education 2011-2021 summit: key opportunities and challenges

Education 2011-2021 Education 2011-2021 SummitSummit

Key opportunities and challengesKey opportunities and challenges

Global challenges Global challenges and perspectives of blended and distance and perspectives of blended and distance

learninglearningDEHub-ODLAA SummitDEHub-ODLAA Summit

Sydney AustraliaSydney Australia15-18 February 201115-18 February 2011

Key opportunities and Key opportunities and challengeschallenges

• What are the key language and terminology issues for What are the key language and terminology issues for defining open and distance education in the 21st century?defining open and distance education in the 21st century?

• What are the key ODL research areas we must strengthen What are the key ODL research areas we must strengthen and expand from 2011-2021? What strategies do we and expand from 2011-2021? What strategies do we need to improve research methodology?need to improve research methodology?

• What strategies do we need for educating and influencing What strategies do we need for educating and influencing senior policymakers, government ministers, and our senior policymakers, government ministers, and our institutional leadership about the ‘expectation-benefit’ institutional leadership about the ‘expectation-benefit’ continuum of open and distance education?continuum of open and distance education?


• How do we mobilise emerging technologies for How do we mobilise emerging technologies for improving pedagogy models for teaching and learning improving pedagogy models for teaching and learning effectiveness?effectiveness?

• How do we harness the potential of OERs for informal How do we harness the potential of OERs for informal and formal learning environments? What theoretical and formal learning environments? What theoretical framework is needed to move this forward?framework is needed to move this forward?

• What are the challenges and opportunities for What are the challenges and opportunities for transforming the university’s academic culture for transforming the university’s academic culture for open and distance education?open and distance education?


• What are the challenges and opportunities for What are the challenges and opportunities for global ODL? Global partnerships? What global ODL? Global partnerships? What strategies are needed to bridge social, cultural, strategies are needed to bridge social, cultural, and language barriers for ODL delivery?and language barriers for ODL delivery?

• How do we empower the critical role of teachers How do we empower the critical role of teachers in technology-ODL teaching effectiveness?in technology-ODL teaching effectiveness?

• What are key quality assurance issues facing What are key quality assurance issues facing ODL? What are the implications of the shift ODL? What are the implications of the shift towards learning outcomes for ODL?towards learning outcomes for ODL?


• Can we truly professionalise the field of open and distance Can we truly professionalise the field of open and distance education commensurate with mainstream professional education commensurate with mainstream professional academic disciplines? Why or why not?academic disciplines? Why or why not?

• Mobile technologies provide global potential for Mobile technologies provide global potential for educational access, teaching pedagogy, and community educational access, teaching pedagogy, and community synergy? What strategies are needed to formalise the synergy? What strategies are needed to formalise the educative processes using these technologies?educative processes using these technologies?

• What types of technological enhancements are needed to What types of technological enhancements are needed to access research data sets from multiple technologies that access research data sets from multiple technologies that are seamless and efficient?are seamless and efficient?


• How can we tap the unique social, cultural and How can we tap the unique social, cultural and educational knowledge of students as a resource for educational knowledge of students as a resource for refining and continually improving ODL practice?refining and continually improving ODL practice?

• What are the best practices using Web 2.0 What are the best practices using Web 2.0 technologies for promoting social inclusion of technologies for promoting social inclusion of underrepresented populations in higher education? underrepresented populations in higher education? What’s missing on the human level in these What’s missing on the human level in these emerging practices?emerging practices?

• What are proven best practices and lessons learned What are proven best practices and lessons learned for effective blended learning teaching models?for effective blended learning teaching models?