1. The Scope of the Paper
This paper examines the processes and issues in the development of human resources for the management of Distance Education Systems. The paper falls broadly into four segments.
- The first introductory part examines the complex systems model in single-mode distance teaching institutions as against those in traditional educational institutions.
- The second part, more specifically delves into the context and its characteristic features that demand a changed orientation to functions, attitudes and operations and consequently towards training.
- The third part of the paper is somewhat descriptive and reports the experiences of the Staff Training and Development activities at Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Open University.
- The fourth and last section is exploratory in nature, being the part which suggests directions for action, further study and debate in the sphere of training and development of personnel to manage these systems.
A. The Complexity of the System
In India there are 46 Correspondence Institutes/Distance Education units in conventional Universities and seven Open Universities engaged in tertiary level education. The essential distinction between the two types of systems is that the former are governed by the parent Universities upon which they depend for resources and management of systems.
Here, we shall look more closely at single-mode institutions called Open Universities. There is one Open University at the national level and 6 Open Universities at the State level. The Open Universities, having come historically at a later stage, are modeled.—mainly administratively—on the conventional Universities. For their teaching-learning processes, however, their functions demand different systems. While there may be minor changes in the organisational aspects, the model in the Open Universities remains more or less similar. Unlike the dual-mode institutions, the single-mode institutions have complete autonomy about what to teach, how to teach it, whom to teach and how to evaluate. The personnel-administrative, academic and production—all work towards common ends. The 'philosophy' they have to accommodate to is thus a uniform one, marked primarily by its learner-centredness. The principal ideology being the same enables organisational patterns which are oriented towards a single purpo
se. This is a major strength of the system.
The learning context has the distance learner separated from the teacher (the institution included) and the peer group, and the print and electronic media help to negotiate the interpersonal interaction. The point in mentioning these features of essential difference from conventional educational institutions is to stress the need for different systems and procedures of management. The altered conditions call for a re-orientation and re-training and at times unlearning of previously formed conventions.
Management of distance teaching institutions is like running a factory with large-scale operations and the division of functions. The analogy cited by Peters (1965) suggests that the operations of the distance education institution are like those of an industry. Planning, recruitment of labour, division of labour, (in the production and distribution of teaching materials) the management and co-ordination of the system resemble the processes of other industries.
The management systems in the Open University type of institution can be divided broadly into the following sub-systems:
- the Academic sub-system
- the Industrial sub-system
- the Administrative sub-system
i) The Academic sub-system: This unit engages the staff for two main functions—course preparation and course dissemination. It includes staff who prepare course material, the Library and Evaluation and Research Divisions. Th course dissemination aspect is taken care of by the staff organising the student support services, tutoring and counselling.
ii) The Industrial sub-system: undertakes the production and distribution of the print materials and includes staff who work as in publishing houses or in audio-video production units. Computer-assisted learning systems and its programmers, analysts, operators would also fall into this category. For the distribution of the materials, this sub-system employs warehouse staff and staff for despatch ing materials.
iii) The Administrative sub-system: like the other two sub-systems, this subsystem takes up more than one function. It is this department which runs the other divisions or branches enabling their smooth functioning by laying down rules for governance, finance, public relations etc. As part of general governance, the institution also needs staff who evaluate the system, supervising its operations.
Such then are the general manpower requirements of a single-mode institution. The human resource development activities would essentially have to conform to the requirements of different sub-systems.
B. The Need for Development of Human Resources
While the peculiar functions of each group of staff in the sub-systems will be detailed later in the second part of this paper, we need to re-assert that the systems are unconventional. There is an unusual mix of academic, professional and technical staff with part-time or piece-work staff being engaged from time to time according to local needs.
The services of a large number of academic staff are also used on a part-time contractual basis for the development and delivery of learning materials. Thousands of academics work to provide tutorial and counselling support at the study center to the distance learners. The comparative novelty of the tasks and the system demand specific training for efficiency and effectiveness of services.
Further, there are occasions when the sub-systems are interdependent and function towards a larger goal by overlap and integration.
2. The Context
The complexity of the Open University systems arises from two main aspects. (i) The systems are governed by administrative conventions of other educational institutions—mainly of the face-to-face type because they are the only models available, and (ii) their processes merit a
distinct identity and structure. The pull of these counter forces is reflected in the staff roles and experiences as well.
