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By Authors M to R Cambridge International Conference on Open, Distance and e-Learning Internationalisation and Social Justice: the role of Open, Distance and e-Learning Papers by authors M - R Page Jean Mitchell Publication of research in ODL: Internationalisation or 3 McDonaldization? Peter Mozelius Towards e-learning for all in Sri Lanka – progress and 9 K.P. Hewagamage problems in some selected Sri Lankan 21st century Henrik Hansson initiatives Peter Mozelius Differently-abled persons with ICT ability – inclusion 19 Niranjan and empowerment in Sri Lankan rural areas via Megammaana Telecentres Mariam Munawar E-learning system implementation: critical success 27 Ibrahim Munawar factors in cross-border delivery Wendy Cukier Mustafa Munawar The Free Online Secondary School (FOSS): a 35 solution to the obstacles of Secondary School homeschooling Adebayo M.A. Transnational hegemony, knowledge base and 41 Ninalowo contestation Isaac Ntshoe Open, distance and e-learning in the dual economy of 56 Getrude Bohloko South Africa: promoting global social justice policy or furthering the digital divide? Jennifer O’Rourke Looking at the gift horse: how ODL principles and 64 practice can guide appropriate use of OER Joyce Olufunke Gender, age, marital status and open, distance and 73 Ogunsanmi sandwich educational programmes in South West Nigeria: implications for internationalisation across borders in learning E.O. Osakinle Promoting intercultural understanding among 79 M.B.I. Omoniyi university undergraduates through sandwich programme in Nigeria Paul Prinsloo Towards a social justice architecture for open, 87 distance and e-learning 1 Rashida A. Ramadan Effectiveness of the Online Course on Critical 95 Thinking Skills among students of Arab Open University (AOU) Mohammed Rezwan Solar powered floating schools in flood-prone 106 Bangladesh: opportunities and challenges Pamela Ryan The ethics of connection: CAMELS and caveats or the 113 pros and cons of digital connectivity for teaching and learning 2 Publication of research in ODL: Internationalisation or McDonaldization? Jean Mitchell University of South Africa [email protected] Abstract At every McDonald’s fast food outlet in the world, food and service are the same – you always know what standard and processes to expect. The force that drives McDonald’s is its bureaucratic management, technology driven production, self–service. Similar driving forces seem to be affecting the publication of research in general and in ODL in particular. Amongst academics there is a need to publish the results of research, however, they often find reasons not to publish. The reasons vary from the unavailability of resources, to the low self concept of academics from developing countries regarding the acceptability of their work. We argue that all these obstacles can and should be overcome. Universities in the developing world are focusing on local research and academics are beginning to see the value of their findings in relation to international trends. However, this does not guarantee that research findings will be published. In order to make research known and to compete internationally, authors must apply their efforts according to the established rules. In addition, novice authors need nurturing in order to break into academic publishing. This paper reports on ad hoc initiatives undertaken to mentor new authors, face-to-face and at a distance, and acknowledges the need for a more sustainable method to be established by using an online learning platform. Introduction This paper presents a discussion on the publication of research in an Open and Distance and e-Learning environment that is constantly changing in a shrinking world. The big issue that I wish to address is that publication of academic research findings is influenced by many agencies outside of the researcher and the project being reported. In their endeavours to publish articles regarded as academically and empirically acceptable, could it be that journal editors act as gate keepers, favouring the research from certain authors, regions and even countries and keeping others out? Are attempts being made to hear international voices, or is academic publishing succumbing to a type of academic colonialism? McDonaldization and Publication I have chosen the title for this paper as a means of questioning whether the publication of ODL research in dedicated academic journals is a real move towards being inclusive and international, or whether it is creating an ‘iron cage’ of rules and formulae that fosters exclusivity and alienation. McDonaldization is a controversial concept that describes how rational organisation affects all 3 areas of life. The term is catchy and might even seem amusing, but it touches on serious issues. The term was created by sociologist George Ritzer (1996, 2002) who uses the organisation of the fast food chain as a metaphor for modern society and describes the process of McDonaldization as inevitable and essentially beneficial. But how does this view of society relate to the publication of research? Consider these aspects of the McDonald franchise: it consists of a decentralised franchised structure of ownership; global markets; rational scientific processes of production and management; emphasis on standardised products; low-wage jobs with no degrees of freedom to depart from a predetermined recipe and process; the shift of some productive labour to the consumer; and consumption is offered as recreation. In academic publishing control is wielded by external features like the demands of university authorities, the journals themselves, academic reputation and so on. Traditionally, individual journals have been ‘owned’ by institutions or professional organisations. However, there is a growing trend towards journals being managed, marketed and (to a certain degree) controlled by big publishing houses like Taylor and Francis, Sage and Elsevier. One of the advantages of this devolution of ownership is that the publishing houses take over some of the work and can give publications and authors greater exposure to global readers. Unfortunately characteristics that distinguish one journal in a field from another become blurred as the journals become more alike as the editors strive to meet the requirements of style and content laid down by the publishing houses. In addition, much ODL research is undertaken by post-graduate students and middle-level staff within distance education institutions (Zawacki-Richter, Bäcker & Vogt, 2009) who need to comply with the instructions of supervisors and superiors to ensure that their articles or research reports fit into the prescribed academic pattern. All of this fits into Ritzer’s summary of the McDonald process, namely efficiency, calculability, predictability and control. The need for publication of ODL research In Higher Education, research and the publication of its findings is important for all academics. If asked why they do research they would probably include reasons like to investigate issues, to find gaps in the body of knowledge and influence practice, to create new knowledge, to make information known to others, and even to survive in academia. In fact, it is imperative for academics to publish the results of research as this influences their further research opportunities, financial reward and promotion. Ideally, research should be about learning from each other, spreading good practice and creating partnerships and structures that allow us to solve problems and to learn from others. It should enable other people in a field to better understand situations and is one of the secrets to enhancing development (Lengha & Epah, 2010), but the rush to ‘publish or perish’ can create Mac Research that is as beneficial to progress as a MacMeal is to nutrition. 4 ODL is frequently seen as being an under-researched area and the necessity for improvement in the quality and quantity of research is generally recognized. Bates (2005) argues that while there is a considerable amount of research in ODL, the quality is variable. Good research can provide useful information to support innovation and improve existing practice and should be an integral part of an institution’s activities. But what is ‘good research’? Whose standards need to be met? In order to make research known and to compete internationally, authors must abide by established rules of publication that are based on a model established by Western universities over hundreds of years. It is a tried and tested pattern and unless authors comply with it, they will not be heard. Can the publication of research from developing countries be feasible in such a McDonaldized world? Could all the processes meant to enhance efficiency favour those who share the same philosophy and exclude those who don’t? People from developing countries involved in the field of ODL often find reasons not to publish. These reasons vary from the unavailability of resources, intellectual colonialism and the want of research rigour, to the low self concept of academics from developing countries regarding the acceptability of their work. One would think that as the aim of research is the investigation of problems, developing countries should have much to offer. Researchers in these countries should have first-hand knowledge and understanding of their particular problems and should be the ones to investigate at grass root level. But this is not the case, especially in African countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, for instance, scholarly publishing has been in decline since the 1980s
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