What one needs for creating Technology Based Higher Education
the survey conducted by the Expert Group responsible for preparing report on "Strategic Planning for ICT in Higher Education", of which one of the authors is an expert member. The TBHE-environment for dissemination of information in limited form in most of the public universities in Bangladesh. However, a few private universities are promoting TBHE-environment exists for authentic delivery of learning-contents in electronic form through web and other media. The authors studied their approaches and compared it with the proposed framework.
Educational institutes, particularly the Higher Education
Institutions, are the largest stakeholders to adapt to the technological
advancement for better and efficient rendering of education to the mass
learning community including regular classroom based as well as distant student
via online and offline e-Learning. Though in recent years, HEIs in Bangladesh are
using ICT in learning and teaching processes in order to increase the quality,
efficiency, and dissemination of education, but not many of them could siege
the opportunity and leverage significant benefits by adapting themselves to
Technology based Higher education environment.
Current status of TBHE in Bangladesh
Current status of TBHE in Bangladesh
Status of public sector HEIs
Most of the public sector HEIs did not adopt technology for the improvement of imparting quality education. The major technology medicated activities performed by them are typical in nature that includes: uses of web sites for disseminating general information to the visitors, whereas no learning contents are disseminated; content delivery using overhead and multimedia projectors.
Status of private sector HEIs
Most of the private sector HEIs represent the similar scenario like public sector HEIs. However, few selected HEIs are more aware about the necessity of TBHE environment and striving to provide more technology mediated services to their students. They have their own units of content development activities under different names and responsibilities. The TBHE support provided to their students are: authentic access to course material within and outside the campus, online submission of assignments and term papers, access of online transcript to the student and respective advisor, using log to monitor online activities of students, online discussion forum, providing digital library (own and professional like IEEExplore, ACM digital library), etc.
Usage of TBHE in distance education
In Bangladesh, the only public sector university offering distance education is the Bangladesh Open University (BOU). Facilities provided are: maintaining website; established Media Center responsible for content development (CD based; non-interactive) for secondary, higher secondary and postgraduate courses; broadcasting recorded lectures through television and radio; etc. Learners still need to go to the tutoring/resource centers to give examination. Integration of remote and virtual lab is totally absent and the relevant lab courses are seldom conducted.
Usage of TBHE environment in research and development
In most of the countries such as India, Pakistan, England etc. there exist special ICT facilities to extend helps to people engaged in research and development activities in its HEIs. There is one such network infrastructure in Bangladesh in the name BERNET (Bangladesh Education and Research NETwork: www.ugc.org/bernet.htm). This is the monitoring unit, which provides a quality assurance role to JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee) in monitoring its network infrastructure and network content services to the researchers in different HEIs.
Status of TBHE friendly administration
Though the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh regulates and approves the syllabuses of the private sector HEIs, there exists no monitoring body to oversee the separate ICT unit, if any, within the HEIs. Most of the public sector HEIs have independent ICT divisions doing typical ICT chores such as proper functioning of email, etc. However, they do not provide technology-supportive quality education due to the lack of TBHE friendly administration, policy framework and skilled human resources.
Necessity of TBHE framework
Within an HEI, the
successful establishment of TBHE environment largely depends not only on the
friendly administration and fund, but also on an approved framework. The
framework helps in streamlining the quality of education, research and other
services provided by various HEIs and eventually increases their
competitiveness. Based on the learners' needs (regular or distant), the
framework helps the HEIs in designing their learning system, which is crucial
for the development of the TBHE environment. Development of massive and costly
system may not be useful due to socio-economic and cultural background of the
learners. The framework can help HEIs in this regard.
Components of the proposed TBHE Framework
Most of the public sector HEIs did not adopt technology for the improvement of imparting quality education. The major technology medicated activities performed by them are typical in nature that includes: uses of web sites for disseminating general information to the visitors, whereas no learning contents are disseminated; content delivery using overhead and multimedia projectors.
Status of private sector HEIs
Most of the private sector HEIs represent the similar scenario like public sector HEIs. However, few selected HEIs are more aware about the necessity of TBHE environment and striving to provide more technology mediated services to their students. They have their own units of content development activities under different names and responsibilities. The TBHE support provided to their students are: authentic access to course material within and outside the campus, online submission of assignments and term papers, access of online transcript to the student and respective advisor, using log to monitor online activities of students, online discussion forum, providing digital library (own and professional like IEEExplore, ACM digital library), etc.
