IDEAS for Dark Areas in Higher Education of Bangladesh

New Delhi, April 24, 2019: ‘IDEAS’ is the acronym which is the process of identifying needs and requirements of Dark Areas through a baseline survey, based on the results designing the interventions as per the needs using multimedia, engaging best experts for developing the content, adapting the available OER materials, and finally, ensuring the social inclusion through media. Therefore, IDEAS – I for identify, D for design, E for engage, A for adapt, and S for social inclusion. IDEAS concept is now being used for uplifting the quality of higher education. This has been initiated by the Commonwealth Educational Media for Asia (CEMCA) and it is now piloting in India, and has plan to do the same in Bangladesh. In line with this, CEMCA Director Dr. Shahid Rasool, commissioned a meeting on 1 st May 2019 at Dhaka Bangladesh with selected faculties of Bangladesh Open University (BOU) with view to way forward through a project activity for IDEAS.

At the very outset of the meeting Mr. Mizanoor Rahman gave an overview of higher education (HE) of Bangladesh and he said, “The country has two kinds of HEs – one directly through the university (public and private) and other through the colleges under the affiliation of universities – both suffer from many problems and face difficulties to ensure the quality. This has been acute in the rural areas where the colleges have limited infrastructure and quality teaching staff”. Mr. Khalid also described the social aspects of the higher education. Prof. Sufia put emphasis on pedagogic training for rural teachers. In reply, Dr. Rasool said “IDEAS is only for students’ perspectives, not for the teachers’ viewpoints”. Mr. Jahed Mannan also emphasized the comprehensive survey to identify the problems at the micro level. Mr. Reza from the education ministry, who is the Focal Point of the Commonwealth of Learning, assured the all-out supports for this green project for commencing soon.

After a comprehensive discussion on the issues in higher education of Bangladesh, the meeting recommended the followings: 1. The meeting participants shall form a group and develop the Terms of Reference (ToRs) for allocating the responsibility of the group members; 2. The Group shall identify couples of colleges which are delivering the higher education under the affiliation of a university, say, National University – the affiliating University in Bangladesh; 3. Identify their need and requirements through baseline survey; 4. Plan for subsequent intervention through multimedia approach such as MOOC, OER, apps, platforms etc.; 5. Advocacy initiatives for large scale implementation with the support from government body, for instance, a2i project; 6.The group shall submit a project profile (PP) to CEMCA for necessary support.