The abrupt lockdowns forced by the coronavirus pandemic caused many education providers in Fiji, including institutions of higher learning, to hastily convert their face-to-face instructional content for online learning. After two prolonged lockdowns, most of the 50-plus higher education and training institutions have seen the need to package more of their courses for virtual or blended learning in case of unexpected circumstances.
This four-day workshop, which is jointly organised by the Pacific Community (SPC) and Fiji’s quality assurance agency for higher education, the Fiji Higher Education Commission (FHEC), is to support this transition. Under its mandate, SPC's education programme (the Educational Quality and Assessment Programme, EQAP) supports the region’s education systems to improve education quality. Part of this work is the support for higher education institutions and their efforts to ensure learning providers are equipped to effectively teach online courses.
This workshop aims to build the capacity of participants, most of whom are teachers of higher education institutions based in Fiji’s western division, to offer education and training in alternative modes.