Open Schooling - Gyuana

Exploration of OS for Guyana

1. Technology Enabled Open Schooling: Implications and Benefits COL 12 – 16 November, 2019 Georgetown, Guyana

2. Welcome … and… Introductions Activity Introduce yourselves : Name? Position? Years of experience in education? And open schooling? What do you expect from this workshop ?

3. Open schooling: definitions Activity What are open schools? How are they different from conventional schools?

4. Open schools: definitions Open schooling: Free access to learning opportunities Flexibility of teaching and learning Improvement of quality of teaching and learning Physical separation between teacher and learner Utilization of non-conventional instructional methodologies: educational content available through various means and supported by technology Utilization of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to mitigate the teacher-learner separation, support content delivery and learners throughout the teaching and learning process

5. Open schools: differences Characteristics Conventional Schooling Open Schooling Entrance requirements Restricted Open Place and time for enrolmemt Restricted Open Teaching and learning process F2F, led by teacher Individualised self-learning materials supported by various configurations, including F2F interventions Teaching and learning materials Pre-determined textbooks and sporadic learning resources Purposefully designed self-learning materials, supported by various media Learning Pace Strictly stipulated Self-determined

6. Open schools: differences How they are different from conventional schools: Organization of the physical space Organization of time – non-established schedules, various time zones The process for grouping students – classes organised based on academic programming and not necessarily based on age groups Organization of instruction Teaching methodologies – constructivism, connectivism vs. transmission Physical teacher-learner separation – mitigation of transactional distance Learning pace controlled by student vs. controled by teacher

7. Open schooling: Context Fundamental context: Increasing amplitude and equality of access Keeping levels of openness Ensuring curricular relevance Improvement of quality of teaching and learning Maximizing cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit and sustainability

8. Open schooling models Activity Think about the possibilities for Open Schooling in Guyana. How could an Open Schooling system be organised? (ex: connection to other entities, autonomy, management structure, etc.) How could Open Schooling handle the provision of education? (ex: distance learning only? Mixed distance and F2F? How would students be supported? etc.)

9. Open schooling models Legal perspective: Part of a Ministry or government department Unit linked to other educational organization Semi-autonomous institution, established by ministerial regulations Autonomous institution, established by ministerial regulations A not-for-profit organization (foundation, voluntary association, etc.) Private corporation of limited responsibility (for profit) Private corporation with open capital (for profit)

10. Open schooling models Modes: Single mode Dual mode Mixed mode (convergence of F2F and at a distance) Flexible mode (technology enabled version of the mixed mode)

11. A Vision for Open schooling A What do you wish Open Schooling to look like in Guyana 20 years from now? AEA mission: The Adult Education Association of Guyana, Inc., M.S. seeks to provide through the Non-Formal system, the education and training which the Guyanese people need and desire, which have not been met by the formal system, to render them efficient participants in the development process of the Nation. Activity

12. COL – OIS Model Overview Purpose To support Ministries and other stakeholders with the provision of accessible and flexible quality basic education through open and mainstream schooling . Principles Quality of learning resources Equity Flexibility Access Collaboration and Sharing Sustainability Scalability Gender sensitive Disability sensitive Facilitate governance and management Outcomes & Impact Broader access to flexible teaching and learning opportunities for out of school youth. Strengthened TEL* in open and mainstream schools Improvement in teaching and learning Improved quality of learning resources Trained teachers in TEL Decrease in dropout rate. Improved academic performance by learners. * Technology Enabled Learning

13. Theory of Change: Open/Innovative Schooling Training Content development Management Technology Improved Student Performance & Sustainable life skills Open/Innovative Schooling Increased interest in schooling among students from marginalized groups Community Participation & Empowerment Moving into Tertiary education Employed or self employed Decrease in unemployment Economic growth Political and social stability Sustainable development through learning

14. COL- Strategic focus Focus LMS Provider COL Independent/ Support/Dependent Developing Scaling Mainstreaming Phase 1 1. Expand e-learning Centers - Principals - Teachers - Aptus 2. Additional content development 3. Management Training 1. e-learning Centers - Principals Teachers Aptus 2. Training centers 3. Management training 1. Curriculum development - Training Teachers - e-learning Content - LMS 2. Technology/Aptus Phase 3 Decreased funding/ Support Funding/ Support Dependent Piloting Transfer/Support Funding/ Support Self funded/ Support Support Accessible and flexible quality e-learning through open and mainstream schooling Phase 4: Systemic implementation by Ministry Phase 2

