Skip to main content

Shironica P . Karunanayaka

Open University of Sri Lanka, Faculty of Education, Faculty Member

Followers

62

Following

4

Co-authors

3

Public Views

Senior Professor in Educational Technology at the Open University of Sri Lanka

less

Ataturk University

Ataturk University

UCL Institute of Education

Kansas State University

Ramesh Chander Sharma

Ambedkar University Delhi

Patrick Lowenthal

Boise State University

George Veletsianos

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Commonwealth of Learning

Bahcesehir University

Langara College

Interests

Uploads

Pre-Prints by Shironica P . Karunanayaka

Ascertaining impacts of capacity building in open educational practices

Distance Education

The adoption of open educational practices (OEP) requires a shift in our perceptions and practice... more The adoption of open educational practices (OEP) requires a shift in our perceptions and practices about learning and teaching towards a more participatory, creative and a sharing culture. Such shifts are best achieved and sustained through carefully designed learning experiences that involve people in reflecting on authentic problems and situations. The impact of this kind of capacity building around OEP are difficult to ascertain because they are an outcome of a combination of factors involving the practitioners themselves, their educational context, as well as their views about intellectual property, its ownership and its role in educational development. Getting a clear estimate of the impacts of this kind of capacity building requires a multiplicity of evidence. This paper discusses impacts of innovative design strategies adopted in four MOOCs on shifting mindsets of practitioners towards OEP.

Journal Articles by Shironica P . Karunanayaka

Ascertaining impacts of capacity building in open educational practices

Distance Education, 2020

ABSTRACT Interest in the adoption of open educational practices (OEP) is growing, and the stro... more ABSTRACT

Interest in the adoption of open educational practices (OEP) is growing, and the strongest arguments in its favor are that the adoption of such practices has the best chances of making education affordable and accessible to all. However, engagement with such practices requires the adoption of a fundamentally different set of beliefs and value systems about the role of education and educational resources in the development of societies. The development of these beliefs and values are achievable through a combination of strategies. These include appropriate policies, as well as capacity building through sustained engagement in carefully designed learning experiences, which involves people reflecting on authentic problems and situations around the adoption of OEP. The impacts of such capacity building are difficult to ascertain because they are an outcome of a combination of factors involving the practitioners themselves, their educational context, as well as their views about intellectual property, its ownership, and role in educational development. This article discusses our approach to shifting the mindsets of practitioners around OEP and ascertaining its impacts on them.
You can download a free e-print of the full paper from the following link!
https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/EN8A4JBNXMB8PSKBVD7W/full?target=10.1080/01587919.2020.1757406

Fostering Digital Education among Teachers and Learners in Sri Lankan Schools

Journal of Learning for Development (JL4D), 2020

The Commonwealth Digital Education Leadership Training in Action (C-DELTA) programme provides a f... more The Commonwealth Digital Education Leadership Training in Action (C-DELTA) programme provides a framework for fostering digital education for lifelong learning by developing digital education leaders. The Faculty of Education at the Open University of Sri Lanka implemented an action research project to promote the adoption of C-DELTA among teachers and students of secondary schools in Sri Lanka, and evaluate its impact on the teaching-learning process. A group of 41 teachers participated in the intervention and implemented C-DELTA in their schools. A variety of data were collected throughout the process via questionnaires, concept maps, focus group interviews, implementation reports, and log records in the C-DELTA platform. Findings revealed that despite challenges, such as inadequate ICT facilities, time constraints and limitation in English language competencies, the adoption of C-DELTA has supported improving digital literacy, enacting changes in thinking and digital behaviour among teachers and students, and enhancing teachers' digital education leadership skills.

A Bottom-up Approach to OER Policy and Guidelines Development in the Commonwealth: The Case of Botswana, Cameroon and Sri Lanka

The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning (IRRODL), 2018

Abeywardena, I.S., Karunanayaka, S. P., Nkwenti, M.N., Tlad, L. (2018) A Bottom-up Approach to OE... more Abeywardena, I.S., Karunanayaka, S. P., Nkwenti, M.N., Tlad, L. (2018) A Bottom-up Approach to OER Policy and Guidelines Development in the Commonwealth: The Case of Botswana, Cameroon and Sri Lanka. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning (IRRODL), 19 (2) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v19i2.3415

Designing Continuing Professional Development MOOCs to promote the adoption of OER and OEP

Open Praxis, 2018

Karunanayaka, S. P., Naidu, S., Rajendra, J.C.N., & Ariadurai, S.A. (2018) Designing Continuing P... more

Designing Capacity Building of Educators in Open Educational Resources Integration Leads to Transformational Change

Distance Education, 2018

Karunanayaka, S. P., & Naidu, S. (2018) Designing Capacity Building of Educators in Open Educatio... more

