#H810 Final Impressions

The frequency of posts on this blog has been rather limited during the last few months.  This is largely due to H810, Accessible Online Learning, at the UK Open University.  By submitting my end paper (EMA), my third module on my way to a Master in Online and Distance Education is now officially finished (although results won't be in for a few months).  I posted impressions on previous modules, H800 and H807, before.

Each module follows a broadly similar structure, based on carefully crafted course texts, academic and website readings, asynchronous discussions with peers and tutors in the forum and regular flurries of activity ahead of paper deadlines.  In these papers, learners need to relate course content to their own context.  H810 was not different from other modules.  The relative balance in quality does vary though and some aspects were different.

This module was the most practically oriented so far. All kinds of tools and software passed under the spotlight.  Standards and their practical translation into guidelines were discussed.  Developing and assessing learning resources was an important part in the assessment. The weight of academic papers was lower than in previous modules.  Instead we looked at more videos and websites.  The academic character was more than compensated though in the last block of the course, that focused on interpreting accessibility in education through three models (Institutional Change, Activity Theory, Communities of Practice), taking a more policy and institutional stance.  In particular institutional change (North, 1994), which discusses the difference between theory (issuing rules) and practice (lack of change on the ground) formed a welcome policy viewpoint complementary to the operational focus in the first half of the course.

Tutor support was not so much strong in quantity (fewer supporting messages in every discussion) as in quality (other viewpoints, pointers to supplementary resources, useful tips), which I appreciated.  I found the quality of peer discussion very high, as most learners had a professional role in supporting disabled learners in higher education. For me, without experience 'in the field', these discussion offered a welcome addition and reality check to the academic materials.

No course is perfect though and there were some glitches. There was little attention for accessibility development outside the Anglo-Saxon world.  There were no synchronous discussions, except for one tutor-led presentation on Xerte Online Toolkits, which I liked very much. In H800 these discussions helped to create a group bond and although tutor group discussions were lively, I can't say there was a strong community feeling.  I found the time available for writing the EMA (a 6000 words essay) extremely short, in particular as the deadline was right after Christmas holidays.  A short break sometime in course activities would have been fine. 

But overall I found H810 an extremely interesting course, partly because I had very little prior knowledge.  It definitely raised my awareness for accessibility issues in (online) learning.  Concepts such as a social view on disability, invisible disabilities and universal design are relevant for development cooperation as well.  The course strengthened my belief in online learning, and made me looking forward to my next module, H809 (although I'd love it would start a few weeks later).

James Buchanan and Development Cooperation

James Buchanan

The American economist and Nobel Prize winner James Buchanan recently passed away. Some quotes and information about his work were posted on MRU. A concept, first described by him, the Samaritan's Dilemma, is particularly relevant in development cooperation.

The Dilemma can be described as follows:

An actor who is deeply concerned about the well-being of others confronts situations in which other actors are in serious need of help.  The Samaritan is thus confronted with choosing between helping and not helping.  The recipient, on the other hand, has to decide how much effort the recipient will make to help them in this case.  If the Samaritan extends help and the recipient extents high effort, the Samaritan will be benefited substantially as will the recipient - but from the recipient's perspective, they could be even better off if low effort was expended.  (Ostrom et al, 2002)

The prospect of bank bail-outs is an example where money (from tax payers) to banks (the recipients) has reduced incentives for these banks to work efficiently and lower risks.

In development assistance recipient governments know that donors will provide money, whether they extent low or high effort. They will have therefore fewer incentives to create strong institutions, policies and rules. They may even have adverse initiatives: the worse the performance, the more development aid they will receive.  This is real. During workshops participants pretend to have a lot of problems using teaching resources, later admitting that they hope to receive more training (and per diems).  

The Samaritan's Dilemma reduces accountability, as recipients don't face the economic consequences of their actions (donors pick up the tab anyway).  When repeated (often the case in development assistance) the donor may create a situation where the recipient loses skills and motivation over time.

The Samaritan's Dilemma is primarily a motivation problem, but a lack of or asymmetric information creates similar problems, such as moral hazards. This is a situation where people receiving indiscriminate amounts of donor funds will be less inclined to engage in reforms or find alternative revenue sources.  

Solutions to the Dilemma lie in capacity development and ownership by recipients.  Capacity development intends to strengthen recipients' knowledge, skills and attitude to undertake certain activities, e.g. teach in a different way. Ideally, capacity development is coupled to a clear timeline, allowing recipients to gradually take responsibility for the actions.  The problem with capacity development is that recipients do not always have the incentives to invest in the knowledge and skills that the donor is trying to develop.  These incentives are determined by rules and institutions at higher (policy and constitutional) level.

Ownership is a buzzword in development cooperation and worth of a (soon to write) blog post in itself.

* The picture of James Buchanan is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

* Reference: Ostrom, E., Gibson, C., Shivakumar, S. and Andersson, K. (2002) Aid, Incentives, and Sustainability: An Institutional Analysis of Development Cooperation, Sida Studies in Evaluation 02/01, Stockholm, Sida, [online] Available from http://www.sida.se/

International Teachers' Day: Thanks to All Teachers

My name is Nol Samnang. I am 24 years old. I am a new teacher graduated from Regional Teacher Training Center (RTTC) in Kandal province last school year. After my graduation, The ministry of Education assigned me to 24 Kannha Upper Secondary School, located in Kampong Speu province which is bit far away from my home town, but still I am happy with my career as a science teacher. The school runs classes from grade 7 to grade 12, and this school year I am appointed to teach chemistry for all classes in grade 10. I was very nervous for my first teaching day when all the children in my class stared at me with huge expectations.

Ever since I was a small girl I dreamt of being a teacher.  I like explaining things and want to help children to gain better knowledge and skills.  During my two years training at RTTC I have learned a lot both on teaching methodology and content knowledge. I usually worked in group in the library on the homework given by my teacher trainers. Through the assignment I learned how to think critically, how to solve problems as well as to observe phenomena.  These are the skills I find very important to become a good science teacher.

My teacher trainers usually apply student center approach as well as including experiments in their lessons.  This has stimulated me to repeat the same method during my practicum. Student center approaches stimulate students to develop their skills; they are encouraged to use their prior knowledge and creativity to form a new content. They learn to recognize and listen to others’ opinion.  Moreover, I find experiments very important for science lesson, it retain their knowledge in the memory without forgetting it. 

In general, to become a good teacher, they should have strong content knowledge and good appearance, furthermore they should think logically, be neutral and friendly with the students.

I encountered some challenges to apply student centered approach in my lesson when I became the teacher. Some teaching materials are not available in school but I can find and bring them from home. Sometimes my pupils help me with finding the right materials.  My director is always enthusiastic to support me when I ask for any request.   

Today is International Teachers’ Day.  In Cambodia thousands of teachers work every day in challenging conditions to give children a better future.  They deserve a lot of respect and support for what they do.  The above story is a summary of an interview we had last month with Nol Samnang, chemistry teacher in Kampong Speu province.  Credit to Sokhany Nget for transcript and pictures.