Staff development, has been understood to mean orienting personnel to their newer tasks and the application of modern technologies, as also establishing professional credibility and enhancing existing proficiencies. The need for this 'development' may be because of the
- impact of obsolescence on existing disciplines and competencies
- technology
- environmental/situational placement
The corresponding changes desired in individuals would be in the following features
- knowledge
- skills, and
- attitudes
Staff development needs in Open Universities are heightened because of their difference from conventional Universities. The features of contrast between conventional and open universities could be listed as
- a greater degree of complexity in academic functions
- changed points of reference (untraditional often task-based and unique) no clear job demarcation
- unpredictability of specific job requirements
- need for greater cooperative efforts with broader institutional objectives in mind—interdependence
- non-conformity to set patterns imposed by conventional systems (administrative restrictions)
A. The Academic
The measures of contrast between the conventional and Open Universities is accentuated in the academic subsystem. Here the specific features are
- No students on campus
- Course teams
- Critical path deadlines
- An integrated production process
- Printed course packages
- Off-campus tutors
- A never-ending academic year
- Lack of stimulation
- The non-availability of the main users of the materials makes the task of the academic staff more complex. Immediate sources of feed back and insights from field experience are not readily forthcoming for review, self-evaluation or research.
- The course team approach does not always succeed as individual differences both academic and psychological prove to be barriers to a functional compatibility.
- In addition to being accountable for the output, the academic staff member is compelled to meet critical-path deadlines which may affect the working of the entire system.
- Like the Course team that makes effort a shared responsibility, the integration of the production process calls for a re-orientation to individual perceptions of roles. Distinctions of 'academic', 'administrative', 'support' and 'technical' staff are often broken down as a single individual is expected to perform different functions.
- The accountability of the academic is a greater question in view of the 'openness' of the access to materials produced, not only for students and peers but also for professional superiors.
- Unlike in a conventional classroom, the Open University 'staffer' must depend on the tutor-counsellor to implement and execute his academic plans.
- With all these variegated functions the academic finds his academic year-never-ending one with schedules running one into another.
- The context of academic functioning being such there is little that can stimulate the member if his own professional commitment is not well-founded.
B. The Administrative
The administrative subsystem is much like that in a conventional bureacratic organisation. It consists of the usual planning, control and co-ordination mechanisms. The danger, however, with respect to non-conventional educational systems is that the administrative sub-systems may not appreciate the uniqueness and peculiarities of the Open University staff and may lay down regulations which restrict rather than encourage the functions.
C. The Industrial
This sub-system is most like a factory in the scale and nature of its operations. The staff of such departments, if drawn from the specific areas of operation such as printing, electronic media or computers, essentially perform functions which remain similar to those they are trained for. The factory-like context may, however, make demands which are slightly more time-related or strict as far as efficiency and accuracy are concerned. The warehousing, despatching divisions follow
assembly-line procedures.
Recognising the need for the training and development of staff in distance teaching institutions, the Indira Gandhi National Open University established the Staff Training and Research Institute of Distance Education (STRIDE) to meet the training needs of distance educators of this region. At the State level, Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Open University and Yeswantrao Chawan Maharastra Open University have also set up exclusive departments entrusted with the responsibility of human resource development suited to the needs of the Institution. The next section looks more carefully at the activities of the Centre for Staff Training and Development, Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Open University.
3. The Dr. B.R.Ambedkar Open University Experience
This section examines the specific experience in staff training and development activities of Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Open University.
A. Organisational aspects
The organisational structure at the Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Open University (See Appendix-A) is complex and unlike that in a conventional university or dual-mode institution. The planning, control and coordination of the policies of the University are based on its structural model. Interdependence of the Directorates/Divisions, particularly at the operational levels makes functions more complex. There are ninety two field offices called Study Centres with full-time, part-time or contractual staff managing the support services.