15. COL OIS Model: The Road to Accessible and Flexible Quality Education for All

16. Needs Analysis

17. World’s Needs Scale of need (UN UIS, 2016)

18. World’s Needs How will we reach these youths?

19. Guyana’s Needs How will we reach these youths?

20. Who are your Learners? Out of school children at the primary/secondary level 18-23-year-olds / adults 24 years and older who did not complete schooling or who did not complete well enough to access employment or further education and training Children , youth and adults with special educational needs or other constraints to accessing educational opportunities … Urban / rural centres Activity Create the Guyana OIS learner profile.

21. What will you need to reach those learners? What do you need to make the vision a reality? (skills, infrastructure, knowledge, etc.) What do you already have? Identify the gaps. Activity Think about the vision you created and the profile of your learners:

22. Open schools: a systems approach Overview of all the components and processes that form the system (open schooling) Processes and components are organized into subsystems: Teaching and learning Materials development Course design and development Communication Management, administration Learner support

23. Open schools: a systems approach Moore & Kearsley , 2012 System composed by 6 subsystems

24. Open schools: a systems approach Rumble (1986: 15–17) System composed by 4 subsystems Industrialized model Clearly identifies the areas of activity in an open school Defines the relationship between each area

25. Getting to know each other… Activity In pairs : Find a person whom you don’t know of that you don’t know well. Introduce yourselves (Name, position, years of experience in education, etc. Then take turns answering the following questions: What big challenge do you bring to this gathering? What do you hope to get from and give this group? Do this 3 times 2 mins per person to answer questions

26. Open schools: a systems approach Activity Consider the following examples of failings in open schooling subsystems: There were problems with student enrolments. A large percentage was only enrolled 3 weeks after the beginning of the semester. The learning materials were not ready on time for the beginning of the semester. What consequences and implications could these failings have in the other subsystems and in the global system? What would you suggest doing so that the subsystems could have worked more effectively?

27. Open schools: a systems approach Materials subsystem: Design and development Develop original materials Acquire existent materials Adapt existing materials – including OER Challenges: Difficulty in finding and training course writers Difficulty in ensuring that course writers meet deadlines Ensuring materials quality

28. Open schools: a systems approach Materials subsystem: Materials delivery Factors to consider: Cost of reproduction of materials Distribution Flexibility Trustworthiness Safe environment Access Learning experience Other benefits

29. Open schools: a systems approach Learner subsystem: Students learning environment : life outside fo school, place of work, community Tutors : help learners make sense of the learning structured in the learning resources and materials Other staff who interact with learners depending on needs : administrative, advisors, learning centre coordinators

30. Open schools: a systems approach Learner subsystem: Learner support Learning theories (how students learn) need to be taken into consideration in the design of a learner support subsystem for open schooling. Elements to consider include: Learning social context (and the support that learners will need to be successful in a social context) Importance of allowing students the freedom to self-initiate learning and the implications that may have in regard to the necessary learner support Importance of generating learner self-confidence through the creation of a trusting, collaborative, supportive and safe learning environment.

31. Open schools: a systems approach Learner subsystem: Learner support Tait Taxonomy A reas of support Services Cognitive : Support and develop learning based on instructional materials Academic advising, tutoring services, academic literacy, independent study abilities, library services Affective : providing a supporting environment for learning creates committment and improves self-esteem in learners Consulting services pre-study, advising and orientation post-study Systemic : Admin processes and effective, transparent information management systems easy fro learners Support and technical services

32. Open schools: a systems approach Learner subsystem: Tutorial support Academic and non-academic support Costs Role of the tutor Asynchronous private sessions Synchronous tutoring – learnign centres Grading

33. Open schools: a systems approach Logistics subsystem: Finances Human resources Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)

34. Open schools: a systems approach Logistics subsystem: Advantages of ICTs Provided that Internet is available: Students engaged in learning : communication with other students and with teachers, as well as interaction with the learning materials Increased motivation and engagement : interaction between students ( geographical distance) Removing of the space/time barrier : no classroom limitations – more students Local knowledge : expanding general knowledge Bigger responsibility for learning Teacher can learn from the students!

