ACHEA 2002 Conference

1. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ ACHEA 2002 Conference Distance Education at UWI: Managing the Communication to Facilitate Student-centredness Olabisi Kuboni, Ph.D. Campus-Coordinator, UWI, St. Augustine, Trinidad

2. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Distance Education Sites

3. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ UWIDEC: The Organization 29 Sites in 16 countries 3 Campus-based Administrative Centres to manage: • Programme Delivery Across Network • Operations at Sites in Own Jurisdiction

4. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ UWIDEC: The Delivery Format • Pre-packaged, self-instructional Materials • Face-to-Face Tutorial at Sites • Audio Conference Sessions • On-line Component (being introduced)

5. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ UWIDEC: The Mandate • To Provide Caribbean People With Increased access to Tertiary Level Education • To Serve as Vehicle for Transforming UWI into Dual Mode Institution

6. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ UWIDEC Student: A Brief Profile

7. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Expectations/Needs of Mature Student (As Client) • Stability and predictability in dealings with institution • Rules, Regulations, Procedures Clearly Articulated and Adhered to • Institution that is Responsive to Needs/Demand of the Individual • Awareness that Services are Paid for and Should be Efficient

8. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Expectations/Needs of Mature Student (As Student) • Adequate Human and Non-human Resources • Adequately Trained Teaching Staff: High Level of Commitment to Job • Integrity and Credibility of Institution Recognized • Certification Recognized • Certification Attainable Without Undue Stress

9. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Expectations/Needs of Mature Student (As Learner) • Guidance in Managing Their Own Learning • Assistance in Developing Self-confidence as Learner • Assistance in Developing Strategies for Self-evaluation

10. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Communication forStudent Centredness Within the Organization (for Programme Delivery) Within Students (for Learning)

11. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ The Communication Model

12. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Communication for ProgrammeDelivery: Key Participants Site Co-ordinators & Staff Campus Co-ordinator & Staff Telecommunications Manager & Site Technicians Academic Programmes Co-ordinator (UWIDEC-based) Programme Co-ordinators (Faculty-based) Course Co-ordinator Courier Services Tutors Registry – Examinations Section Registry – Appointments Section

13. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Programme Delivery –Main Activities Selection/Appointment of Course Co-ordinators, tutors Distribution of Course Materials Scheduling, Planning and Conduct of Audio-conference Sessions Reporting of Examination Results Scheduling, Planning and Conduct of Tutorials Scheduling, Planning and Administering of Mid-semester Assignments, Examinations, and Final Examinations

14. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Brief Pause Short Questions

15. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Communication forProgramme Delivery: Issue #1 • Do Sender and Receiver Share Common Understanding of Message? • Single Message – Composite of Several Units of Information • The Goal: Analyzing the Message in Order to Bridge the Gap Between Sender and Receiver

16. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Communicative Devices for BuildingCommon Understanding of Self-Study • Devices Within Course Materials (Overviews, Objectives, Headings, Learning Activities, Reading links) • Devices Accompanying Course Materials (Cover Sheet, Study Schedule, Course Guide)

17. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Communication forProgramme Delivery: Issue #2 • Does Receiver Perceive Information as Meaningful • Placing the Message in its Context to Enhance Meaning Acquisition • The Context as: Explanatory Framework (the what, why, when, how, who of the message) Classification (highlighting the generic properties of the message) Interpretive Framework (what are the implications Cont’d …

18. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Communication forProgramme Delivery: Issue #2 d) Increased possibility of meaning erosion when message disconnected from its context

19. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Messages Frequently Disconnected fromContext: Rules, Regulations and Procedures • “All sites must return the Materials Request Form by date specified” • “Course registration is not complete unless fees are paid” • “Tutors must attend orientation sessions with course co-ordinators” • “All tutorial sessions must be arranged through the site co-ordinator” • Submit mid-semester grades to site co-ordinator by date specified” • “Use student numbers rather than names and ensure that they are accurately entered” • “All mark sheets must be signed by both the First and Second Examiners”

20. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Communication forProgramme Delivery: Issue #3 • Avoid Exclusive Reliance on ‘Long Distance’ Communication with Tutors and Students • Always Include a Duplicating/intermediary Point for all Messages • Locating the Site Co-odinator at the Mid-point in the Communication Chain

21. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Role of Site Co-ordinator as Intermediary inCommunication System Receiving Responding and Acting on Feedback From Final Recipients Receiving and Re-transmitting Messages Re-structuring, Rewording, Re-packaging Messages For Wider Dissemination

22. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Skills Required as Intermediary inCommunication System Ability to Design, Maintain and Implement a System for Receipt, Classification and Dissemination of Messages A B Redefined Set of Decision-making Skills: Cont’d …

23. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Skills Required as Intermediary inCommunication System B • When to Send Message, in What Format; • Whether or not to Require a Response • Whether There Should be Follow-up Messages • Should There be Main Recipients and Subsidiary Recipients • What Vehicle Should be Used for Transmitting the Message • What Alternative/Supplementary Information to Transmit in he Event of Problems Arising with the Original • Should This Message be Sent Prior to or After Another Redefined Set of Decision-making Skills:

24. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Communication ForProgramme Delivery: Issue #4 • Designing and Using Appropriate Methods for Soliciting Responses • Is a Response Required, and if so, Through What Medium, In • What Form? • The Form as a Vehicle for Transmitting a Response; Some Design • Issues: • Establish the Boundaries of the Information Sought • Identify all its Composite Elements • Use Clear, Precise Terminology to Formulate Information ‘Slots’ • Sequence and Arrange ‘Slots’ in Logical Order • Evaluate Form for Accuracy and for Ease of Use

25. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Communication for ProgrammeDelivery: Issue #5 • Are Staff Members Beginning to Suffer From Information Overload? • Which Staff? In Which Operational Area? • Need for Managers of the Communication System to be Alert to Signs of Information Overload and Take Corrective Measures Cont’d …

26. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Communication for ProgrammeDelivery: Issue#5 cont’d … • Staggering and measuring the Flow of Information so that it is Received in Manageable Chunks • Diverting Some Aspects of the Information to Other Sectors of the Organization • Devising Training Strategies to Equip Staff to Deal With Larger Blocks of Information

27. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Extending Staff Capacity for Handling LargerAmounts of Information; Some Issues: • Information Increases Not Only in Terms of Volume, but Also in Terms of Complexity • At a Given Point Information Increase Requires Changes in Information Management Systems and Organizational Structure • What Technology to Use for Management of What Type of Information?

28. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Brief Pause Short Questions

29. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Communication Between Institutionand Student to Enhance Learning • Emphasis on learners taking responsibility for their learning • Learners as active participants in their own learning • Do mature learners have all the skills for functioning as autonomous learners?

30. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ The Potential of the New Technologiesfor Supporting Learning • Environment for fostering interaction between teachers and students on equitable basis • Environment for supporting learners’ search for new knowledge. • Any time, any place access-allows learner space and time to incorporate reflection in learning • Leveling of the communication field between teachers and students

31. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ UWIDEC Introduction ofOn-line Teaching and Learning: • Component of technology mix for distance delivery: (courses in degree programme) • Complement for face-to-face teaching (Vacation Student Support Programme)

32. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Objectives to be Achieved • To develop willingness to participate in interpersonal exchange • To facilitate development of higher order thinking skills through collective analysis of materials made available • To provide one-on-one feedback • To encourage self-evaluation of own work • To develop in students an appreciation of sharing and collaborating and to undo conceptions of sharing as ‘cheating’ • To facilitate the development of skills to participate in sustained exchanges (the ‘threaded discussion’)

33. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Strategies for Attaining Objectives: • Providing computer-use training for students as pre-requisite for participation in on-line teaching and learning • Enhancing customer-service skills of site technician • Use familiar technology as stepping stone to facilitate use of the unfamiliar (the Newsletter in VSSP) • Establishing and defining the function of intermediary instructional design assistant between content specialist and end-user (students)

34. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ UnderpinningTheoretical Issues • Learning as Individual or Collective Activity? (Kaye, 1992) • Power Relations Between Teacher and Student (Kuboni, 1997) • Transactional Distance: Structure and Dialogue (Moore and Kearsley, 1996)

35. ACHEA Conference July 2002 ‘The Challenge Of Quality for the Higher Education Administrative Professional.’ Thanks for Sharing Comments, Questions?