
towards distance and flexible learning
 Strengthens the regional integrity of the USP:
• It supports all member countries with a
common platform and capacity
• Allows Emalus and Alafua Pro VCs and
Heads of School to take part in
management meetings without having to
come to the Laucala campus
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USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
Limitations and Future Plans
Bandwidth Problems
USPNet bandwidth and internet bandwidth
 USPNet bandwidth already stretched, but some
expansion will be relatively cheap
 Internet bandwidth is the bottleneck--was 128
kbps in 2000, doubled in early 2001, now 512
kbps
 To put in perspective, individuals often have 64
kbps accounts--try to imagine all USP staff and
many students sharing 512 kbps!
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USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
Bandwidth Problems (Continued)
 During the day, speeds come down
considerably
 The cost factor--at least five times that
of Australia
 The expansion of internet bandwidth
is crucial
USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
Going Beyond the Centres
 Major
limitation of USPNet is that it
stops at the Centre
 New phase of USPNet development
must address this
 Some experimentation is underway
USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
Upgrading USPNet
Conversion to a full IP platform
 From hierarchy to a flatter structure
 Dealing with political risk: Emalus and Alafua
as possible alternative locations for operations
in times of difficulty
 General increase in the efficiency of the
USPNet
 From narrow-band to broadband
 Staff development is crucial

USPNet: Transforming teaching and
learning at the USP
Linking With Other Networks
 USP is
exploring the idea that USPNet can
be linked with other similar networks to
improve the range of services to member
countries, so is talking with the World
Bank about its Global Development
Learning Network
 Talking with AusAID about the Virtual
Colombo Plan and GDLN
 Talking with Japan about J-Net