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Education: A Catalyst for Sustainable Development

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would like to share with you inspiring success stories from different parts of the world how Open Distance Learning (ODL) contribute to Sustainable Development. I believe that access to quality, relevant education empowers all to utilize environmental resources sustainably which is a necessary foundation for sustainable development.

 

Case Study 1: Kenya: Community Based Learning and Trading Program
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This project is a partnership between FLOSS4Edu and the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (a network of Farmer organisations operating in the Eastern Africa region) to use localised OER based learning materials to train farmers in the Eastern part of Kenya on better grain/cereals production and storage techniques and the use of a custom developed Mobile Technology (SMS/USSD, Web, Android) eGranary platform ( which is a virtual warehousing and trading platform for farmers produce) to empower the rural farmers to better store their crops and use the technology platform for order aggregation and access to higher market auction prices.
 
In its one year of operation, the project has been able to help 500 farmers within the region to not only improve their products but also sell at better prices while avoiding exploitative middlemen. The key lesson learned is that an appropriate community-based training 18 programs coupled with relevant information and an open trading platform certainly improves the livelihood of rural communities.
 
Reference:
The Commonwealth Education Hub Discussion Summary (November 2015), Sustainable Development Goal 4.pp. 17-18.
Available at: https://www.thecommonwealth-educationhub.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Discussion-Summary-Exploring-SDG41.pdf. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
 
 
Case Study 2: Sudan: Sudan Open Learning Organization (SOLO)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Distance education in Africa and other continents has been instrumental in lowering illiteracy rate. The Sudan Open Learning Organisation (SOLO) undertook a comprehensive re-orientation of untrained teachers in the Republic of Sudan in 1998. In October 2001, a meeting with the Director of SOLO, representatives of the Sudanese Ministry of Education, and selected members of the community described the contributions of the SOLO programme:
 
  • SOLO has assisted the Sudanese government to improve the quality of education by improving the quality of teachers

  • Fourteen Sudanese states increased their education sector’s workforce by training 50,000 teachers, many of whom had not previously taught within a formal “four-walled” classroom setting

  • The Certificate in Education, issued by SOLO and approved by Sudan’s Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Education, has enhanced the image of teachers

  • In addition to their role in Sudan’s school system, teachers are also paid to engage in programmes designed to respond to the educational needs of refugees and adult learners in vocational and life skills acquisition

 

These initiatives have contributed immensely to the education, social, and economic development of the Sudanese people – particularly those living in the war free states (UNESCO, 2001).

 

Human resource development has equally benefited from the first distance university in Africa. The University of South Africa (UNISA), established in 1873, has contributed to the emergence of many distance education institutions throughout Africa and has assisted in developing the capacity of distance education experts across the continent.

 

In addition to the integration of HIV/ AIDS preventive education, distance education has helped to reduce discrimination and stigmatization faced by those living with HIV/ AIDS. Through distance education, they can able to acquire information and knowledge on how HIV/AIDS is transmitted and how it can be avoided. Details on essential care and support services for those living with HIV/ AIDS are also included in educational material developed for adult and youth (adolescent) learners currently attending the organisation’s open school system.

 
Reference
Aderinoye, R., & Ojokheta, K. (2004). Open-Distance Education as a Mechanism for Sustainable Development: Reflections on the Nigerian Experience. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning,5(1). doi:10.19173/irrodl.v5i1.174
 
Case Study 3: Zimbabwe: Contributions of ODL to Zimbabwe's Economic Development
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
According to Zimbabwe Agenda for sustainable socio-economic transformation (Zim Asset 2013) document, despite Zimbabwe being endowed with abundant natural resources, the country continues to face multiple environmental management challenges that include pollution, poor waste management, deforestation, land degradation, veldt fires, poaching, and biodiversity.
 
ODL becomes a key cog in the success of Zim Asset in the sense that the acquisition of requisite skills and scientific research and development are to be done by the workers who are already in the field and that is where open and distance learning fits in very nicely as it allows human capital development to take place while at the same time there is no interruption of production. ODL allows the economic transformers to learn while they work which is very crucial for the country.
 
Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) can support the Zim Asset programme by enhancing the human capital development through participating in the acquisition of requisite skills, scientific research, and development. ZOU can support the mining sector through partnering with the ministry of mines in producing highly qualified graduates in Geo-Sciences, mining and extractive metallurgy. ZOU together with other agricultural colleges can buttress the Zim Asset programme by producing highly qualified personnel who be able to provide quality extension services and support the farmers in their farms. ODL has the capacity to bring education to the doorstep of the farmer through conducting workshops and field days, especially in recently settled farmers. ODL can improve entrepreneurial skills for tertiary students and graduates by conducting short practical courses for example in the piggery, broiler production, and horticulture in the various districts of the country.
 
Reference:
Rupande, G. (2015). Open and Distance learning: The Cornerstone of Economic Transformation. International Journal of Humanities Social Sciences and Education,2(1), 279-285. Retrieved May 16, 2018, from https://www.arcjournals.org/pdfs/ijhsse/v2-i1/34.pdf.
 
 
Case Study 4: Myanmar: The Transformation through Innovation in Distance Education (TIDE)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Transformation through Innovation in Distance Education (TIDE) project was recently approved project under a UK Aid funded programme called Strategic Partnerships for Higher Education Innovation and Reform (SPHEIR), for which the Open University in the United Kingdom is the lead partner, involves several universities from both the UK and Myanmar. 

