Access for all: Using mobile and open education to secure success in underserved settings

Henry, Fiona and Seal, Tim (2016). Access for all: Using mobile and open education to secure success in underserved settings. In: UNESCO Mobile Learning Week 2016, 7-11 Mar 2016, UNESCO HQ, Paris, France.

URL: http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/...

Abstract

The TESS-India project (Teacher Education through School Support in India), led by the Open University UK, funded by UK Aid and in partnership with the Indian Government, addresses the urgent need to improve the quantity and quality of teacher education in India. Movement in teachers’ classroom practice towards a more learner centred participatory pedagogy is recognised as being critical to improving students’ learning in schools across the country. In realising this aim over 1000 open educational resources (OER), accompanied by 55 supporting videos, have been collaboratively produced and localised across seven states and in six languages.

A blended approach has been taken to the dissemination of the TESS-India OER throughout teacher education institutions and communities. With the Indian mobile market ranking as the second largest in the world, providing easy access through personally-owned mobile devices has been critical. In addition to the web and fixed media, TESS-India has worked closely with State governments to develop a mobile specific application that runs both on and offline through the internet and via low powered wifi enabled devices (Raspberry Pi). This has provided multiple access points in educationally underserved rural communities and areas with limited or no connectivity.

Beyond access to the materials, a variety of strategies have been engaged to support the integration of the OER and the participatory pedagogy they exemplify into teacher education practices. This includes a collaborative, multi-lingual production process, facilitated MOOC and locally developed WhatsApp communities driving uptake and adoption.
This presentation will discuss:

• the practical applications of developing and using a mobile based delivery system;
• the extended benefits of developing access routes specific for mobile based users in both on and offline scenarios;
• the characteristics of TESS-India OER and the collaborative design and production process;
• the top-down and bottom-up approaches to OER dissemination and integration into education practice

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