Professional Education Organization International

Board of Directors

Minutes for November 2005 online Board meeting

November 2005 online board meeting considered the following
one item and eleven resolutions and the following voting resulted:

Y N A

13 - 1 item 1: approval of PEOI's november minutes

12 - 2 2005-11 #1 appointment of Melissa Lee Price as board member
9 1 4 2005-11 #2 appointment of Thirumagal Kanagasabai as board member
10 - 4 2005-11 #3 appointment of Simon Rosin as board member
7 4 3 2005-11 #4 appointment of Siddhartha Maheshwari as board member
4 8 2 2005-11 #5 appointment of Shayla Price as board member
6 5 3 2005-11 #6 appointment of Adele Wong as board member
6 5 3 2005-11 #7 appointment of Deborah Barantchouk as board member
5 6 3 2005-11 #8 appointment of Olha Plevako (Batishchva) as board member
3 7 4 2005-11 #9 appointment of Regina Ekhem as board member

12 - 2 2005-11 #10 removal for absences of ANOHAR JOHN as board member
12 - 2 2005-11 #11 removal for absences of Stacy Speidel as board member

Present at and participating in July online board meeting:

1-Kenneth Barden
2-Rinku Bhattacharya
3-Mihai D Caramihai
4-Johannes M. Glas
5-Jeanne M. Henry
6-Carol Law
7-Kimberly Louis
8-Poi Kee (Frederick) Low
9-Michael Palmer
10-John Petroff
11-Romina Sengara
12-Nazim Syed

Participated in the November online meeting but did not send in valid votes

13-Peter Short, second set of invalid votes
14-Peter Wells, second set of invalid votes

Missing votes:
1- MANNAVA RAMANA BABU, second absence
2- Ndeye Diagne, second absence
3- Cauvery Sachdeva Handa, first absence
4- Vivek Jamwal, second absence
5- nizam MRYAN, second absence
6- Guilherme Rodrigues, second absence
7- Sachin Paranjape, first absence
8- Maree Weir , first absence

Discussion item replies:

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Item #2
1- Simon's report
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Nazim Syed:
I agree with comments related to site sturcture and appearance. The report provides a basic framework but it needs a more closer assessment, thought and refining of ideas and inputs from the board members. I suggest if any boardmember takes the responsibility of coordinating with other members and Simon for putting together a final plan and changes for implementaiton.
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Carol Law:
Fully agree with separate entry as well as site contend for different stakeholders of PEOI. Also shared the same view that the colour scheme is not attractive or seemed not dynamic enough for a young and innovative NGO. Agree with concern over security of personal information.
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Kenneth Barden:
I would like more time to review the report and would suggest tabling a vote on any matters until next board meeting to permit additional time for review and discussion.
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Mihai D Caramihai:
I think that the Mr Rosin's suggestions can be applied only in English
(for the begining)
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Michael Palmer:
Simon's observations are on-target and well structured.
I applaud his efforts. This is great movement from the discussion at
our last board meeting regarding the suitability of the web presence.
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Romina Sengara:
I really liked Simon's report. It is definitely a lot of work. The main
thing for me would be that they are many different users that use the
website for different purposes. I think having 3 different homepages
focused on the 3 main types of users is brillant. It makes it userfriendly and
eliminates having to sort through information that you are not interested
in!
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Item #1
2- Simon's questionnaire
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Nazim Syed:
Survey questionnaire made by Simon Rosis was good and his efforts must be appreciated.
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Carol Law:
Maybe PEOI can make it a pilot project (such as creating a separate entry for staff & board members first, <assuming they are the smallest group> and gather feedback). Full implementation should be a later phase. As PEOI grows, to implement such large scale changes might consume more resources in the future.
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Kenneth Barden:
I would like more time to review the report and would suggest tabling a vote on any matters until next board meeting to permit additional time for review and discussion. I agree that 8 languages will pose a time and resource problem and would suggest that alternatives be considered as to how alternative languages could be added, either on a request by request basis or reference to a translation website.
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Michael Palmer:
Good idea. Will ensure that alterations meet the needs of targeted users groups. Should be sent specifically to the "different user groups" noted under "site structure" in Simon's report, and
responses tracked separately. Keeping in mind that resources are a constraint, which languages represent priorities 1 and 2 ??? ... can target dates be established for these?
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Romina Sengara:
I Liked the survey - it was relevant and to the point. However we need to know how to quantify and measure the results and use them in a useful way. Great work though on asking the right questions in order to understand what people are looking and are not looking for in the website.