 

TIDE aims to improve the quality of higher education in Myanmar at a critical time in the country’s development. After years of low investment in the higher education system, there is now an increasing demand for skilled graduates to meet new employment needs, particularly in relation to the environmental management of Myanmar’s natural resources to ensure sustainability over years of rapid development.

 

TIDE brings together universities in the UK and Myanmar to improve the quality of (open) educational resources and (open and) distance learning to result in more employable graduates. The partnership aims to strengthen the quality of the distance education system at institutional levels and in the design and delivery of learning using open educational resources and practices, focusing on environment related disciplines and making use of the rapidly emerging digital infrastructure. These activities are planned to benefit more than 500,000 students across Myanmar who currently access higher education through distance learning (60 percent of all higher education students in Myanmar study through the two distance education universities).

 

The partnership wants to create links to the government of Myanmar and the Ministry of Education to connect TIDE to new higher education reforms.

 

In particular TIDE plans to develop:

  • A competency framework and curriculum for Education for Environment and Sustainable Development (EfESD), and related OERs produced in collaboration with employers and the private sector

  • Teaching approaches, media production skills, and digital and library support capacity for higher education courses, delivered through distance education

  • Academic knowledge in environment related subject areas

  • Plans for the institutional framework for open and distance education. 

 

 

 Reference

Lane, A. (2017). Open Education and the Sustainable Development Goals: Making Change Happen. Journal of Learning for Development,4, 275-286. Retrieved May 16, 2018, from http://jl4d.org/index.php/ejl4d/article/view/266/256
 
 
Case Study 5: India: Goat Herding
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I was inspired by the project ODeL university in India to work with impoverished farmers who wanted to be improved goat herding. The university catalyzed partnerships between local farmers and banks and agricultural experts, making a real difference to the community. I believe this is an education for sustainable development in action that is needed to be scaled up.
 
Reference
MacGregor, K. (2015). Break down learning barriers to sustainable development. Global Health,(386), 1-4. Retrieved May 16, 2018, from http://www.universityworld.com/article.php?story=20151017100641870
 
 
Case Study 6: Kenya: University Education for Marsabit Nomadic Girls
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FLOSS4EDU in partnership with the Kenyatta University (a member of FLOSS4EDU) and the Kenya Education Network worked together to develop Bachelor of Education Degree program to be offered as a distance learning module to girls from a Nomadic community in the North Eastern part of Kenya. Kenya’s North Eastern region is affected by frequent drought and unrest due to ongoing military interventions to fight out Al Shabaab terrorists in the region. This coupled with cultural beliefs that discourage girl child education, made it difficult for girls to attend University education even when they have passed their secondary school examinations. To ensure that the girls from this community were able to study even when at home, the partnership developed digital learning materials for the BEd program offered by Kenyatta University, packaged the materials onto low-cost tablets and provided the tablets to the girls with support from community-based educational institutions located in the region. The girls were required only to return to the community school after 3 months for examinations and for new materials to be loaded onto the tablets for a further 3 months. Performance of the students under this program was on par with the students undertaking the face to face program at the University according to a recent monitoring and evaluation study.
 
The FLOSS4Edu network has demonstrated that well designed educational materials can be used to provide the required training and direction as the first point of intervention in solving social-economic problems. Though education/training on its own may not offer a complete solution, if used with other interventions can work to alleviate poverty and thus achieve SDG4.
 
Reference
The Commonwealth Education Hub Discussion Summary (November 2015), Sustainable Development Goal 4.pp. 18-19.
Available at: https://www.thecommonwealth-educationhub.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Discussion-Summary-Exploring-SDG41.pdf. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
 
 
Case Study 7: United Kingdom: OpenLearn
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
On the OpenLearn website, we have provided free learning to around 40million learners worldwide, with around 5m new learners every year (meaning it has more users than most of the world’s MOOC providers combined). OpenLearn supplies around 1000 courses on a wide range of degree level subjects. Most courses have short printable certificates (many will be available as eBook or in print formats) and some now have digital badges (which can be displayed on LinkedIn and other social network sites). The majority of the site is Creative Commons licensed – allowing free re-use, and adaptation of materials. It was started with Hewlett foundation grant – but for the last 5 years has been sustained as part of business as usual for The OU UK. It is regularly referred to by the BBC and is also supported by a Google AdWords grant (helping raise its discoverability). It is produced by the Open Media Unit at the OU, UK. Elsewhere we work with partners (and seek to develop new partnerships).
 
The OU’s International Development Office is working with partners to bring our expertise in open and distance education to a range of projects in Africa and Asia. For example, we have developed health care and teacher education programmes (in India and Africa) impacting millions of professionals on these continents. The OU’s MOOC engine FutureLearn provides around 200 free courses from around 70 other Universities form around the world. It has over 2.5 million users and can claim the largest ever free online course anywhere in the world!
 
Reference
The Commonwealth Education Hub Discussion Summary (November 2015), Sustainable Development Goal 4.p. 21
Available at: https://www.thecommonwealth-educationhub.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Discussion-Summary-Exploring-SDG41.pdf. Accessed May 18, 2018.
 
 
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