| UNAM’S CENTRE FOR
EXTERNAL STUDIES: THE UNIVERSITY’S OUTREACH TO THE OFF-CAMPUS PUBLIC Historical Background
From a very early stage in its existence the
Academy of Namibia had a Distance Education Department. Initially the courses it offered
were either UNISA courses, or courses very closely modelled on Unisia’s pure and
old-fashioned correspondence courses. The Department was at that stage a purely
administrative unit, in the office of the Registrar. It managed the writing, printing and
distribution of the courses, commissioned, without guidance, from academic staff members.
It also managed the marking of correspondence assignments. It exercised no academic or
pedagogical control, or even influence, over any of these activities.
As the birth of the new, post-independence,
University came closer, a plan was developed largely by Mr Kazapua, later to be Registrar
of the University, for a Centre for Adult and Continuing Education and Distance Teaching.
At about the same time the Department of Distance Teaching became the Centre for External
Studies, a move that marked, at least in theory, the birth of its academic and
professional/pedagogic responsibility. In practise it has largely continued to offer the
old-style courses, all at pre-degree level, but recently exclusively in English, for both
the university and the polytechnic.
In 1994 an intention, expressed in the Kazapua
proposal, for the University to become the home of tertiary-level training in adult and
continuing education was developed further by a team consisting of Professor Anim, of the
Faculty of Education, Professor David Macharia of the Adult Education Department of the
Ministry of Education and Culture, and Professor Alan Chadwick of the University of
Surrey, in the UK. This proposed the development of a Diploma in Adult Education to be
sponsored by the Department of Educational Foundations of the Faculty of Education, and to
be taught by that department, a "Professor and Head of Dept., a consultant from the
University of Surrey, co-operating staff from the Centre for External Studies and
co-operating staff from the MEC.
In 1995, after the above proposal had been
frozen, for financial reasons, the University's 5 Year Plan referred to one "Critical
issue and recommendation as follows:
"UNAM will discuss the feasibility of
reorganising its various Centres which provide extension education services into a Centre
for Adult Studies, Continuing and Distance"
It is in this historical context that the
new paper, proposing the re-activation of posts and plans to launch adult education
professional training in UNAM has been put forward. It coincides with the
Polytechnic’s decision to delink its own external studies activities from CES and
the potentially dramatic effect that this decision and the phasing out of its
current education courses could have on UNAM's external student population in 1997 and
1998 if no new courses for external students are introduced.
Roles and Functions for the CES: A vision
for development
At present, in wholly unbalanced proportions, CES
is performing two functions: the provision and handling of distance education courses
leading to formal qualifications, and the offering of a small programme of non-formal, non
certificated learning activities, through a radio series and occasional seminars and
workshops. This vision proposes an expansion and refinement of both these programmes, the
introduction of three more new functions, and a shared initiative, with the Faculty of
Education, in a sixth field. All of these functions can only be carried out on behalf of
and in close collaboration with, other faculties, centres and departments of the
University. CES is and, in my mind should remain, an essential service agency to the
University as a whole, spearheading UNAM's efforts to make its services, resources and
activities known and directly available to the people of Namibia, throughout the
country.That is the role of a University outreach centre such as CES.
2.1 Open Learning Courses Leading to
University Qualifications
Historically CES's main function has been to
manage the provision of University (and, till the end of '96, Polytechnic) courses
to external students through distance education. Nearly all of the existing UNAM courses
are in the final stages of being phased out - 1997 will represent the last year with
significant numbers (predictably approx. 500) on the HPEC and ED(Prim). The only
exception is the Dipl. in Education, African Languages, the pilot project of which is now
in its last year (about 30 - 60 students will be continuing in 1997). This will, by 1997)
therefore, be ready for relaunch in a revised form, as a regular CES/FOE/Dept. of
African Languages programme. It has recently been decided by the Polytechnic that they
will delink from CES from 1 Jan. 1997 and set up their own Distance Education Dept.
There is therefore an urgent need to launch new
UNAM courses, by external studies, in 1997 both in order to fully utilise the potential
which CES -represents to UNAM, and to meet the most urgent national needs. it is proposed
therefore that three new courses should be launched:
- a Bachelors Degree in Nursing Science (Advanced
Practice)
- a specialist teacher upgrading programme in Maths
and Education
- a specialist teacher upgrading programme in
English and Education.
In addition it is proposed that the Dipl. in Ed.,
African Languages should be revised, revamped and offered as a regular programme.