Usage of TBHE in distance education
In Bangladesh, the only public sector university offering distance education is the Bangladesh Open University (BOU). Facilities provided are: maintaining website; established Media Center responsible for content development (CD based; non-interactive) for secondary, higher secondary and postgraduate courses; broadcasting recorded lectures through television and radio; etc. Learners still need to go to the tutoring/resource centers to give examination. Integration of remote and virtual lab is totally absent and the relevant lab courses are seldom conducted.
Usage of TBHE environment in research and development
In most of the countries such as India, Pakistan, England etc. there exist special ICT facilities to extend helps to people engaged in research and development activities in its HEIs. There is one such network infrastructure in Bangladesh in the name BERNET (Bangladesh Education and Research NETwork: www.ugc.org/bernet.htm). This is the monitoring unit, which provides a quality assurance role to JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee) in monitoring its network infrastructure and network content services to the researchers in different HEIs.
Status of TBHE friendly administration
Though the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh regulates and approves the syllabuses of the private sector HEIs, there exists no monitoring body to oversee the separate ICT unit, if any, within the HEIs. Most of the public sector HEIs have independent ICT divisions doing typical ICT chores such as proper functioning of email, etc. However, they do not provide technology-supportive quality education due to the lack of TBHE friendly administration, policy framework and skilled human resources.
Necessity of TBHE framework
Within an HEI, the
successful establishment of TBHE environment largely depends not only on the
friendly administration and fund, but also on an approved framework. The
framework helps in streamlining the quality of education, research and other
services provided by various HEIs and eventually increases their
competitiveness. Based on the learners' needs (regular or distant), the
framework helps the HEIs in designing their learning system, which is crucial
for the development of the TBHE environment. Development of massive and costly
system may not be useful due to socio-economic and cultural background of the
learners. The framework can help HEIs in this regard.Components of the proposed TBHE Framework
Establishment of content development centers
As acquired material (books, periodicals, journals, off-the-shelf educational software, etc) does not meet all the needs of an HEI, it is necessary to establish its own CDC. While establishing a CDC, the following issues need to be taken care of, such as: using cutting-edge technology, creative design modules for course content development as well as assessment through online exam, and seamless implementation of services and its maintenance.
As acquired material (books, periodicals, journals, off-the-shelf educational software, etc) does not meet all the needs of an HEI, it is necessary to establish its own CDC. While establishing a CDC, the following issues need to be taken care of, such as: using cutting-edge technology, creative design modules for course content development as well as assessment through online exam, and seamless implementation of services and its maintenance.
Adaptive standard of disseminating learning content
The most commonly used mechanisms for the dissemination of course material and other resources are email, shared-folder through intranet, Internet, etc. These are standard means used by the HEIs (not all of them follow all). School of Engineering & Computer Science of Independent University IUB), Bangladesh; delivery of course contents and interactions are supported by configurable e-learning system called CMOS (Course Management & Operation System) within and outside of campus. However, different systems are used by different schools of the university. CMOS offers easy upload/download of course documents, file sharing, chat, discussion forums. Online quizzes and exams are in the pipeline for implementation. These are supported by a campus wide optical fiber backbone. The framework also suggests various content-delivery modes usin content-delivery modes using: direct delivery of the contents (white-board); indirect delivery through web-enabled computers, CD with computer and CD with television and DVD player.
Technology-mediated services for assessment of students
The following services need to be incorporated in the learning system to assist the teachers:
• Online submission of assignment by the students through authentic user account.
• Uses of plagiarism detection tools to prevent plagiarism, ensuring fair grading.
• Uses of biometric technology for authentic identification of examinee.
• Live generation of random question from a secured central database.
• Encrypted question paper may be distributed over the network / Internet, which will be decrypted at selected terminals at remote resource centers.
• For remote examination centers, provision for online invigilation, closed-circuit cameras may be installed in the examination hall. Publishing the cheating incidence publicly through Internet.
• Arrangement of video-conferencing for viva-voce of project of distant learner.
• Facilitating user groups, discussion forum for interaction among HEIs in this regard, etc.
Practical/lab exposure
For distant learner, introduction of Virtual Lab (simulated through CD and Internet) along with remote lab at resource centers can significantly provide lab exposure to the distant learner. Even for the regular students, integration of physical and virtual laboratories will help them in quicker and better understanding of the topic.
Regulatory body for Monitoring
The RB is to be formed for the planning, implementation and monitoring of TBHE in HEIs. The RB should have sufficient autonomy and regulatory power to oversee the overall TBHE environment. The RB may be formed with the participation of the stakeholders in association with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the UGC of Bangladesh. A web
based monitoring system should accompany the RB.
