10th Anniversary Conference

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10th Anniversary Conference Pretoria 23rd
and 24th August 2006
Policy Issues The role of professional
associations and the impact of ICTs
Anne Forster President, OPEN DISTANCE
LEARNING ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA
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OUTLINE

• Starting points- core values
• The policy environment
• The role of the professional association
• Becoming a professional in ODL
• In the interest of others
• Preserve the core
• Stimulate progress

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• 30th Anniversary Summit 2003- CHANGE
• What is the boundary of the topic of passion?
• Whose needs are we serving?
• Exercise leadership, advocacy and influence
• The extended chain of potential members
  Individuals, organisations, companies

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Built to Last, Collins Porras 1994
Preserve the core Stimulate progress
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ODL core values
Equality of opportunity Access Equivalence Excel
lence
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The policy environment
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POLICY Myths Miracles
A CIVIL SOCIETY diversity requires cultural
intelligence sustainable communities
embedded with learning
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POLICY Myths Miracles

• A KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY
• requires education and training in the engine
  room
• Participation for all- skills - access
• Connectivity- a technological base-

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POLICY Myths Miracles
SKILLS FOR DEVELOPING CAPACITY Digital
literacy Collaborative work Flexibility-
creativity Inter-cultural communication
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POLICY Myths Miracles

• INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND DIGNITY
• Gain dignity through learning
• Learning is integrated with performance and
  livelihood
• - Education in the service of humanity

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The role of the professional association
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PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

• Contribute to the processes of change
• Commit to intergenerational transfer of
  professional knowledge and ways of knowing
• Build and enrich the knowledge base and improve
  standards
• Advocate and lobby for public policy reform
• Engage in interprofessional and international
  exchange

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Influencing policy change
Increasing equity access to learning Transformat
ional pedagogy quality Mechanisms that address
obstacles to participation Connectivity- rural
urban poor Adequate financing social returns
Increase participation rates for lifelong
learning ODL as the tool for scale,
distribution, mass media
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USING ICTs

• Potential for dispersed communities of interest
  to form, dynamic and online
• Global networks, integration
• Rapid dissemination, discussion groups
• Democratisation of decision making
• Continuous professional development programs,
  publications and resources

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International ODL Networks
Federation of Commonwealth ODL Associations -
FOCODLA Secretariat at the COL 4th Pan
Commonwealth Forum- Jamaica- 30 Oct 3 Nov
06 International Council for Open Distance
education ICDE 22nd World Conference Brazil
3- 6 Sept 06 European Distance and eLearning
Network - EDEN
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Becoming a professional in open and distance
learning
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In the interest of others
The Australian Council of Professions defines a
profession as
a disciplined group of individuals who adhere
to ethical standards and uphold themselves to,
and are accepted by the public as possessing
special knowledge and skills in a widely
recognised body of learning derived from
research, education and training at a high level,
and who are prepared to exercise this knowledge
and these skills in the interest of others. ACP,
1997
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Reflection from our here
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AUSTRALIAS NEIGHBOURHOOD

• Over 60 distinct cultures
• Social and political instability
• Rise of regionalism/single market
• Shortage of skilled workers education, health,
  trades
• Median age 19, population doubling in 25 years
• 40 70 drop out rates at primary and secondary
  levels
• Off shore education, remittances, stay-aways.

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SMALL NATIONS POOR IN CRISIS

• Over 60 distinct cultures
• Social and political instability
• Rise of regionalism/single market
• Shortage of skilled workers education, health,
  trades
• Median age 19, population doubling in 25 years
• 40 70 drop out rates at primary and secondary
  levels
• Off shore education, remittances, stay-aways.

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ONE CASE The Solomon Islands
Population 460,000 Double that in 30 years Median
age 18 16,500 births/yr 547 classrooms/yr

• Over 60 distinct cultures
• Social and political instability
• Rise of regionalism/single market
• Shortage of skilled workers education, health,
  trades
• Median age 19, population doubling in 25 years
• 40 70 drop out rates at primary and secondary
  levels
• Off shore education, remittances, stay-aways.

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Learning by Association
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
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Becoming professional mysteries and magic
Learning experiencing the unfamiliar Argyris
Schon (1982) Reflective practitioner Competency
and artistry Objectivity and subjectivity Reflecti
on, common sense, inner resources ways of
knowingmysterious and sacred elements, access
to which is the privilege of professional
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Continuing professional education
Often a focus on improving practice. Transformatio
nal learning, New ways of knowing. Karpiak
(1991) Transformation of consciousness occurs
through novel events (new experiences,
information, perspectives, - ICTs) those who
experience it return to serve their community in
new ways. Jung (1954)
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Learning by Association
BECOMING
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
A LIFELONG
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In the interest of others preserve the core,
stimulate progress
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In the interest of others
The Australian Council of Professions defines a
profession as
a disciplined group of individuals who adhere
to ethical standards and uphold themselves to,
and are accepted by the public as possessing
special knowledge and skills in a widely
recognised body of learning derived from
research, education and training at a high level,
and who are prepared to exercise this knowledge
and these skills in the interest of others. ACP,
1997
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PRESERVE THE CORE STIMULATE PROGRESS
Individually, we must engage and contribute to
the profession Collegially, we must question,
critique and refine our practices to ensure new
generations of members Collectively, we must
sustain the many communities of practice,
partners in the value chain of our joint
enterprise.. Adapted from Wenger 1998
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REFERENCES
Collins, J Porras J 1994. Built to last
successful habitsof visionary companies. New
York HarperCollins
The Australian Council of Professions, minute AGM
1997
Forster, A 2004. Supporting Members Supporting
Learners a professional association grapples
with change. Third EDEN Research Workshop, Oct
2004, Oldenburg, Germany.
Wenger, E 1998 Communities of practice learning
meaning and identity, Cambridge University Press,
UK Jung, C. 1954. In Collected Works The
development of personality Vol 17 Princeton
University press
Karpiak, I. 1991. Personal transformation and
professionals ways of knowing. In Proceedings
AACE Canada 1991
Carol Rusaw Learning by Association. HRD
Quarterly. 1995 Summer
The World Bank, 2003. Lifelong learning in the
global knowledge economy Challenges for
developing countries. Directions in Development
Series Report Washington
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Thank you. Any Questions?
Anne Forster President OPEN DISTANCE
LEARNING ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA
www.odlaa.org aforster_at_forgib.com