‘‘Learning as our common priority’ is the theme for the Fall 2024 edition of Connections from the Commonwealth of Learning #COL4D.
In this issue, we take digital inspiration from the Pacific, as showcased at the recent meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) in Samoa held in October 2024. We continue to note the rapid and ongoing changes on offer through generative artificial intelligence tools, check in on recent gender equality and climate resilience work, and much more!
Watch the video slideshow below or go to commonwealthoflearning.info/connectionsvol29no2-pdf to download your full copy of the magazine.
#Resilience #CHOGM2024 #PacificEducation #WomenAndGirlsEmpowerment #GenderEquality #EducationForAll #OpenSourceAI #ClimateEducation #Sustainability #SkillsDevelopment #TVET
... See MoreSee Less
COL releases GEM 2024 Pacific Report in Fiji.
The 2024 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report Pacific: Technology in Education – A tool on whose terms? (hdl.handle.net/11599/5660) was recently released during the Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting (CHOGM 2024) in October and introduced soon after in Suva, #Fiji, at a national event organised by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL). A collaboration between COL and the UNESCO GEM Report, the report analyses the use of technology in education in a region where infrastructure represents a challenge for deploying digital technology in education.
The event was held in early November 2024, with representatives from the Government of Fiji, universities and civil society organisations participating in the discussions. The conversations focused mainly on the challenges of using technology in education in Fiji and identifying future policy directions. Professor Bibhya Sharma and Dr Shikha Raturi from the University of the South Pacific and Dr Pritika Reddy from the Fiji National University – the authors of the three background papers for the report – were the main speakers at the event.
Mr Isoa Tauribau, Deputy Secretary, Professional, Ministry of Education responded to the speakers by highlighting the fact that the government is serious about promoting the use of technology in education and would take note of the recommendations put forward by the report.
Dr Jyotsna Jha, Director: Skills, COL, who opened the event by welcoming all the speakers and participants, concluded the event by stating, “One of the most important points that emerged from the discussion underscores the need for adapting relevant technologies for the diverse challenges that exist on the ground while also being futuristic and recognising the full potentials of technology in promoting equity and quality in education.”
#COL4D #UNESCOGEMReport #EducationTechnology #DistanceLearning #DigitalInclusion #PacificEducation #FlexibleLearning #ResilientEducation #OpenEducation #EmpoweringTeachers #YouthEmpowerment #EducationForAll #SustainableEducation
... See MoreSee Less
COL-VUSSC announce webinar series #2: “The Blue Economy”
The Commonwealth of Learning (COL), through its Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC) initiative, is organising the second webinar in the series, “VUSSC Voices”, with a focus on The Blue Economy.
Small states represent 33 of the 56 member countries of the Commonwealth, and although there are significant variations among them, many experience similar challenges regarding access to high-quality post-secondary education. VUSSC was established as a network of small countries committed to the collaborative development of free content resources for use in an educational context. It has two broad aims: to expand tertiary education in its member countries through distance modes and to enable the small states to be active participants in the world of online learning, thus bridging the digital divides. A key priority in VUSSC has always been to build capacity systematically for strengthening tertiary systems.
To this end, VUSSC works with Ministries and their agencies, post-secondary institutions, professional bodies and NGOs to implement a range of activities aimed at addressing common areas of concern. VUSSC projects focus on:
- improving institutional and national effectiveness
to deliver quality online and blended learning in the
small states.
- increasing equitable and inclusive access to quality
learning for Persons with Disabilities (PWD) and
those who support them; and
- expanding access to competency-based courses in
skill areas relevant to small.
Successfully addressing shared interests and common concerns through collaboration requires opportunities for engagement, interaction and sharing of ideas and experiences, hence the need for “VUSSC Voices” webinars held bi-monthly.
Date & Time: Wednesday, 27 November 2024 at 9:00 AM PST/Vancouver, B.C.
Chair: Dr Schontal Moore, COL Adviser: VUSSC
Key Presenters: Sylvanna Antha, Consultant: “Blue Economy Course: Impact and Lessons for SIDS” and Angelique Pouponneau, Senior Advisor, University of New South Wales, Centre for Sustainable Development Reform: “Looking to SIDS – Enabling Legal Environments for Finance and Impact”.
Webinar Objectives:
- To expand and strengthen alliances among VUSSC
stakeholders.
- To facilitate the sharing of experiences, explore
responses to common challenges, provide
guidance, and promote knowledge sharing and
collaboration across Commonwealth countries.
- To discuss the challenges faced by small
Commonwealth countries in accessing high-quality
post-secondary education.
- To highlight how VUSSC addresses these
challenges through collaborative development and
distance learning.
To register, visit: bit.ly/3YB8PUo
For more information, click here: www.col.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/VUSSC_VOICES_Webinar_2.pdf
#BlueEconomy #VUSSCVoices #SustainableDevelopment #SmallIslandStates #OnlineEducation #DistanceLearning #HigherEducation #InclusiveLearning #COL4D
... See MoreSee Less
;