A design-based approach to support and nurture open educational practices

AAOU Journal, 2017

Karunanayaka, S. P. & Naidu, S. (2017). A design-based approach to support and nurture open educa... more

Discourses at the Intersections of Disciplinary Knowledge, Pedagogy and Technology

OUSL Journal (Editorial), 2017

Karunanayaka, S.P., (2017). Discourses at the Intersections of Disciplinary Knowledge, Pedagogy a... more

Designing reflective practice in the context of OER-based eLearning

Journal of Learning for Development (JL4D), 2017

Karunanayaka, S. P., Naidu, S., Rajendra, J., & Ratnayake, H. (2017). Designing reflective practi... more

Peer-facilitated discussions to enhance OER-based eLearning

AAOU Journal, 2016

Karunanayaka, S. P., Rajendra, J.C.N. & Ratnayake, H.U.W., Naidu, S. (2016). Peer-facilitated dis... more

Designing an Online Learning Community Among Teacher Educators

Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, 2008

Designing an online learning environment on Open Educational Resources for science education

Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, 2013

Questioning best practices with an innovative pedagogical design for professional development of teacher educators

INTI International Journal Special Issue on Teaching and Learning, 2007

Professional development of teacher educators with collaborative learning designs and networking

Indian Journal of Open Learning, 2007

Karunanayaka, S., Lekamge, D., Gunawardena, C., Naidu, S., & Menon, M. (2007), Professional devel... more Karunanayaka, S., Lekamge, D., Gunawardena, C., Naidu, S., & Menon, M. (2007), Professional development of teacher educators with collaborative learning designs and networking. Indian Journal of Open Learning, 16(2), 101-112. Retrieved from http://journal.ignouonline.ac.in/iojp/index.php/IJOL/article/view/442

From OER to OEP: Shifting Practitioner Perspectives and Practices with Innovative Learning Experience Design

Open Praxis, 2015

Facing “change” in the process of designing and developing web-based learning environments

Ousl Journal, 2009

Computer assisted learning: A challenge for teachers and learners

Journal of the National Science Foundation, 2006

Developing Internet-based Study Materials as Novice Web-designers: Experiences of Twelve Sri Lankan Teacher Educators

Indian Journal of Open Learning (IJOL), 2000

The communication revolution has stimulated teacher education institutions in many countries in t... more The communication revolution has stimulated teacher education institutions in many countries in the world to integrate modern technology such as the Internet into their programmes. However, just transferring traditional textbased materials to the web is often counterproductive. This paper focuses on the experiences of twelve Sri Lankan teacher educators as they developed Internet-based study materials, while undergoing specialised postgraduate training at the University of Wollongong, Australia. As experienced teacher educators, yet novices to the Internet, each of them developed a web study guide, targeting Sri Lankan teacher trainees. The study analysed the ways in which the educators transformed information, the design patterns adopted, and the issues they faced. Initially the effects of limited knowledge and skills upon the development of instructional materials that made use of this new technology resulted in the development of limited educational strategies. However, as the experience levels rose, the design of learning experiences became more inventive but more time was needed to influence the way the teachers thought about their learning and the learning of their students.

Book Chapters by Shironica P . Karunanayaka

Educational media in Sri Lanka

Perspectives on distance education: Educational media in Asia, 2005

Karunanayaka, S. & Wijeratne, R. (2005). Educational media in Sri Lanka. In U.V. Reddi and S. Mis... more

How can scenario-based learning engender and promote reflective practice in online and distance education

Finding Your Online Voice: Stories Told by Experienced Online Educators , 2007

Naidu, S., Menon, M., Gunawardena, C., Lekamge, D., & Karunanayaka, S, (2007). How can scenario-b... more Naidu, S., Menon, M., Gunawardena, C., Lekamge, D., & Karunanayaka, S, (2007). How can scenario-based learning engender and promote reflective practice in online and distance education. In M. Spector (Eds.), Finding Your Online Voice: Stories Told by Experienced Online Educators (53-72), NJ: Lawrence Pp. 53-72 http://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0668/2006027752-t.html

Ascertaining impacts of capacity building in open educational practices

Distance Education

The adoption of open educational practices (OEP) requires a shift in our perceptions and practice... more The adoption of open educational practices (OEP) requires a shift in our perceptions and practices about learning and teaching towards a more participatory, creative and a sharing culture. Such shifts are best achieved and sustained through carefully designed learning experiences that involve people in reflecting on authentic problems and situations. The impact of this kind of capacity building around OEP are difficult to ascertain because they are an outcome of a combination of factors involving the practitioners themselves, their educational context, as well as their views about intellectual property, its ownership and its role in educational development. Getting a clear estimate of the impacts of this kind of capacity building requires a multiplicity of evidence. This paper discusses impacts of innovative design strategies adopted in four MOOCs on shifting mindsets of practitioners towards OEP.

