1. Clayton R. Wright, PhD crwr77@gmail.com
The Significance of Education, ODL & ICTs to the People of Developing Nations
Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2. UN Declaration Every person has a right to an education
C. R. Wright
Article 26, 1948
C. R. Wright
The Significance of Education, ODL & ICTs to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

3. Impact of Education
Educated girls are less likely to marry or have children early; they are better able to protect themselves from HIV and AIDS, from sexual exploitation and abuse.
C. R. Wright
C. R. Wright
Anthony Lake, UNICEF (2010, September 17). For children, education is almost everything. This Is Africa: A Global Perspective,
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

4. Every year of secondary education, a girl or woman can attain will greatly increase her future income - sometimes by as much as 15%.
C. R. Wright
Anthony Lake, UNICEF (2010, September 17). For children, education is almost everything. This Is Africa: A Global Perspective,
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

5. Education is widely accepted as a leading instrument for promoting economic growth…
If there is a one-year increase in tertiary education stock, the GDP would increase 0.63%.
D. Bloom, D. Canning, and K. Chan, (2005, September). Higher Education and Economic Development in Africa, Harvard University, pages 3 & 29.
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

6. In summary, education and health increase human productivity, raise life expectancy and facilitate community life. They have major impact on economic growth and increase individual and collective wellbeing.
Abdoulaye Diagne (2006, November 22-24). Investing in People: Education and Health, African Development Bank Seminar, Tunis, Tunisia, pages 3-4.
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

7. But, there is a problem… There is not enough funding to provide:
clean drinking water;
every child with healthy meals;
latrines and basic health services;
and train all the teachers needed;
traditional school buildings; and
adequate, reliable telecommunication and electrical infrastructures.
C. R. Wright (2009, May). Response to “Are ICTs the Best Educational Investment?”, Ed Tech Debates, World Bank.
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

8. And…
Globally, of those 20 or younger, 30 million are qualified to attend university, but there are no places for them. This number increases to 100 million by 2020.
C. R. Wright
Nicholas H. Allen, (2010, September1-3). Education for All: Access, Equity, Opportunity, Pretoria, South Africa.
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

9. C. R. Wright
The world population is outstripping the capacity of existing academic institutions and those being planned.
The Significance of Education, ODL & ICTs to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

10. Thus…
In order to serve the number of youths qualified to enter university in 2020, a major university would need to be opened every week.
Daniel E. Atkins, John Seely Brown & Allen L. Hammond (2007, February). A Review of the Open Educational Resources (OER) Movement: Achievements, Challenges, and New Opportunities - Report to the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

11. Potential Solutions? Implement : open and distance learning (ODL)
information and communication technologies (ICTs)
African Virtual University
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

12. ODL is critical for development… and can be used to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and Education for All (EFA).
Olugbemiro Jegede, (2010, September 13-15). ODL Policy in Africa: Perceptions, Realities and Challenges presented at the ICDE Standing Committee of Presidents, Pretoria, South Africa.
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

13. ODL and ICTs could: Provide greater and equitable access
Train teachers
Provide resources currently unavailable
Improve literacy rates and ICT skills
Help learners to obtain 21st century skills
Encourage community participation
Support social mobilization
Decrease funds needed to build schools
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

14. Successes in the developing world, examples
African Virtual University
Indira Gandhi National
Open University
University of South Africa
Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

15. Obstacles to overcome Lack of will
Lack of acceptance of new methods, particularly learner-centred instruction
The belief that ODL is second-rate education.
C. R. Wright
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

16. Obstacles to overcome Resistance to change
continued
Resistance to change
Lack of ODL and ICT policies that affect access, equity, quality, resource allocation, and infrastructure development
Lack of sustained government support for initiatives
C. R. Wright
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

17. Obstacles to overcome
continued
Lack of fast, reliable internet access that not only supports education, but also e-business and e-governance
Lack of funding
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

18. Attitudinal shift Commitment Funding Quality
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

19. Lack of funding is always raised as the major stumbling block
Lack of funding is always raised as the major stumbling block. But success can only occur if there is an attitudinal shift.
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

20. Attitudinal Shift
Education can be the driver of social and economic development.
ODL and conventional face-to-face education can co-exist.
The quality of ODL graduates can be equal to or better than face-to-face graduates.
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright
C. R. Wright

21. Attitudinal Shift
continued
Educators can and must learn to use ODL and ICTs effectively.
Communities can play a key role in ODL and benefit from ODL and ICTs.
Indira Gandhi Open University
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

22. Address lack of acceptance of ODL/ICTs:
Discuss exemplary ODL institutions
Note high profile individuals in the country who benefited from ODL
Engage those who work in established ODL and ICT programs for management, development, and delivery advice
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