The Bachelors Degree in Nursing Science (Advanced
Practice) will be the same as the existing 3~year degree taught internally it will be
taught externally, over a five year period. There will be regular vacation schools and
local tutorials in addition to the distance learning materials, a high proportion of which
will be obtained from existing distance education courses elsewhere, approved, adapted and
supplemented as necessary by the Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences and other
lecturers agreed by other faculties.
The final structures and procedures for the
proposed education courses have not yet been agreed. CES is proposing, in line with the
papers from Professor Harlech-Jones and Professor Otaala to the Northern Project Task
Force, that these specialist subject teacher upgrading courses should be entirely
constructed from curricula modules already approved and existing within the internal 4
year B.Ed. programme. They should be the equivalent of two years full-time study, should
lead to an intermediate qualification such as an associate bachelors degree and should
gain ,full credits towards eventual B.Ed. It is also proposed that, simultaneous with the
introduction of these associate degrees, the University should commit itself to having a
full B.Ed. programme through open learning available by the time the first graduates of
the intermediate degree qualify.
This paper proposes that the Dipl. in Ed. African
Languages be revised in such a way as to bring it also into line with the above associate
bachelors degree by adding to it education modules based on the existing B.Ed. curriculum.
In the longer run, this would form a very good
basis for the development of a wider range of B.A. and B.Sc. offerings through open
learning.
A final proposal, as part of this long term
vision for UNAM's distance education programmes through CES, is to offer a series of
specialist high-level post- graduate courses at-a-distance to meet specific high- level
human resource development needs by identifying top quality existing distance learning
courses from elsewhere and to adapt and tutor them for Namibia.
2.2 Non- Certificated Continuing
Education Outreach Activities
Two clauses in the University's Mission
Statement, in its 5-Year Plan, relate to outreach services:
- to serve both rural and urban communities, and
provide extension and advisory services to the communities, with a view to uplifting their
education and technical know-how ...
- to promote and defend democracy, academic freedom,
a culture of excellence, debate and constructive criticism.
These two statements encapsulate the role of
CES's Department of Continuing Education. With very limited personnel and resources a
start has been made by the Launching of a radio series "UNAM Radio Laboratory"
and a regular series of short seminars and workshops on topics of national and public
interest. So far most of this activity has been Windhoek-based. It is proposed, in line
with the stated priority, in the University's five-year Plan, to develop this Department
of Adult and Continuing Education into a major provider of continuing education.
It will do so both through the radio and by the
organisation in all of UNAM's regional centres, especially in the Northern Regions, as
well as in Windhoek itself, of public lectures, debates, seminars and workshops for the
general public. In this way the intellectual power-house of the University, including the
output of its research, can be made available directly to the people of Namibia outside
the campus.
2.3 The University’ s Information
and Public Relations Agent in the Regions
Through 'the nine regional centres the University
already has outreach offices 'through which information and publicity about the University
and its programmes can be made available. This can play a major role in the projection
nation-wide of the University’s image and in its recruitment processes. To some
extent this happens already. It is envisaged that all Faculties, Departments and Centres
should see these regional centres as a natural resource to help them to plan, publicise
and administer their outreach programmes.
2.4 Satellite Campus
A new project is being developed in the Ondangwa
Regions in the North, whereby a much more significant University Centre is to be
established through which selected regular University Courses will be taught and a wider
range of outreach activities organised. In this way a genuine mixed mode of university
teaching can be developed: some courses or modules studied by distance learning modes,
some by intensive face-to-face courses. For reasons of Population density, this is more
economically feasible in the North than elsewhere, but it offers a model for future
development, at different levels of intensity, for all of UNAM's Regional Centres.
2.5 Action Research, Experimentation and
Development in Adult and Continuing Education
It is a University's proper role to carry out
research and development activities in its range of academic subjects. It is equally its
role to do so in adult, continuing and distance education. With adult education, from
literacy upwards, a clear national priority, and in a country whose rural and deprived
population is scattered over such vast areas, it is of vital importance to experiment with
new technologies and new delivery patterns for all levels of adult education and training.
This paper envisages the CES developing a series of action research experiments in
distance and adult and continuing education which develop and test new approaches and
methodologies to be passed on to the regular extension and adult education agencies for
replication. An example of such a service could be taken from the University's current
ZERI research project: out of the results of that research the University, through CES and
the appropriate faculties, could develop an action research project to train, through
non-formal and distance education methods, groups of citizens, especially women, in the
methodologies and skills required to set up and manage micro-enterprises arising out of
the developments researched and tested in the ZERTL project.
