Transcript Higher Education,Globalization and Knowledge Societies

Higher Education, Globalization and
Knowledge Societies
Prof.M.M.Pant
Pervasiveness of the Internet
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The Internet is accessible from offices.
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From homes
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From cyber cafés
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At educational Institutes
The plethora of access devices
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The Personal Computer is the Grand Old access
device for the Internet
The Television can also be used
Special Internet and e-mail access devices are
available
Cellular mobile phones have Internet and WAP
access
Personal Digital assistants have Internet Access
Form and Functionality of the
‘Universal Education Access Device’
M.M.Pant
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The basic form factor, an A-4 sheet typical of a
note-book used traditionally for writing
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Can be rolled. pulled back and in many other
ways made compact so that it can be put in a
coat pocket or a ladies purse
Software capabilities
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All Basic office automation software
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Multi-media capabilities ,playing all formats
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Keyboard, pen-based inputs, voice-based inputs
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Capable of creating and uploading web-pages
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Customizable by downloading and configuring of
appropriate software
Global Open design
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Adopts open standards
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Multiple language support
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Limits Microsoft’s monopoly
Entering the era of portable knowledge
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Term used by Denis Whitley in ‘Empires of the
mind’
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Shorthand for saying that geographic boundaries
to knowledge have been erased
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More interestingly stated ‘Geography is History’
Some fallacies about Internet based
education
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Internet is a great opportunity for broadcasting at
costs exponentially tending to zero, hence huge
profits for e-learning
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Following the earlier example of the
pharmaceutical Industry, all learning can be
packaged and manufactured and delivered in
appropriate doses, by teachers who would
diagnose prescribe and then declare fit for
society…
The evolution towards blended
learning
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Highly developed learning materials developed
for self-learning, programmed somewhat along
Skinner’s Programmed learning
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Largely self-learning but with some support,
through FAQ’s, Chat, e-mail support
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Current thinking is to blend several formats to
suit learner style and in keeping with operational
constraints
Teacher-learner transaction as the core
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The teacher was the traditional sage on the
stage
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Adopting a spray and pray approach
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Now moving towards a guide by the side
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Knowing exactly when to step aside
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Empowering the learner to learn to learn
Moving from eye-contact to e-contact
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Traditional successful educators can create a
wonderful classroom learning environment
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Engaging the remote-learner is an entirely
different game
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Successful role models of these do not yet
abound and all are in the exploratory stage
Acceptability of the new forms and
processes
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It is difficult for external observers to distinguish
between form and process
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In the new portable knowledge era, learners can
be in one part of the globe, the teachers in
another and evaluators somewhere else
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How would one be sure that what was planned to
happen is actually happening?
Quality assurance in a rapidly
changing environment
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Traditionally quality acceptability was achieved
over a long period of time
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Today quantitative approaches to quality in
manufacturing and some services can be
designed and planned for
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In higher education, especially in rapidly
emerging areas it is extremely difficult to assure
quality as usually understood
Recognition of Qualifications
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National Qualification Framework
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International Qualification Framework
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Employer’s acceptability
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Professional organizations codes
Confidence in Competencies certified
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There is need for a shift from traditional exam
based certification to a more direct
demonstration of competencies acquired
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Evidence based submissions
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Portfolio Evaluations against defined parameters
De-materialized certificates and
degrees
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We need to rapidly distinguish between a
genuine qualification and a faked one
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Recently a CFO of a big company was found to
have faked his Stanford University degree
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Instant online verification and validation of
academic credentials is important for the
credibility of the International higher education
system
Global depositories and repositories
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Successful Globalization would require the
creation of Global repositories and depositories
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Repositories for course contents, model
examination papers, learning objectives
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Depositories for knowledge workers with
educational qualifications, work experience,
specializations, quality profile etc..
Identity establishment and identity
theft
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Correlation between physical/personal identity
and electronic/virtual identity needs to be
established.