35. Open schools: a systems approach Logistics subsystem: Main benefit of ICTs Scalability Ability to provide sustainable education solutions to students who are financially disadvantaged: Access for students who do not live close to a school Access for student who cannot attend school due to financial burdens Family and economic circumstances do not determine the level of education of children and youths

36. Open schools: a systems approach Logistics subsystem: Other benefits of ICTs Outside of the teaching and learning environment: Learner subsystem : demographic information, enrolment, grades Human resources : employee date, salaries Communication (in and out): email, intranet, internet Data source for research

37. Open schools: a systems approach Logistics subsystem: Challenges of ICTs How to create and implement a solid plan, while staying open to change and innovation Resources and financing for implementation can dimish or disappear Take into consideration the socio-cultural, economic and political contexts

38. Open schools: a systems approach Logistics subsystem: ICT infrastructure Level 1: Data centre Level 2: Hardware Level 3: Main/fundamental software Level 4: User applications Level 5: Interoperability – integration of applications and fundamental software Level 6: Maintenance and support for the previous 5 levels

39. Open schools: a systems approach Regulatory subsystem: Overall management and strategic direction : Strategic planning Policy development Institutional monitoring and evaluation

40. Open schools: a systems approach Regulatory subsystem: budgeting Cost of all elements of each subsystem and the respective activities Types of costs: Fixed : infrastructure, equipment Flexible : admissions, enrolment, fee collection, tutors and support services

41. Open schools: a systems approach Regulatory subsystem: cost elements Cost of the initial capital Sustainability of the initiative Curriculum and materials development Costs of provision

42. Open schools: a systems approach Regulatory subsystem: factors that affect costs Total number of students Course offered Life cycle of the course Media and technology choices F2F support Course design parameters Size of course / module

43. Open schools: a systems approach Activity Take into consideration the learning centres that exist in your local contexts and discuss: What subsystems are established? What subsystems are effective? What subsystems need to be established to ensure effective provision of open schooling?

44. Open schools: technology enabled learning Activity What does it mean ? (do an internet search) What impacts can it have? Can you give a few examples of technology enabled learning?

45. Open schools: technology enabled learning TEL Definitions Use of any form of digital technology in the teaching and learning process, aiming to improve learning. Use of technology to support the teaching and learning process.

46. Open schools: technology enabled learning Different Approaches F2F Online Blended Flipped classroom

47. Open schools: technology enabled learning Activity Discuss advantages and disadvantages of different approaches.

48. Open schools: technology enabled learning Advantages Flexibility of access Improvement of the quality of education Rapid content updates Learning materials permanently available Reuse of learning materials Expanded access to education Allows for personalised learning Diverse learning methodologies More knowledge interchange Facilitates interaction: more student involvement in the learning process

49. Open schools: technology enabled learning Disadvantages Access to Internet is not yet globalised Cost of Internet access is still relatively high for students Internet low bandwidth drastically limits multimedia possibilities Rapid outdating of technologic components (applications) Students and teachers alike must have a good working knowledge of available new technologies Does not manage unpredictable situations nor react immediately to solve them

50. Open schools: technology enabled learning Learning theories Constructivism Constructionism Connectivism Socialised learning

51. Open schools: technology enabled learning Pedagogy New role of the teacher: learning facilitator Learner centred process Collaborative learning Integration of technology and OER in materials development Focus on application of knowledge (flipped classrooms) Student envolvement in learning activities that promote critical thinking and analysis

52. Open schools: technology enabled learning Implications for open schooling Development of additional contents/ materials Integration of OER in learning materials Tutorials – Synchronous and asynchronous Learner support Technical infrastructure – hardware and Internet Teacher training Student orientation and technical support

53. Open schools: technology enabled learning The role of learning management systems Centralization – access, administration, grades, etc. Learner support – technical and pedagogical Constructivist learning approaches Students as authors / content creators Learning assessment and evaluation

54. Open schools: technology enabled learning Access this handbook from COL OASIS repository: Complete the table in section 1. Activity

55. Open schools: technology enabled learning In your groups, create a philosophy statement to guide the strategic direction for TEL in Guyana’s Open Schooling. Activity

