3+1 = Endless Possibilities
by Donna Lyndersay
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It’s taken some time in the making. Forty-five years since the establishment of the third university campus at Cave Hill, Barbados, The University of the West Indies (UWI) has formally established the UWI Open Campus as its newest addition to the university family. And this newborn campus is set to revolutionize education throughout the islands of the Caribbean.
Programmes are delivered using the blended learning approach, a delivery system that combines face-to-face encounters between students and instructors and the use of technologies that will enable students to study anywhere, at any time, at their convenience. While this makes it easier and more convenient for students to pursue their studies along with other commitments, including employment, it does require even more discipline, responsibility and independence on the part of Open Campus’ students to complete their work without direct supervision.
Thus, important components of Open Campus course delivery at the undergraduate and graduate levels, in particular, include,
- self-study print-based instructional package comprising course material (course content with integrated learning activities); a compilation of relevant, selected readings taken from diverse texts; a course guide with course related material such as additional reading sources, contact information and, importantly, deadline dates;
- web-based learning management system, Moodle, through which students can participate in online discussion forums, do practice exercises and multiple choice questions;
- CD ROMs with power point presentations and audio narration and
- audio-conferences led by course co-coordinators.
Unlike the three bricks and mortar campuses of Mona, Jamaica; Cave Hill, Barbados and St. Augustine, Trinidad, UWI Open Campus is able to extend its reach into 16 islands of the Caribbean at present, through increasing use of information communication technology (ICT) and a network of university centres to deliver courses online, even as it continues to maximize opportunities for access through the network of university centres which will be upgraded to cater to increasing demand for courses and programmes.
At present, UWI Open Campus is targeting those persons whose circumstances and location would have otherwise hindered them in their attempts to receive tertiary education. The target countries served by Open Campus includes the UWI 12 countries, i.e. Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, The Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as communities in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The former outreach sectors of the University, i.e. the School of Continuing Studies, the former UWIDEC and the Tertiary Level Institutions Unit have been integrated to form the Open Campus. The organization of UWI Open Campus comprises 10 functional units, which are responsible for management of the Campus and the delivery of services. Through UWI Open Campus, an extensive range of courses and programmes are being offered, and the list continues to grow. Courses range from pre-university education courses, certificate, diploma and undergraduate degree programmes and courses, extension courses, technical and vocational courses and other lifelong learning activities.
Open Campus is excited at the addition of postgraduate degree programmes among its offerings. Dr. Olabisi Kuboni, newly appointed Head of Graduate Studies, explains: “The Graduate Programmes Unit of Academic Programming and Delivery is set to initiate the Open Campus’ offering of Masters’ degree programmes in the online mode. Such an initiative not only allows the Open Campus to reach a potentially wider audience but also provides scope for enhancing the nature and quality of the learning experience of the University’s postgraduate student. By taking advantage of the range of tools available in the online environment, the Unit will aim to design its programmes in a manner that prepares graduates to function as competent professionals, who are also capable of contributing to the building of new knowledge in their respective fields.
Starting January 2009, the Unit will begin preparatory work on a suite of programmes in the field of Counselling that will ultimately encompass offerings at the certificate, diploma and masters levels. The Unit will also be placing considerable emphasis on building meaningful relationships with other arms of the University to ensure that the best resources are available for programme development and delivery.”
Importantly, Open Campus is succeeding in attracting more mature students, persons who are currently employed and are seeking to upgrade their knowledge, skills and competencies, even as they continue to work.