2.6 Professional Exchange, Support
Service and Training in Adult and Continuing Education
As indicated in the historical introduction to
this paper, UNAM has had a commitment to the development of professional training in adult
and continuing education since its foundation. The need for such support and training
services has recently been restated by representatives of the Ministry of Basic Education,
Adult Basic Education Directorate. Distance education is a growing subdivision of adult
education at all levels, and the need for training opportunities for both the full-time
and part-time functionaries and teachers of distance education has been emphasised by
NAMCOL, NIEDF INSTANT and others in recent months. This should form part of UNAM's
offerings in adult education training. This Paper fully endorses the proposal to'
establish such professional development courses put forward recently by the Faculty of
Education. It adds one plea and one proposal to it: that they should be developed
hand-in-hand with the CES, in view of its existing experience and expertise and the vision
for development presented above; and that such courses should from the outset be developed
so that they can be offered simultaneously on campus through full-time studies, and
at-a-distance to allow campus flow practising adult educators to participate with out t
leaving their jobs.
3. Models and Modalities for University
Provision of Adult and Continuing Education and Distance and Open Learning
How can the realisation of this vision be
achieved? There are many different models for such provision to be derived from
international experience. This section divides these models into those concerned primarily
with adult and continuing education, and those concerned primarily with distance and open
learning.
3.1 University Adult and Continuing
Education
There are two important historical traditions of
University adult education in the English-speaking parts of the world: the British
Extra-Mural tradition and the Land Grant Colleges tradition of the United States
universities. Both represent the 19th Century drive in Europe and America to democratise
the educational services of universities which till then had been elite institutions
serving a very small proportion of society. The British tradition concentrated on the
provision of liberal studies and general education on a non-certificated basis through
evening classes and the Workers Education Association. The American tradition rapidly led
to the creation of structures and facilities for adults of all strata of society to get
access part-time to university credit courses. This latter tradition led, in the late 19th
Century and early 20th Century, to the establishment of university-based public
correspondence institutions and thereby to an early boost for the development of distance
education. Another significant aspect of this American tradition is the development of
Community Colleges, bridging senior secondary school and junior university levels,
offering alternative entry tracks to full degrees, for adults and young adults without the
formally required university entry qualification. They also offer a pre-degree
qualification, namely an Associate Bachelors Degree.
Throughout Anglophone Africa now, in the West,
the East and in Central and Southern Africa, Universities have adult education arms which
offer "extra-mural" courses, part-time qualification courses and professional
training and support services in adult and continuing education. It is impossible here to
review all these programmes - nor do I have the up-to-date knowledge to do so. However, it
is possible and, I believe, worthwhile to highlight some important trends:
- there are now almost as many organisational
structures and patterns of internal university positioning for such activities as there
are universities involved - though most reflected no more than one or two traditions in
their original form.
- in very many cases (e.g. Univ: of Ibadan, Univ.:
of Ghana, Makerere University, Univ.: of Dar es Salaam, University of Zambia, Univ.: of
Botswana, and several of South Africa's historically white liberal universities) there has
been a parallel and symbiotic development of adult and continuing education provision and
of professional training qualifications in adult education.
- in some cases (Dar Es Salaam, Makerere, Zambia,
Ghana, University of the Western Cape) these parallel developments have taken place in
Centres or Institutes outside the Faculty of Education; in others (Botswana, Ibadan,
Witwatersrand University) they have taken place inside the Faculty of Education; in at
least one a separate adult education structure was used as the basis to create the
equivalent of a Faculty of Education which then subsumed and eventually smothered the
adult education element (Nairobi).
- in many universities the development of distance
education programmes has been added to the two adult education activities described above.
3.2 Model of University Distance
Education Organisation
There are two main models for university distance
education. The first is the dedicated institution - i.e. a university teaching only by
distance and open learning methods as exemplified by the British Open University, the
Allama Iqbal Open University in Pakistan, the Indira Gandhi National Open university in
India, the Open University of Tanzania and UNISA. The second model is the mixed or dual
mode university in which a university teaches both through traditional on-campus (methods
and by distance and open learning. (5) 10)
This second model, however, can be subdivided
into three main categories:
- a parallel, self-contained pattern, exemplified by
the University of Wisconsin, in the USA, in which an Extension Section is created with its
own staff, its own courses and its own students, almost entirely separate from the
internal campus.