Ascertaining impacts of capacity building in open educational practices

Distance Education, 2020

ABSTRACT Interest in the adoption of open educational practices (OEP) is growing, and the stro... more ABSTRACT

Interest in the adoption of open educational practices (OEP) is growing, and the strongest arguments in its favor are that the adoption of such practices has the best chances of making education affordable and accessible to all. However, engagement with such practices requires the adoption of a fundamentally different set of beliefs and value systems about the role of education and educational resources in the development of societies. The development of these beliefs and values are achievable through a combination of strategies. These include appropriate policies, as well as capacity building through sustained engagement in carefully designed learning experiences, which involves people reflecting on authentic problems and situations around the adoption of OEP. The impacts of such capacity building are difficult to ascertain because they are an outcome of a combination of factors involving the practitioners themselves, their educational context, as well as their views about intellectual property, its ownership, and role in educational development. This article discusses our approach to shifting the mindsets of practitioners around OEP and ascertaining its impacts on them.
You can download a free e-print of the full paper from the following link!
https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/EN8A4JBNXMB8PSKBVD7W/full?target=10.1080/01587919.2020.1757406

Fostering Digital Education among Teachers and Learners in Sri Lankan Schools

Journal of Learning for Development (JL4D), 2020

The Commonwealth Digital Education Leadership Training in Action (C-DELTA) programme provides a f... more The Commonwealth Digital Education Leadership Training in Action (C-DELTA) programme provides a framework for fostering digital education for lifelong learning by developing digital education leaders. The Faculty of Education at the Open University of Sri Lanka implemented an action research project to promote the adoption of C-DELTA among teachers and students of secondary schools in Sri Lanka, and evaluate its impact on the teaching-learning process. A group of 41 teachers participated in the intervention and implemented C-DELTA in their schools. A variety of data were collected throughout the process via questionnaires, concept maps, focus group interviews, implementation reports, and log records in the C-DELTA platform. Findings revealed that despite challenges, such as inadequate ICT facilities, time constraints and limitation in English language competencies, the adoption of C-DELTA has supported improving digital literacy, enacting changes in thinking and digital behaviour among teachers and students, and enhancing teachers' digital education leadership skills.

A Bottom-up Approach to OER Policy and Guidelines Development in the Commonwealth: The Case of Botswana, Cameroon and Sri Lanka

The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning (IRRODL), 2018

Abeywardena, I.S., Karunanayaka, S. P., Nkwenti, M.N., Tlad, L. (2018) A Bottom-up Approach to OE... more Abeywardena, I.S., Karunanayaka, S. P., Nkwenti, M.N., Tlad, L. (2018) A Bottom-up Approach to OER Policy and Guidelines Development in the Commonwealth: The Case of Botswana, Cameroon and Sri Lanka. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning (IRRODL), 19 (2) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v19i2.3415

Designing Continuing Professional Development MOOCs to promote the adoption of OER and OEP

Open Praxis, 2018

Karunanayaka, S. P., Naidu, S., Rajendra, J.C.N., & Ariadurai, S.A. (2018) Designing Continuing P... more

Designing Capacity Building of Educators in Open Educational Resources Integration Leads to Transformational Change

Distance Education, 2018

Karunanayaka, S. P., & Naidu, S. (2018) Designing Capacity Building of Educators in Open Educatio... more

A design-based approach to support and nurture open educational practices

AAOU Journal, 2017

Karunanayaka, S. P. & Naidu, S. (2017). A design-based approach to support and nurture open educa... more

Discourses at the Intersections of Disciplinary Knowledge, Pedagogy and Technology

OUSL Journal (Editorial), 2017

Karunanayaka, S.P., (2017). Discourses at the Intersections of Disciplinary Knowledge, Pedagogy a... more

Designing reflective practice in the context of OER-based eLearning

Journal of Learning for Development (JL4D), 2017

Karunanayaka, S. P., Naidu, S., Rajendra, J., & Ratnayake, H. (2017). Designing reflective practi... more

Peer-facilitated discussions to enhance OER-based eLearning

AAOU Journal, 2016

Karunanayaka, S. P., Rajendra, J.C.N. & Ratnayake, H.U.W., Naidu, S. (2016). Peer-facilitated dis... more

Designing an Online Learning Community Among Teacher Educators

Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, 2008

Designing an online learning environment on Open Educational Resources for science education

Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, 2013

Questioning best practices with an innovative pedagogical design for professional development of teacher educators

INTI International Journal Special Issue on Teaching and Learning, 2007

Professional development of teacher educators with collaborative learning designs and networking

