Session 5

Online Learning in the Pacific Regional Context

Fiji comprises over 300 islands and islets, around 100 of which are inhabited, with a total land area of 18,270 km2. Most of the country is volcanic in origin, whilst the smaller islands are coral and limestone. The majority of the country is mountainous, with several peaks exceeding 1,000 m. Barrier reefs ring most islands. The two largest islands, Vanua Levu in the north and Viti Levu in the south make up over 80 percent of Fiji’s total landmass. The Republic of Fiji gained independence in 1970 after nearly a century of British control.

Education sectors across the Pacific are changing rapidly. The region is witnessing significant growth in postsecondary participation rates and an overall shift in the focus of sector development efforts from access to quality. At the same time, Pacific countries are undertaking major reforms to their telecommunication sectors, and many have begun developing their national information and communication technology (ICT) policies. By 2021, all major Pacific island countries are expected to get their submarine cable connections installed and operational, signaling a rapid increase in connectivity rates across the region (2020). These developments imply a huge shift both in terms of demand for human capacity, and the need for cross-sector collaboration to capture the full range of benefits that ICT can produce in the education sector. If managed effectively, sector developments in the areas of ICT and education can strengthen the region’s most valuable resource its human capital. The central reason for implementing any information and communication technology for education intervention is, ultimately, to provide better learning opportunities for students. To this end, ICT for education supports stakeholders ranging from teachers and students to policymakers in planning, developing, managing, and delivering improved education programs and resources. ICT for education interventions include 

(i)               establishing and leveraging ICT networks, to share information and support collaboration

(ii)        using software, hardware, and connectivity to collect and analyze data, to manage the    education sector and its institutions more efficiently; and\

(iii)          developing and using educational materials, such as digital learning (e-learning) programs and digital knowledge repositories, to improve teaching and learning outcomes, and support research activities.

The University of the South Pacific (USP) was the first higher education institution in the region to establish its own satellite communication network (USPNet) (2020). The network connects USP’s campuses across its 12 member countries and benefits from exclusive access to Australia’s Academic and Research Network. USPNet started as a regional network to support USP in delivering education services to its member countries and campuses. In its first iteration, it supported USP’s governance, administration, human resource management, financial services, teaching and learning, and research. However, in recent years, USPNet has expanded to serve more than its original educational services mandate. USPNet now provides network services to support regional agencies in addressing issues pertaining to cybersecurity, climate change, and disaster management. Although USPNet provides access to regional organizations to support these functions, currently, it only shares access with a select few educational institutions. Pacific education leaders frequently cite the goal of establishing a Pacific knowledge hub, and it is now technically feasible to do so. USP is seeking to create and host a knowledge hub for the Pacific; one possible method for accelerating this process is to review the structure of USPNet to open access for other post-secondary education providers. Doing so may prevent costly and unsustainable duplication of efforts to establish a parallel ICT networks, and increase the number and quality of learning opportunities for students in the region.

Elements of Successful Online Learning in the Pacific Context

An online course is like walking into a foreign land with an entire map laid out but having no sense of the land’s origin or how to navigate the terrain. How the instructor formats and interacts with the class will ultimately determine the student’s travel experience. A study was done by (Raturi, Hogan and Thaman, 2011) on the Pacific context mentions that “students nowadays definitely have a far more comfortable than in the pre- Internet era. The Internet then gave rise to the possibility of a whole new range of online resources. The use of email has been maximized in the online education system.” This study states that the learners taken in the sample were keen and enthusiastic about the use of technology and where eLearning ready.

Moving on, Teacher presence is vital to create in an online course, because without it, the class becomes an impersonal experience guided only by text and the other electronic medium. Just as in a seated class, the presence of an instructor provides a sense of leadership and security for the students, a central point person that guides them in the learning experience. In an online class, one has to be conscious to create this presence, as it is not patently evident as it is in a seated class (Essential Elements of an Effective Online Learning Experience, 2020).

Furthermore, Feedback is one of the most vital elements of an online course. It is interesting to note that instructor feedback is also a vital part of the aforementioned instructor presence. Feedback helps the students recognize that there is an instructor that is monitoring their progress. You can have instructor presence without feedback, but the presence would likely seem detached and impersonal. Feedback adds an interactive component that brings warmth to the experience (Essential Elements of an Effective Online Learning Experience, 2020).

Being Inclusive: Role of Culture, Gender and special needs in Online Learning in Developing countries

When a child born in society he becomes part of our society. Culture is the main aspect of any society that teaches to live with a mutual corporation with each other. Culture is the social behavior of any society which has its own trends and values. Every society has its own way of living life and lifestyle. Culture focus on the knowledge of ethics, norms, traditions, etc. 

Various elements of culture help the individual in adopting natural and social environment in a positive way. Each person of the society has his or her own behavior attitude qualities and mentality to perceive the world around. Education changes the perspective of the individual toward different modes of community (Online Course: The Role of Culture in the Education of Adult English Language Learners | LINCS Community, 2020).

Purpose of Culture

• Culture always being used at a wide range in any society by the group of different people.
• Culture always tell about to live life happily without any fear.
• Culture progress when the time change and keep forward with the passage of the time.
• Culture always try to fulfill the needs of all people.
• Culture give equal chance and opportunities for all the member of the society

Pacific Island students particularly the indigenous students should be based on their cultures and their knowledge, their values and from there they can then use their culture and their knowledge systems as a platform for jumping off to speak, to be able to better understand the global culture, global knowledge from which we choose the foundations for University education. Indigenous education, its aims, its pedagogies, its view of students learning, its methods of assessments, its content-are the complete opposite of Western education which is the basis of schooling and university learning. For example, the aims of western formal education are to change the behavior of students, and we as teachers are responsible for that change. We must ensure that we add to their knowledge, that we provide new skills and if possible change their attitudes. Indigenous education aims at cultural survival and continuity. of course, there is change but they are most interested in making sure their culture, their way of life continues forever. If you look at the content, the content of schooling and the university is sourced from the western knowledge systems, western epistemologies. The content of indigenous education -the source is your culture. So it’s being able to survive in the context of your own culture. So you can see in the content of schooling at University there’s very little of Pacific cultures in the curriculum itself. If you look at pedagogies, for indigenous education, teachers are mainly your elders or your parents or your peers, the focus is on practical matters - being able to practice something and demonstration. If you want students to learn, you as a teacher must demonstrate what it is they need to learn. The content must be relevant to the students, to their way of life. So if you wanted to learn how to be a good fisherman or fisherwoman, you go and learn from the person who has learned.

References

Itu.int. 2020. [online] Available at: <https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Regulatory-Market/Documents/Infrastructure_portal/Maximising-availability-of-int-connectivity-in-the-pacific.pdf> [Accessed 9 June 2020].

Eportfolio.usp.ac.fj. 2020. [online] Available at: <https://eportfolio.usp.ac.fj/artefact/file/download.php?file=411261&view=110214> [Accessed 9 June 2020].

Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning. 2020. Essential Elements Of An Effective Online Learning Experience. [online] Available at: <https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/mapping-success-essential-elements-of-an-effective-online-learning-experience/> [Accessed 9 June 2020].

Raturi, S., Hogan, R. and Thaman, K., 2011. Learners' access to tools and experience with technology at the University of the South Pacific: Readiness for e-learning. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 27(3).

Community.lincs.ed.gov. 2020. Online Course: The Role Of Culture In The Education Of Adult English Language Learners | LINCS Community. [online] Available at: <https://community.lincs.ed.gov/discussion/online-course-role-culture-education-adult-english-language-learners> [Accessed 9 June 2020].