Pseudonyms for creative authors are acceptable,
but pseudonyms for professional services
providers are called impersonation and identity
theft
Digital signatures, biometrics etc would have to
be deployed to put in place a reliable system
Technological Dimensions
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Technology is getting smaller, smarter, more
rugged and more pervasive
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However technology is rapidly changing and
coping with obsolescence is a challenge
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Do we adopt the current bleeding edge
technology or for ever be waiting. For they also
learn who only stand and wait.
Organization of learning Content
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From large monolithic schools and monuments
of learning to smaller chunks of learning
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The same basic learning resource reusable for
different purposes
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Requires tagging with metadata and
technologies for handling these. SCORM is one
such standard
Why do we need research?
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As has been said earlier, intuitive and obvious
thoughts as well as anecdotal experience often
proves wrong?
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Much of what is happening is very new for all
concerned
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We need to be able to see what still holds good
and what is getting changed
What research do we need?
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A quantitative way of dealing with qualitative
issues such as teacher-learner interaction,
remote learning engagement factor,
demonstration of learner competencies etc.
Fuzzy mathematics applied to define new
computer enabled evaluation methodologies
would be very useful
More knowledge on learning styles
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While we acknowledge the existence of a variety
of learning styles, the standard teaching system
does not allow their adoption
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Research needs to be done to see whether
suiting learning content delivery to learning style
creates a resonance so that vastly larger
quantities of learning can be imparted with the
right tuning
Low Power devices for learner access
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Traditional IT industry is a consumption oriented
giving more bangs for the same bucks
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Does not develop very low cost devices for mass
consumption in areas hitherto un-reached.
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There is scope for clockwork and other lowpower access devices
Empowering all stake holders
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Teachers
Learners
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Employers
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Parents
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Providers of learning
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The Web Accessibility Initiatives
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US Public law 508
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Now a decision of the European Union as well
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Could be a required policy for all educational
sites
Manifestations of the Digital Divide
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Barriers of language
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Barriers of technologies
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Legal (IPR) Barriers
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Absence of peer group/leadership
Towards greater access and equity
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Geography is History is enforced by the death of
distance
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Archimedes had once said ,’Give me a place to
stand on and I can move the earth’
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Today we can say, Give me a place where I can
see a satellite and I can connect you to the world
Opportunities for the Exceptionally
Brilliant and gifted
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Statistically about 1.5% of the population would
be exceptionally bright and gifted
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In no structures is it possible to create special
schools for them and sustaining them is not
viable
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The Internet makes this possible. Examples exist
and can be reinforced and expanded
Trans-border Higher Education
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Global markets and Shared responsibilities
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Trade in Educational services
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Public Vs Private Higher Education
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Cross-Cultural Sensitivities and Implications
Intellectual Property Rights in a Digital
Age
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The Industrial Age led to movement of
property rights from physical tangible to
intangible properties
Largely Industrial Property rights such as
Trademarks, Patents, Copyright and
neighbouring rights evolved to protect
Industry
The digital Age throws up completely new
situations and challenges
The glue that holds together a Virtual
Trans-National Education enterprise
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A common values system
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An easy to deploy technological Infrastructure
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Access to wide range of learning resources
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An effective and fair Digital Rights Management
system
Emergence of the Virtual Professor
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A repository of knowledge that can be shared
with learners
Comfortable with using all forms of new
technologies to communicate with learners
Establishes communications with learners both
synchronously and a-synchronously
His travel and movements have no effect on the
virtual classes that are scheduled and the
learning events that take place
The Virtual Professor’s STUDYIO
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A basic multi-media presentation creation system
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Bandwidth for web-casting
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Technical assistance for making it all work
Towards a Knowledge Society
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Characteristics
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Education as the key to survival
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Inclusive society
Winning strategies in the future
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For Regions
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For Nations
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For Special Groups
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For the Individual
Thank You !!!
M.M.Pant
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To continue the dialogue - mail at
[email protected]
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Or visit www.mmpant.org
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Ask Prof. Pant and submit your query.
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I will be happy to respond