COL supports quality assurance for ODL in The Gambia.
The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) @COL4D recently supported stakeholders of The Gambia’s Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science & Technology (MoHERST) @MoHERST_gambia and the National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority (NAQAA) to develop guidelines for quality assurance (QA) of ODL provision. The QA standards will be deployed in higher education institutions, including the University of The Gambia, where COL is already assisting in their deployment.
Specific objectives included enhanced understanding of quality assurance (QA) in ODL, strengthening policy implementation skills, promoting best practices in ODL QA, developing capacity for QA assessment, defining metrics for QA in ODL, and encouraging the adaptation of new technologies.
Speaking on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Ms Ndey Fatou Trawally, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Administration and Finance of MoHERST, said that the Ministry is highly indebted to COL for the support it has provided and continues to provide to support the Ministry in its efforts towards ODL sustainability. Ms Trawally noted that The Gambia and other West African countries have also benefitted from COL’s capacity-building initiatives through the Regional Training Institute for Distance and Open Learning (RETRIDOL). She went on to say that the workshop presented a unique opportunity for The Gambia to ensure that the necessary tools to administer ODL are available and applicable to the sector's needs. Thus, the Ministry will look forward to receiving comprehensive assessment standards for ODL Institutions and Programmes at the end of the Workshop.
Principal Research Officer and the Ministry’s Gender Focal Person, Ms Kumba Jammeh, highlighted some other recent interventions from COL, including developing the Ministry’s Gender Scorecard and the ongoing Gender and Inclusion Policy process for Tertiary and Higher Education. She reiterated that these are a testament to the close working relationship between The Gambia and COL and help in furthering the transformation agenda of the Ministry.
During the workshop, stakeholders were supported in developing two draft documents on quality assurance standards for ODL programmes and institutions. With COL support, stakeholders are currently finalising the draft documents, which will be validated and presented to the government for approval.
Professor Jane-Frances Agbu, COL’s Adviser: Higher Education, highlighted COL’s support in developing and validating a national ODL policy in 2023, while the recent workshop contributed to the advancement of strategies for ODL and QA for institutions and programmes.
#COL4D #CommonwealthOfLearning #QualityAssurance #ODL #OpenDistanceLearning #TheGambia #EducationInTheGambia #HigherEducation #EducationalPolicy #OpenSchooling #MoHERST
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New COL Chair: Professor Mohammad Santally, Mauritius.
The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) @COL4D has recently appointed Dr Mohammad Santally as a COL Chair. Santally is a Professor of Education Technology and has served as the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academia) of the University of Mauritius since Nov 2022. He also served as Pro Vice-Chancellor (Planning & Resources) from April 2017 to Nov 2022. In his current role, he oversees a diverse university-wide portfolio that includes teaching & learning, research and innovation, and student matters. He also leads initiatives in education and technology. Before he was appointed Pro-Vice-Chancellor, his academic career was dedicated to advancing accessible and quality education through distance education, online learning, and the innovative use of technology in teaching and learning. He led the University of Mauritius to win the COL Excellence Awards 2010. His current focus is on micro-credentials in higher education, flexible pathways, and OER-based qualifications.
As COL Chair, Dr Santally is looking forward to translating relevant research and experimentation activities into innovative teaching and learning models integrating OERs in micro-credential-based courses that are offered in work-study (apprenticeship)-based programs in collaboration with the industry players or as stand-alone professional development programs that lead to competency certificates (micro-credentials), which are mapped to the University credit system to lead to recognised academic qualifications ultimately. This model will operate in a flexible and technology-enabled education ecosystem.
#COL4D #COLChair #Mauritius #EducationTechnology #UniversityOfMauritius #DistanceEducation #OnlineLearning #InnovationInEducation #MicroCredentials #HigherEducation #OER #ProfessionalDevelopment
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Open education for a brighter future: COL celebrates International Day of Education 2025.
By Dr Tony Mays
Director: Education COL
As @COL4D commemorates International Day of Education on 24 January 2025, it is always helpful to reflect on what we have achieved, where we are falling short and where we should be heading if we are to be prepared for an uncertain future.
As has been widely recognised, Sustainable Development Goal 4 #SDG4 on Quality Education is needed for success in all the other sustainable development goals, and there is a wealth of evidence of the benefits of education for continued economic development and more open societies. Over the years, we have made great strides towards universal primary education and improved enrolment in secondary education, technical and vocational education, and tertiary education.
Despite this, many countries still have large, and in some cases growing, numbers of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET). We are building and staffing too few new schools, colleges and universities to accommodate the need. Moreover, we are seeing a growing gap between the expectations of learners, teachers, employers, and wider society, suggesting that conventional approaches to curriculum and assessment are no longer fit for the purpose.
There is an urgent need to address both changes in technology that enable different modes of learning and teaching, as well as the changing nature of employment.
This means we must focus more on learning how to learn in a changing world.
In turn, it will require more open, flexible and lifelong provision informed by developments in Generative AI, exploring the potential of stackable micro-credentials to enable just-in-time learning in manageable bite-size chunks, the changing needs of workplaces and the changing needs and preferences of individual lifelong learners.
#COL4D #InternationalDayofEducation #QualityEducation #EducationDay2025 #lifelonglearning #educationforall #AIinEducation #microcredentials #SkillsForTheFuture #sustainabledevelopment
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