Distance Learning Challenges Facing Two World Regional Universities

The University of the West Indies and the University of the South Pacific are the only two regional universities in the world. Together they serve 29 small island nations spread over nearly 35 percent of the Earth’s surface. Many of these developing countries lack the educational resources to provide the educational access to develop strong economies and improve social conditions. Until recently, regional campuses and correspondence courses were the primary means of course delivery due to isolation and small population sizes. However, improved Internet access at a time of increased shipping and travel costs now makes Transnational Distance Learning (TDL) increasingly attractive. TDL is defined as online learning delivered to students in other countries or even other continents. TDL holds the promise of improving educational access, but there are challenges. This chapter discusses the distance-learning history, current practices, and future directions of these two regional universities. The chapter also discusses opportunities, competition from foreign universities, political issues that impact regional universities, and cultural/pedagogical challenges.

Open and Distance Learning in Asia

Universitas Terbuka (UT) is committed to making higher education open to all Indonesians. All efforts are directed to address and maintain UT’s openness, flexibility, and accessibility. As a result, UT successfully provides higher education to about 600,000 students who come from various social and economic backgrounds. Due to limited ICT infrastructure in Indonesia, UT still uses printed materials as the main learning media, supplemented with various non-printed materials. UT also provides learning support in the form of face-to-face and online tutorials, digital libraries, and other online resources. The advancement of ICT and greater public access to the Internet has allowed students to have easier access to UT’s programs and services. The remaining challenge for UT is balancing the quality of materials and learning supports for different students with different learning circumstances. It is very important for UT that no potential students are marginalized due to their lack of access to certain technologies. Nevertheless, it is envisioned that UT will increase the utilization of ICT in its future system.

The Pacific Open Learning Health Net

This chapter describes the experiences of the Pacific Open Learning Health Net (POLHN) in providing online, face-to-face, and blended professional education to health professionals in 12 developing Pacific island countries. The chapter reviews the establishment of learning centers with Internet access in hospitals, nursing schools, and health centers.

Teaching Arabic Online

Teaching Arabic online came with its own set of challenges and opportunities to employ technology to focus on students’ learning, engagement, and enjoyment. Using instructional design principles, three Arabic courses were designed and delivered as learner-centered. With the use of technology tools such as video conferencing, screen-casting and audio recording, and editing software, the focus was on students’ collaboration and engagement with the content, the instructor, and with each other. Because the structure of Arabic is very unlike English and the Romance languages, it presents special challenges because neither the symbols nor the words are familiar to students. The teaching methodology, the audience, and the political and social realities that make the study of Arabic important are discussed in this chapter.

Distance Learning in the Pacific

The University of Hawaii at Manoa and the American Samoa Department of Education transnational partnership has evolved considerably over its 31 years due to an increased understanding of the unique cultural and contextual components of the teaching and learning process in American Samoa. While the results of this case study cannot be generalized, the findings may provide an opportunity for executive decision-making about launching and developing global transnational distance learning university programs. This chapter provides insight into the context, methods, issues, threats, and solutions and recommendations involved in extending university undergraduate and graduate teacher education across national borders.

Online Student Incivility

Student incivility in the online classroom has remained largely unaddressed because many administrators believe that its causes and solutions can be managed the same way in the classroom. Online incivility, however, is uniquely different and therefore presents a different set of challenges and solutions. This chapter defines online incivility (unintentional and intentional) and offers strategies for instructors who find themselves having to contend with uncivil students when there are no explicit guidelines available at their institutions.

The Why and How of Transnational Teaching

Most countries today are facing the challenge of trying to increase enrolment in higher education but to do so in ways that are affordable and sustainable and in which increased access represents a reasonable chance of ultimate success. The increasing ubiquity and flexibility of technology creates multiple avenues for institutions to open access to higher education and for students to access this provision. This has yielded a steady increase in cross-border/transnational provisions for higher education. In this, the developing countries of Africa have tended to be consumers of services and materials rather than producers. The potential of TDL in reaching large numbers of people is obvious, but there are still a number of militating factors that need to be addressed if this potential is to be fully realised. This chapter explores some of the reservations that have existed among African higher education institutions, until recently, regarding transnational provisions, and then looks at why this is now changing, with examples of recent developments, and reflects on some lessons for how meaningful transnational engagement can be facilitated.

Using Alternative Technologies for Teacher Training in Developing Countries

In this chapter the author discusses how developing countries are using technology in education when Internet connectivity or electricity is not dependable. Developing countries are embracing educational technologies because they are the fastest, cheapest, and most consistent way to train large numbers of teachers and support education reform. Emerging nations are also enjoying funding opportunities that include public/private partnerships, which contribute to the needed infrastructure, providing significant amounts of computers and networking hardware and software from the likes of Microsoft, Cisco, Dell, and Oracle. Many outstanding ICT case studies and examples abound, but most rely on the Internet in whole or in part (Trucano, 2010). One of the great challenges in the developing world is finding sustainable methods for improving teacher training where Internet and electricity are not a given. Some of the ways these obstacles have been overcome in developing countries are discussed in this chapter.

Open Educational Resources and the Impact of MERLOT on Transnational Education

This chapter discusses the impact of Multimedia Educational Resources for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT) Open Educational Resources (OERs) on transnational education. MERLOT is a managed collection with links to learning materials and resources. MERLOT resources, as they relate to open educational resources, are described. OERs, or freely shared education resources with multiple users, are defined with a historical perspective. The chapter focuses on further defining OERs and comparing and contrasting OERs with proprietary software. The types of OERs and the significance of initiatives, such as MIT and MERLOT that make OERs available internationally are discussed. Finally, the opportunities and challenges for the use of OERs in global learning are addressed. Solutions, recommendations, future directions, and conclusions are discussed.

Succeeding in Transnational Distance Learning

This chapter reviews issues universities must consider to be successful in Transnational Distance Learning (TDL), as well as challenges. New technology, finances, competition for students, and enrollment opportunities make now the right time for transnational distance learning. Businesses and nations need increased numbers of workers with skills needed in the international economy. Transnational distance learning is a profitable way to train such workers. It opens new markets by expanding university enrollment to students in Asian, American, European, and African nations, reducing the need for student visas. This chapter discusses the growth of online learning, and new global markets that are emerging. Opportunities include enhanced academic reputation, partnerships, added income, and a multicultural student body. The challenges include acceptance, accreditation, competition, culture, technology, tuition, and the establishment of a business model.