Mitigating challenges in implementing TBHE
Implementing quality e-learning is a big and challenging task. Although there is a significant increase in the online access to good number of courses offered, the contents of many courses could not reach the required quality. One of the reasons behind that is, most of the Training of Teachers (ToT) programmes are focused on the usage of online platform rather than in designing online course content.
Another challenge is to mitigate insufficiency of lab exposure to distant learners. Remote laboratories are necessary in e-Learning environ-ments, especially in scientific and technical disciplines. The proposed framework allows the teachers to integrate laboratories in their TBHE system through website and remote resource center. It also enables the creation, distribution and exchange of pedagogical scenarios for practical lesson/task by establishing CDCs.
Technology mediated assessment methods such as online exam system, usage of biometric and closed-circuit cameras for authentic participation of learners to the examination are not yet practiced by any HEI, which is a very challenging task also.
The findings show that the total TBHE readiness is still far away for most of the Bangladeshi HEIs. A nationally accepted framework is required for the successful adoption of TBHE environment by an HEI. In United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, there exists such framework. Though the proposed framework is concep-tualised after conduction of the survey on public and private sector HEIs, the framework is still under scrutiny and expert's comments are pending on it.
The most commonly used mechanisms for the dissemination of course material and other resources are email, shared-folder through intranet, Internet, etc. These are standard means used by the HEIs (not all of them follow all). School of Engineering & Computer Science of Independent University IUB), Bangladesh; delivery of course contents and interactions are supported by configurable e-learning system called CMOS (Course Management & Operation System) within and outside of campus. However, different systems are used by different schools of the university. CMOS offers easy upload/download of course documents, file sharing, chat, discussion forums. Online quizzes and exams are in the pipeline for implementation. These are supported by a campus wide optical fiber backbone. The framework also suggests various content-delivery modes usin content-delivery modes using: direct delivery of the contents (white-board); indirect delivery through web-enabled computers, CD with computer and CD with television and DVD player.
Technology-mediated services for assessment of students
The following services need to be incorporated in the learning system to assist the teachers:
• Online submission of assignment by the students through authentic user account.
• Uses of plagiarism detection tools to prevent plagiarism, ensuring fair grading.
• Uses of biometric technology for authentic identification of examinee.
• Live generation of random question from a secured central database.
• Encrypted question paper may be distributed over the network / Internet, which will be decrypted at selected terminals at remote resource centers.
• For remote examination centers, provision for online invigilation, closed-circuit cameras may be installed in the examination hall. Publishing the cheating incidence publicly through Internet.
• Arrangement of video-conferencing for viva-voce of project of distant learner.
• Facilitating user groups, discussion forum for interaction among HEIs in this regard, etc.
Practical/lab exposure
For distant learner, introduction of Virtual Lab (simulated through CD and Internet) along with remote lab at resource centers can significantly provide lab exposure to the distant learner. Even for the regular students, integration of physical and virtual laboratories will help them in quicker and better understanding of the topic.
Regulatory body for Monitoring
The RB is to be formed for the planning, implementation and monitoring of TBHE in HEIs. The RB should have sufficient autonomy and regulatory power to oversee the overall TBHE environment. The RB may be formed with the participation of the stakeholders in association with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the UGC of Bangladesh. A web
based monitoring system should accompany the RB.
Mitigating challenges in implementing TBHE
Implementing quality e-learning is a big and challenging task. Although there is a significant increase in the online access to good number of courses offered, the contents of many courses could not reach the required quality. One of the reasons behind that is, most of the Training of Teachers (ToT) programmes are focused on the usage of online platform rather than in designing online course content.
Another challenge is to mitigate insufficiency of lab exposure to distant learners. Remote laboratories are necessary in e-Learning environ-ments, especially in scientific and technical disciplines. The proposed framework allows the teachers to integrate laboratories in their TBHE system through website and remote resource center. It also enables the creation, distribution and exchange of pedagogical scenarios for practical lesson/task by establishing CDCs.
Technology mediated assessment methods such as online exam system, usage of biometric and closed-circuit cameras for authentic participation of learners to the examination are not yet practiced by any HEI, which is a very challenging task also.
The findings show that the total TBHE readiness is still far away for most of the Bangladeshi HEIs. A nationally accepted framework is required for the successful adoption of TBHE environment by an HEI. In United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, there exists such framework. Though the proposed framework is concep-tualised after conduction of the survey on public and private sector HEIs, the framework is still under scrutiny and expert's comments are pending on it.
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