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ICTs and Higher Education

Some Trends, Opportunities & Concerns - An African Perspective

Laura CzerniewiczMarch 2012

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IntroductionGlobal Higher Education Issues

Higher Education in AfricaThe Changing University

Affordances of the Digital EnvironmentThe Digital Landscape - Statistics

The Big Questions

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Global Higher Education Issues

Massification of higher education Overall lowering of academic standards Greater social mobility for a growing segment of the

population Increasingly diversified higher education systems

Pressure to expand Post-secondary education will need to provide places for an

additional 98 million learners over the next 15 years; this would require more than four major universities (30,000 students) to open every week for the next fifteen years". (Daniel 2011.)

Funding Resource constrained globally New patterns of funding higher education Public / private good

Altbach, P; Reisberg,L; Rumbley, R (2009) Trends in Global Higher Education: Tracking an academic revolution, UNESCO

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Global Higher Education Issues

Technology instantaneous communication the global dissemination of research and other information expansion of ICTs.

Knowledge economy Demographics

Both students and staff will grow and become more varied Academic activities and roles will become more diversified

& specialised In developing countries, the need for more lecturers will

mean that academic qualifications, already rather low, might not improve much and reliance on part-time staff will continue.

Academic mobility

Altbach, P; Reisberg,L; Rumbley, R (2009) Trends in Global Higher Education: Tracking an academic revolution, UNESCO

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Higher Education in Africa

  Socio-economic Organisational Pedagogical and epistemological

Technological

Africanhigher education 

Challenges

Access and Social Equity

Participation ratesChanging

demographics Funding and

financingGender imbalancesPressure to respond

to participate in a new world order

Student activism

Capacity explosionEnrolment expansionNew players, new

demands (including the rise of private higher education)

Management issues in universities

Poor learning environments

System Diversification

Curricula quality and Relevance

Language of instruction

Faculty quality, strength and motivation

Impoverished research and publishing

Academic freedomThe brain drain and

the issue of capacity building

Severe pressure on technological infrastructure

Increasing demand for bandwidth

Wide range of ICT literacies among students and students

Educators with limited experience of educational technology

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Higher Education in Africa

  Socio-economic Organisational Pedagogical and epistemological

Technological

Africanhigher education 

T&L challenges

Pressure to expand enrolment

Diversity in student body

Mature students, life-long learning

Overcrowded classrooms

A lack of educational resources

Weak management capacity

Inadequate teaching and learning environments

Poor working conditions

Limited accountability for teaching

Outdated curriculaInappropriate

teaching methodsInadequate

academic support Recognition of prior

learningPoor throughput

ratesLow achievement of

graduate competencies

Poorly equipped young educators

Limited incentives for teaching

Donor-driven research and post-graduate priorities

Lack of experienced researchers

Brain drainInsufficient research

production, output and dissemination

Infrastructure pressure

Increasing demand for bandwidth

Wide range of ICT literacies

Educators with limited experience of educational technology

Online content vs design of online & mixed mode learning interactions

Poorly designed online learning activities

Pragmatic use of educational technology which is likely to be driven by short term pressures

Need for student and staff development in learning and teaching with technology

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The Changing University

University under pressure to respond to a changing world order

The role of the university being questioned

The rise of the digital Expectations of online

▪ Teaching▪ Research▪ Communication▪ Engagement

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Digital environment characteristics

Networked Granular Hyper/linked Multiple Disaggregation Aggregation Integrated Inter-operable

The Digital LandscapeThe Statistics

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Internet users

Internet users by country, 2007 figures from Internetworldstats.com..

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Mobiles

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The Digital Landscape

Insight into Mobile Telecoms in Africahttp://www.slideshare.net/andrewmchenry/insights-into-mobile-telecoms-in-

africa-dec-2011-final

http://www.slideshare.net/andyhadfield/south-african-african-digital-stats-pub-quiz

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The Big Questions

What is the role of technology in the changing higher education scenario ? Cause Consequence

What is the relationship between ICTs and issues of equity and access in Africa? Social inequality and digital divides ICTs can overcome divides and can deepen divides

What are the big trends in technology and education? In terms of these trends, what are the opportunities

and concerns for African education?

Some current trendsOpenness

Alternative delivery modelsDigital contentMobile learning

Openness

So many opens

• Open scholarship• Open access• Open content• Open licensing• Open education

practices• Open education

resources• Open source• Open data• Open research• Open science• Open web• Open knowledge

http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/5535034664/sizes/o/in/photostream/

http://www.slideshare.net/laura_Cz/open-everything-exploring-open-in-higher-education

Teaching & learning..opens

• Open scholarship• Open access• Open content• Open licensing• Open education

practices• Open education

resources• Open source• Open data• Open research• Open science• Open web• Open knowledge

http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/5535034664/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Open education practices/ open content

Beethham, H et al (2012) Open Practices Briefing Paper

Open practices

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Open practices (contnd)

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Openness: opportunities

For everyone with internet access: Access to online content Access to peers & community Emergent access to accreditation

Opportunity to contribute, create & share

Cost savings Choice Transparency

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Openness: concerns

Growing divide With/ without connectivity With/ without specific devices

Disproportionately benefit the wealthy? See: https://edutechdebate.org/oer-and-digital-divide/open-educational-resources-expand-educational-inequalities/

Alternative modelsOpen Online Courses

Flexible learning in traditional universities

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MOOCs

Experimental, often 1-off

Generally not accredited

Not associated with an institutionhttps://sites.google.com/site/themoocguide/home

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Large Open Education Single university examples

