The Internationalist Association of Commonwealth Universities

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on Higher Education around the world, moving learning and teaching online. In a new series of The Internationalist podcast, Natasha Lokhun will be exploring how Higher Education has been changed by the digital revolution. How can universities benefit from the rapid changes they have experienced during the pandemic and how can they position themselves best to confront the associated challenges? What can universities do to influence how technology is used and how can technology be used to influence the design and delivery of higher education?
The first episode explores some of the benefits and challenges Higher Education will face in our digital future.
Natasha's guests are Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg in South Africa and Professor Martin Weller, Professor of Educational Technology at the Open University in the UK and we also hear from Professor Darelle van Greunen, who leads the research, engagement and innovation group at Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth in South Africa.
Order of Contributors
Professor Darelle Van Greunen 2:11
Professor Tshilidzi Marwala 3:57
Professor Martin Weller 13:49




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The online pivot presents the higher education sector with a new set of opportunities and challenges. How can universities ensure their courses are fit for purpose? What skills do teachers and students need to use technology effectively and how do they keep up with technological change? Technology can help deliver lessons in new ways, but it creates issues too.
In the previous episode, we heard about some of the big issues that impact on the use of digital technology in higher education. In this episode, we’ll focus on one of them - what skills will staff and students need for the future and how can universities best prepare their teachers and their learners?
Natasha's guests are Dr Shikha Raturi, Lecturer in the School of Education at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji and Professor Sue Bennett, Head of the School of Education at the University of Wollongong, in New South Wales, Australia. We also hear from Dr Tammy Tabe, a lecturer at the University of the South Pacific.
Order of Contributors
Dr Tammy Tabe 2:12
Dr Shikha Raturi. 3:09
Professor Sue Bennett 13:41
 



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When we talk about equity and inclusion in higher education in the context of online learning, most people will think of the digital divide – that’s the gap between those who have the ability and resources to access online content and those who do not. Digital technology also has a role to play in providing access to higher education for people who might not otherwise be able to attend university. But there are other inequalities at play in society. How can we use digital technology in universities to address these – and ensure that we are widening, not closing the gap?
This episode focuses on the challenges that universities face in dealing with the digital divide and broader inequalities and explores the measures we can take to improve the situation for everyone.
Natasha's guests are Professor Sasmita Samanta, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology in India, and Professor Charles Pascal, Professor of Human Development and Applied Psychology at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto in Canada. We also hear from
Hriday Thakur, a student of Biotech at Amity University Uttar Pradesh in India.
Order of Contributors
Hriday Thakur 1:50
Professor Sasmita Samanta 3:21
Professor Charles Pascal 10:16

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The most significant impact of the pandemic on higher education is the shift to online learning and teaching, but as staff and students can, hopefully, move back to campuses, should we retain an element of the online experience? Will blended learning - combining online materials with the traditional classroom experience - become the new normal? What benefits does this approach bring to higher education? What approach do universities have to take to make sure blended learning is a success?
Natasha's guests are academics who have extensive experience in blended learning, combining online teaching and learning with the campus experience. They are Professor Jackson Too from the Commission for University Education in Kenya and Dr Luz Longsworth, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the West Indies Open Campus, that’s the online and flexible learning campus. We also hear from Christine Koine, a first-year Information Science student at Kenyatta University in Nairobi.
Order of Contributors
Christine Koine 2:11
Professor Jackson Too 3:47
Dr Luz Longsworth 3:48

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Traditionally, universities have used their physical and cultural presence to give students the chance to create communities and gain life experiences. But, with the great online pivot, how important is the campus? As we move forward, universities will have to balance a range of issues such as widening access to quality education, preparing students for the world of work, and environmental sustainability. Does this mean that in the future, time on campus will be more limited and more valuable?
Natasha's guests are Professor Giselle Byrnes, Provost and Assistant Vice-Chancellor of Massey University, New Zealand, and Professor Rocky Tuan, Vice-Chancellor and President of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. We also hear from students at Massey University.
Order of Contributors
Students from Massey University1:34
Giselle Byrnes3:07
Rocky Tuan 15:25

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Over the previous five episodes of this series of The Internationalist podcast, we've explored the impact of the digital revolution on higher education. We've looked at the skills needed for the future, how technology can be used to bridge the digital divide, the future of blended learning, and the future of the campus.
Most people agree that the pandemic has increased the speed at which we've adapted to using technology. Meetings over desktop videoconferencing technology are the norm, in fact, we've recorded this series remotely. So, are we on the brink of a technological revolution that will change the way we live, work and relate to one another? Will artificial intelligence (AI) have more influence on the lives of young people than any other factor?
In the episode, the last in the series, we'll be looking beyond education to how the wider society will use technology in the future and how universities/higher education can influence the way it's used.
Natasha's guests are Dr Aruna Tiwari, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Indore in India and Professor Ian Goldin, Professor of Globalisation and Development at the University of Oxford in the UK.

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