Indian Journal of Open Learning, 2007

Karunanayaka, S., Lekamge, D., Gunawardena, C., Naidu, S., & Menon, M. (2007), Professional devel... more Karunanayaka, S., Lekamge, D., Gunawardena, C., Naidu, S., & Menon, M. (2007), Professional development of teacher educators with collaborative learning designs and networking. Indian Journal of Open Learning, 16(2), 101-112. Retrieved from http://journal.ignouonline.ac.in/iojp/index.php/IJOL/article/view/442

From OER to OEP: Shifting Practitioner Perspectives and Practices with Innovative Learning Experience Design

Open Praxis, 2015

Facing “change” in the process of designing and developing web-based learning environments

Ousl Journal, 2009

Computer assisted learning: A challenge for teachers and learners

Journal of the National Science Foundation, 2006

Developing Internet-based Study Materials as Novice Web-designers: Experiences of Twelve Sri Lankan Teacher Educators

Indian Journal of Open Learning (IJOL), 2000

The communication revolution has stimulated teacher education institutions in many countries in t... more The communication revolution has stimulated teacher education institutions in many countries in the world to integrate modern technology such as the Internet into their programmes. However, just transferring traditional textbased materials to the web is often counterproductive. This paper focuses on the experiences of twelve Sri Lankan teacher educators as they developed Internet-based study materials, while undergoing specialised postgraduate training at the University of Wollongong, Australia. As experienced teacher educators, yet novices to the Internet, each of them developed a web study guide, targeting Sri Lankan teacher trainees. The study analysed the ways in which the educators transformed information, the design patterns adopted, and the issues they faced. Initially the effects of limited knowledge and skills upon the development of instructional materials that made use of this new technology resulted in the development of limited educational strategies. However, as the experience levels rose, the design of learning experiences became more inventive but more time was needed to influence the way the teachers thought about their learning and the learning of their students.

Educational media in Sri Lanka

Perspectives on distance education: Educational media in Asia, 2005

Karunanayaka, S. & Wijeratne, R. (2005). Educational media in Sri Lanka. In U.V. Reddi and S. Mis... more

How can scenario-based learning engender and promote reflective practice in online and distance education

Finding Your Online Voice: Stories Told by Experienced Online Educators , 2007

Naidu, S., Menon, M., Gunawardena, C., Lekamge, D., & Karunanayaka, S, (2007). How can scenario-b... more Naidu, S., Menon, M., Gunawardena, C., Lekamge, D., & Karunanayaka, S, (2007). How can scenario-based learning engender and promote reflective practice in online and distance education. In M. Spector (Eds.), Finding Your Online Voice: Stories Told by Experienced Online Educators (53-72), NJ: Lawrence Pp. 53-72 http://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0668/2006027752-t.html

Practitioner-oriented postgraduate programme in teacher education

An Anthology of “Best Practices” in Teacher Education, 2007

Karunanayaka, S. (2007). Practitioner-oriented postgraduate programme in teacher education In T.K... more

Introducing an online learning course at the Open University of Sri Lanka

Quality Assurance Toolkit: Distance Higher Education Institutions & Programmes, 2008

Karunanayaka, S. (2008). Introducing an online learning course at the Open University of Sri Lank... more Karunanayaka, S. (2008). Introducing an online learning course at the Open University of Sri Lanka In K. Rama, A. Hope & U. Coomaraswamy (Eds.) Quality Assurance Toolkit: Distance Higher Education Institutions & Programmes. India: NAAC. Pp. 275-281. Retrieved from http://oasis.col.org/handle/11599/105

Developing Professional Competencies of Teacher Educators in the use of Educational Technology, with Scenario-based Learning

Cases ‘n’ Places: Global Cases in Educational Technology, 2009

Karunanayaka, S. & Naidu, S. (2009). Developing Professional Competencies of Teacher Educators in... more Karunanayaka, S. & Naidu, S. (2009). Developing Professional Competencies of Teacher Educators in the use of Educational Technology, with Scenario-based Learning In Kinuthia & S. Marshall (Eds.) Cases ‘n’ Places: Global Cases in Educational Technology, Information Age Publishing, USA. pp. 123-132

Open University of Sri Lanka –Integrating OER in a Teacher Education Course

Case Studies on OER-based eLearning, 2014

Karunanayaka, S. (2014). Open University of Sri Lanka –Integrating OER in a Teacher Education Cou... more

Impact of integrating OER in teacher education at the Open University of Sri Lanka

Adoption and impact of OER in the Global South, 2017

Karunanayaka, S. & Naidu, S. (2017). Impact of integrating OER in teacher education at the Open U... more

Designing capacity building of educators in open educational resources integration leads to transformational change

Expanding Horizons in Open and Distance Learning, 2019

Karunanayaka, S. P. & Naidu, S. (2019). Designing capacity building of educators in open educatio... more

Teachers as Designers: At the Confluence of Technology, Pedagogy and OER

Essays in Online Education: A Global Perspective, 2019

Karunanayaka, S. P. & Naidu, S. (2019). Teachers as Designers: At the Confluence of Technology, P... more

Orchestrating Shifts in Perspectives and Practices about MOOC Design.

