As part of the NmInTheSouthPacific, a look at Pedagogy, Usability and New Media in Tonga.

Konai Thaman: Tonga Case Study

from Thaman, Konai 2003, A Conceptual Framework for Analysing Pacific Educational ideas: The Case of Tonga, Chapter 6. From Educational ideas from Oceania : selected readings / edited by Konai Helu Thaman. (Suva, Fiji) : Institute of Education in association with the UNESCO Chair of Teacher Education and Culture, The University of the South Pacific , (2003)

Colonisation of the Intellect

Introduction of formal educatrion was for monetary and religious reasons, to provide a workforce, and results in the destruction of culture

• "Only those elements of our cultures that are regarded as potentially important for economic development are valued." (p. 74)
• "...the foreigners tried to teach them to reject those aspects of Pacific cultures which they regarded as detrimental to their purposes, whether motivated by religious faith or economic gain or both." (p. 73)
• "Instead of providing our societies with a means of cultural renewal, formal education is providing them with a means of assuring their cultural demise" (p. 74)

Active Learning: to teach = to learn

• 'Ako' means "to teach" as well as "to learn"
• same with Vuli-ca in Fijian (see Sala Bakalevu Communal Learning and Vuli-ca in NmFiji)
• encompasses both knowledge and skills

Context vs Abstraction

• "The emphasis of learning shifted from the 'here and now' to the 'there and then' and the abstract" (p. 75)

Importance of Relationships

• 'Ilo "refers to information about something or someone, as well as to different types of knowledge and skills" (p. 76)
• "the traditional use of poto being the maintenance of good interpersonal relations and helping one another, and not simply being successful in school (p. 77, from Havea, 1931:3: 'Koe Mau kuo fakapale 'I'. Tohi Fanongongo 4(1):3)
• "What is the use of your degree if you are only looking after yourself?" (p. 77, from Tu'itupou, 1981, Personal Comm to Thaman)

Fiaosi Aleamotua , Assistant Uspnet operator

8 months

Equipment

• students: 14 computers for students: 3 in library and 11 in lab, + 3 broken ones
• staff: 9 computers
• all computers have internet access
• VBC students have first priority
• well utilised, "always someone in the lab"
• 1 hour per day each student
• email, word processing
• "not that much internet research"
• "all new enrollments are introduced to system, given email": how to login, how to use email, sometimes do training as a group in orientation, not a web course but a system course
• about 500 students at centre
• keep one student per computer
• most new students have no computer background
• computers have sound cards, no speakers, students must bring own headphones

Access to Centre

• isolated centre, centre is at east side, majority of students come from downtown (half an hour), bus
• students who work often can't make it to centre, but most students make it
• computer lab is open till 8pm
• all students are within an hour

Teaching Modes

• face to face, VBC, Webct
• "webct is getting better, the most common problem was access, user name and password, but this semestre is better b/c operators can set up own password"

Language

• all taught in English
• output in English
• msot discussions in home tongue, tongan
• inclass is English

Group Learning

• discussions in library
• most students do their work at home

Aversion to ask Questions

• most of the students are shy to ask questions in big classes
• up to fifty in a class, some have 1 or two students

Best time to come

• october

Training

• "as far as I am concerned, a lot of training is needed in using the inter"

Others to speak

• Salote, director
• Rick bing, fomrer uspnet operator