B. The Staffing Pattern
The staff pattern at the University is as follows:
| (i) |
Regular Full-time Staff |
|
| a) Academic staff (full-time) |
89 |
| b) Administrative, Secretarial and support staff (full-time) |
353 |
| c) Professional and Technical staff (full-time) |
66 |
| (ii) |
Daily-wage full-time staff |
150 |
| (iii) |
Part-time staff (adademic counsellors, Course writers/editors, audiovisual resource persons) |
4000 |
| (iv) |
Administrative Staff (part-time) |
350 |
As can be evidenced from the figures above, the academic sub-system is almost in the ratio of 1:4 in relation to the other sub-systems. This is because as stated elsewhere above, the administrative and industrial sub-systems dominate the operations.
Another feature to be marked is that there are as many as 4000 part-time academic staff in the production and dissemination of materials and 350 part-time administrative staff.
C. Insights from Experience
On the basis of the felt needs of the trainees and the expressed institutional requirements, the Centre for Staff Training and Development which was exclusively assigned the function of in-house training, organised a series of training programmes. Other training activities of the Centre included the preparation of a Handbook for Academic Counsellors and dissemination of relevant materials on distance/open learning.
In view of the above- mentioned peculiarities of the system, the staff training and development needs are also perceived to be different.
- In the case of the administrative, technical and industrial subsystems the functions to be performed are not essentially different from those the personnel have been trained or prepared for either by qualification or previous experience. What is different is the difference in perspective and attitude required here. Therefore, role awareness, orientation and affective aspects needed greater attention (See items 1&2).
- Where technical/production staff are concerned there is the need to update knowledge and skills.
- Within the academic sub-system, however, training appears necessary for an initial orientation and indepth operations as well.
- As is evidenced from the themes and trainee group particulars, a larger number of opportunities have been provided for interaction of the academic staff—both full-time and part-time. In the case of field staff engaged from the conventional system on a contractual basis (See items 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, & 12), the training workshops provided the welcome opportunity for interface and conscientization to their functions.
- For the Academic Counsellors of the Post-Graduate programmes and the new recruits to the University the activities provided pre-service orientation and exposure to the newer system.
- The training programmes for administrative and secretarial staff were intended for development of positive attitudes to functions and an awareness about the peculiarities of the system. Greatcr thought is however, necessary about the skills to be developer and updating of knowledge.
The experience of the training centre raises some crucial issues that need considered thought (See Activity Report, 1994). The operationalisation of future staff development activities shall be underpinned by these considerations.
4. A Plan of Action for Staff Development
The experience of a nodal training unit for in-house training activities raises certain crucial issues and points to ponder over and suggests directions for action.
A. Institutional Perspectives
- Distance Teaching Institutions, more particularly Open Universities, need to adopt positive attitudes to training. The ambiguity in their ideology of staff development must give way to clarity of purpose.
- If staff development is perceived as a process evaluation factor, the institution should have adequate follow-up and re-cycling of feedback.
- More systematic methods should be evolved to relate staff development schemes to professional advancement, incentives.
- The institution should act as an enabling agency for experience-sharing among the participants. Documentation of such experiences should provide a useful record for other users.
- Learning on the job may, by itself, be a useful mode of developing competencies but the institution must consider the time and expense involved in trial and error and formalise skill-development activities.
B. Individual contributions
- An openness to ideas of change and preparedness to learn is imperative.
- The participant should be aware of professional development and institutional and individual growth through training
- The trainees should, like the distance learners, be willing to participate in various ways eg. engage in pre-training, post-training activities.
C. Management/Organisational Issues
- As in the case of other functions, training is an interdependent field of activity and adequate support and backing for the organisational aspects is essential.
- Job specifications, assessment of training needs and performance appraisal after training should provide the right direction to training activities.
- Suitable infrastructural provisions should enhance the training impact.
- Training activities should be made participatory.
- Use of different modes of training.
5. Summing Up
The need for staff development is reiterated by both the trainers and trainees. This is particularly relevant in the context prevailing in distance teaching institutions. The experience is a new one and has no clear points of reference. There are also no historical traditions or conventions which can be drawn upon by the users. What convention exists, has not had an illustrious record. The attitudes and opinions formed over the years need to be broken and reframed.
Open Universities need to accept that 'Open Management' (Paul, 1990) is a concept that is gaining ground. In preparing staff for this idea of openness of management systems and accountability to the basic values of the institutions, arid developing a conducive organisational climate, the role of training is uncontested.
| 
