Page 17 - Reimagining Higher Education : Case Studies On Designing For Inclusion, Equity, And Access In The Buka Project

H. Teräs & J. Brunton · Introducing the BUKA Project

However, ODL or any type of online or hybrid learning is not a magic
solution, and they will not automatically produce benefits and desired outcomes.

There are also well-known challenges associated with such learning approaches.

The learners can feel isolated, as there is more limited social interaction with peers
and lecturers. There may be technological di culties, network and bandwidth

issues, or lack of access to the kinds of tools and devices required. The study
materials, instructions, assessment, and learning tasks may be hard to find, the

structure and requirements may be di cult to interpret. The online learning
resources and materials may not be accessible for learners with special needs.

O -campus study requires a high level of self-discipline and self-directed learning

skills. It may be that the sca olding provided is not su cient. All of the above may
result in poor retention, or student underachievement.

Designing and implementing quality online and hybrid learning

experiences, such that the issues discussed in the paragraph above are minimised
or eliminated, requires careful planning, pedagogically meaningful learning

design, justified choices of tools and technologies, and online facilitation skills.
From the perspective of the educational institution, this often means sta capacity

building, mentoring and support, and close collaboration between teaching
academics, learning designers, and educational technologists. Accessibility and

equity in high quality higher education is more than simply providing programmes

and modules in online or hybrid mode,it is also very much about making
pedagogical and technological design choices that sca old the learner through the

learning path, enhance learning, and make the learning environments and tools
user-friendly for learners with di erent needs.

The aim of the international, Erasmus+ funded BUKA project was to

facilitate advances in designing and implementing high quality online and hybrid
learning in order to increase access and equity in higher education. Partner Higher

Education Institutions (HEIs) in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Finland and
Ireland worked together to design, develop, implement, and evaluate pilot

interventions that sought to help build institutional capacity in providing

impactful, high quality online and hybrid study programmes in di erent higher
education contexts. The examples shared in the chapters below are based on

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