MOOCs and Open Education across Emerging Economies: Challenges, Successes, and Opportunities, 2019

Naidu, S. & Karunanayaka, S.P. (2019). Orchestrating Shifts in Perspectives and Practices about M... more

Pathways to Open Educational Practices

by Shironica P . Karunanayaka and Som Naidu

Edited Book, 2020

Karunanayaka, S.P., & Naidu, S. (Eds.) (2020). Pathways to Open Educational Practices. The Open U... more

Dreamweaving Open Educational Practices

Edited Book, 2016

Karunanayaka, S. & Naidu, S. (Eds.) (2016). Dreamweaving Open Educational Practices (ISBN 978-955... more

Intergrating OER in Educational Practice: Practitioner Stories

Edited Book, 2014

Karunanayaka, S. & Naidu, S. (Eds.) (2014). Integrating OER in Educational Practice: Practitioner... more

First Experiences in Collaborative Online Learning: A Case Study

The Fourth Pan Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning, Oct 30, 2006

ABSTRACT Using online methods for learning is rapidly growing among higher education institutions... more ABSTRACT Using online methods for learning is rapidly growing among higher education institutions all over the world, especially in Open and Distance Learning contexts. The Master of Arts in Teacher Education (International) Program of the Open University of Sri Lanka integrated collaborative online learning in the course, &quot;The Teacher Educator as an Educational Technologist&quot;. Using a web-based Learner Management System, an interactive learning environment was created, to enhance collaborative learning among students. This study investigated the successes and impacts of the initiative, and challenges faced by students who were novices to online learning. The online learning environment supported students to interact with the subject matter content, with each other and with the teacher. As a result of this experience, students were gaining confidence in self-regulated and reflective learning, while developing a social bonding among them. Although they faced certain challenges such as coping with the technology and changing from conventional approaches, a sense of achievement was claimed once the activities are completed. This paper elaborates on the roles of teachers and learners in a collaborative online learning environment, and also stresses the necessity for design of interactive learning grounded in pedagogy, in order to ensure a successful learning experience for learners.

MATE (International) Programme: a novel approach to developing global partnerships in teacher education

Design processes adopted by Sri Lankan teacher educators to develop Internet-based study materials

Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation., 2001

Reflections on the Design and Development of Scenario-Based Videos in Moocs

Designing Reflective Practice in the Context of OER-based e-Learning

Much is said about the importance of reflective practice especially in the professions. Yet much ... more Much is said about the importance of reflective practice especially in the professions. Yet much of what happens as part of reflective practice in the professions such as teaching is most of the time left to chance. Reflective practice allows practitioners to see the link between theory and practice by thoughtfully considering their own experiences, and applying knowledge to practice. In this paper we argue that for reflective practice to be meaningful and useful to professionals, it should be carefully designed with appropriate structure and guidance. We discuss how this was achieved by being pro-active about promoting and nurturing reflective practice within the context of a professional development program with Sri Lankan educators on OER (Open Educational Resources)-based e-Learning, and how it supported fostering Open Educational Practices (OEP). The OER-integrated online learning experience was designed with various strategies adopted to enhance reflection 'in' and 'on' action, within a situated learning pedagogical design-Scenariobased learning (SBL). Content analysis of the qualitative data mainly gathered through participants' self-reflections, supplemented with course team members' reflections, focus group interviews and the open-ended questions in questionnaire surveys, revealed that a scenario-based approach to learning incorporating authentic learning activities and assessment tasks, such as concept mapping, online discussions, reflective journal writing, and rubric-based feedback on assessment tasks, all helped scaffold participants' approach to reflective practice. Results show that these strategies that were adopted enhanced their critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative learning as well as self-esteem, also indicating a shift towards OEP. We conclude that careful design of the learning experiences is critical in promoting and supporting reflective practice among educators, and the use of such strategies in the design of OER-based e-Learning

