Plenary Hall, KLCC, 27 November: The Plenary Session on “Open, Online and Flexible Learning: The Key to Sustainable Development” was chaired by Prof Paul Prinsloo, ODL Research Professor at University of South Africa, in the presence of Prof Belinda Tynan of RMIT University; Prof Elifas T Bisanda, Open University of Tanzania; and Dr Indrajit Banerjee of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The key themes revolved around the equitable access to education and innovations that transform the traditional education structure.
Prof Tynan’s passion in open and distance learning stems from her vast experience in understanding different cultures and core values of diverse communities. She also highlighted the fact that open and distance learning (ODL) offers global mobility to learners, with the Youtube channel being the main learning platform.
Prof Elifas said ODL is the saviour for the Africans as it enables learners, particularly those with special needs to have better access to education by leveraging on technology and the Internet.
According to Dr Banerjee, ODL should be made accessible to people with disabilities. Implementing the right policy for the disabled would provide them with equal opportunity for employment, he added.