1. education
2. distance learning

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Vol 1 • Issue 3
•
December 2014
Message from the President
Warmest greetings to you all! I am very pleased to report that the 28th Annual Conference
of the AAOU was a great success. The conference took place on 28–31 October 2014 at
the OUHK’s Jubilee College in Hong Kong. It was attended by about 300 delegates, mostly
from Asia as well as a small number from Europe and North America. I would like to extend
my gratitude to the delegates whose contributions were so valuable to all in this splendid
educational event.
MOOCs, which have imposed considerable challenges in the world of education, were the
most frequently mentioned topic in the conference. All of the keynote speeches touched on
President:
Prof. Yuk-Shan Wong
BBS, JP
President
The Open University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong, China
them and many of the conference papers discussed aspects of these courses. A pre-conference
High-Level Executive Workshop on MOOCs for presidents of open universities was held on
27 October. The workshop offered a timely opportunity to gain insights from latest trends and
to discuss future developments in MOOCs. The AAOU Executive Committee approved the
proposal of Professor Tian Belawati to set up a MOOCs Task Force to study how the AAOU can
enable its members to deliver MOOCs effectively and how learners and open universities in
Asia can better benefit from them.
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I also wish to welcome the following six new AAOU members: Aldersgate College, Philippines;
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Bircham International University, Spain; Charles Sturt University, Australia; the Institute of
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Distance and Open Learning, Gauhati University, India; UNITAR International University,
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Malaysia; and Yangon University of Distance Education, Myanmar. The membership applications
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of these institutions were approved at the recent annual meetings of our Executive Committee
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and General Body.
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Our Association has decided that the AAOU will apply to be an Associate Member of the
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International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE). The ICDE is the leading global
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membership organisation for open and distance learning. Our membership will facilitate the
promotion of our activities on a global level, and build closer links between ICDE members and
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our own.
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I am truly grateful for the trust that the AAOU has put in me. I took up the Presidency after
the retirement of the former President of the OUHK, Professor John Leong Chi Yan, on 1 April
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2014. In accordance with the AAOU Constitution, the Executive Committee and General Body
approved that I continue to serve as the President of AAOU until the end of 2016. Together
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with all of you, Secretary-General Dr K C Li, and other OUHK staff, I will continue to strive for
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the favourable development of Asian open universities and open education.
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In 2015, the Annual Conference of the AAOU will be held at Open University Malaysia (OUM).
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate OUM on their successful bid to host this
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grand event next year, and I am certain that it will be a great success.
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Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a merry Christmas and a very
successful year for 2015!
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Message from the Secretary-General
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! This autumn, the 2014 Annual Conference of
the AAOU took place held in Hong Kong. It was very well received by the many participants
from the Asian region and beyond. I would like to express my thanks to all the keynote
speakers, workshop facilitators and paper presenters for sharing their insights. The conference
truly achieved its aims of sharing and exchanging ideas, views and good practices in open
and distance learning (ODL). Our congratulations go to all winners of AAOU awards on their
achievements amidst keen competition.
As the President has mentioned, we are delighted that Open University Malaysia (OUM)
Secretary-General:
Dr K C Li
Director
University Research Centre
The Open University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong, China
will host the 29th Annual Conference in 2015. OUM is already actively preparing for the
conference, and the AAOU Secretariat will work closely with their team to ensure this
important Asian educational event will be outstanding.
Every year, the AAOU Annual Conference is hosted by a different Full Member institution. I
would like to take this opportunity to invite your institution (if it is a Full Member) to consider
submitting a proposal for hosting the 30th AAOU Annual Conference in 2016. The ‘Guidelines
for Hosting AAOU Annual Conference’ are available on the AAOU website: http://aaou.ouhk.
edu.hk/conference.html.
I am also happy to report that a new Editorial Board of the AAOU Journal was established
earlier this year. With the leadership of our new Editor-in-chief, Professor Tian Belawati, a
new 2014 issue of the journal has been published. I hope you enjoy reading it. Your paper
submissions to the journal are most welcome.
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Furthermore I would like to encourage your university to offer Inter-University Staff Exchange
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Fellowships. This scheme aims to foster the exchange of knowledge and experience in open
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and distance learning, and provides scholars with opportunities for academic exchanges. I urge
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institutions and their academic staff to seize this chance to broaden their horizons through
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mutual assistance and partnership. All member institutions are welcome to participate. In
response to our Executive Committee’s suggestion, we have prepared a template for your
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institution to call for application. Please go the website http://aaou.ouhk.edu.hk/fellowships.
