Transcript Dilemma

A Perspective on Cyber Education:
Issues and Prospects in building
Global Learning Networks
The 5th TCU International E-Learning Conference,
Bangkok, Thailand
August 5, 2014
Toshio Kobayashi
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)
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Research Background
Activities in intercultural settings
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Being a Poor Foreign Student – Diplomacy - Academia
Advancement of International Distance Education – AIDE
Promotion of cross-border collaborative project via VC based
on “Linguapolitical” concept (Kobayashi-Deguchi Project)
Collaboration with OECD/CERI in OER Research
Membership in Japanese National Commission for UNESCO
Engagement in OER Project by UNESCO Institute for
Information Technologies in Education (IITE)
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Technology-based education
inevitably
makes the learning:
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Borderless
Relational
Open
Transnational
Multicultural
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E-phenomenon
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E-Leaning
E-Booking/Libarary
E-Commerce
E-Government/State
E-Love ・・・
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Trends in Higher Education
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Flexible or distributed and e-Learning
Open Universities no longer sole institution to
provide distance teaching and learning
duel and mixed mode introduced further into
traditional universities
Flexible learning - strategic and administrative
policy to acquiring more students enrolment and
revenue
Establishing FD programs and on-campus support
system
Building global partnerships in inter-university
and between academic institutions and Private
industry
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Educational Reform
by Adoption of ICT
in Japan and elsewhere
Objectives:
 Enhance international Competitiveness
 Cultivate human resources
 Internationalize universities
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Some Prevailing Trends in Higher Education
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Increased interest for open and distance education.
E-learning has become a mainstream.
New types of organizations have emerged as
educational providers
New, more interactive, anywhere, anyplace
education cause people to question the roles of the
academic personnel and university teaching in
terms of its mission, teaching practices, and future
roles.
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Emergence of Global Learning Networks
“Networks of people who want to learn and share
through the Internet on a global scale”
Global learning networks have emerged as a result of a
series of interrelated developments such as
- advancements in ICTs,
- cheaper communication,
- proliferation of computers,
- globalization.
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Global Learning Networks （GLNs)
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Problems and Issues in
Cross-border Education
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Barriers and Adaptability due to Cultural and
Linguistic Diversity across the Globe
Learning management systems, collaborative
systems, networking of reusable learning objects
have been developed with off springs in the
western tradition
Systems have been designed from a western
tradition of research in cognition and design, often
differs somewhat from other cultures in the world
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Global standardization vs. national
and cultural preservation
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How we can find the golden middle way in
between these extremes?
How we combine the potential of global
collaboration with technology and systems?
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Global Learning Networks – characteristics
Highly diversified society and intensive intercultural
interactions help
- stimulate learners’ research skills;
- promote other cultural perspectives;
- learners become more aware of their own culture as
they encounter other cultures;
- democratic participation.
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Cultural Encounters
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Unidirectional and Bilateral
Unidirectional and Multilateral
Multidirectional and Multilateral
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Some of the important points to be addressed
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The interaction of technological development mainly information and communication
technology - and society with identifying roles
and responsibilities of different stakeholders.
Cultural standardization and learning
imperialism within e-Learning
Socio-economic issues in promoting e-Learning
within regions
Open Movements in international collaboration
across different cultures
Human factors enhancing and impeding global
learning networks
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Issues to be addressed
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How do we identify, preserve and
develop our own learning cultural values
and how do we establish ways of
collaborating in doing this across
different cultures?
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Intercultural Issues in GLNs
• Thousands
of web-based programs at all levels,
• Anyone can enroll in any program where technology is available.
- Cultural hegemony
- Dilution of language
- Degeneration of local cultures and people
- A mismatch between local needs and global curriculum
- Loss of control on national education
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Global Learning Networks
– alternative perspectives
Emergence of “cosmopolitan culture”
- different from Western culture;
- borne out of the need for people from different cultures to interact;
- shaped by the mutual relationship between the Internet and local
cultures.
- a balance in intercultural relationships
- “import, adopt, domesticate, and improve” approach
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Multicultural Education through GLNs
Global learning networks help make people more aware of
such generic issues in international community as:
- socio-cultural,
- economical and political,
- ecological,
- environmental.
Global learning networks facilitate forming:
Networks of people and world opinions and morale beyond
cultural boundaries through the Internet and other
technologies on a global scale
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Importance of international D.E. based on
the respective cultures and languages
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Cope with cultural/linguistic barriers – an issue in
international ed. exchange, particularly in Japan
Develop cross-cultural D.E. based on the languages of
the respective participating countries, not just English.