MIT MiTX Stanford KnowlabsOpencoursewareWide array

Pilot: 6.002x (Circuits and Electronics) Pilot

A1course229 paying studentsnon paying students160 k enrolled2300

Using Udacity platform

Content Free content Course textbook buy from AmazonSome content free online

Online lectures, automated quizzes

Online lecturesAutomated quizzes

InteractionPedagogy/Learning Design/Feedback

Not provided, content only

Discussion boards for students automated

Peer interactionAnd with lecturers

Peer interaction

AccreditationSummative Assessment

Not provided, content only

Pilot no testingIntend: a credential for a modest fee (not/ from MIT)

Letter from course lecturers (not from Stanford) for non paying students

Letter from (ex Stanford)course lecturers for non paying students

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Multi-university OERU

The OER Tertiary Education Network, Athabasca University, BAOU (Gujarat’s open university), SUNY Empire State College, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, NorthTec, Open Polytechnic, Otago Polytechnic, Southern New Hampshire University, Thompson Rivers University, University of Canterbury, University of South Africa, University of Southern Queensland, and the University of Wollongong.

Eight university- and college-level courses as prototypes College Composition Art Appreciation and Techniques Regional relations in Asia and the

Pacific A Mathematical Journey General and Applied Psychology Critical Reasoning Why Sustainable Practice Introduction to Management

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Within a university: flexible learning

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New models: opportunities

Extend access To those eligible for university but

without places Support life long learning Cheaper May be genuinely innovative May address real educational

challenges

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New models: concerns

Parallel education has dangers (separate but equal?)

Danger of increasing divides With/ without resources (incl funding) With/ without expertise

Threatening Change management

Unknown Prone to unsubstantiated hype

Changing digital content

Changing nature of contentRise of media rich content

EbooksEtextbooks

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Changing nature of content

Self-curated, Visual, Social, Mobile

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Rise of media-rich content

The expectation of “rich media” Rise of video – Utube, Vimeo, Ted, Khan Rise of audio, podcasting, lecturecasting Growth of animation, visualisation,

simulation Rise of the digital humanities- vivid

archival resources

These afford for education- interactivity, modelling, engagement

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Example: video for learning

To demonstrate experiments or experimental situations To illustrate principles involving dynamic change or movement To illustrate abstract principles through the use of specially constructed physical models To illustrate principles involving three-dimensional space To use animated, slow-motion, or speeded-up video to demonstrate changes over time To teach certain advanced scientific or technological concepts (such as theories of relativity or

quantum physics) without students having to master highly advanced mathematical techniques, through the use of models and/or animation

To substitute for a field visit To bring students primary resource or case-study material, i.e. recording of naturally occurring events

which, through editing and selection, demonstrate or illustrate principles covered elsewhere in the course.

To demonstrate decision-making processes To demonstrate methods or techniques of performance (e.g. mechanical skills such as stripping and

re-assembling a carburetor) To interpret artistic performance (e.g. drama, spoken poetry, movies, paintings, sculpture, or other

works of art) To analyse through a combination of sounds and graphics the structure of music To teach sketching, drawing or painting techniques To demonstrate the way in which instruments or tools can be used; to demonstrate the skills of

craftsmen To record and archive events that are crucial to the course, but which may disappear or be destroyed

in the near future (e.g. Internet reportage of the Arab Spring) To demonstrate practical activities to be carried out later by students To synthesize, summarize or condense contextually and media rich information relevant to the course.

Bates, T (2012) Pedagogical roles for video in online learning

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Ebooks & etextbooks

Print books: integrated/inflexible Digital: separation of content,

software & hardware New platforms and distributors Transitional at present (pdf online)

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Ebooks: example

http://thenextweb.com/apps/2012/03/29/brian-coxs-wonders-of-the-universe-redefines-ipad-books-with-gorgeous-3d-and-a-brilliant-interface/

Paid for content

For one device

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Etextbooks: example

Free Any

device

Freemium model: example

Free while online Annotate & Share Community Download and read

off line- pay

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Ebooks: opportunities

Potential to be seamless and global Distribution costs of content

near/zer0 Linkable to sources, multimedia,

visualisation, customisable Can integrate with Learning

Environments Provide a student with a library New models include open

(OpenStax, Flat World)

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Ebooks: concerns

Major drawback for Africa: Old print regime territorial rights regimes limit access (technology enables, IP constrains)

Disjunctures Eg use software to make books but can’t

buy them! Dangers of greater divides

Exciting high quality in on proprietary software and expensive devices

Mobile learning

Mobile

Learn

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Parke

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Mobile learning: examples

IN AD-HOC AUDIENCE RESPONSE SYSTEMS

LECTURE PODCASTING

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Concerns

“Mobile learning is restricted to short-lived, short-funded pilot projects or to researchers using individual courses as experiments outside mainstream methods offered by their institutions” (Rajasingham, 2011)”.

“This research in students’ digitally-mediated practices adds weight, along with other research (Hodgkinson-Williams & Ng'ambi, 2009) (Kukulska- Hulme & Traxler, 2009), for the case for institutions to consciously engage with the m-learning opportunities available within all educational contexts faced with social and digital inequalities” (Czerniewicz & Brown 2012).

Conclusion

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Concluding comments

Highly complex environment New models Affordances – both open and closed Blurring boundaries

Formal/informal Online/ face-to-face Academic/ personal

Imperative for Information & ICT literacies Critical literacies Content & communication capabilities

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Thank you

Laura.Czerniewicz@uct.ac.za

lauraczerniewicz.uct.ac.za

@czernie