Abstract
In the race towards achieving the Education 2030 agenda, open educational resources (OER) act as a key enabler for sustainable development goal 4 (SDG4). Leading to the 2014 Regional Focal Points Meeting, Commonwealth of Learning’s (COL) Focal Point for Tonga had identified top priorities for the country where COL can further support the national agenda till 2021. Based on these needs, the Strategic OER Implementation Project in Tonga was initiated by COL in response to a request by the Ministry of Education and Training (MET) of Tonga. The project aims to assist MET in (a) developing a framework for fully utilizing the new fiber optic network infrastructure to deliver online learning to Tongans distributed in the 45 islands; and (b) improve the chances of sustainable livelihoods for Tongan youth by training them in life skills tailored to higher education and employment opportunities in Australia and New Zealand. This paper details the use of the horizontal framework for OER mainstreaming and the OER mainstreaming checklist within this project. The novelty of this project is its approach to mainstreaming OER at an institution in a systemic manner. The contribution this paper makes is to provide a proven plan for sustainable OER mainstreaming in a development setting.
Highlights
The Kingdom of Tonga, unique among Pacific nations, never completely lost its indigenous governance
Based on the priorities identified, this paper details the mainstreaming of open educational resources (OER) at the Tonga Institute of Higher Education (TIHE) and Tonga Institute of Education (TIOE) under Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Strategic OER Implementation Project in Tonga. The novelty of this project is its approach to mainstreaming OER at an institution in a systemic manner
Following an official visit to Tonga by the Vice President of Commonwealth of Learning (COL) in September 2016, a few key areas were identified where COL could assist the Ministry of Education and Training (MET). This included: (a) building capacity in OER and developing OER based courses; (b) supporting MET in developing a policy framework for OER; and (c) strengthening online learning with a focus on the Moodle learning management system (LMS). To address these needs in a structured and holistic manner which will ensure medium-term impact and sustainability, COL and the MET entered into a contribution agreement in January 2017 under the Strategic OER Implementation Project in Tonga (Table 2)
Summary
The Kingdom of Tonga, unique among Pacific nations, never completely lost its indigenous governance. In 1845, the archipelagos of islands were united into a Polynesian kingdom, became a constitutional monarchy in 1875, and a British protectorate in 1900. In 1970, Tonga withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations remaining the only monarchy in the Pacific. A major political reform took place in 2010 where the King relinquished his powers and allowed the people to elect 17 representatives of the people. These representatives, in turn, select the Prime Minister. This reform was implemented in 2011 when the first Prime Minister was elected by the people
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