Professor Rajesh Chandra Deputy Vice-Chancellor Chairman, Distance and Flexible Learning Committee

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


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 USPICT 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 USPThe 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 USPThe University of the South Pacific

Serving the

Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu


USP at a GlanceUSP 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 USPUSP 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


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

We now come to the third part--distance education Distance education was seen as important from the

beginning: “The University should have an Extra-mural 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


Enrolment by on-campus, distance and total number of students, 1968-2002

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

2002 200098 96 94 92 90 88 86 84 82 80 78 76 74 72 70 68

Year

Number

External

Internal

Total

USPNet: Transforming teaching and learning at the USPDistance Education at a Glance

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


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 on-campus 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.

Distance Education at a Glance

USPNet: Transforming teaching and learning at the USPDistance 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


USPNet was inauguratedin March 2000 by HE the then

Vice-President of Fiji


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

What is USPNet?What is USPNet?


USPNet

USPNet: Transforming teaching and learning at the USPThe USPNet hub-Laucala campusThe USPNet hub-Laucala campus


What Does USPNet Do?It 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


Lecture Broadcast(Campuses Only)

Received at all Locations

1 2 3 4

Video ChannelsUSPNet Operation - Video

ee

aa

ll

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ee

aa


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


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 USPUSPNet Operation

- 64kbps Circuits


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

USPNet as a Symbol of Transformation

USPNet: Transforming teaching and learning at the USPLimitations 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!

USPNet: Transforming teaching and learning at the USPBandwidth 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


Major limitation of USPNet is that it stops at the Centre

New phase of USPNet development must address this

Some experimentation is underway

Going Beyond the Centres

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 USPLinking 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

Documents

Professor Rajesh Chandra Deputy Vice-Chancellor Chairman, Distance and Flexible Learning Committee