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html to find out more .
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As from this year, we have been using the e-Bulletin and newsletter to update you on the latest
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news and developments from member institutions. You are most welcome to notify us of your
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forthcoming activities or projects at [email protected] so that we can include them.
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It has been nearly a year since the AAOU Secretariat took up residence at the OUHK in January
this year. If you have any suggestions for us, please feel free to write to us at [email protected].
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hk, or contact me directly at [email protected]. Your input is most welcome.
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AAOUnews Vol 1 • Issue 3 • Dec 2014
May this new year bring you happiness and
successes in whatever you do and prosperity for
your institution.
Snapshots of AAOU 2014
Opening ceremony.
Speakers and the organizing team of the High-Level Executive
Workshop.
Participants of the 29th annual meeting of the AAOU
Executive Committee.
Group performance of the University of the Philippines
Open University.
Prof. Yoichi Okabe
delivering his keynote
speech “After MOOCs”.
Prof. Tian Belawati presenting a
souvenir to Prof. Emeritus Anuwar Ali.
Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University team
singing a Thai song.
Universitas Terbuka representatives singing and
dancing to the conference delegates.
Participants having fun in the Conference
Dinner.
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AAOUnews Vol 1 • Issue 3 • Dec 2014
New Members of the AAOU
We would like to welcome the following institutions to the AAOU family:
Institution
Country
Membership Type
Aldersgate College
Philippines
Associate Member
Bircham International University
Spain
Associate Member
Charles Sturt University
Australia
Associate Member
Institute of Distance and Open Learning,
India
Full Member
UNITAR International University
Malaysia
Full Member
Yangon University of Distance Education
Myanmar
Full Member
Gauhati University
Members can enjoy a number of benefits, such as discounts for participating in AAOU annual conferences. New
member applications are assessed and approved once a year in the Executive Committee meeting. Interested
parties can contact the Secretariat to obtain an application form.
2014 AAOU Meritorious Service Award
The 2014 AAOU Meritorious Service Award (MSA) was presented to Prof. Asha Kanwar at the 28th
Annual Conference of AAOU upon recommendation by the 2014 MSA Adjudication Committee and
approval by the AAOU Executive Committee.
Prof. Asha Kanwar has contributed immensely in the development
of open and distance education in Asia. She is President and Chief
Executive Officer of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), where
she has served for nine years, first as an Education Specialist in Higher
Education and Policy and then as its Vice President for six years. Before
joining the COL, Prof. Kanwar was a consultant in open and distance
learning at UNESCO’s Regional Office for Education in Africa (BREDA)
in Dakar, Senegal. She has over 30 years of experience in teaching,
research and administration.
The e-proceedings of our 2014 annual conference (AAOU 2014) and
photos at this grand event are now available at the AAOU 2014 website:
http://aaou2014.ouhk.edu.hk. You may click on the “Conference
Proceedings” or “Conference Photos” at the menu bar on the left to
check them out. Input the following when you login the pages:
Username: aaou2014
Password: ouhk
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AAOUnews Vol 1 • Issue 3 • Dec 2014
2014 AAOU Best Paper, Best Practice and Young Innovator Awards
After evaluating the papers shortlisted by the Academic Sub-Committee of the 2014 AAOU Annual Conference Organizing
Committee, the Adjudication Committees for the Best Paper and Best Practice Awards chose six finalists each. The finalists were
then assessed in paper presentation sessions, and three winners were designated for each award. These six winners, as well as
a further three winners for the Young Innovator Award, received their awards at the closing ceremony of the conference. We
sincerely congratulate the following authors on their achievements:
Author(s) / Institution(s)
Paper Title
Best Paper Award
Gold
Maximus Gorky Sembiring
Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia
Student satisfaction and persistence:
Imperative features for retention in open and
distance learning
Silver
Tu Tran Hoang Cam
Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Vietnam
