Global SnapshotOceania Research Team

July 12th, 2010

Team Members

Rick Shearer

Bill Anderson

Mary Simpson

Jen Berghage

Pip Fowler Kathy Schmidt Gordon Suddaby Mark Brown

Countries Reviewed

New Zealand – Bill Anderson, Mary Simpson, Pip Fowler, Mark Brown, Gordon Suddaby

Australia – Rick Shearer

South Pacific – Jennifer Berghage

Overarching Philosophy

Within the Oceania region, distance education is framed more by the audiences served, the geography, and an overarching sense that distance education is about access. Technology is simply a set of tools that facilitate and help overcome obstacles to education that students face. While there is movement towards the implementation of the new technologies and pedagogical approaches, allowed by technology, there still exist many traditional distance education delivery systems.

Key Discussion Points

New Zealand

2005 saw a high point in distance education when 30% of all tertiary students were enrolled in DE courses.

Since 2005 enrollment in DE courses has fallen to 26.5% in 2009

45% of DE enrollments are at Level 1 – 3 or the last years of secondary schooling, 16% of students are at undergrad level, and 10% at graduate level.

77% of DE students are over 25 years of age.

Key Discussion Points

New Zealand

DE students account for 14% of all tertiary FTEs

35% of DE students are in ITP (training type programs)

In 2008 of all on-campus and DE course enrollments at the tertiary level 38% were in courses classified as “No Internet Required” and 35% were in Web-based courses. For DE students only 16% were in no Internet courses and 38% were in Web-based courses.

Key Discussion Points

New Zealand

Since an intensive push by the Ministry of Education in the early 2000s related to e-learning at the tertiary level a new government policy has seen a focus on regional initiatives and not national initiatives.

Polytechnics are to focus regionally, however, the Open Polytechnic continues to serve the needs of DE students nationally and is moving to develop stronger e-learning capability from its previous considerable strength as a print/paper-based provider.

Key Discussion Points

New Zealand

Locally at the universities institutions are developing and combining both synchronous and synchronous capacities.

For Otago university audioconferencing remains a mainstay of interactions although most courses are also using an LMS. All courses distribute materials in hardcopy or digitally, and considerable use is made of podcasts.

At the Open Polytechnic print is still the predominant course delivery method. However, a growing number of courses are being revised as blended experiences of print and online involvement.

Key Discussion Points

New Zealand

At the Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu – The Correspondence School, the majority of their courses remain print-based due to the rural nature of the students they serve. However, ICT technologies are increasing in delivery methods where appropriate.

New Zealand also has the Virtual Learning Network for K-13 students where they have access to courses 24/7 through ICT.

Trends

New Zealand

In New Zealand, as in other countries, the global economic condition has forced departments of education to refocus priorities. In New Zealand there is a refocusing of resources towards traditional aged students and thus some of the students previously served by DE may be disadvantaged.

Also, universities are needing to cap enrollments which may further hinder the ability to meet the needs of DE students.

There is also an increased focus on quality and completion rates.

Trends

New Zealand

Other trends noted include the move to open source solutions like Moodle. Of the eight universities in New Zealand five are using Moodle and three are using Blackboard.

Many programs are also experimenting with Mahara – an e-portfolio tool.

There is also an increased emphasis on blended/hybrid courses where on-campus students are increasingly expected to participate online for part of the course.

Key Discussion Points

Australia

A large number of single mode and dual mode institutions are involved in distance education in Australia.

However, in a recent Ministry of Education report from December 2008, DE was only mentioned twice.

The focus, as with other countries, is on quality, funding, and how to better educate the adult population of the country as only 29% of the 25–34 year olds have degree-level qualifications and this is down from a decade ago.

It is the recognition of a strong educated workforce to meet the job and economic demands of the future.

Key Discussion Points

Australia

By 2020 they have set a goal that 20% of undergraduate enrollments in higher education should be students from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Further, serious consideration should be given to the development of a university with special expertise in provision of higher education across regional and remote Australia.

Key Discussion Points

South Pacific

University of the South Pacific and USPNet (USP’s satellite and private telecommunications and ICT network) had 22,000 students in 2007 studying in 350 mostly print-based DE courses.

It is estimated that in 2010 they will have 600 courses available through print, satellite, and ICT.

Many participating regions still have steep financial and technical hurdles.

Key Discussion Points

South Pacific

In 2006 the Pacific eLearning Observatory was established with a grant from USP to monitor the development of IT at the 12 USP member nations.

A survey conducted in 2007 still showed a low level of ICT integration in the region.

As one can imagine the urban students and teachers have a much higher level of access to ICT than rural areas.

It was estimated that only 17% of the population have some access to the internet.

Thus infrastructure remains one of the biggest challenges in the region.

Trends

Quote from University of Newcastle (1997)

"The worldwide movement to employ flexible delivery has been stimulated by many factors...massive growth in number and diversity of student populations; career change as a normal expectation of each working life; commitment to equity of access; major developments in understanding of teaching and learning; a shift in focus from teacher-centred to learner-centred teaching; growth in distance education; the advent of new communication and information technologies; quality evaluation of universities; and a rapidly increasing competition among universities on national and global scales."

Team Paper

The team has produced a paper on the region that will be made available on the Ning site.

It is a rough draft, but contains a significant amount of information on the region and institutions in the region.

Team Member’s Title Rick Shearer – Director World Campus Learning Design

Bill Anderson – Director, Distance Learning The University of Otago

Mary Simpson – Associate Professor Mary Simpson Associate Dean (Teacher Education) University of Otago College of Education

Pip Fowler - Principal Lecturer Social Sciences, School of Information & Social Sciences - Open Polytechnic | Kuratini Tuwhera

Jen Berghage – Instructional Designer – World Campus

Gordon Suddaby - Director of Academic Development and eLearning at Massey University

Kathy Schmidt – In transition to Penn State

Mark Brown – Associate Professor – Massey University – New Zealand