23. Address lack of acceptance of ODL/ICTs:
continued
Ensure ODL and ICT programs are relevant to students
Provide adequate resources so that ODL is not perceived as “second-rate”
Participate in the development of open educational resources with AVU, COL, TESSA…
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

24. Address lack of acceptance of ODL/ICTs:
continued
Employ the same tutors and instructors in both traditional and distance programs
Establish and maintain quality assurance systems
C.R. Wright
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

25. Implement policies that:
Without restrictions, ingrain the right for everyone to access education
Indira Gandhi Open University
Address the needs of rural students
Provide support for jobs needed now and in the future – need a crystal ball?
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

26. Implement policies that:
continued
Support the co-existence of face-to-face instruction and ODL
Incorporate intellectual property rights that foster the development and use of open educational resources (OERs)
C. R. Wright
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

27. Implement policies that:
continued
Establish timelines and resources for expanding the electrical and telecommunications infrastructures
Address cross-border education
Provide sustainable funds for education
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright
Egypt, Elaine Hoeskstra

28. Dept. of education must:
be committed to ODL and ICT implementation;
ensure that accessibility and equity are addressed;
provide resources;
adjust the curriculum;
C. R. Wright
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

29. Dept. of education must:
continued
train the instructors;
provide effective, continuous professional development;
ensure helpful learner support;
maintain and support the technology;
Freetown Teachers’ College, Sierra Leone
Indira Gandhi Open University, India
Kyambogo University, Uganda
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

30. Dept. of education must:
continued
provide feasible and continuous assessments;
adjust organizational policies;
provide leadership that is flexible, open to new ideas, and willing to make decisions and take action;
provide sustained support.
C. R. Wright,. (2007, December 5). Technology Implementation in Developing Countries. Presentation to the National e-Learning Steering Committee (NeLSCOM) at the University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana.
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

31. Funding needed for: Capital costs Operating Maintenance
Software licenses
Electrical & internet access
Professional development
Capital costs may only be 20%-30% of the real cost of implementation.
Wayan Vota
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

32. If governments rely on external funding, what happens when funding expires? It is essential to build a sustainable financial structure and to do so before external funding expires.
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

33. Save funds by… Using open educational resources
Adopting and/or adapting materials
Using a blended learning approach
Collaborating within and beyond local educational communities
???
Realize that
there will never be enough funding!
And, continued donations can lead to dependency.
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

34. The Iron Triangle Is it possible to: increase access,
improve quality, and
cut costs,
all at the same time?
Access
Quality
Costs
Sir John Daniel, (2010, October 14). The Commonwealth of Learning: How a small agency achieves development impact. Presentation for the Canadian International Development Agency, Ottawa, Canada.
The Significance of Education, ODL & ICTs to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

35. Addressing quality
Establish quality assurance systems for every facet of the educational operation
Indira Gandhi Open University
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

36. Addressing quality
continued
Conduct self-audits based on reliable instruments from other open institutions or organizations such as COL, European Foundation for Quality in eLearning (EFQUEL), ICDE, and UNESCO
Involve external
personnel in periodic
quality audits
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

37. Quality ODL/ICT materials:
Are relevant to the learners and their communities
Engage and motivate the learner
Require learners to search, compile, analyze, interpret and apply data from local and distant communities
C. R. Wright
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

38. Quality ODL/ICT materials:
continued
Encourage critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving
Provide opportunities for practice and knowledge transfer
Offer timely, constructive, relevant, and frequent feedback
C. R. Wright
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

39. Quality ODL/ICT materials:
continued
Demand that learners interact with it, with their peers, and their community
Link learners to home and community
Provide links to resources beyond the content and the learners’ communities
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright
C. R. Wright

40. international agencies.
There may be many challenges to implementing ODL and/or ICT programs, but the key to success may be collaboration among:
people,
institutions,
countries,
regions, and
international agencies.
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

41. Is waiting necessary?
C. R. Wright
Must everyone have clean drinking water, enough food to eat, suitable shelter, and a disease-free environment before they can have an education?
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

42. Is waiting necessary?
Perhaps an education will enable them to have clean drinking water, food, shelter, and a healthy environment. Which comes first education or …?
C. R. Wright
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

43. Should everyone have a bicycle before anyone can have a car?
C. R. Wright (2010, August 3). Response to “Laptops for Education: $10, $35, $100 and Points in Between (but not above!)”, EduTech, World Bank.
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

44. By implementing ODL and ICTs, who knows who you might help, sooner rather than later!
C. R. Wright
The Significance of Education to the People of Developing Nations, C. R. Wright

45. Clayton R. Wright, PhD crwr77@gmail.com Feedback is always welcomed!
Thank you!
Clayton R. Wright, PhD
Feedback is always welcomed!