The Commonwealth has commended the Botswana Open University (BOU) on its transition from the Botswana College of Open and Distance Learning (BOCODOL) into an open university
The Commonwealth has commended the Botswana Open University (BOU) on its transition from the Botswana College of Open and Distance Learning (BOCODOL) into an open university.
President and CEO of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) Professor Asha Kanwar congratulated the university on its progress and its mandate to make education accessible to all, particularly out-of-school youth and adults, through open and distance learning.
Prior to transition, BOCODOL was a member of the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC), which encourages the collaboration of 30 small states to improve content, knowledge and training and assists educational institutions to facilitate the offering of post-secondary programmes and the creation of related accreditation mechanisms.
It puts particular emphasis on post-secondary, skills-related courses and programmes on regionally-specific sectors, such as agriculture and tourism, and entrepreneurship.
VUSSC has recently integrated emerging issues, such as climate change and sustainable development, into these courses and programmes.
BOCODOL also hosted the Southern African Development Community Centre for Distance Education (SADC-CDE), a regional agency that supports the implementation and strengthening of online and distance learning resources.
The Commonwealth of Learning works with institutions and governments within the Commonwealth to improve education systems and their capacity to develop beneficial programmes, including increasing access to higher education.
It focuses on creating opportunities for open and innovative schooling, including vocational skills development and technology-enabled learning.
COL assisted BOCODOL with its transition process by reviewing the institution’s systems, providing technical advice on policy and application, and supporting capacity-building in online and distance learning, open educational resources and information communication technology.
The transition was effective December 1, 2017.