Introduce an e-Learning different from that of English
speaking countries
Support the researchers/learners in a given culture
abroad with learning objects and by Technological
Potential
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Higher Education in the 21st Century
ICT-based training and information exchange,
knowledge banks and databases provide
unprecedented opportunities for educational
policy-makers and practitioners to share
knowledge and experience and learn
collaboratively through international networks
and communities of practice…
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Issues facing Higher Education in the 21st Century:
Culture and Linguistic Barriers
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Education becoming huge market places
Educational providers aiming to infiltrate
Inappropriate learning materials
Provide learning materials based on your own culture
rather than depending upon sources deriving abroad
Quality assurance of learning resources
Security - IPR
Preserve and protect your own Cultural Identity
“Learning imperialism”
Pursuit of “Principle of Education”
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Open Educational Movement in the 21st Century
A new culture of openness in HE?
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Open Source Software, Open Access, Open License, Open
Educational Resources
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Learning Resources made available for Free over the Internet
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As few restrictions as possible on the use of digital resources:
– No technical barriers (disclosed source code)
– No price barriers (no subscriptions, license fees)
– As few legal barriers as possible (open licenses)
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Soft Power
Coined by Joseph Nye in 1990 and defined as:
“Soft power is the ability to obtain what one
wants through co-option and attraction. It
can be contrasted with ‘hard power’, that is
the use of coercion and payment. Soft power
can be wielded not just by states, but by all
actors in international politics, such as NGOs
or international institutions.”
- Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics (2004) TCU - Bangkok 2011
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“OERs” as a source of Soft Power
Abundant OERs available today:
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Produced and accumulated by H.E. institutions
Created by individual producers who are willing
to share
OERs put on the Internet
Rich raw learning materials waiting to be created
into OERs
A number of potential OER producing countries,
institutions and individuals
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Three Dimensions of OER
１．Openness
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In the social domain
– freedom to use
– freedom to contribute
– freedom to share
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In the technical domain
– functional (use of open standards)
– developmental (use of open source software)
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As a characteristic of the resource
– public goods
– open fountain of goods
(Tuomi, 2006)
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２．Educational
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Formal education
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Non-formal education
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Informal education
Trends in OER – towards bridging and narrowing the gaps, and
facilitating further life-long learning with OERs circulating
through different settings/levels of learning.
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３．Resources
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learning contents
– Learning Courseware: MIT OCW, Paris Tech, JOCW
– Learning Objects: MERLOT, Connexions, ARIADNE
– Reference: Internet Archive, Google Scholar, LC, Wikis
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Tools (OSS)
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CMS: EduCommons
LMS: Moodle, Sakai
Development Tools: Connexions
Social software: Wikis, H20, OSLO research
Implementation resources
– Licensing Tools: Creative Commons, GNU Free Documentation
– Best Practices: CMU (design principles)
– Interoperability: IMS, SCORM, OKI
Trends in OER - towards open technology and global standardization
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Drivers for OER
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Technological
– Increased broadband availability
– Increased hard drive capacity and processing speed
– User-friendly software for creating, editing and remixing
Social
– Digital natives with substantial ICT skills
– Desire for interactivity, willingness to share and contribute
– Development of communities and collaborative projects
Economical
– Lower costs for broadband, tools and lower entry barriers
– Sites and services hosting content for free
– New economic models for monetising user created content
Legal
– licenses such as Creative Commons
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Motivations for producing and sharing OER
Governments
Institutions
Individuals
Expanded access to
learning
Altruistic reasons
Altruistic or community
supportive reasons
Bridge the gap between
non-formal, informal
and formal learning
Leverage on taxpayers’ money
by allowing free sharing and
reuse between institutions
Personal non-monetary gain –
“egoboo”
Promote lifelong learning
“What you give, you receive
back improved”
Commercial reasons
Good PR and show-window
attracting new students
It is not worth the effort to
keep the resource closed
Growing competition – new
cost recovery models are
needed
Stimulate internal improvement,
innovation and reuse
Underlying Drivers and Inhibitors of technical, economic, social and legal nature
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Source: OECD (2007)
Main Tendency in OER
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From grass root movement to institution based initiatives
Earlier few institution wide initiatives
– Started by enthusiasts
– Few at management level knew about initiatives
Now mostly institution based initiatives
Less text, more video (iTunes U) and animated materials
Open Educational Practice – not only resources but also
open teaching is offered for free (see OPAL project)
OLnet – international research community on OER
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Sustainable Development:
“Sustainable development is development
that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.”
from Our Common Future :
Report of the World Commission on Environment
and Development – 1987
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Global Framework
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The Open Learning Movement has great potentials to help build a truly
equitable knowledge society for humanity, if it enables “everyone
everywhere to be able to share in the benefits of the global information
society and the richer nations are in a position to help poorer nations
bypass the communication barriers that will help them improve their
education and healthcare systems and socio-economic circumstances.”
(The 2000 Okinawa Charter on Global Information Society).
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With production and use of the accumulated knowledge in formats
accessible and appropriate to anyone for reuse to cater to their need, “we
have an opportunity to dramatically improve the lives of hundreds of
millions of people around the world through freely available, high-quality,
locally relevant educational and learning opportunities.”
