The quality of teaching and learning of BCom honours degree students at an open distance learning university in South Africa

ABSTRACT

Student support at Unisa involves a range of stakeholders providing academic and administrative support. The study was conducted among Unisa BCom honours students. The main objective of the study was to determine the educational quality of teaching and learning offered. Students were contacted by e-mail and asked to complete an online questionnaire. New methods on problem solving, investigating problems and formulating problems were found very useful and students gained independence in developing their learning capabilities. Available resources and supervision were not utilized to the full. Adequate financial aid seemed to be a problem. Support should be optimized and students should realize that all resources made available to them are crucial for their success. Students are of all ages and levels of maturity and have different needs and views regarding their studies. Unisa should endeavour to meet as many of these needs as is practically possible.     

E-learning and technologies for open distance learning in Management Accounting

This research develops a knowledge acquisition and construction framework for e-learning for Management Accounting students at the University of South Africa, an Open Distance Learning institution which utilises e-learning. E-learning refers to the use of electronic applications and processes for learning, including the transfer of skills and knowledge over a distance. It is important to the knowledge construction process to understand how students learn in order to determine a set of suitable learning strategies. Studies have shown that e-learning applications are seldom used, sometimes because of inappropriate content and technologies. Other prohibitive factors are cost, poor or inadequate technology infrastructure (or a lack of access to such infrastructure), and a shortage of human resources. We propose a framework for addressing these concerns and consider how constructivist theories may enrich such a framework.     

远程开放教育环境下自主学习模式的探讨

随着电大远程开放教育的深入发展,加强学生自主学习能力的培养,使学生学会自主学习,提高学生参与学习的主动性和积极性,对保障教学过程顺利进行,提高教学质量具有重要意义。     

Collaboration in open and distance learning: The realities of policy implementation in the Africa region

Abstract

In this article the Sub-Saharan Africa region's attempt to implement open and distance learning collaboration programmes, in line with the ideals of the World Declaration on Education for All (WDEFA), are discussed. The discussion is based on an analysis of the WDEFA policy; participation in, minutes and reports of the Multi-Channel Learning Base (MCLB) initiative; and a brief review of the literature on policy and ODL collaboration. The conclusions drawn from this analysis are that: the WDEFA was a useful policy on international collaboration for meeting basic learning needs; the MCLB initiative, though laudable in having shared in three regional activities of ODL experience in Sub-Saharan Africa and having developed a regional ODL programme of action, was unsuccessful in implementing collaborative programmes in the region. The reasons for the MCLB's failure relate to unrealistic timeframes, lack of resources, preference for national rather than international programmes, and the proposed location of the MCLB.     

Student performance in Introductory Microeconomics at an African open and distance learning institution

Abstract

Introductory Microeconomics as offered by the University of South Africa (Unisa) is a compulsory module for a Bachelor of Commerce, a Bachelor of Accountancy or a Bachelor of Administration degree. Success or failure in Introductory Microeconomics directly impacts on the number of years students take to complete their degrees, and eventually also on the throughput subsidy to Unisa.

A number of exceptional institutional rules and regulations impact on the teaching of Introductory Microeconomics at Unisa, as an open and distance learning (ODL) institution. Unlike many residential institutions, Unisa does not require Mathematics at school level for registration for Introductory Microeconomics. This article reports on research done at Unisa to determine how student success in Introductory Microeconomics is influenced by variables such as race, home language, whether the students passed mathematics at matriculation level, matriculation exemption1 1. Matriculation (“matric”): In South Africa, the final school exit certificate, which is awarded with or without university exemption (“endorsement”). , gender and the passing of assignments. Although this research confirms previous research that home language and age do impact on student success, it finds that the successful passing of assignments has the greatest impact on student success.     

Self-efficacy and vicarious learning in doctoral studies at a distance

Even though there are increasing numbers of PhD students in the distance mode, our current understanding of PhD candidature at a distance is limited and incomplete. On the one end of the spectrum are accounts of unhappy and isolated doctoral students who are separated from communities of practice. At the same time, literature offers accounts of PhD students at a distance who view themselves as agential and autonomous and are happy not to get sidetracked by others. In this reflection we ask what distinguishes the conventional PhD student from one who is studying at a distance, and invite more research on self-efficacy and vicarious learning of PhD students at a distance.     

什么是远程开放教育的推动力?

远程开放教育是以教育技术支持的媒体教学方式,而教育技术是靠科技发展支持的应用技术。因此,是科学技术进步推动远程开放教育的发展。另一方面,社会进步呼唤新的远程开放教育方式的推出,新的远程开放教育方式又向科学技术提出新的教育技术需求,从而也促进了科学技术的发展。     

开放式学习环境初探

开放式学习环境是当今一种别具吸引力和有着广阔发展前景的学习环境。“开放”是其最基本的和最主要的特征，具体表现为：理念开放、技术与媒介开放、教育目标开放。在践行开放式学习环境理念的过程中，方法问题是必须予以把握的一项根本性内容。     

Self-directed learning and guidance in non-formal open courses

Digital media and open educational resources (OER) are said to redraw the boundaries between learners and teachers, by weakening the centralization of expertise and the distribution of subject-matter authority. This paper presents the findings of an ethnographic study of how the use of OER mediates the relations between self-directed learners and facilitators in two online open courses offered at a non-formal educational organization. Findings highlight the different role played by OER in mediating the relations between learners and facilitators in the two courses. In one course, early-stage learners encountered difficulties in repurposing OER and needed help to move to a more advanced stage of conceptual understanding. In the other course, well-read participants used OER to develop an affinity space in which the facilitator was a fellow learner. The findings suggest that OER are better viewed as artifacts-in-interaction rather than resources to be delivered as they are to learners. Although facilitators at P2PU do not play the role of academic teachers, it is argued that the influence of OER on the facilitator role can have implications for that of the academic teachers as well.     

