CONCEPT OF THE OPEN UNIVERSITY : SOME OBSERVATIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES
Outline of presentation by Dr. Felix Librero, Professor and Chancellor, University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), on the topic Alternative Educational Delivery Systems , 3 rd National Research Congress in Education, Thomas Aquinas Research Complex, University of Santo Tomas , April 15-17, 2004.
Introduction
Perhaps one of the most misused concepts today in the education sector in the Philippines is the open university. In this country, going by what we can observe, there does not seem to be an appreciation of internationally accepted definitions and standards regarding the concepts of open learning, distance education, and open university. Like what politicians of the Marcos Government did with the concept of the school on-the-air on radio in the early 70s, some Filipino politicians and educators today are using the term open university without regard for international norms. Some even use the term long distance education or distant education. Such a pity, this could easily lead to one becoming distantly educated. This must change before the Philippines becomes too much of a laughing stock in the education sector worldwide.
Basic Terms, Basic Definitions
There are three basic terminologies that we need to define so that we can gain some common understanding of these concepts. I wish to present what are accepted definitions of three terms that we will meet frequently in connection with the topic under discussion.
University. The term university has an internationally accepted meaning. It is an institution made up of an undergraduate division which confers bachelor's degrees and a graduate division which comprises a graduate school and professional schools each of which may confer Master's degree or doctorate degree. Simply put, a university is an entire psycho-social and physical infrastructure comprised of people, schools, colleges, and institutes offering academic degree programs in various disciplines at various levels. The important thing is, it must, on its own, be conferring or awarding academic degrees.
For example, in the case of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), the university offers its own academic degree programs both at the undergraduate and graduate levels and awards the appropriate academic degrees. The UPOU, being a constituent university within the UP System, awards academic degrees just like any other constituent university in the UP System.
There are a number of academic institutions in the country, both public and private, claiming to operate open universities. I shall not name these institutions, but you can get a list of these from the Commission on Higher Education. I shall just describe their features, as follows:
• They offer one or a couple of degree programs;
• Some offer only nonformal courses (short courses);
• They do not have full-time faculty members;
• Their instructional modules are haphazardly done at best;
• They lack student support services;
• They do not award academic degrees (only the mother university does)
• They are run by "Directors" or "Coordinators"
• They have very few students;
• Their system of evaluation is highly questionable;
• They think distance education is easy.
Distance education. This refers to a system of delivering educational services to the learner. The basic features of distance education are: separation of learner and teacher in space and time; it uses technical media in the presentation of concepts and processes; as much as possible it provides means of two-way communication; it provides for possible face-to-face interaction among learners and teachers; and it adopts the "industrial" approach to education.
The "industrial" approach to education refers to a procedure where all the components of the instructional process are specifically identified so that specific tasks are performed by experts. It's just like an assembly line. For instance, in the preparation of instructional modules, the main players would include the following: module writer, reader, instructional designer, media specialist, language editor. First, the writer prepares the module. Second, the completed draft of the module goes to the reader who determines the accuracy and completeness of the module. Third, the module goes to the instructional designer who determines how the concepts to be learned ought to be presented in order that the learner will learn them most easily and conveniently. Fourth, the module goes to the media specialist who will determine what medium or a combination of media would best be suited in the presentation of the concept to be learned. Then it goes to the language editor for language and substantial editing to make sure that the module is using a language that is easy to understand. So, beginning with the writer and ending with the language editor, there is a series of tasks that must be performed by experts one after the other. The process is a chain, it is an assembly line.
Open learning. This is a philosophy of access to education opportunities. It is learner-centered, flexible, and provides opportunities to the learner to learn at any time, anywhere, and at his/her own pace. In a learner-centered system, the learner takes responsibility for his/her learning. The learner must learn as an independent learner, and cannot ask someone else to learn for him/her.
In the UK Open University, the term "open" signifies enrolment policies which allows entry to those who had not completed secondary schooling, and teaching methods which caters for students who would not attend campus-based programs on a regular basis. In other words, "open" refers to easier access with requirements that all those interested can easily satisfy without unnecessary problems.
Application of Open Learning
Open learning is applicable to both distance and conventional modes of delivery. In the Philippines , however, there is no university that applies faithfully the basic principles of open learning. If complete open learning were practiced here, then there would be no entrance examinations, no age requirements, no maximum residency requirement, the learner can take the examination anytime, anywhere, and a host of other requirements imposed by conventional education.
Therefore, it is incorrect to say that open learning is distance education or vice-versa because they are not one and the same. Open learning is a philosophy of access to educational opportunities, while distance education is a method of delivering instructional or educational services.
The New Learning Paradigm
The ICDE Survey
In 1995, the International Council on Distance Education (ICDE) conducted an international survey to determine the features of the new learning paradigm that was taking shape at that time. The researchers observed some clear shifts, as follows:
• Shift from objective knowledge to constructed knowledge.