- a pattern in which there is a purely
administrative distance education unit to service distance education delivery of courses
for which academic faculty members have total teaching responsibility; in this model (all)
full - time faculty members are contracted to teach both internally on-campus and
at-a-distance without additional remuneration (e.g. University of New England,University
of Zambia).
- a pattern in which there is a specialist distance
education unit or centre with academic and administrative responsibilities, but with
limited full-time academic staff, heavily dependent on full-timeinternal academic staff
employed voluntarily part-time to teach at-a-distance for additional remuneration (e.g.
University of Botswana, University of Nairobi(8)University of university of Lago7,
University of Namibia). There is a third model, which is much less common, exemplified by
the Open University section of the Open Learning Agency Of British Columbia, in Canada,
which a specialist in distance education agency co-ordinates (and administers) the
distance and open learning courses and activities Universities of a consortium of which
otherwise teach by formal on-campus methods. A similar pattern, but with a high-technology
bias, is currently coming into being in France. Had the Polytechnic remained with us, this
would have been a possible model for Namibia.
As already indicated, there is a common
coming-together, at least in many African universities, of adult and continuing education
provision and distance and open learning into a single unit or centre with in the
university often, though not always, within an autonomous centre or institute. In many
such institutions this is also the base for professional training courses leading to
university qualifications.
4. Proposals for UNAM: A Self Standing
Centre with Faculty Status co operating with all faculties but linked systematically to
the Faculty of Education.
This proposal takes into account the existing
situation at UNAM, incorporates the vision for the future spelled out in section 1 of this
paper, and suggests an organisation structure to bring that vision to reality. It starts
with
the medium to long term pattern which, it is
suggested, should emerge and then sets out the immediate steps to be taken and structures
and relationships to be put in place if new programmes are to be developed as quickly as
possible and if those programmes and relationships are to be given the chance to grow into
'the long term structures envisaged.
4.1 A Symbiotic Relationship for
Development
In the medium to long-term it is proposed that
UNAM should be offering, through external studies (or open and distance learning) a wide
range of undergraduate and post-graduate options. These would allow adult working
students, especially those from previously disadvantaged communities who were deprived of
such opportunities earlier in their careers, to obtain university qualifications in
subjects or combinations of subjects appropriate to their professional needs. It would
also provide for specialised post-graduate studies by middle to senior level management
technical and professional cadres who need high-level upgrading but cannot be spared from
their positions without jeopardising the country's development. Such a programme could
also be adapted to provide opportunities for the many young people who will not be able to
get places to study full-time at UNAM in the next decade and beyond.
A challenging, but feasible scenario, would be
for UNAM, over the next 3 - 5 years, to put in place the possibility for people in certain
key professions teachers, nurses, adult educators and extension officers, middle-level
development managers - to obtain by distance and open learning methods an associate
degree, following courses based entirely on modules within UNAM's regular undergraduate
degrees (in the case of nurses, this would actually be a Bachelors Degree, given that the
target audience are practising nurses who already hold a Diploma qualification). These
modules would include education and health science, as well as high priority subjects from
the humanities, the sciences, and business studies, economics and management. In the
following 3 - 5 years a further range of modules would be made available which would allow
those who had qualified to associate degree level to move on to Bachelors level
qualifications. The first additional modules would probably allow. completion of the B.A.
(Nursing Science) and the B.Ed. A second range could spread the options to B.A., B.Sc.,
B.Admin., and B.Econ. At the same time as this was happening a few carefully selected
post-graduate courses to meet specific and essential high level national human resource
development needs, would be put in place. All of these programmes would allow students
from all over the country to study without leaving their jobs for more than very limited
periods of study leave for residential face-to-face courses. And they would allow for
maximum flexibility for students to construct their degrees from modules which took into
account their prior learning, their experience and their professional development needs.
Included as essential and priority elements of the Associate B.Ed. and the B.Ed. offering
would be specialists in adult, non-formal and continuing education and extension.
A very heavy emphasis in the above scenario is on
education courses. But the qualifications envisaged also require a significant number of
subjects offered by UNAM's other faculties. The only subjects proposed which are not
already offered by UNAM are those related to professional development in adult and
continuing education. It is therefore proposed that the Centre for External Studies, which
would be responsible for the pedagogical design, delivery and management of all these
courses but not at all for their academic content or standards should be a self-standing
Centre with faculty status, as it is now, co-operating with and heavily dependent
on all faculties involved in the programmes. It should, however, have a particularly close
and symbiotic relationship with the Faculty of Education, given the centrality of
education courses in its offerings and the contribution its own professionalism can and
should make to the development of courses in adult and continuing education. The full
nature of that relationship needs to be worked out in detail but it might start with the
creation of shared posts in adult and continuing education, and in' in-service teacher
education.
