Capacity Enhancement Programme (CEP) on Open Education Resources for Bangladesh Open University (BOU) Policymakers

Capacity Enhancement Programme (CEP) on Open Education Resources for Bangladesh Open University (BOU) Policymakers on 29^th August 2016.

New Delhi, September 01, 2016: On 29 August 2016, under its OER initiative, CEMCA in collaboration with Bangladesh Open University (BOU) convened one day “Capacity Enhancement Programme (CEP) on Open Education Resources for BOU Policymakers” at BOU Gazipur Bangladesh. This activity is a part of implementation of Project entitled “OER Policy and Implementation of Blended Approach for teaching-learning at Bangladesh Open University (BOU)”. In the inaugural address Professor M A Mannan, BOU Vice Chancellor, said that the “Pedagogical transformation through open Educational resources at the Bangladesh Open University is not an option, it has been imperative to incorporate in the BOU system. Open Educational Resources are valuable for BOU and students in terms of energizing teaching and learning, lowering costs, and laying the groundwork for Higher Education (HE) programmes that meets employers’ needs.  The BOU is in a process to use OER, so CEMCA’s initiative will help building out a new dimension of our success agenda”.

The activity aims to enhance the capacities of policymakers (VC, Pro-VC, Treasurer, Deans, and Directors) to practitioners on review of OER policy and effective implementation. Dr. Shahid Rasool, Director, CEMCA, in his address appreciated BOU’s willingness to make use of ICT-enabled learning for open and distance education. He also said that the world leading conventional universities are now offering online courses all over the world using technology. Therefore, beciasue od use of technology there is a convergence between conventional and distance mode teaching. “Access to quality education today is a matter of great concern and Interactive TV together with ICT could be the supplement of the real classroom”, he added. He stressed the use of multi-media approach to make teaching and learning rewarding and engaging. Dr Shahid was impressed to learn about BOUTube and the digitization of BOU studios. He emphasized on web-based delivery of print as it is able to overcome the drawbacks of handling hardcopies of the print such as late delivery, cost effectiveness and less interactivity possibilty etc.

The goals of the BOU-CEMCA OER Initiative are that students will complete their degrees at higher rates and at a less cost than those completing traditional degrees and BOU faculties will redesign curriculum and pedagogy to better match for students and employer’s need.

The opening remarks were presented by Asst. Professor Mizanoor Rahman of BOU who spoke on ‘BOU OER Policy Review’. His address explored the strengths and weakness of the BOU OER Policy 2014. According to the policy,  CC open licensing can be harnessed to design and implement creative, engaging learning environments for BOU students that will contribute meaningfully to developing the kinds of ‘21st century skills’.

Mr. Rahman observed, in his policy research, that there is evidence of growing interest in open licensing in Bangladesh and the establishment of supportive policy environments for open licensing. He noted that despite these tangible gains, there is still limited understanding of the concept of OER beyond its ‘champions’. This inadequate understanding of the efficacy of ‘open’ pedagogies and systems continues to result in several institutional barriers to harnessing OER practices to support pedagogical conversion.

Prof. Mohan Menon, former Deputy Vice Chancellor, Wawasan Open University, is the key resource person of the three CEPs at BOU. Prof. Khandakar Mokaddem Hossain, Pro-Vice Chancellor, BOU one of key supporters/promoters of OER and one of the initiators of BOU OER Policy also attended the programme. He has been the best patron of BOU-CEMCA OER Initiative.

The one day workshop will be followed by two more Capacity Enhancement Workshops for Academic and Non Academic staff. This will lead to implementation of OER policy and practice at BOU as per the CEMCA model.