29th AAOU Annual Conference theme is "New Frontiers in Open and Distance Learning"
Over the decades, distance education has undergone tremendous changes. Starting as postal correspondence courses, it has evolved into the digitally enabled learning of today with the advent of broadband wireless technologies. Learning is no longer reliant on print technology and a host of fixed infrastructure. Nor is it constrained by time, space and distance. Instead, learning is very much flexible as it is self-paced, self-directed and self accessible. Learning is also easily accessible to all, regardless of age and vocation.
More importantly, this emergence of digitally enabled learning has opened up new opportunities and possibilities in open and distance learning (ODL), some of which are relatively unexplored and require further debate. A case in point is the mushrooming of providers of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) worldwide, some of which are associated with top universities in the world. The provision of MOOC is but one significant new frontier in ODL which has greatly widened participation in higher education. As more and more advanced technologies are being introduced in this digital age, more educational innovations are expected to come along to satisfy the needs of the wider audiences.
The 29th AAOU Annual Conference can provide the much needed forum for national and international ODL practitioners, experts and providers to exchange views and ideas on recent educational developments in ODL
Among the debatable issues that form the sub-themes of the conference are:
- New Paradigm for Open Universities
- Technology as Drivers in ODL
- New research and Practices in ODL
- Quality Assurance in ODL
- Open Knowledge Movement
29th AAOU Annual Conference Keynote Speakers
Professor Yuk-Shan Wong, President, the Asian Association of Open Universities, President, the Open University of Hong Kong
Professor Dr Yang Zhijian, President, Open University of China
Professor Asha Kanwar, President and CEO, Commonwealth of Learning
Professor Nageshwar Rao, Vice Chancellor, Indira Gandhi National Open University
Professor Tian Belawati, Rector of Universitas Terbuka (UT) Indonesia
29th AAOU Annual Conference will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (Dubai, UAE) from November 30 to December 2, 2015.