Parallel to the above, and equally vital for
UNAM's development as a University for the People, will be the creation of a vibrant and
nationally relevant programme of non-formal adult continuing education. This would once
again draw on the expertise of all faculties and provide them with opportunities for
outreach and community service. For it would operate primarily through the UNAM regional
centres. The need for such a programme and the implications of organising it and making it
available strengthen the case for CES's Dept. of Continuing Education's involvement with
the Faculty of Education in the planning, development and delivery of professional
training courses, leading to university qualifications, in adult, continuing and distance
education.
4.2 An Immediate Plan of Action
This urgent action plan turns the potentially
disastrous decision of the Polytechnic to delink from CES into an opportunity for the
rebirth of UNAM's adult education and outreach programmes, including its external studies.
To capitalise on this opportunity urgent action is required to develop and launch some new
programmes in 1997 and others in 1998 and beyond. Only if some new programmes are launched
next year will it be easy to 3ustify the retention of CES at its present size or its
expansion and to carry out a professional staff development programme for its staff.
Without these, none of the above vision can be achieved in the future. The staff
development programme is largely in place. If we move fast, that programme can be built
around the development and adaptation of such courses to be introduced in 1997 and beyond.
The immediate plan of action consists of three parts:
- immediate planning for and decisions on the
introduction of three new programmes and one revamped program by external studies in 1997
the Bachelors in Nursing Science (Advanced Practise)
- an Associate Degree in Education, English
- an Associate Degree in Education, Mathematics
- an Associate Degree in Education, African
Languages
- the development and launching of a dynamic and
extended programme of non-formal continuing education in several of UNAM's regional
centres to be extended to all such centres as resources can be made available. At least
0.5 2 of a new post in the Dept. of Continuing Education is needed for this to become a
reality.
- the immediate launching of a detailed
feasibility study on the development and offering of programmes of professional training
in adult, continuing and distance education, with a view to launching an Associate Degree
programme in Education, Adult and Continuing Education, as well as a series of
non-certificated shorter training programmes in 1998. It is here proposed that a new post
be created and filled as soon as possible, absorbing the post proposed for Continuing
Education above, jointly responsible to the Faculty of Education and the Dept. of
Continuing Education of CES. The feasibility study should be carried out by the person
appointed to that post, possibly with a Consultancy of up to 6 months from a leading
African adult educationalist. Assistance for such a study could be provided by the
existing Department's of the Faculty of Education, 'the Department of Continuing Education
of CES, and the UNAM regional centres, together with assistance from the Ministry of Basic
Education's Adult Education Directorates.
Centre for External Studuies
University of Namibia
Private Bag 13245
Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: 00 264 61 2063676
Fax: 00 264 61 2063016
Bibliography and References
Section I
- O.N. Anim Establishing Adult & continuing
Education at UNAM - paper to Faculty of Education - Oct. 1994
- Z. Kazapua Discussion Paper on the Development of
Distance, Continuing and Adult Education within the University of Namibia, Feb. 193
- B. Otaala Phased-In Reactivation of Posts in the
Dept. of Adult and Continuing Education - paper to Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic &
Research) June 1996
- University of Namibia. First Five Year Development
Plan 1995-1999 March 1995
Section 2
- J. el Bushra Correspondence Teaching at
Universities - Broadsheet on Distance Learning No. 3 IEC - Cambridge 1973
- T. Dodds and S. Inquai Distance Education in
Commonwealth Countries in Africa - Paper in the Background Papers On Co-operation on
Distance Learning in the Commonwealth for the Commonwealth of Learning Commonwealth
Secretariat and ODA London 1987
- T. Dodds and J. Mayo. The Promise and Performance
of Distance Education in Developing Countries: the IEC Experience 1971 - 1992 - Cambridge
1992
- T. Dodds and F. Youngman. Distance Education in
Botswana: progress and prospects - Article in the Canadian Journal of Distance Education
Simon Fraser University Publication 1994
- N. Kabwasa and M. Kaunda. Correspondence
Education, in Africa -Routledge & Kegan Paul - London 1972
- G. Rumble and K.Harry. The Distance Teaching
Universities Croom Helm London 1982
- SAIDE. Open and Distance Education in South Africa
- MacMillan - Johannesburg. 1994
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