UNESCO 3rd World Congress on TVET

12 14 May 2012
Shanghai, China

Flexible&BlendedLearningin
TVET

Alison Mead Richardson

Education Specialist Skills Development
Commonwealth of Learning
 Thissession:FaBinTVET
y Introduction to COL
y Flexible Skills Development Initiative
y Case Study Auchi Polytechnic, Nigeria
yQ&A
y Group Discussion
 CommonwealthofLearning
Intergovernmental agency
CHOGM 1987 Vancouver
Support education for development

Mission
To help Commonwealth governments and institutions
to expand the scope, scale and quality of learning by
using new ODL approaches and appropriate
technologies
 Whyeducationaltechnology
and
ODLapproaches?
Demand will never be met by bricks and mortar
approaches
With technology:
access to education can be increased
quality can be improved
efficiencies are possible
 WhopaysforCOL?
Voluntary contributions from member countries

Majordonors:
Canada India New Zealand
Nigeria South Africa United Kingdom

Country contributions 42/52

 COLProgrammeStructure
Education Livelihoods&Health
y Open schooling y Skills Development
y Teacher Education y Learning for Farmers
y Higher Education y Healthy Communities
y VUSSC y Integrated eLearning

models policy capacity materials

partnerships
 TVETatCOL
y Work with TVET institutions to build capacity in
ODL & ICT Africa
y Support TVET ODL policy development -
Zambia
y Support development of new courses
and learning materials
y Make materials available as OERs

www.col.org
QuestionsaboutCOL?
 Unmetdemand
y success in the first Education for All goal of UPE
putting pressure on post basic education and
training systems
y demand which cannot be met by bricks and
mortar approaches
y current TVET system was designed for the
industrial society
y a new model is needed for the knowledge society
y will include ICTs used in flexible and blended
approaches
 TVETinAfrica

Hugenumbersofpoorlyeducated,frustrated
andunemployedyouthwhoarelockedout of
theformalskillstrainingsystemandunequal
trainingopportunitiesfosteredbyinequities
basedongeographicallocation,genderand
socioeconomicfactors

(ADEA2010)
 Whatistheneed?
y support the expansion of skills training opportunities
for people working in the informal economy
y 80% of employment is in the
informal sector
y Contributes only 18% to GDP

y Economic justification for the need for skills training

for employment in the informal economy
y 60% population <25years = social/civil problems
 TheChallenge
FormalTVETsystem
ylow budget provision,
yinadequate infrastructure
yout-dated materials and
pedagogy
FormalTVETinstitutions
ybecome more efficient
yresponsive to the demands of
the labour market
 GoalofFSD
y Increase access to skills training for people working in
the informal sector to improve livelihoods
y Approach : impact on provision of training for the
informal sector through flexible approaches in the formal
TVET system
y Focus areas:
o policy development
o organisational development
o ICT infrastructure management
o course design and delivery
o improving teaching & learning
 Thenewflexiblemodel
y new organisational structures
y less focus on full-time face-to-face contact
y open, distance and flexible learning courses
y more resource-based, individual and group learning
y media components that can be used in the classroom
or at a distance
y elements of online programme delivery and
formative assessment
 Selectionofkeyinstitutions
y Application of readiness criteria
y Eleven institutions selected
y Baseline dataset
y Four dimensions:
Strategic
Organisational io n
Technical V is
nd nt
Pedagogic A me
m i t
m
Co
 CapacityBuilding
y Institutional managers, administrators, teachers
and national policy makers
y Multi-country, online training on
COL Moodle LMS
y Workshops and inputs from Technical Advisers
y Learning by doing
y Feedback through online community of practice
y Social networking platform NING
y >450 members
y Discussion, collaboration and informal learning
y Institutional and special interest groups
 Institutionalactivities
y departmental and institutional targets for the
introduction of new courses
y staff development in the use of educational media
and ICT for teaching and learning
y market research and feasibility studies in local
communities
y strengthen technical
infrastructure
y engaging with national policy
makers
y developing new short courses
 Commitmenttochange
NationalChallenges LocalSolutions
y many institutions already working
to national policies on informal
sector
y few countries provided any real
practical advice about how to go
about it
y with FSD we can begin to address the
aims set by the government
 Challenges
y Management of technical infrastructure
y Strengthening of staff capacity to utilise ICT in
teaching
y Need for sensitisation of the community and
engagement with national policy makers
 Technicalbarriers

y High cost of internet bandwidth

y Unreliable power supply
y Barriers being overcome :
y loan schemes for laptops
y wi-fi hotspots
y Lack of technical expertise to produce strategies for
the development of ICT infrastructure
Flexible approaches are not only about
technology!
Collaborationwithcorporate
partners
 Progress&achievements
y Teachers have better curriculum development capacity
y Media-enhanced curriculum components to improve
the quality of teaching
y Moodle platforms being installed
y Use of ICT represents an opportunity
in terms of personal promotion
y New courses for the informal sector
y Access is increased
 Highlightsofprogress
y Unskilled construction workers increased income by 400%
y Course duration for HR Diploma reduced by 75%
y Outreach center offering part time courses for 200 students
y Smaller TVET institutions are earning additional income
through flexible course offerings
y One institution has adopted 8 others in their country who
are paying for ODL consultancy services
y Business and skills training for slum dwellers through
drama
y Student enrolments increased in 7 institutions between 5%
and 30%
 Whatdidntwork?
y One institution has not made any real progress
y Change in institutional head since the start of the
activity
y No clear vision of how FSD can help to achieve
institutional and strategic objectives
y Coupled with infrastructure challenges which cannot
be overcome
y There is some sharing on learning materials but
we need to focus more on this
 Noquickfix
y need to establish what works in
each institutional context
y evidence of increased access to
skills training for the informal
sector
y strengthen monitoring and
evaluation protocols and skills
y commitment from the Head of
the institution is an important
success factor in integration of
FaB and ICT in TVET
 Thankyou
Alison Mead Richardson
www.col.org
flexibleskills@col.org
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