[UgaBYTES] Telecentre academy | learners experience & Kampalawasn't built in a day

[NKURUNZIZA Jean Paul]

Hello all,

I have really appreciated what said by Pete Cranston about this telecentre
academy. As said during the Network Staff Echange in February 2008, I am
supporting the online option for the academy. This because for adult 
training, the online training offers a possibility to join the class at
each one's convenience time.But there must be a strict calendar for
fullfilling provided assignments. I have a little experience as an online
learner and  tutor : We are given weekly tasks.
I do understand there is  a big issue concerning the social interraction
when class participants are just in front their computers at hundreds
kilometers one from another : We try to solve this by a weekly chat
session.
In this, the role of the tutor is really important in keeping a friendly
climate in the e.class. Even the tutors must have a special training
because they have to keep the learners motivation up.They also must be
available in order to answer any question asked directly by participants
from their  groups.
Definiely, the online telecenter academy recquires enought time for
planification in my mind. We must partner with some experienced
organisations in the field. I hope the UNESCO can help us. On my side, I
may   ask DIPLOFOUNDATION to give us some key contacts.

Sincerely
>
> Thanks, Pete
>
> It's a nice orientation for this e-conference. Certainly its important to
> look at telecentre academy from a learners' perspective.
> This is really a timely intervention.  Are you coming to Sudan by any
> chance?
>
> Meddie
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org
> [mailto:ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org] On Behalf Of Pete Cranston
> Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 1:14 PM
> To: ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
> Subject: Re: [UgaBYTES] Telecentre academy | learners experience &
> Kampalawasn't built in a day
>
> Hi
>
> Another good discussion on this list that I want to join, for three
> reasons:
>
> 1. I have been talking to Sulah, Meddie and Shaddy about management
> training
> ideas
>
> 2 I spent years in adult education in the UK, doing both basic skills and
> management training and I think there is a lot of learning we can use.
>
> 3. I think so far the discussion has mainly been about supply-side issues:
> what can the academy do, how should it be structured, what certification
> should be available. I think it's useful also to talk about users,
> learners,
> and how they might experience and learn through the academy.
>
> Thinking about some principles might help develop concrete ideas. I wonder
> what people think about these suggestions:
>
> 1. Learning is a social process. People learn best when they interact with
> other learners and instructors or facilitators. I have done online and
> distance learning as a student, and it is an isolating experience, making
> it
> hard to keep motivated. Certification is one stimulus,  but it seems a
> long
> way off when you are trying to complete an assignment on your own.
>
> 2. The process of learning is more important than the products such as
> training materials or technologies used. There are lots of materials
> already
> available that could be adapted and used.
>
> 3. Programmes for part-time students in work need to deal with issues and
> activities that have immediate applications in their everyday lives, that
> involve their actual work situations.
>
> Adult learning and training, both on and offline, uses four tools to
> address
> these principles:
>
> A. Learning sets: enabling and encouraging people to learn together
> through
> sharing their experiences, problems, and successes, done in a structured
> way
>
> B. Tutorials: tutors deal with issues on an individual basis, provide
> personal support and help structure learning and activity. In part-time
> and/or distance learning this can use appropriate communications
> technology
> - phones, online fora, email etc.
>
> C. Mentoring:  people - it could be volunteers for the academy - with
> experience of the field, who provide a fixed quota of time in which they
> will answer specific queries, track and talk to learners. This is about
> motivation and morale as much as  subject expertise. For the telecentre
> community the activity on this list suggests there are lots of people - me
> included - who would put some hours to this, talking to people as they
> work.
>
>
> 4.	Content is work-based: assignments and learning activities involve
> applying theory or good practice to participants own work-place. Everyday
> work is the basis for sets of activities and people's learning grows from
> being encouraged to think and comment on their real situations.
>
> Kampala wasn't built in a day, nor was any school or academy.  Could there
> be a small-scale programme in East Africa, testing out these kinds of
> ideas
> and beginning to develop ideas and skills about how to manage the process,
> recruit and support people etc? It could focus on one concrete activity:
> such as developing a business plan, or running a needs assessment process,
> or developing and testing a revenue generating product?
>
> Best wishes to all, and especially to the star managers and staff of
> Nakaseke tc
>
> Pete Cranston
>
>
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>
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-- 
NKURUNZIZA Jean Paul
Président du Réseau des Télécentres Communautaires  du Burundi
Secrétaire Général de BYTC
B.P 7031 BUJUMBURA BURUNDI
Tél: 00257 22 21 96 45
Tél Mob : 00257 76 60 49 46/00257 79 981 459
Fax : 00257 212485 ou 00257 222147
E.Mail : nkurunziza at bytc.bi ou
         jnkurunz at hotmail.com
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