Dreamweaving open educational practices

This book is dedicated to the hard-working teachers in the Sri Lankan school system, and their se... more This book is dedicated to the hard-working teachers in the Sri Lankan school system, and their search for excellence under the most trying and testing conditions. The Open University of Sri Lanka v Foreword vii The work reported here is the result of the untiring effort of a number of highly motivated teachers from the Sri Lankan school system and their collaborators from the Faculty of Education at the Open University of Sri Lanka. The contributors to this book and its editors are very grateful for the generous support and contributions of many in all aspects of this work. These include foremost, IDRC and collaborators from Wawasan Open University and University of Cape Town for the sponsorship of the ROER4D Project and all other contributors in the production and publication of this book. We are very grateful to Professor Chandra Gunawardena,

Impact of integrating OER in teacher education at the Open University of Sri Lanka (Advance online publication)

This chapter reports on a research project implemented in the Faculty of Education at the Open Un... more This chapter reports on a research project implemented in the Faculty of Education at the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) which investigated the impact of integrating Open Educational Resources (OER) in the teaching-learning process by secondarylevel student teachers in Sri Lanka. The research questions this study seeks to answer are: What are the impacts of OER integration on the use of instructional materials by teachers? What are the impacts of OER integration on teachers’ pedagogical perspectives? What are the impacts of OER integration on teachers’ pedagogical practices? The study adopted a design-based research approach. An intervention programme was implemented with 230 participants who were student teachers registered in the OUSL Postgraduate Diploma in Education programme in nine OUSL centres across the nine provinces of Sri Lanka. Data were collected at multiple stages through the following quantitative and qualitative strategies: survey questionnaires, analysis of les...

Fostering Digital Education among Teachers and Learners in Sri Lankan Schools

The Commonwealth Digital Education Leadership Training in Action (C-DELTA) programme provides a f... more The Commonwealth Digital Education Leadership Training in Action (C-DELTA) programme provides a framework for fostering digital education for lifelong learning by developing digital education leaders. The Faculty of Education at the Open University of Sri Lanka implemented an action research project to promote the adoption of C-DELTA among teachers and students of secondary schools in Sri Lanka, and evaluate its impact on the teaching-learning process. A group of 41 teachers participated in the intervention and implemented C-DELTA in their schools. A variety of data were collected throughout the process via questionnaires, concept maps, focus group interviews, implementation reports, and log records in the C-DELTA platform. Findings revealed that despite challenges, such as inadequate ICT facilities, time constraints and limitation in English language competencies, the adoption of C-DELTA has supported improving digital literacy, enacting changes in thinking and digital behaviour am...

Impacts of authentic assessment on the development of graduate attributes

Distance Education, 2021

ABSTRACT Authentic assessment activities are those that afford learners opportunities to practice... more ABSTRACT Authentic assessment activities are those that afford learners opportunities to practice finding solutions to real-world issues and challenges, so that upon graduation they are able to apply these skills to issues and challenges they will face in their workplaces. When learners are able to do this successfully, they are judged as job ready. However, ascertaining the impacts of authentic assessment activities upon the achievement of learning outcomes and the development of desirable graduate attributes is challenging. How can we know for certain that our assessment activities have had the desired impact? A possible pathway is to examine the impacts of authentic assessment activities on the development of graduate attributes. The study reported in this paper offers insights on how, and in which ways, the design of authentic assessment activities in an online professional development program for practitioners influenced the development of generic graduate attributes.

Critical Questions for Open Educational Practices

Distance Education, 2020

Orchestrating Shifts in Perspectives and Practices About the Design of MOOCs

MOOCs and Open Education in the Global South, Nov 5, 2019

The predominant approach to teaching is largely content-centric with a focus on the understanding... more The predominant approach to teaching is largely content-centric with a focus on the understanding of the subject matter and not so much on its application. The first generation of MOOCs adopted this same approach and failed to live up to their expectations for optimizing the affordances of communications technology. There is a better way to design MOOCs, and this alternative approach is about starting with the learning context and asking what is it that we want the learners to be able to do, and what are their learning outcomes. Next, there is a need toAnd then designing a learning experience that will be able to offer an internship to learners in solving real-world problems as part of the learning process. of MOOC participants. Such an approach entails requires a radical paradigm shift in the design of MOOCs. Admittedly,But this kind of shift in perceptions and perspectives about teaching and learning will not readily occur without careful redesign of conventional choreographies. In As a response, this chapter describes the development of a this redesign process that is based on thinking around general systems theory.

Designing capacity building of educators in open educational resources integration leads to transformational change

Distance Education, 2018

Public trust in the criminal justice system in England and Wales has been low since the 1990s, an... more Public trust in the criminal justice system in England and Wales has been low since the 1990s, and accusations that the system is arcane, lacking transparency, soft on criminals and removed from the society it serves are common. The government, together with many lawyers, journalists and experts, believes that lifting the ban on televising trials may enhance the transparency of the judicial system, and eventually lead to higher levels of public trust. Drawing on the most systematic content analysis of the coverage of this debate between 1984 and 2016, we analyse how this issue was debated in British national newspapers. In addition to examining how newspapers presented this policy debate, we also explore how the coverage discussed the impact that filming trials could have upon journalistic practice. Our analysis shows how metajournalistic discourse resorts to high-profile and celebrity cases when examining journalistic practice. Newspapers constructed this issue as a quandary between increasing the transparency of the judicial system, and the risk that justice would become sensationalised, ignoring key elements in the debate, and the role that journalists themselves may play in that process.

