Transitioning to Online Education in the Caribbean: The UWI Open Campus

As a result of the increasing demand for tertiary education in many developing countries, institutions are seeking ways to increase educational access in difficult economic times. This paper describes the development of the University of the West Indies Open Campus as the mechanism for online distance education delivery to students across sixteen islands in the Caribbean region. The shift from the use of print based distance education to online education was examined from the perspectives of the administration, the instructors and the students in order to determine which factors were important for a successful transition. Factors examined included institutional context, vision, curriculum, organizational structure, finances, leadership, stakeholder attitudes towards online courses, staff training, student support and programme quality. The study also examined whether online education could promote a regional cultural identity. The research design used was a qualitative single case study with multiple data sources including archival records, semi-structured interviews and online surveys. Research findings indicate that implementing online education requires a deep understanding of the institutional context, clear vision, effective leadership, understanding attitudes towards online education and the provision of effective student support mechanisms. Context and aspects of culture (specifically communication) emerged as important factors that strongly influenced the transition, both pedagogically and in terms of the organizational culture and structure required to support online education. A lack of communication resulted in staff resistance both internally and externally. Communication was also the major stumbling block in the pedagogical changes required for online teaching and learning. Both students and instructors found teaching and learning online more difficult than in traditional classes as a result of the differences in communication modes between online classes and the wider culture. Students in online classes specifically desired the immediate feedback available in face-to-face classes and indicated a strong preference for blended learning. The study presents some suggestions for successful transitions and provides support for institutions preparing to use online education as a mode of distance education delivery, especially in the Caribbean context.

Department dc:contributor.department

Curriculum, Teaching and Learning

Year dc:date.issued

2011

Author dc:creator

• Woodall, Lora

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Hewitt, James

• Higher education
• Technology
• Distance education
• Online education
• Caribbean

Statement dc:rights

• Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en_ca

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1807/29938

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:utoronto.scholaris.ca:1807/29938