National platform set for online learning

Info-com, knowledge rich society targeted:

The Ministry of Higher Education recently signed an agreement with Mobitel, the National Mobile Service Provider to use Mobitel's mLearning as 'the National Higher Education Learning Platform' through National Online Distance Education Service (NODES) at an event attended by Minister S.B. Dissanayake.

Picture shows Higher Education Ministry Secretary Dr. Sunil Jayantha Nawarathne and Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel CEO Suren J. Amarasekera partnering on the mLearning initiative, “Equal knowledge for all” in the presence of Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake, SLT Mobitel Director Anoma Laphir, SLT Mobitel Director Wijesiri Ambawatta and NODES Director Dr. S.T. Nandasara.

The above took place as part of the Ministry's initiative styled under the theme "Equal Knowledge for All", expected to eliminate the regional disparities between disseminating higher education throughout the country.

Traditional learning environments mixed with cutting edge technology is what provides mLearning the lead when it comes to supporting education. It is an exclusive purpose-built globally accessible content delivery and learning platform conceived, designed and deployed by Mobitel, where the uniqueness lies in the fact that it provides an extensible collaborative learning environment where tailor-made educational environments can be built to provide wide-ranging learning management solutions.

The educational tool comprises of a wide range of applications. It combines the most productive elements of current e-learning applications with multiple user interactive video conferencing features, slides, virtual smart boards, material upload facilities, content management facilities and also SMS, email and offline messaging. Furthermore, Virtual classroom settings add a one hundred percent interactive element to the learning experience.

Addressing the gathering Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake pointed out that through mLearning now higher education is equally accessible to a student in Colombo as well as a student in Jaffna or Hambantota. This initiative will enhance the facilities available with us at NODES to further step to create more accessible centres throughout the island "They no longer have to travel all the way to Colombo to follow courses, diplomas and degrees, and advancements in technology should be used to improve equal access to education to all, across the country. mLearning will take us one step ahead to the future, to experience revolutionary and groundbreaking methods of learning, appropriate for all those who are constrained to learn through accessibility, time and money."

Also speaking at the event Higher Education Ministry Secretary Dr. Sunil Jayantha Nawarathne said, "The President has a very clear vision to make Sri Lanka the miracle of Asia."

Under this vision converting Sri Lanka as a Knowledge Hub is one of the goals. Developing human capital and future leaders to create and sustain the knowledge hub to make Sri Lanka the miracle of Asia is the vision of the Higher Education Ministry.

"Under this vision we have twelve goals and Reducing Regional Education Disparity is one of those goals. To achieve this goal effectively and efficiently synergizing technology and capabilities is a must and this project is one of those results.

Synergizing with Mobitel and NODES technology to reduce the educational disparity is the tagline of this project and initially we are planning to train 100,000 future leaders using this project is our objective. I wish this project goes a long way and create many positive results through this project to make Sri Lanka the Knowledge Hub in Asia and Miracle of Asia," he further said.

Mobitel first trialed this innovative platform by facilitating the Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka to deliver its Executive Diploma in Marketing (EDM) via mLearning.

Following the success of the trial with the Faculty of Graduate Studies, the mLearning platform was extended to four more faculties of the University of Colombo to offer several other programmes.

Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel CEO Suren J Amarasekera stated that 'We are indeed honored by the opportunity extended to Mobitel in this timely initiative by the Higher Education Ministry in bringing equality in the dissemination of education.

It is also an initiative directly in line with Mobitel's company vision to lead Sri Lanka into an Info-com and Knowledge rich society and we are much excited by the role we have been chosen to play for the further development of education at the National level.'