• Shift from an industrial-based society to a knowledge-based society.
• Shift from the university providing instruction to the university providing learning opportunities.
• Shift from the predominantly face-to-face lectures to the predominantly mediated presentation of concepts to be learned.
• Shift from the "current" physical structure of universities to as yet an "undetermined" structure.
That state of "undetermined" structure in 1995 is today referred to as "virtuality." This is why we now have concepts like virtual university. Virtuality is a condition that does not have physical structure; a condition where something that is not truly real becomes potentially so; a communication condition that makes possible access to learning opportunities and activities originating from various education providers.
Hurdles in the New Learning Paradigm
I wish to highlight three concerns that we must address in adjusting to the new learning paradigm.
• We are at the development stage of distance education and open learning in the country where we are wading through a pedagogical gap. The main feature of this pedagogical gap is the reluctant acceptance of distance education by higher education administrators as a viable alternative system of delivering quality education services. Many education administrators are still steeped in the conventional framework of delivering instructional services to a population widely spread over huge land masses, an approach that has proved rather extremely expensive, time consuming, and highly inefficient.
• We have to contend with a technological gap. One thing is sure, though: many institutions and experts cannot seem to have enough of the gadgetry offered by rapid technological advancement. Unfortunately, either we cannot afford the technology or our students do not have access to it. So we must determine for ourselves what we can do with what technological ware we have access to, immediately affordable or otherwise. A rule of thumb should be: use the technology that delivers well what you want delivered well. Simply because there is a new technology does not necessarily mean you have got to use it.
• We have to migrate from the teacher-centered learning environment to the learner-centered learning environment. We might not be able to do this migration overnight but we must work on changing our mind set so that said migration could be facilitated. The learning paradigm shift is forcing us to change our beliefs and attitudes towards the learning process. Naturally, this is not easy for those who have been used to the old paradigm. Still, the change must proceed.
Open University Exemplars
Universitas Terbuka
The Indonesian Open University (Universitas Terbuka), established in 1984, is a stand alone university that provides alternative university education at a distance for high school graduates, working adults, and in-service teachers. UT offers open and flexible higher education system for people who are unable to have access to conventional higher education system. UT offers courses through multimedia materials. Currently, UT has an enrollment of 220,000 from all over Indonesia . The current four faculties of UT are: Faculty of Teacher Training and Educational Studies; Faculty of Social and Political Sciences; Faculty of Economics; and Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. All of UT's academic programs are undergraduate programs. UT is headed by a Rector (President).
Korea National Open University
Since its foundation in 1972, KNOU has produced more than 280,000 graduates. It is the largest distance education center in Korea , with 210,000 students currently enrolled. Equipped with state-of-the-art educational facilities, including the world's first university satellite TV station, KNOU provides extensive opportunities for education. KNOU has 14 regional colleges (centers) in 14 major cities, and 35 colleges all over Korea . Each college is equipped with distance lecture rooms, online classrooms, computer rooms and multimedia libraries. It has 18 academic departments grouped into the following divisions: Liberal Arts; Social Science; Natural Science; Education; General Education; and Graduate School . As a stand alone university, KNOU is headed by a President.
Universiti Terbuka Malaysia
Open University Malaysia was established in 2000 as the 7 th private university in Malaysia . Only four years old, OU Malaysia started with 400 students and today has 16,000 students. It has five Schools (faculties), as follows: School of IT & Multimedia Communication, School of Science & Foundation Studies, School of engineering & Technical Studies, School of Education , Arts & Social Sciences, and School of Business & Management. OU Malaysia differs from the other Open Universities in that it is a private university with its Board of Directors comprised of the six Vice Chancellors (Heads) of Malaysia 's public universities. It offers only undergraduate programs but has plans of offering graduate programs soon. OU Malaysia is headed by a President.
UK Open University
Perhaps the most prestigious of the open universities is the UK Open University (UKOU), established in 1969. It has been the most successful open university. It offers the BA and BS degree programs in various fields such as arts, health and social welfare, social sciences, mathematics and computing, computing and manufacturing, technology, education, science, environment and development, and management. The UKOU is not structured conventionally so there are no Faculties to speak of although it offers degree programs in the different academic disciplines like those listed earlier. UKOU has 13 regional centers and 290 study center all over the United Kingdom . In the United Kingdom , the UKOU is a major source of quality books and other instructional packages. UKOU is headed by the Speaker of the House of Commons as Chancellor, but the Chief Executive Officer is the Vice Chancellor.