Designing Continuing Professional Development MOOCs to promote the adoption of OER and OEP

Open Praxis, 2018

There is growing interest in the adoption of open educational resources (OER) and open educationa... more There is growing interest in the adoption of open educational resources (OER) and open educational practices (OEP) in a variety of contexts. Continuing professional development (CPD) among practitioners in the effective adoption of OER and OEP is critical in this scenario. Massive open online courses (MOOCs), which also grew as part of the open education movement, provide a feasible means for this purpose. MOOCs are considered a ‘disruptive innovation’ in making free and open learning opportunities accessible to large numbers. Yet, the design of an effective massive online course that is as robust as a great online course with smaller student numbers where good principles of teaching and learning are maintained, is very challenging. Most contemporary MOOCs tend to have a content-driven focus of knowledge transmission, deviating from its original focus of knowledge generation. With the intention of providing learning experiences to promote learner engagement with OER, rather than pre...

Discourses at the Intersections of Disciplinary Knowledge, Pedagogy and Technology

OUSL Journal, 2017

Teaching is about multiple discourses around disciplinary knowledge, the pedagogy and the medium ... more Teaching is about multiple discourses around disciplinary knowledge, the pedagogy and the medium of communication, and teachers are always trying to make sense of the intersections between and among these areas. These comprise intersections between knowledge about the subject matter, the pedagogy and the technology which is captured aptly by Koehler and Mishra, (2009), as Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). This framework refers to the synergies among these bodies of knowledge and their interactions that influence and impact teaching and learning practices in any field and at any level. For effective, efficient and engaging teachers, in depth knowledge about all of these areas are crucial, making teaching a design science (Laurillard, 2012). Seeing teaching as a design science requires teachers to give careful thought to the design of the learning experience and its orchestration, and not simply imparting knowledge of the subject matter, or disciplinary knowledge (Naidu, 2016). Articles in this first issue of Volume 12 of the OUSL Journal are examples of how university teachers from various disciplinary areas including education, language studies, social sciences, natural sciences and computer science, have brought discourses around content, pedagogy, and technology to bear upon their disciplinary practices.

Peer-facilitated discussions to enhance OER-based e-learning

Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, 2016

Purpose The Open University of Sri Lanka implemented a fully online professional development cour... more Purpose The Open University of Sri Lanka implemented a fully online professional development course on open educational resources-based e-learning (OEReL), which adopted a scenario-based learning (SBL) design within the constructivist pedagogy. It was designed to facilitate knowledge construction in a collaborative manner with the support of open educational resource (OER), mainly through peer-facilitated discussion forum activities. The purpose of this paper is to present a case study on how peer-facilitated discussions affected the OEReL process, what factors supported and hindered peer-facilitated discussions, and what challenges were faced during the process. Design/methodology/approach The OEReL course consisted of five modules with 14 discussion forum activities. Content analysis of the threaded forum discussions was the key data collection and analysis strategy based on the community of inquiry (CoI) framework (Garrison and Arbaugh, 2007). It was supplemented with participant...

Facing “change” in the process of designing and developing web-based learning environments

OUSL Journal, 2009

The integration of information and communication technologies (ICTs) into education has provided ... more The integration of information and communication technologies (ICTs) into education has provided opportunities for changes in teaching and learning by allowing greater flexibility, interactivity and accessibility. Hence, integration of ICTs into education demands acquisition of new competencies as well as changes in pedagogical beliefs. A case study was conducted to investigate the process of design and development of Internet-based study materials by a group of teacher educators, who were familiar with using, designing and developing textbased study materials, yet novices to web designing. Throughout this process, data were collected using multiple techniques such as observation of Web Study guides (WSGs), conducting in-depth interviews and obtaining reflective reports. This paper focuses on how these teacher educators faced 'change', in the process of designing and developing webbased learning environments, as novice web-designers. The WSG development process was found to be a gradual adaptation to a new instructional mode by the participants, influenced by many factors such as previous instructional experiences, prior exposure to technology, skill levels, immersion in technology, time constraints, assessment focus and cultural practices, that in turn affected their 'change' of concepts and understandings in the design process. The process indicated a change over time with respect to participants' skill development, attitude towards technology, instructional approaches and pedagogical beliefs. In a majority, more emphasis was placed on skill development over pedagogical content knowledge and design processes, indicating the difficulty of shifting from traditional instructivist approaches towards a more constructivist approach. However, the future expectations expressed by the participants indicated their conceptual changes that had occurred during this process. If educators are to be 'agents of educational change', they need not only the technology to enhance their practices, but also the support and the time for them to adapt to technology.

