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【CLC number】G728 【Document code】C【Article ID】1007-2179（2008）06-0098-06
Current Status and Future Visions for
Distance Education in Asia:
——Report of the 22nd AAOU Abbual Conference
Paul KAWACHI
（Beijing Normal University, Beijing10087, China）
Abstract:This Report of the 22nd Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) Annual Conference takes a more in-depth look at the proceedings to offer insight to those who attended and to offer more information than is usual in a Conference Report to those who did not. This year , the AAOU Conference was held in Tianjin, China, hosted by Tianjin RTVU 14-16 October. The structure of the conference was new -there were seven Keynote Speeches, and all regular Participants presented individual Papers in parallel sessions on only one morning on the last day. Fortunately the Keynote Speeches were indeed worthwhile attending. In summary, these Keynote Speeches suggested and advocated some major changes in how we are building and running open and distance education in Asia and in the world generally. Five points can be drawn from them: 1) Examinations should be out-sourced to some supra-institutional examination and accrediting agency for quality assurance; 2) Open educational resources should be made free and more easily accessible to all globally; 3) Access must be more flexible to cope with changing demographics and the expected increasing proportion of older-aged physically-impaired students; 4) Courses should be designed not to give second-hand information but to generate primary sources of learning experiences for the students, and 5) The AAOU should do more to promote crosscultural exchanges of students, teachers, and our courses. The first and second points go together to provide widest possible access to highest possible quality at affordable cost to each student. The third point reminds us to adopt ISO standards, while the fourth and fifth points relate to the heart of the AAOU and Asia : the only characteristic common to all countries and regions in Asia is diversity, and in this diversity lies the richness and value not only of conferencing but of our teachers and students.
Submit Date:2008- |