UP Open University
The UP Open University (UPOU) is the fifth constituent university of the UP System. It was established in 1995 by act of the UP Board of Regents. It offers 21 academic degree programs: one undergraduate, 9 post-baccalaureate diploma programs, and 10 graduate degree programs including a PhD in science education. These programs are managed through three Faculties: Faculty of Education (FEd), Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS), and Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS). The UPOU operates 23 Learning Centers all over the Philippines hosted by public or private educational institutions or government agencies. These Learning Centers are now being evaluated with the end-in-view of retaining as Learning Centers only those based at UP campuses and the others to be reclassified as Testing Centers. The UPOU is headed by a Chancellor.
Crucial Issues
There are three crucial issues that the Philippine government and the Philippine education sector must address immediately.
• There is a need for a complete understanding of the concepts of open learning, distance education, and the open university among members of the education sector, and the legislative and executive branches of government. Decision makers of the education sector and the national government must appreciate the fact that quality education is a function of availability of expertise and experts, preparation of quality instructional materials, presence of appropriate infrastructures and resources, presence of effective and efficient support services, and a climate conducive to innovative learning experiences. Above all, our educators must migrate from the teacher-centered learning environment mind set to the learner-centered learning environment mind set. Only then can we expect full appreciation of the benefits of open learning and distance education on a national scale.
• There is a need to formulate a national policy on open learning and distance education. It is already late in the day, but just about the only policy document of the Philippine government on open learning and distance education is the Memorandum Circular issued by the Commission on Higher Education in the year 2000. The Philippines does not have a single legislation concerning open learning and distance education. This is one reason why proliferation of institutions, specifically state colleges and universities, offering distance education courses and calling these courses "open universities" has began. And the CHED is practically powerless to prevent this trend.
• There is a crucial need for establishing standards for open learning and distance education. The CHED has started putting together a document on standards, but it is necessary that these standards, upon acceptance and approval by educational institutions in the country, to be applied equally to all institutions. Currently needed are standards on degree programs, instructional materials, availability of faculty, availability of expertise in distance education and course development, support systems, allocation of resources for open learning and distance education.
Concluding Statement
Clearly, open learning, distance education, and the concept of the open university are rather old concepts in other parts of the world. In the Philippines these are relatively new concepts, just beginning to take root in this country. Still, those who feel they are innovative keep on pushing to establish open universities within their organizational set up. They must be recognized for their forward-looking and innovative thinking. However, I hope that they also realize there are wrong premises from which to proceed. Let me clarify what I consider to be wrong premises:
• It is wrong to claim that you have an open university simply because you have announced so; and that you are offering one or a couple of courses, or even degree programs. It is only in the Philippines where a unit of a university offers a course or a program and calls it open university. It is also only in the Philippines where a university is subsumed under a college, as in the case of an open university under a state college. Sometimes you have an open college under a school in a college. I have been wondering where we are getting these ideas.
Let us abide by accepted international norms so we cational modules for our distance students when all we have is a pamphlet, not designed for independent learning, and probably mimeographed years ago. We are short-changing our students who pay good money for their education. We may think that education as a business enterprise, and probably that may even be acceptable, but knowledge can hardly be bought.
If you want to offer open learning and distance education courses and even programs, train first your human resources and build up your expertise and non-human resources before you begin admitting students. It should not be the other way around.
• It is wrong to enroll students in distance courses and do not provide them appropriate support services so that they can gain from the courses they enrolled in. That, to me, is cheating, pure and simple.
If you want to offer courses in the distance mode, always provide for an efficient and effective student support services. This is the heart of distance education.
• It is wrong for institutions of higher learning to offer academic degree programs in the distance education mode when their own conventional programs are not even good enough. What makes them think that they can deliver quality education in the distance mode when they cannot even do so in the conventional mode? Distance education is not easy. It is also very expensive to prepare good instructional materials designed for distance education delivery.
If you want to offer courses in the distance mode, do an excellent job on your conventional programs first. You can not hope to be good in distance education if you are not good in your conventional programs. Pour enough resources into conceptualization, planning, course development, support services, and evaluation procedures. Follow accepted standards of excellence and quality.
• It is wrong to offer programs in the distance mode when you do not have sufficient manpower, expertise, and resources to deliver them. The moment you begin offering your courses you have a psychological contract with your students that will require you to continue offering the courses until the students complete their programs and earn their academic degrees. If you are not ready to abide by that psychological contract, then don't start it.
Develop a human resource pool who have acceptable levels of expertise in the theory, philosophy, and practice of open learning and distance education. It is not enough to have one trained individual on your faculty, or to have simply visited the UK Open University. Open learning and distance education are commitments that go way beyond mere compilation of lecture notes for distribution to students. It is a calling, a philosophy, a way of life, a professional commitment, and sometimes a sacrifice.
I hope I have ventilated my concerns clear enough so we may be able to look hard at what we are doing in this country in the field of open learning and distance education.
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