Computer assisted learning: a challenge for teachers and learners

Journal of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka, 2010

Educational media in Sri Lanka

Educational Media in Asia

Educational media have the potential to transform the process of teaching and learning. We have s... more Educational media have the potential to transform the process of teaching and learning. We have seen their impact most dramatically through the emergence of large distanceteaching universities (open universities). Asia is home to most of the world's megauniversities (open universities with over 100,000 students). We can learn much, in particular, from the way that these institutions deploy a variety of educational media that include radio, television, teleconferencing, interactive radio, multimedia and the Web. The evidence shows that media have been effective in enhancing the scale and scope of learning, which in turn has made it possible to achieve other social and economic development goals. The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) seeks to share this Asian experience by documenting the developments that underpin it. Accordingly, COL invited educational media researchers, practitioners and policy-makers to contribute to a volume on educational media in Asia as part of its series: Perspectives on Distance Education. The Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA), a unit of COL based in New Delhi, led and managed the project. The monograph has three sections: Country Profiles, Research Reviews and Case Studies. The five country profiles describe the use of educational media in Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka. The research reviews document and analyse Asian research in three main areas of media application: audio (including radio and interactive radio), video (television and teleconference) and computer-related technologies (computers, multimedia and e-learning). The final section of the book presents six Asian case studies, of which two are from non-Commonwealth countries. The collection captures the variety of experience gained and of lessons learned in using educational media in Asia. Singapore, with its well-established policies of educational use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is at one end of the spectrum. At the other is Bangladesh, where the use of educational media remains at a nascent stage. The notable success of some of the open and distance learning institutions in the region-such as the distance education initiative of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, a premier centre for technology education-stands out. However, in view of the prominent role of open universities in Asia, there is actually remarkably little worthwhile research on educational media in the region. Asian institutions should make research on media applications a higher priority. The Commonwealth of Learning had the good fortune to enlist 23 authors to contribute to the book's 14 chapters. We were also privileged to have two editors, Dr. Usha Reddi and Dr. Sanjaya Mishra, whose profound knowledge and experience of educational media in the region shaped and enriched the content. I hope that this publication will stimulate viii further success and innovation in educational media both in Asia and more widely. Today education faces challenges on such a scale that only the intelligent and appropriate use of media and technology will allow us to satisfy the aspirations of the millions who thirst for learning.

A design-based approach to support and nurture open educational practices

Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, 2017

Purpose A critical attribute of open educational practices (OEP) is the pursuit of open scholarsh... more Purpose A critical attribute of open educational practices (OEP) is the pursuit of open scholarship which comprises the release of educational resources under an open licence scheme that permits no-cost access, use, reuse, adaptation, retention and redistribution to others. The degree of openness in relation to this attribute will depend on the context and culture of the place and the people in it. When left to chance, the adoption and practice of open scholarship by educators is at best sketchy. For optimum impact, a design-based approach is essential. A central focus of such an approach will need to target educators’ belief systems and practices about their scholarship. Any such work will involve researchers collaborating with practitioners in real-life settings to improve educational practices through iterative analysis, design, development and implementation. The purpose of this paper is to report on how the development and use of such a design-based approach, implemented by the...

Systematic review on mobile collaborative learning for engineering education

Journal of Computers in Education

Our daily lives have been transformed by mobile smart devices. Due to the sudden impact of the co... more Our daily lives have been transformed by mobile smart devices. Due to the sudden impact of the coronavirus (Covid-19) on education, the importance of mobile devices for communicating with teachers and students has risen to a new level of prominence. The Web of Science and Scopus databases were used to conduct a systematic review of the research on mobile collaborative learning in engineering education. The purpose of this review is to ascertain the degree to which research on mobile collaborative learning has been conducted in the field of engineering education between 2010 and 2020. A total of 48 articles were reviewed to ascertain the research methodologies and area of study, as well as to provide an updated review of studies on mobile collaborative applications, particularly in the field of engineering education. Among the most significant findings is that the majority of publications make use of augmented reality and mobile application development. According to the review, the majority of studies were conducted in the fields of computer sciences, electronic engineering, and artificial intelligence.

From Mind Sets to Mindstorms: Promoting Ttransformational Change in OEP at OUSL

Enhancing Quality in Online Teacher Education in Sri Lanka

Towards OEP: Possibilities & Challenges