Future Proofing Higher Education in the Pacific with Open and Flexible Learning

Naidu , Som and Roberts, Keith J. (2018) Future Proofing Higher Education in the Pacific with Open and Flexible Learning. Journal of Learning for Development, 5 (3). pp. 280-295. ISSN 2311-1550

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Abstract

Affordable access to higher education is a major challenge for small Pacific island nations.
The University of the South Pacific which is owned and governed by twelve island nations in this
region plays a special role in meeting this challenge. In its fiftieth year, a few recent developments
at USP provide a useful case study for how this challenge can be addressed to provide affordable
access to educational opportunity for residents of twelve Pacific Island nations in various stages of
development.
The island nations served by the University of the South Pacific are spread over 33 million square
kilometers of the Pacific, with several official languages and many more indigenous languages, and
use seven distinct currencies. As USP celebrates its fiftieth year in 2018, it has embarked upon two
specific initiatives that will enable the university to map out a pathway for the future of education
for the next generation and within the context of current and new strategies for the design and
implementation of meaningful education throughout the member nations.
These initiatives are the development of a flexible learning policy and an Open Education Resources
policy. Taking pages from the fields of Technology, Education (Learning and Teaching), and
Design, these two USP policies seek to “future proof” the university for the next generation and
others after that. Being future proofed means being able to stand the test of time in the face of
changing contexts and challenges. University policies are most effective when they are designed to
withstand and accommodate prospective changes in the educational landscape. These policies
reflect agreed-upon principles that will withstand social and political changes. This paper is a
commentary on the content of these policy initiatives around flexible learning and open education
practices, their values and principles.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	L Education > L Education (General)
Divisions:	Centre for Flexible Learning (CFL)
Depositing User:	Fulori Nainoca - Waqairagata
Date Deposited:	26 Mar 2019 03:12
Last Modified:	26 Mar 2019 03:13
URI:	https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/11427

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