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Commonwealth of Learning

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Commonwealth of Learning
AbbreviationCOL
Formation1988; 37 years ago (1988)
TypeIntergovernmental organisation
PurposeTo help member states and institutions to use distance learning and technologies for expanding access to education and training
HeadquartersMetro Vancouver, Canada
MembershipThe 53 member states of the Commonwealth of Nations
President and chief executive officer
Professor Asha Kanwar
Parent organisation
The Commonwealth
Websitewww.col.org

The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) is an intergovernmental organisation of The Commonwealth headquartered in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.[1] Working collaboratively with governments and institutions in the Commonwealth, COL has the mandate to promote the use of open learning and distance education knowledge, resources and technologies. COL partners with institutions, national organisations, international development agencies and non-governmental organisations. The Board of Governors is chaired by Dr. Linda Sissons, CNZM, a former Chief Executive Officer of New Zealand’s Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec). Professor Asha Kanwar is the President and Chief Executive Officer.

History

COL was founded at the 1987 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and inaugurated in 1988. Its title is a phrase used by philosopher John Loscke to describe the body of knowledge developed over time by scientists and other thinkers, for the benefit of all people.[2] At the time of its founding, COL focused on promoting economic development by providing education and teaching skills.

In 2015, COL created a fifteen-year strategic plan to align itself with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG4, which work to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all by 2030. COL uses its expertise and infrastructure for distance education to promote lifelong learning for economic empowerment, social inclusion and environmental conservation.

COL hosts a triennial Pan-Commonwealth Forum (PCF) on Open Learning where its Excellence in Distance Education Awards (EDEA) are presented. The 2016 PCF was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and was attended by about 500 participants from 60 countries, including several Commonwealth ministers of education. The forum resulted in the 2016 Kuala Lumpur Declaration[3], which explains how distance and technology-based learning can lead to sustainable development.

Funding=

Financial support for COL's core operations is provided by Commonwealth governments on a voluntary basis, with primary funding renewed every three years. COL also receives additional contributions from other development sources and provides fee-for-service distance education and open learning course delivery and training for various international agencies.

COL's major financial contributors include Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa and the United Kingdom, all of which have representatives on COL's Board of Governors.

References

  1. ^ "Commonwealth of Learning". The Canadian Encyclopedia.
  2. ^ Peter Walmsley (2003). Locke's Essay and the Rhetoric of Science. Bucknell University Press. pp. 17, 159. ISBN 978-0-8387-5543-3.
  3. ^ "Kuala Lumpur Declaration" (PDF). OAsis.col.org. Commonwealth of Learning. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
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