56. Open schools: technology enabled learning Google search: Content Management Systems (CMS) Learning Management Systems (LMS) What differentiates the two? What are the affordances of each? Activity

57. COL- Gender Equity COL Priority Some statistics: From the billion of people that are the poorest in the world, three fifths are women and girls In 2010, one in six people lived in shanty towns. 70% of those were women and girls 16% of the world’s adult population is illiterate, and two thirds of those are women and girls 70% of the 130 million children out of schools are girls

58. COL- gender equity Definitions: Gender equality : no discrimination based on sex, in terms of human rights, responsibilities, opportunities and benefits Gender equity : the process of fairly distributing resources and responsibilities to men and women Gender mainstreaming : the process of considering the implications of planned and intentional actions to women and men, boys and girls, including the creation and introduction of legislation, policies or programs in a way that will equally benefit all

59. Activity Taking into consideration the definitions, give a few examples of initiatives you are aware of that favour gender equity and equality in distance learning systems in Guyana. How about examples of gender mainstreaming? COL- gender equity

60. COL- gender equity A few general examples: Top-down approach with clear political will and adequate resources Atainable gender equality goals based on gender analysis Implementation of activities at all levels – planning, management, monitoring and evaluation. Strategies involve people throughout the system, because gender mainstreaming responsibility lies within the system as a whole Specific gender equality and/or gender mainstreaming content available at all levels within the system Balanced participation of women and men in decision making Gender equality specialists involved in the decision making process Working groups include women

61. COL- gender equity Challenges: Social: stereotypes Culture and tradition Economic Cost of access to education Lack of educational resources Discrimination

62. COL- gender equity Unintentional demonstration of tendencies: Comments and interactions that give the idea that boys are naturally superior or that girls should not challenge boys. Encouraging boys, criticising girls, show surprise when girls answer a question correctly. Using stereotypes when giving feedback, such as telling a girl not to behave like a boy when she is competitive or tell a boy not to behave like a girl when he shows emotion. Involve boys more in the classroom because girls may be slower to raise their hands to participate. Expectation that boys will be more successful in mathematics and sciences and girls will be more successful in humanistic studies.

63. COL- gender equity Teacher actions Be alert about these behaviours Ensure that lesson plans include aspects of gender equality Distribute tasks equally Equally involve students in the classroom Design activities that can be carried out equally by boys and girls and that capture the interest of both

64. COL- gender equity Role of administration Employment practices Develop policies that: Support provision alternatives for pregnant girls or mothers with small children Do not penalize students who live far and support flexible programs and schedules Curricula : ensure that contents reflect gender equality Teacher training in gender equity and gender mainstreaming Costs : remove tuition, have food in schools, have scholarships for disadvantaged students

65. COL- gender equity COL tools Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit for Teachers and Teacher Educators Checklist for the Development of Gender Sensitive Learning Materials

66. COL- gender equity Role of administration Employment practices Develop policies that: Support provision alternatives for pregnant girls or mothers with small children Do not penalize students who live far and support flexible programs and schedules Curricula : ensure that contents reflect gender equality Teacher training in gender equity and gender mainstreaming Costs : remove tuition, have food in schools, have scholarships for disadvantaged students

67. COL- gender equity Resources

68. Open schools:pen education

69. What Are OER? O pen E ducational R esources

70. Open schools: What are OER Open Educational Resources are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use or re-purposing by others.

71. What Are OER?

72. Open schools: examples of OER Open textbooks Videos Course materials Lesson plans Software Games Simulations Wikis Blogs Adaptive tests

73. Open Schools: Why OER Matter

74. Open schools: Open licensing “OER: freely accessible, openly formatted and openly licensed documents and media that are useful for teaching, learning, education, assessment and research purposes.“

75. Licensing: Creative Commons (CC)

76. The 5 R’s of Open Make and own a copy Retain Use in a wide range of ways Reuse Adapt , modify, and improve Revise Combine two or more Remix Share with others Redistribute http://lumenlearning.com/announcement-5r-open-course-design-framework/

77. Creative Commons logo by Creative Commons used under a CC-BY 3.0 License CC license image from Copyright in Education & Internet in South African Law used under CC-BY 2.5 South Africa license