Khuong Mai Ngoc
The International University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Factors affecting adult learners’ persistence in
e-learning programmes in Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam — A mediation analysis of learners’
motivation
Silver
Masumi Hori and Seishi Ono
NPO CCC-TIES, Japan
Shinzo Kobayashi
SmileNC & Co., Japan
Kazutsuna Yamaji
National Institute of Informatics, Japan
Toshihiro Kita
Kumamoto University, Japan
Tsuneo Yamada
The Open University of Japan, Japan
Learner autonomy through the adoption of open
educational resources (OER): Using social network
services and multi-media e-textbooks
Best Practice Award
Gold
Christopher Walsh
Torrens University, Australia
Clare Woodward, Mike Solly and
Prithvi Shrestha
The Open University, United Kingdom
The potential of mobile phones to transform
teacher professional development
Silver
Ozgur Yilmazel and Erk Ekin
Anadolu University, Turkey
Mobile applications at a mega university: Anadolu
University campus app
Silver
Jie Xu and Xiangyang Zhang
The Open University of Jiangsu, China
The integration of micro-lectures into the blended
learning discourse in tertiary education
Young Innovator Award
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Gold
Ean-Teng Khor
Wawasan Open University, Malaysia
Virtual collaborative learning using Wikis for
adult ODL learners: The case of Wawasan Open
University
Silver
Nantha Kumar Subramaniam
Open University Malaysia, Malaysia
Self-managed learning via weblog: Design and
implementation
Silver
Xiaoyang Shu
Zhejiang Radio & Television University, China
An empirical study of flipped classrooms in an
open university: A case study on translation theory
and practice
AAOUnews Vol 1 • Issue 3 • Dec 2014
Message from ICDE — UNESCO Policy Forum
A policy forum co-organised by ICDE and UNESCO was held on 20 November 2014 to discuss the topic of
‘Equity — Access — Quality: Learner Success’. The forum focused on opening up education at all levels to tackle
inequality and unemployment, in order to ensure equal access to success regardless of issues such as learning
difficulties or social background. In the forum, higher education leaders endorsed UNESCO’s post-2015 Global
Education Agenda, which sets out the goal to ‘ensure equitable and inclusive quality education and lifelong
learning for all by 2030’. They also agreed that access to, and success in, open, online and flexible learning are
key solutions to the pressing development challenges and needs of 21st century societies, and produced 20 clear
and specific actions for governments, quality assurance agencies and institutions. You are encouraged to spread
this positive message to your government and media. A word file for media release is available on the AAOU
website (in the Latest News column on the right of the homepage). For more information, please refer to the
relevant page in the website of ICDE: http://icde.org/Bali_Message.
New Editorial Board of the AAOU Journal and
the September 2014 Issue
Over the past decade, the role of ODL has become increasingly important. With the merits of flexibility and
cost-effectiveness, the ODL mode meets the diverse educational needs of learners, especially adults. The AAOU
Journal is an international peer-reviewed journal which aims to provide scholars,
researchers and administrators with valuable knowledge and best practices in
ODL. This year, following the transfer of the AAOU Presidency to the OUHK, a
new Editorial Board for the journal has been formed. It is now composed of the
following scholars and leading educational administrators in the field:
Editor-in-chief:
Prof. Tian BELAWATI
Rector, Universitas Terbuka, & President, ICDE
Editorial Board Members:
Prof. Dr Naveed A. MALIK
Rector, Virtual University of Pakistan
Prof. Yoichi OKABE
President, the Open University of Japan
Prof. Dato' Dr HO Sinn Chye
Vice Chancellor & CEO, Wawasan Open University
Dr Grace Javier ALFONSO
Chancellor, University of the Philippines Open University
Executive Editor:
Dr Kam Cheong LI
Director, University Research Centre, Open University of Hong Kong
Deputy Executive Editor:
Dr LIEW Teik Kooi Andy
Director, QA & External Relations, Wawasan Open University
The latest AAOU Journal September 2014 issue, Vol. 9, No. 1, is published on the AAOU website:
http://aaou.ouhk.edu.hk/journal-volumes.html. A CD-ROM of this latest issue was also given to delegates at the
28th Annual Conference of the AAOU in Hong Kong.
Our previous Coordination Officer, Dr Sam Pang, has left our Secretariat Office.
Please contact our new Coordination Officer Ms Joly Wu at [email protected] or
(+852) 2768 6720 if you need assistance in future.
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AAOUnews Vol 1 • Issue 3 • Dec 2014