1st International Conference on Open Distance E-Learning: Creating Spaces And Possibilities Proceedings

Professor Denise Kirkpatrick has worked as an academic and senior leader and manager in open and distance, dual-mode and on-campus universities in Australia and the United Kingdom. She has worked as Pro Vice-Chancellor at the Open University (UK) and La Trobe University, Australia and led the strategic development of open, distance and e-learning in Australian universities, including Monash University, University of New England, and Charles Sturt University. Denise has also work as consultant in Australia, Europe, South-East Asia, Africa and the Middle East. She is an international auditor for the Australian Universities Quality Agency and the Austrian Quality Agency. She researches and publishes in the fields of open, distance and e-learning, and quality in Higher Education. Denise was President of the Australasian Council of Open, Distance and E-learning (ACODE) from 2003 to 2007 and is a member of the Executive Committee of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE).

Professor Tian Belawati is currently Rector of Universitas Terbuka (UT), which serves over 600,000 students residing in Indonesia and overseas. Prior to her appointment, she served two terms as Vice Rector for Academic Affairs and in this capacity led UT's adoption of a new ODL platform and introduced innovations through UT Online. In her first two years as Rector, she has taken decisive action to mobilize partnerships with stakeholders to improve the quality of ODL, develop greater public confidence in ODL, and establish collaborative efforts with international as well as regional ODL institutions and associations. Professor Belawati has served as Secretary General (2007-2009) and then President (2009-2010) of the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU), and is currently a member of the Executive Committee (2009 to the present) of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE). She has a PhD in Adult Education from the University of British Columbia, Canada, and a Master of Education in Management of Distance Education from Simon Fraser University, Canada.

Dr. Grace J. Alfonso is a professor of film and mass communication at the University of the Philippines' College of Mass Communications. Dr. Alfonso is a painter and sculptor; a filmmaker, director, film researcher, and critic; and an expert in multimedia. As a film academic and researcher, she has written treatises on film education and the state of the Philippine movie and television industries in both local and international publications. She has written numerous film reviews and has been an active member of the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino. Dr. Alfonso has written and directed several television dramas, documentaries, and educational videos. Her visual medium extends to painting and sculpture. She has done several solo art exhibits and has been commissioned to create public art for institutions. In 2009, she was recognized as UP Artist I by the University of the Philippines. In distance education, Dr. Alfonso is one of the pioneers in the University of the Philippines and the country. She has been Chancellor of the UP Open University since 2007.

Dr. Tim Eing-Ming Wu is President of The Open University of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. He is also a member of the Board of the Central Personnel Administration, Executive Yuan, Taiwan, and a member of the Board of the International Affairs Committee of the Kaohsiung City Government. From 2003 to 2008 he served as Director General of the Bureau of Human Resource Development of Kaohsiung City Government. He was a Professor at the Department of Political Economy, College of Social Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University from 2002 until 2008. He was also Board member of the International NGO Affairs Committee, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan from 2000 to 2008. Dr. Wu has a Master of Public Administration from the California State University and PhD in Public Administration from the University of Georgia, USA.

Curt Bonk is Professor of Instructional Systems Technology at Indiana University and President of CourseShare. Drawing on his background as a corporate controller, CPA, educational psychologist, and instructional technologist, Bonk offers unique insights into the intersection of business, education, psychology, and technology. He received the CyberStar Award from the Indiana Information Technology Association, the Most Outstanding Achievement Award from the U.S. Distance Learning Association, and the Most Innovative Teaching in a Distance Education Program Award from the State of Indiana. A well-known authority on emerging technologies for learning, Bonk reflects on his speaking experiences around the world in his popular blog, TravelinEdMan. He has co-authored several widely used technology books, including The World is Open: How Web Technology is Revolutionizing Education (2009), Empowering Online Learning: 100+ Activities for Reading, Reflecting, Displaying, and Doing (2008), The Handbook of Blended Learning (2006), and Electronic Collaborators (1998).

Tan Sri Dato Emeritus Professor Gajaraj Dhanarajan was the founding Vice Chancellor of the new Wawasan Open University and retired from this position in December 2009. He has recently been appointed as the Chairman of the Board of Governors. He has previously served as President of the Commonwealth of Learning, Secretary General of the Asian Association of Open Universities, and Chief Executive Officer of the Open University Hong Kong. As a long standing advocate of Open and Distance Learning, he has contributed to global discussion on the subject and further, associated with the work of international development agencies, since 1974. Professor Dhanarahan holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the University of Madras, a D.I.C. and a Master of Science from the Imperial College of the University of London, and a PhD in Biology from the University of Aston in Birmingham, UK.