Velocity and scale: How can technology support knowledge sharing?
Velocity and scale: How can technology support knowledge sharing?
Good afternoon, every one.
I am Melody Wang from AFDC, China and I am honored to have this valuable opportunity to join the Round Table 10 on “Velocity and scale: How can technology support knowledge sharing?”
As an initial contribution, I’d like to give a brief introduction to the background of AFDC and our practical experiences to answer the key questions Phil introduced just now.
l AFDC’s Background
The Asia-Pacific Finance and Development Center (AFDC) was established by the Chinese government in 2004 aiming to strengthen institutional capacity building in the area of finance and development and to promote cooperation among the Asia-Pacific economies. Since its inception, with the strong support from the Chinese government, the World Bank and other partners, AFDC has hosted many training workshops, seminars, and high-level forums, and conducted thematic research activities.
l Challenges we are facing
While cooperating worldwide to develop diverse knowledge sharing, we are also facing many challenges in the boarder global development context. For example:
(1)How can we overcome the limitation of time, space, resources in a real-time peer learning?
(2)How can we make one Knowledge Exchanges activity combined with the Global, Regional and Chinese experience in a joint and cost-efficient way?
(3)How can we enable AFDC to collaborate with a wider range of peers and partners?
l One innovative Solution
That’s why we need to explore more possibilities and solutions on AFDC’s sustainable development. Now I’d like to share one innovative solution which is called G+R+C Model.
1. AFDC’s Use of Distance Learning
Prior to 2004, most of AFDC’s programs were delivered F2F, in Shanghai or elsewhere. In 2004, AFDC joined the GDLN family and became an affiliated member named GDLN-Shanghai DLC, aiming to build a knowledge sharing and capacity building bridge connecting AFDC and GDLN.
We started out mainly by joining distance learning programs offered by other GDLN members. But gradually we began to develop our own programs to offer through the network. In the past few years, we have organized a variety of distance learning activities including cross-regional, regional programs and in-country network programs with hot topics in the area of finance and development including risk management in commercial banks, improving the investment environment, policies for job creation, SMEs financing and inclusive growth, the New Pattern of Global Trade, the Internet Economy etc.
2. What is our G+R+C Model?
When we started to develop distance learning activities, we wanted to maximize the value and structure of GDLN as a decentralized network. So for each program, we try to follow a simple “ G+R+C ” format as below:
“G” - Global, means to integrate a global perspective by inviting international resource persons, “R” –Regional, refers to a regional view by identifying local experts from other countries, and “C” –China, shows a China’s perspective by inviting Chinese resource persons to share country-specific experience.
This three-layer format is called “G+R+C” model to present three levels’ perspectives, to promote in-depth interaction and to scale up one activity’s outcome and result. Our roles and responsibilities and business model also follow this model in collaboration with the World Bank and GDLN affiliates.
G--WB provides international expert, suggests the connection and simultaneous translation solution and covers the cost related to World Bank. R--Our regional GDLN affiliates act as our Co-Sponsors and participating sites to provide local speakers, market, organize local participants and coordinate different issues. In the same way, they cover their local costs from regional side. C--AFDC takes the lead to design and coordinate this program, and provide a Chinese speaker and choose technical solution for connection. Accordingly, we cover the relative cost from China side.
We have been utilizing this model for the past seven years. So far, Over 18000 international and domestic participants benefited from our GDLN –Shanghai DLC’s G+R+C model. And we have found this model to be very cost-effective; each seminar only costs us about $ 2000.
l An Example of G+R+C Model
To make it clear, I’d like to give you an example on AFDC Distance Learning Seminar Series on “Improving the investment environment”.
This program was first proposed at a GDLN Global Business Meeting in Tanzania in 2011.Within one year, nine seminars were held in three regions attended by 418 participants in Africa, 307 participants in LAC and 466 participants in AP region respectively.
As a whole, near 1200 participants benefited from this program in three regions via GDLN. It made us think of one old saying: Hitting three birds with one stone! If one stone is a program, three birds means three region, this metaphor does work within GDLN. No matter who you are, where you are and what time your locations are, our peers and partners could be connected to share knowledge and brainstorm around the world simultaneously.
So today, our partnerships cover the World Bank (WB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC), Japan; KDI School of Public Policy and Management, South Korea; Vietnam Development Information Center (VDIC); The Association of African Distance Learning Centers (AADLC); The GDLN Americas Foundation; GDLN Asia Pacific. Within China, we also maintain a steady and sustainable partnership with the China Development Distance Learning Network (CDDLN) with 77 distance learning centers.
l Three highlights on GDLN
Back to the beginning, we have three highlights to answer the key questions.
l Which technologies tools are useful for capturing and packaging solutions and experiences, as well as implementing large-scale (programmatic) KS in the medium and long run?
l How can partnerships and networks, including CoPs, benefit from technologies to stay connected and grow in strength and scale?
l How can knowledge be used for technology-supported distance learning?
For question 1, GDLN does work as a dynamic network to capture and package solutions and experiences. Our GRC model via GDLN enabled us to scale up knowledge sharing in a continuous way, connecting with partners through video conferences at a relatively low cost, building an excellent channel to leverage resources for maximum impact.
For question 2, to expand diversified partnerships and networks, we need continuously creative thinking, learning by doing and building up three GDLN core competencies:
(1)The brokering and/or provision of relevant sources of development content and expertise; (2).The design and packaging of content and expertise into effective knowledge and learning programs and activities blended learning; (3) The systematic delivery using a wide range of appropriate methods and technologies.
For question 3, to develop diverse and high-quality distance learning models, we should realize that: (1) Despite the availability of any new technology infrastructure, demand-driven learning design is always a key issue. (2)It’s a systematic process to bridge the knowledge gap via five- steps cycle: anchor, define , design and development, implement, measure and report results.(3) It is crucial to integrate resources on a cost sharing basis for financial sustainability with a clear division of responsibilities for each party.
l Future Trends
With the rapid development of new technology, today learning is not a matter of sitting in a class room or organizing a series of seminar via videoconference. It is available to us at our fingertips, just-in-time and just-enough.
The Google head Doug Gross mentioned on CCN that World will soon be “Webified”, entire world will be online by 2020.Social media, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are creating new ways to stay updated in our professional and personal lives.MOOCs provide a connected learning environment, supporting a massive number of learners located anywhere in the world, via internet-based course distribution and communications.
What is the future role of networks like GDLN within the new global learning environment?
On the one hand, we can continue to explore strong linkages and partnerships with a broad range of institutions and networks. For example, after we attended a GDLN meeting in Australia last month, our June seminar on Free Trade Zones attracted two new partners, one is from Fiji, and another is from University of New England. We want to continue make full use of GDLN’s flexibility and agility. In addition, we joined KDI’s blended learning program this year which inspired us to optimize our own distance learning seminar series in the near future by combining one F2F knowledge-sharing program in China in the final stage. We believe a new attempt based on the GRC distance learning model could enhance more interactivity and understanding among different countries.
On the other hand, we are at the right time when such digital learning can be mainstreamed. Internet penetration has been impressive in developing countries. In the past 4 years, China and India contributed almost half of the 654 million new internet users; the expansion of mobile telephony has been even more impressive. What we can do is to seize this new technology, be creative and use it to our advantage. We should integrate innovations in technology and instructional design, such as webinars, COPs, collaborative learning, even mobile formatting, to provide quality knowledge sharing among partners and peers at low cost, to support more interactive, participatory and networked learning.
That’s what I want to share with you now. Looking forward to more discussion.
Thank you !
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