Community Media for Learning

From WikiEducator

The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) "Media for Learning" programme aims to make media to be an effective part of the larger Open and Distance Learning process, especially at the community level and particularly in relation to COL's mandate to enable learning for development.

Learning about what? Whatever a community's needs and priorities are. For some this means health issues, like HIV/AIDS, malaria or diabetes. For others, it means supplementing secondary school education in English, math and science.

How do communities learn using media? By engaging with media to design innovative programmes to address specific needs, e.g. improving agricultural practices, and linking to groups, both in the community and externally, to access useful and appropriate knowledge sources.

What does COL focus on in this area?

1. Building the capacities of media; and
2. Supporting the establishment and growth of knowledge and learning networks.

Some of COL's initiatives include:

1. Developing effective learning programmes; Good practice: Community Radio Madanpokhara; Recent activity: Jet FM in Jeffrey Town
2. Strengthening organisation: community ownership and participation, policies, sustainability planning; Upcoming activity: Radio Mang'elete
3. Smart technology choices
4. Open sourcing community media; Good practice: KRUU FM

For more details go to: http://www.wikieducator.org/Media_for_Learning