Introduction

In 2018, the SEAMEO Council of Ministers has approved the organization of the Southeast Asian Massive Open On-Line Courses (SEA-MOOCs) Network as a response to the identified challenges related to reaching the unreached and in sharing quality education for teachers in the different levels of education through SEAMEO’s innovative technology. SEAMEO has introduced Online, blended and fully on-line courses and developed Open Educational Resources (OER) for the use of free and open courseware, pursuant to the 2012 World OER Congress, the Paris OER Declaration as well as conducting online lecture series, webinar series, online lecture and policy forum series, and other training programmes through the support from Centres and Partners.

An online portal was created so that educators in the region can access these OERs through http://regmooc.seameo.org/course-list. The push to develop open education resources that can be freely accessed by everyone came way before the pandemic. To date, the world is still reeling from the devastating backlash of the COVID-19 as some universities and learning institutions had an astounding realization: the essential role of OERs and other online learning resources especially during the time of emergencies when movement of people is controlled and the traditional face-to-face modality is not possible.

The lockdowns that led to prolonged school closures gave the OERs and MOOCs the ultimate push in ensuring that learning never stops and even those in the margins and the disadvantaged are able to continually learn through the innovative learning interventions that SEAMEO, through its SEA MOOCs Network, championed. As the world cautiously reopens, there is a growing appreciation on OERs, MOOCs and other online learning innovations.

According to the Guidance on Open Educational Practices during School Closures: Utilizing OER under COVID-19 Pandemic in line with UNESCO OER Recommendation, “the judicious application of OER, in combination with appropriate pedagogical methodologies, well-designed learning objects, and the diversity of learning activities, can provide a broader range of innovative pedagogical options to engage both educators and learners to become more active participants in educational processes and creators of content as members of diverse and inclusive Knowledge Societies.”1

As the region benefits from the various OERs and other learning innovations during the lockdowns, there is a need to pause, reflect, and exchange ideas on how to best move the region forward, specifically on the higher education agenda, the future of OERs and MOOCs, and the crucial policy environment that fosters the development of such innovations.

1 https://iite.unesco.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Guidance-on-Open-Educational-Practices-during- School- Closures-English-Version-V1_0.pdf

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the SEAMEO MOOCS Network Policy Dialogue 2021 with the theme Futures of Higher Education and Open Learning in Southeast Asia are as follows:

  1. Take stock of the regional higher education agenda and share the futures of higher education and Open Universities
  2. Share best practices and lessons learned in the development and management of flexible and open education resources during the COVID-19 pandemic
  3. Determine the future of OERs and other online learning interventions vis-à-vis reopening of universities and other learning institutions
  4. Identify policy recommendations that foster timely and responsive OERs and MOOCs in the region, keeping in mind the COVID-19 challenges and local country challenges

The output of the SEA_MOOCS Network Policy Dialogue will be documented and sent to the Secretariat of the World Conference on Higher Education 2022, along with the results of the various consultations including the SEAMEO Congress 2021.

 

Methodology

The SEAMEO MOOCS Network Policy Dialogue will be organized online on 29 November 2021. It will cover the UNESCO, ASEAN and SEAMEO MOOCS Network and partners Higher Education Agenda, workplans, and recommendations, including the future of open learning in the post- pandemic world.

To ensure maximum reach of this learning event, this SEAMEO MOOCS Network Policy Dialogue will be streamed on the official YouTube Channel of SEAMEO Secretariat. To date, there are more than 69,000 YouTube subscribers and on average, more than 100,000 viewers benefit from the learning content that SEAMEO Secretariat features in its official social media channels.

Youtube Link:
https://link.seameo.org/SEAMOOCDialogue/

 

Certificate

The e-certificate will be provided and generated by the SEAMEO Secretariat as follows:

  • “Certificate of Appreciation” will be provided to the speakers and panelists.
  • “Certificate of Participation” will be provided to all participants who attend the Symposium and complete the Certificate Validation and Assessment Form. 

 

FOCAL PERSON

Dr Aye Chan Mon
Publication and Multimedia Specialist of SEAMEO Secretariat
Email: ayechanmon@seameo.org