Thursday 1 November 2007

• Gajaraj Dhanarajan, Chair, GO-FAU Program Advisory Committee (PAC) and Vice Chancellor, Wawasan Open University
• Joachim von Braun, Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and PAC Member
• Roy Steiner, Senior Program Officer, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)
• Todd Barker, Partner, Meridian Institute

Selected presentations on current approaches and best practices in distance learning and knowledge sharing, with a particular focus on implications for GO-FAU.

1. What is the appropriate target audience for GO-FAU program?
2. Should the list be narrowed or expanded?
3. What is the appropriate degree of emphasis and balance of resources among these groups?

Breakout sessions provided an opportunity for participants to briefly prepare with colleagues from similar institutions for subsequent sessions. Discussions focused on identifying: 1) assets and experience that a stakeholder group can bring to GO-FAU program; and, 2) specific needs that can be addressed through GO-FAU program.

Content / Subject Areas

The current approach suggests a bottoms-up approach to identification of the appropriate content (i.e., “subject areas”). Based on consultations during the last three years, the first two approved program areas are:

• Agroecology; and
• Agricultural economics/agribusiness

1. Are these subject areas the appropriate starting point for GO-FAU program?
2. Do the project partners have a comparative advantage in these subjects?
3. How will future priority subject areas be identified? Specifically, what is the process for members of GO-FAU program, collaborators (e.g., universities) and beneficiaries (i.e., target audience) to provide input about the content / subject areas for future programs?

Content Generation

The current suggestion is to focus on a “modular approach.” Learning Modules will be built for use by Partners from "Reusable Learning Objects" (RLOs).

1. Given previous discussions during the meeting (e.g., about target audience) and based on current best practices, are these the most appropriate content generation approaches for achieving the objectives of GO-FAU program?
2. How will an overarching framework for content generation be developed and what might such a framework look like (e.g., what are the critical elements that would comprise a robust collection of content for agroecology)?
3. What issues related to technology infrastructure and standards need to be considered for successful content generation and delivery?