78. Licensing Combination Attribution (CC BY) Attribution — Share-Alike (CC BY-SA) Attribution — No Derivatives (CC BY-ND) Attribution — Non-Commercial (CC BY-NC) Attribution — Non-Commercial — Share-Alike (CC BY-NC-SA) Attribution — Non-Commercial — No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) To license an OER – P2PU

79. OER Repositories OER Commons BC Campus Open Ed – open textbooks MIT Open Courseware Connexions OpenStax College - textbooks SOL*R - shareable resources from BC Campus Merlot - learning objects repository Saylor Open Learn Curriki Best 100 OER on the web EdX - Free courses from a consortium of universities Open Courseware Consortium Free Images: Flickr – CC , Wikimedia Commons Free e-texts: Flat World Knowledge , Bookboon , College Open Textbooks

80. Some useful sites for teacher education OER Africa– www.oerafrica.org TESSA– www.tessafrica.net TESS-India – www.TESS-India.edu.in Commonwealth of Learning www.col.org OpenLearn - www.open.edu/openlearn/ Khan Academy - www.khanacademy.org OER Commons - www.oercommons.org ELATE - http://www.elateafrica.org/ OER4schools - http://oer.educ.cam.ac.uk/wiki/OER4Schools 80

81. DiscoverEd - "Discover the Universe of Open Educational Resources" Jorum - "free learning and teaching resources, created and contributed by teaching staff from UK Further and Higher Education Institutions" CoL – knowledge finder – for an approach to searching for OER, open courseware, and other resources for learning OER Dynamic Search Engine - a wiki page of OER sites with accompanied search engine (powered by Google Custom Search) JISC Digital Media maintain guidance on finding video, audio and images online, including those licensed as Creative Commons For STEM resources see Resource 7.40 , p. 224. Or use google advanced search … note the option to select a licence https://www.google.com/advanced_search Further search engines to try …. 81

82. Strategies for searching Start with initiatives that you know about and see how they can help you: TESSA African Virtual University Saide/OER Africa Go to a preferred textbook you can work with and find a free online section and build around that. Embark on a thorough search for suitable material using Google, OER search engines, OER repositories 82

83. Search on general teacher education topic: “Educational Psychology” 83

84. Quality? Evaluating OER Achieve Rubrics Rubric I. Degree of Alignment to Standards Rubric II. Quality of Explanation of the Subject Matter Rubric III. Utility of Materials Designed to Support Teaching Rubric IV. Quality of Assessment Rubric V. Quality of Technological Interactivity Rubric VI. Quality of Instructional Tasks and Practice Exercises Rubric VII. Opportunities for Deeper Learning Rubric VIII. Assurance of Accessibility

85. Adapting OER Find OER Check the license Adaptation: content-based, context, relevance Check attribution requirements Re-release it under Commons Go to Creative Commons

86. Integrating OER Find OER Check the license Look for content alignment Scaffold the resource Build on the resource, if appropriate Integrate activities in the resource Need for attribution?

87. Open schools: Curriculum Mapping Activity Identify the Curriculum that needs to be developed for Phase 1 CCSLC Syllabus

88. Open schools: Course Planning

89. Open schools: Developing e-content Activity Share your content development process. What are its strengths , weaknesses? Are there any barriers you face when creating content?

90. Open schools: Creating a template Activity Lets create a template for the structure of the learning resources together !

91. Open schools: Creating a template Outcomes/purpose Introduction Introductory activity linked to prior learning New content (text, multi-media) Learning activity using new content Elaboration through feedback Consolidating activity Summary / Conclusion References

92. Open schools: AEA Content Structure Template Learning Objectives Introduction Content / Main Body Learning Activities interspersed Feedback on each learning activity Summative Assessment Feedback Conclusion to include key points learned References Optional materials / reading

93. Open schools: Aptus To

94. And to conclude… Activity Please complete the following online questionnaire, available at the following link: http:// bit.ly/2OgSKiw

95. Attribution https ://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Citation: Mays, T. J. (2019). Supporting Open Schooling . Vancouver: Commonwealth of Learning. Acknowledgement The OIS model presented in Slides 9-12 was developed for COL by Dr Johan Hendrikz , Senior Adviser: Open Schooling, 2016-2018.

96. Open Schools: Thank you! Rosario Passos Email: [email protected] Skype: Portuguese_Woman Twitter: PW_Passos Watsapp: [phone] All images used in these slides carry an open license: CC BY SA