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Item #3:
1- exploit open content
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Nazim Syed:
Active partnerships with institutions worldwide would be a better option to exploit couse content. Our startegy should be to first assess where do we stand today and what we plan to achieve. Then it will more easy to outline the objectives and how to achieve them.
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Carol Law:
As contents are widely available, maybe content developments will be of secondary concern while PEOI's volunteer instructors can lead programmes, courses for those in need to value add in their learning. Not that we do not develop materials anymore, but with some focus on teaching too. Another area of strength is our translation teams which can focus on translating Open Materials from other source for the serve more people from developing countries. (with coordinated effort with the materials provider)
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Kenneth Barden:
Concentrating on what works for now and establishing a solid reputation. Sometimes trying to expand too quickly, especially in the area of technological resources, can be counterproductive if it means taking resources from what is done well toward new ideas. New ideas are good, but we need to make sure that adequate time, resources and effort will be there to provide support.
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Michael Palmer:
Linking back to prior discussion and to Simon's report, I suggest that the web presence be "the" strategic focus, and within that presence a "delivery mechanism" which caters for the presentation of the education offerings, the online assessment of learning, and the online tracking of registrations and completion. With these critical foundations in place, any "open content" should be easily absorbed into the PEOI curriculum with language translation and minimal modifications. In terms of identifying which "open content" is attractive and in-line
with overall PEIO strategy, the board and faculty areas should facilitate content proposal, review, and accept/reject processes.
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Romina Sengara:
lpok into other such websites and see what is working for them and what is not. Which courses are the most common? Languages...how do the market, and join up with other institutions. Is there a site which we can role model?
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Item #3
2- license
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Michael Palmer:
Seems simple and straightforward and may open doors to content exchange. Is there growing "mind-share" in this space? Is it emerging as a standard? If so, embracing the emerging standard should be positive? Can we forecast the benefits? What doors will it likely
open?
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Romina Sengara:
not sure I really understand the workings of this. Sorry I do not have much input into this.
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Item #3
3- how should PEOI adapt with SAKAI
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Nazim Syed:
I am sure by now our organization has realized that achievents dont come in easy. PEOI's considerable achievement and progress made in open education development is commendable. How we proceed further from here is more important. I personally feel that we as an institution are yet to learn how to barter appreciation, encouragment and recognition to volunteers for their valuable contribution towards strengthening this organization. How we will do it is itself a discussion by itself, which we have to take it as a subject of urgency.
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Michael Palmer:
Who has most experience in this arena??? I suggest that the licence components need to be reviewed in detail and the specific options applicable to PEOI be articulated. If an agreed model is arrived at, it becomes the licence standard for future content, which represents one change requirement. Second requirement, which may be optional, would be to revisit existing terms under the EMUCL and convert them.
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Item #3
4- goals for 2006:
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Nazim Syed:
Organization Itself
1.. Make the window of our organization, which is our website more presentable and user friendly.
2.. Improve organizations performance.
3.. Build educaitonal partnerships with institutions.
4.. Position and market the peoi aggressively.
5.. Funding required.
Education Program
1.. Outline areas of educaiton where we need to focus this year to build our course content.
2.. Further refine the developed courses and make them more self learning modules.
3.. Provide course matetial that can be downloaded.
4.. Work on making peoi's courses more acceptable and credible.
Volunteers
1.. Motivate, encourage and recognize volunteers.
2.. Make peoi as a platform for volunteers can volunteer as well as learn.
3.. Build a volunteers database to help volunteers network.
Student
1.. Number of targetted enrollments.
2.. Making peoi's learing more easy, enjoyable and achiveable.
3.. Recognizing students on completion of courses by providing couse transcripts and certificates.
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Carol Law:
Expand range of courses available and towards teaching & learning.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------Michael Palmer:
(a) In my response to "1" above, focus on the foundations and delivery mechanism, (b) I suggest we look at the markets being served ... many regions seem thinly represented in student terms.
With reasonable uptake in a given country, and with mature content areas backed by assessment, PEOI could/should pursue local accreditation through national institutions and offer more value-add to the learning community.
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Romina Sengara:
streamlining the website, looking at countries such as India and China which could benefit from our courses and continuing to forge relationships with other institutions.
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Vote bulletin were sent to:

1- MANNAVA RAMANA BABU <cgchyd@ap.nic.in>
2- Kenneth Barden <kenneth_barden@yahoo.com>
3- Rinku Bhattacharya <RinkuB@aol.com>
4- Mihai D Caramihai <m.caramihai@ieee.org>
5- Ndeye Diagne <diagnendeye@hotmail.com>
6- Johannes M. Glas <jmglas@hotmail.com>
7- Cauvery Sachdeva Handa <kaveri_princess@hotmail.com>
8- Jeanne M. Henry <jmhc_co@att.net>
9- Vivek Jamwal <vjammy@yahoo.com>
10- Carol Law <carol.law@rogers.com>
11- Kimberly Louis <kimberlylouis@gmail.com>
12- Poi Kee (Frederick) Low <fred@starhub.net.sg>
13- nizam MRYAN <nsmryan@dohms.gov.ae>
14- Michael Palmer <mp043@hotmail.com>
15- Sachin Paranjape <sachinnp04@yahoo.com>
16- John Petroff <petroff@pronetisp.net>
17- Guilherme Rodrigues <guirodrigues2003@yahoo.com.br>
18- Romina Sengara <romina_sengara@hotmail.com>
19- Peter Short <acilfesp@connect.com.fj>
20- Nazim Syed <nazimsyed786@hotpop.com>
21- Maree Weir <weirdohs@ozemail.com.au>
22- Peter Wells <p.wells@cepes.ro>