(The Cape Town Open Education Declaration, 2007).
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Japan’s Contributions to UNESCO
for promoting EFA/ESD
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Japanese Funds in Trust (JFIT) for
promotion of EFA in Asia and Pacific
A Similar fund for Promotion of the DESD
in the Region
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OER and ESD
Both are….
 International agenda in education
 Linking levels/categories/settings of education
 Concerned with affordability and sustainability
 Transnational and multicultural
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OER and ESD
Perspectives in common
 Multi-cultural/linguistic issues
 Cultural sensitivity
 Information Communication Technologies
 linking various agents/actors in the education
fields
 Building equitable Global learning networks
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EFA and ESD
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ESD a vague concept yet to be defined
ESD needed to achieve EFA
Linking of EFA and ESD
Cultivation of Human Resources - vital for
sustainable development
Appropriate Use of ICTs to achieve EFA and
promote ESD
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Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
The basic view of the ESD, Education for Sustainable
Development, is to foster each individual to take part in
creating a sustainable society, especially;
- to cultivate human nature, such as developing personality,
autonomy and a sense of responsibility,
- to foster relationships with others, society, the environment.
To promote sustainable development it is important to act
synthetically by linking various fields of education…
Environmental
Education
Energy
Education
Culture
Education
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International
Understanding
Education
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Other related
education
(The Ministry of Education (MEXT), Japan)
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ESD - issues to be addressed…
•
Poverty Reduction
•
Sustainable growth
•
Living standards
•
Social protection
•
Basic education
•
Security (human rights,
refugees)
• Environmental
protection
• Peace and human
rights
• Assistance to
developing
countries to fight
poverty
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Linking OER and ESD, How?
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UNESCO as a lead agency
Through networking of ASP
Collaboration of NPOs (e.g., ESD-J, etc.)
Coorperation by H.E. institutions
Use of open source learning materials by
individual producers who are willing to
contribute and share
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ASPs and ESD
UNESCO ASP (Associated School Project)
【 Objectives 】
To realize the UNESCO doctrine and
promote both peace and international
cooperation through practical
application at schools.
Domestically:
Construction of a network between
schools and exchanges of information
Regionally:
Strengthening regional solidarity
Globally:
Promotion of information exchanges,
strengthening solidarity
【 Main Themes 】
- Understanding global-scale problems
- International understanding
education, World Heritage education,
environmental education and
education for human rights,
democracy and tolerance, etc.
Network Link to the World
Environmental
education
Culture
Unified Promotion of
education
ESD-based
Contents
ＥＳＤ
and ASPs
International
Energy
education
understanding
education
Etc
The Ministry of Education (MEXT), Japan
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Under the initial proposal
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Implement an educational exchange program between
UNESCO Associated Schools, preferably at tertiary level,
at first nationally, then regionally and globally to build up
learning networks by ICT where applicable.
Focus on EFA/ESD-oriented curriculum and set up a
subject for collaborative or problem-based learning such as
on ecology, global climatic change, peace, conflict
resolution, gender equality, etc.
Use OER, and whatever resources available such as OSS
where PC and the Internet may be available or, if no
broadband, use conventional communications media
devices
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A Sample - useful learning resources openly available in multi (14) languages for ESD
Whale Tomb – Picture-card Story
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Objectives
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Facilitating capacity building in teachers,
Cultivatinig human resources (e.g.,
media/ICT literate) needed for local
development,
Setting proper learning environment for
education for sustainable development.
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Revitalization of Academic Retirees
as a source of Soft Power
There are a number of ‘Openly-available,
Educationally-resourceful Retirees’ who are:
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healthy, mentally fit and energetic,
not in need of money,
frustrated in the retirement life,
willing to share their experiences and wisdom, and
to continue involved in and contribute to knowledge
society,
hence potentially a source for Soft Power
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Keys in utilizing retired academics
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Help the retirees maintain their mental health
by fulfilling their desire to continue to be
involved and contribute
Non-paid,
Strictly voluntary-basis,
No power game allowed,
Proper leadership and lead institution
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Mechanisms to substantiate the idea
Initial Proposal:
 network-building of retired academics
 through the existing database of retirees
 by individual registration with expertise
 and collaboration with academic societies,
NPOs, e.g., the International Society for
Volunteer Studies of Japan, J-ESD, etc.
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Coping with crisis situation
In case of emergency Open Educational Resources
(Contents and Retirees) would be of use:
 for rendering assistance to the incumbent in higher
education system with their hands occupied,
 for providing teaching and learning environments at
different levels and settings of education,
 for preserving cultural heritage and artifacts,
 for easing the digital divide existing between
individuals, communities, regions as the OER dose not
necessarily require an environment with bandwidth,
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Thank you for your attention
Khawp khun khrap
Arigatou
Toshio Kobayashi, Professor Emeritus
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)
www.toshio-kobayashi.com
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