ACDE Forum - Defining and ODL Expert

[Fred Barasa]

Dear Colleagues,

I am the Executive Director of the African Council for Distance Education (ACDE), based at the ACDE Secretariat in Nairobi, Kenya. One of the current initiatives we are undertaking is to develop and make available a comprehensive continental database on ODL in Africa. One of the components of the database is to generate a list and brief profiles of "ODL experts" in Africa. As you will all agree, there may be neither a clear or agreed criteria of an ODL expert. I am therefore inviting your thoughts, suggestions and input on "Who and what is an ODL expert". What criteria should we use to determine and list one as an ODL expert within the ACDE ODL database? Are you aware of any existing listings of ODL experts elsewhere? If so, what are they and how can they be accessed? What do you think should be the consensus on ODL expert? What must ACDE take into consideration in developing a database on ODL experts? What would you like to see the continental ODL database serving in terms of perpose and roles?

Your views are welcome.

Dr. F. S. Barasa

Executive Director, ACDE.      

 

[Prof. David Morley]

Dear Dr Fred Barasa,   Do you know of the free TALC CDs. They provide a wide range of carefully selected material from the Lancet, BMJ, Africa Health, Archives Diseases of Children, World Anaesthesia, PLOS Medicine, Footsteps, WHO, UNICEF, and much that is more suited to community level.

I would hope they would be a useful resource for distance learning, If you do not know of them please send me a postal address and I will get a sample sent off,

 

David.

 

 

 

Prof. David. C.Morley.  MD. CBE.

51 Eastmoor Park,

Harpenden.

AL5  1BN.   UK.

Phone/Fax 44 (0) 1582 712199

[Juliet Inegbedion]

Dear All,

 

The issue of who is an ODL expert is very pertinent in Africa because ODL and all its accomplishments have been misconstrued.  This is because most of the persons practicing the ODL mode are more farmiliar with the conventional method and they try to pass on the conventional mode into ODL mode; which needs a check.  Creating a common Data Base as raised by Dr. Barasa is a welcome idea but the pool of experts should be assessed on thier competency in Policy Formulation Strategies, Instructional Designing, Content Development, Content Management, Implementation Procedure and Management thoughts as it affects ODL.  I will appreciate copy of Prof. Morley's TALC CDs, I am knowing about it for the first time so I am interested in seeing its usability in the ODL.

[Fred Barasa]

Dear Prof. Morley,

 

Thank you very much for your info. Please send me the materials using: 

 

Dr Fred S. Barasa

Executive Director

African Council for Distance Education (ACDE)

CAFS Centre, Upper Hill, Mara Road

P.O Box 8023 - 00100

Nairobi, Kenya.

 

Tel +254 20 2711278, Fax +254 20 2711350.

 

Best regards

 

F. Barasa 

[Toyin Oloniteru]

Dear Fred,

My immediate reaction to this is that it is too early to start talking
about ODL expert. My suggestion is as follows:

1. Creat a database of ODL Associates (this should be the first step).
2. Creat a database of ODL Expert
3. An ODL Expert must first be an ODL Associate
4. An ODL Expert should be based on recommendations of other ODL
Associates through Peer-Review mechanism. We can have these over a 5
year period via conferences, seminars and workshop among others.

The problem therefore reduces to that of determining the criteria to
be an ODL Associates. I make the following suggestions:

1. Anybody with at least a first degree (possibly verifiable) should
be admitted as an ODL Associate - this is a serious business here
since we are building a database that other people will rely on and
also that will invariably serve as a world resource database. So we
are just starting we don't know where it will end up in. We should
start properly.

2. An ODL Associate must show interest in the ODL activities and this
should be known through participation including in online forum and
others - conferences, seminars, workshops and schools. Interest in
very important in this regard.

3. A Distance learning Student (e-learning or any other form) may be
admitted on recommendation by their institution to the associateship
of the ODL. Reason is that these are the people that can really claim
to be Expert in future. I cannot see how someone can claim to be
expert when that person has not practically undergone a Distance
Learning or E-Learning programme himself or herself. Where will the
expertise come from?

4. A researchers with research work in the area of ODL that is
verifiable and acceptable by the ODL community.

Based on output from ODL Associates we can begin to have ODL experts.

I hope my contribution and comments are useful.

Thank you.

Olutoyin J. Oloniteru.

2008/6/14 Fred Barasa <fsba...@acde-africa.org>:

--
Toyin Oloniteru
Lagos, Nigeria
Email: toyin.o...@gmail.com
Cell:2348022920006

[Prof. David Morley]

Dear Juliet,  I need your postal address if you would send it please I will send a sample free CD rom TALC.

 

David

 

 

Prof. David. C.Morley.  MD. CBE.

51 Eastmoor Park,

Harpenden.

AL5  1BN.   UK.

Phone/Fax 44 (0) 1582 712199

-----Original Message-----
From: acde-2008-onlin...@googlegroups.com [mailto:acde-2008-onlin...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Juliet Inegbedion
Sent: 16 June 2008 08:41
To: acde-2008-onlin...@googlegroups.com
Cc: 'Fred Barasa'