开放远程学习：在发展中国家的实践与创新--访英联邦学习共同体副主席阿莎·辛格·卡瓦教授

Open Distance Learning:Practices and Innovatives in Developing Countries——An Interview with Prof.Asha Singh Kanwar

随着教育的普及和学习机会的激增,全球社会对于教育的需求在质和量上都逐年增加。但是,在有限的教育资源和不均衡的各国发展水平等因素的制约下,目前的教育系统还难以满足这一需求,尤其是对于众多发展中国家来说,这一问题显得更为突出。开放远程教育或开放远程学习能成为解决这一矛盾的有效途径吗在本期访谈中,英联邦学习共同体(Commonwealth of Learning,简称COL)副主席阿莎.辛格.卡瓦(Asha Singh Kanwar)教授介绍了世界范围内发展中国家所开展的项目实践和研究成果,例如在亚洲和非洲等地开展的农民终身学习计划、面向中等教育的巨型学校、开放大学等。不难看出,这些创新项目的成功开展可能已经超越了教育问题而成为社会问题,需要运用社会各方面的资源促进教育和民生健康,并力求实现各方的双赢。阿莎.辛格.卡瓦教授2006年1月当选为英联邦学习共同体副主席,并于2007年4月担任项目负责人。阿莎接触远程教育领域开始于她加入英迪拉.甘地国立开放大学(Indira Gandhi National Open University,简称IGNOU)。她在IGNOU先后任教授、人文学院院长和副校长,迄今在教学、研究和管理方面已有三十多年的经验。阿莎曾获得印度旁遮普大学(the Panjab University in India)的本科、硕士和哲学硕士学位,并获得苏塞克斯大学(the University of Sussex)的哲学博士学位,随后她以福布莱特学者的身份在爱荷华州立大学(Iowa State Uni-versity)进行博士后研究,之后还在其校应邀授课。2009年因其个人的杰出成就,阿莎获得国际开放远程教育理事会(International Council for Open and Distance Education,简称ICDE)个人卓越奖。希望本期访谈能为各位读者提供一个窗口,以更多地了解世界范围内正在开展的开放远程学习方面的创新应用,从而在我们国家的本土情境下,充分利用信息通信技术和开放远程学习促进教育公平、教育均衡。

With the popularization of education and the sharp rise of learning opportunities, the global eommunity＇s needs for education are increasing every year both in quality and quantity. Due to the limited educational resources and unbalanced development of different countries, it is difficult for the current educational systems, especially those in the developing countries, to meet this educational demand. In this interview, Professor Asha Singh Kanwar, the vice president of the British Commonwealth of Learning （COL） , introduces the exemplary practices carried out in developing countries worldwide and findings from associated research. It is not difficult to discover that the successful implementation of these innovatives probably goes beyond issues in the field of education. It in fact becomes a social issue, and needs all kinds of supportive resources. With all these in place, it will be possible to promote the healthy development of education and livehoods, and to achieve a win-win situation for all parties involved.