 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
A Global Open University for Agriculture and Food? As with any innovation, there are questions and concerns that come up for various reasons. The team working on the initiative takes all of these questions and concerns seriously. Below is an attempt to synthesize questions and concerns, which we have heard at various points during the program's development. While some of the questions are prompted by lack of information that can be easily addressed, other questions will require further research and study as the initiative is being established.
The Global Open University initiative is too ambitious. The initiative is ambitious. The Global Open University would potentially grow into a global-level institution. The CGIAR centers, as global research centers, are suited to pursue a Global Open University program due to their global recognition, their excellence in agriculture and natural resource research, and their independence from national interests. The program shall follow a gradualist step-by-step approach. The first steps can be small, but quick wins (e.g., exchange of curricula). A Global Open University may not have an impact on the regions we serve. The Global Open University program will work in partnerships with developing country institutions. They will shape the diversity of curricula. Students and professionals would obtain degrees in their respective countries and would be able to attend courses on subjects that are directly and practically relevant to their everyday work. Brain drain is reduced when professionals are trained in-country, where they can apply new knowledge as they master it, thus increasing the benefits that developing countries receive. It is correct that many developing countries, especially outside capital cities, are not yet well connected. However, this situation currently changes quickly. The initiative does not only work through the Internet. Many research results from different countries show that distance learning students perform as well as their counterparts in a traditional classroom setting. The effectiveness of e-learning is influenced by the students attitude: Students with a positive attitude toward a distance learning format will usually learn more compared to a lecture course. Another key factor is the set-up of the distance learning environment. The courses and topics should have real world relevance for students, provide many options to question ideas and perspectives, and be supported by instructors providing useful advice and feedback.
The needs for higher education in agriculture in developing countries are not known In the program formulation, particular attention had been paid to carry out specific preliminary needs assessment to ensure that the approach is demand driven. Many informal and formal meetings with developing country universities about the demand for this initiative were held and preliminary needs assessment have been conducted in Africa and Asia. However, the demand for specific courses in specific countries will be jointly assessed by the in-country partners in developing countries. A comparison of higher education in agriculture as it was in the 1960s in Switzerland, Germany, and the United States (average) suggests a need for more than a 10-fold expansion of the annual Master-level agricultural education in developing countries. Poor students will not be able to pay the tuition fees. The program reduces the cost of higher education significantly, but will not be free of charge. For resource-poor students, scholarships provided by Global Open University partners shall enable them to take Global Open University courses. The Global Open University will compete with universities. No. It will strengthen them. The Global Open University shall complement the efforts of universities around the world. Universities in developing countries would play a major role in needs assessment, course delivery, and student support, and would benefit from tuition and contract payments. Global Open University aims to help these institutions enhance the quality of their teaching. Global Open University does not give degrees without partners, which underscores its complementarity. Resource-poor universities in developing countries will not be able to benefit. Resource- poor universities in developing countries would especially benefit from "leap-frogging" through GO-FAU services. Today, some of the less-developed universities might not have the required facilities or the resources to fully utilize the distance learning technologies. But the process in course delivery would be flexible enough to meet the different needs of universities. For example, for a resource-poor university course delivery through CD-ROMs instead of the Internet could be more helpful. Also, Global Open University could provide the necessary support for courses, e.g. course assessment. The Open University will open the door for course material misuse. Open source distribution of material does not mean that property rights are given away completely. International Treaties such as the WIPO Copyright Treaty 1996 or the Berne Convention ensure rights. The main distinction between copyright approaches and open source licenses is in the author's exclusive rights. By using the open source license (e.g., General Public License) the author of a course waives some of his individual rights and would allow other people to modify (or not) and distribute the original material depending on individual arrangements. In the Global Open University the distribution of these rights would be handled in flexible ways: (a) restricted to licensed users (individuals or institutions) to prevent any misuse of course material; and (b) a "creative commons" to ensure some property rights, but enable creation of new materials by members. These aspects of the GO-FAU are yet to be carefully designed. A one-size fits all approach is, however, not contemplated. The quality of Global Open University courses will not be high. Quality control by peers will be key. A course author would receive a list with clearly defined requirements for his/her course development from the Global Open University. Apart from this, other effective mechanisms for quality control would be in place, e.g. a peer review of contents, educational quality, and design. Furthermore, course authors would receive feedback on the course from the students and course instructors. Course authors shall up-date the course material regularly to ensure a high quality of the courses. Local adjustment of courses is very important to ensure local relevance and would be strongly encouraged. Any changes, additions, or local examples of courses shall be fed back into the Global Open University community to reach higher transparency about the local course adjustments. The only language for Global Open University courses will be English. No. Global Open University courses shall be available in different languages based on the needs of our partners. Initially, the first courses, however, will be in English. As the system grows, non-English material will be translated and vice-versa. CGIAR research shall have impact. That requires capacity to translate research into action. These capacities are too limited, and that reduces the returns to research investments. Centers are already engaged in capacity strengthening, but that needs to be scaled up. The Global Open University would facilitate capacity strengthening in order to get CGIAR knowledge to "the field". The Global Open University would therefore be a very valuable complement to the research work of the CGIAR centers. Research resources at the CGIAR centers will be diverted into learning activities. Research resources would not be diverted to the Global Open University. The program seeks independent funding from traditional and non-traditional national, regional, and international donors. Research at the CGIAR centers would be strengthened by the program through the contribution of students who would work with CGIAR Centers, and the university professors will have a closer network with the centers. The CGIAR centers do not have the technology for the Global Open University program. Basic elements of the necessary technology exist, but the Global Open University would collaborate with developed country universities and other institutions to enhance technology not currently available at the centers. A distance learning open university will require a sound technology base. A strong cooperation with partners will ensure stable, sound, and cost-effective use of technology. To a small extent, technical expertise shall also be built up at the Global Open University Secretariat. Further investment in the IT infrastructure of Centers is needed in any case. Global Open University would not replace the existing capacity strengthening activities at the CGIAR centers, but would aim to distribute knowledge at the postgraduate level further into the countries through strengthening the existing collaborative relationships. NARS-based lecturers and students are key partners and beneficiaries. The CGIAR does not have the administrative capacity to run the Global Open University project. Some small administrative capacity would be needed. The initiative is not free of charge. The startup and transition costs for the initiative are miniscule relative to benefits for participants and cooperating universities in the South and North. The Global Open University would have a secretariat for program management, which shall be built up in the first year of the program. The responsibilities of the secretariat shall include developing partnerships with potential collaborators, overseeing the budget, course creation and delivery, monitoring and evaluation, and impact assessment. |
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