Metamorphosis in distance learning: Setting new trends in special needs education by addressing existing curriculum challenges

Abstract

This paper describes the participatory development of a new curriculum for an Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) (Inclusive and Special Needs Education) programme in the Faculty of Education, University of Pretoria. Several challenges in the existing programme necessitated curriculum re-design and development. These challenges included responding to policies regarding inclusive and special needs education; responding to revised higher education frameworks; revisiting the structure and content of modules in order to improve articulation; addressing an anticipated increase in student enrolment and a changing student profile; and incorporating current trends in distance education service delivery. Partners in this collaborative curriculum initiative included the Unit for Distance Education, the Department of Educational Psychology, the Department for Education Innovation and the South African Institute of Distance Education (SAIDE). Insights derived from this paper could possibly inform similar curriculum development initiatives, as well as extend knowledge on open and distance learning service delivery, in particular for in-service teacher training.     

Exploring the mediating role of graduate attributes in relation to academic self-directedness in open distance learning

The objective of this study is to add to the extant literature on graduate attributes by examining the mediating role of global/moral citizenship and lifelong learning attributes in the relation between students' scholarship attributes and their academic self-directedness in a higher-education open distance learning (ODL) environment. The Graduate Skills and Attributes Scale and Adult Learner Self-directedness Scale were administered to a stratified proportional random sample of N?=?1102 undergraduate ODL students in the economic and management sciences field. Data analyses consisted of an analysis of correlations and two simple mediational models. The results revealed significant direct and indirect effects between the variables. The academic self-directedness of the participants was positively influenced by their scholarship, global/moral citizenship and lifelong learning attributes. The influence of scholarship attributes on academic self-directedness is significantly mediated through global/moral citizenship and lifelong learning attributes. These findings contribute new knowledge that informs the design of teaching and learning activities aimed at enhancing the academic self-directedness of students pursuing educational studies in an ODL environment.     

远程开放教育中的教学质量

质量保证在远程开放教学中起着至关重要的作用。电子技术的普及使得更多的学生能够参与到学习中。远程教学已经由教师为中心转变成以学生为中心,此外借助最新的技术,教学质量也得到了很大的提升,远程教学可以通过印刷品、音频、视频或者数字媒介提供各种课程,而且互联网、卫星、微波设备以及光学纤维都可以保证教学内容的有效传输。如今教学质量已成为全球关注的问题,因此,本篇论文研究影响远程开放教育教学质量的不同因素,以求在不断变化的全球局势中满足学生需求。在如今这样的竞争环境中,除了教学活动和学习项目,学习项目的实施以及学习资源中心（学习中心）的建立也对确保教学质量和学生满意度有着十分重要的作用。在以知识为主导的社会中,远程开放教育院校利用不同的教学方法,对整个教育起着至关重要的促进作用。远程开放教育院校在教与学的过程中特别针对不断变化的全球情况,采取了多样的方法。通过在教学进度和课程选择上提供适当的灵活性,教学设计更容易被学生所接受。学生可以了解整个课程的设置从而在保证终身学习的同时,更能准备好迎接具有竞争力的就业市场的挑战。     

Immersive virtual field trips in education: A mixed-methods study on elementary students' presence and perceived learning

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of immersive virtual field trips (VFTs) with head-mounted displays (HMDs) on the presence and perceived learning. A mixed-method approach was used to obtain an overall understanding of students' experiences with this immersive technology in an elementary classroom. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 27 elementary-school students through presence surveys and reflection papers. Statistical analyses were performed to compare immersive VFTs with traditional VFTs regarding students' virtual presence. Further, an inductive content analysis was performed to analyze reflection papers. The results showed an overall enhancement in virtual presence with the use of immersive VFTs. However, students felt that learning was not favorable with HMDs. The result of this study provides practical implications for the use of immersive VFTs in classroom settings.     

Similarity and difference in fee-paying and no-fee learner expectations,interaction and reaction to learning in a massive open online course

The new pedagogical opportunities that massive open online course (MOOC) learning environments offer for the teaching of fee-paying students on university-accredited courses are of growing interest to educators. This paper presents a case study from a postgraduate-taught course at the Open University, UK, where a MOOC performed the dual role of a core teaching vehicle for fee-paying students and also as a “free-to-join” course for open learners. An analysis of survey data revealed differences between the two groups in respect to prior experience, knowledge, expectations and planned time commitment. The nature and experience of interaction was also examined. Fee-paying student feedback revealed four conditions in which MOOCs could be considered a pedagogic option for taught-course designers. These are: when there is a subject need; when used to achieve learning outcomes; when there is acknowledgement or compensation for the financial disparity; and when issues of transition and interaction are supported.     

Participatory pedagogy in an open educational course: challenges and opportunities

This article presents an empirical study of an open educational course in an online peer-to-peer university (P2PU). P2PU is a nonprofit organization offering free educational opportunities. Focus is on how peers are part of creating course content in a Web 2.0 environment. Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have evolved into two different pedagogical directions: content-based xMOOCs and connectivist cMOOCs. cMOOCs emphasizing learning in networks developed informally, where learners are part of creating course content, resemble P2PU`s vision. We investigated processes of interaction in co-creation of tasks in an open educational course and what opportunities and challenges emerge. We employed template analysis for coding data. We report two different processes of interaction between users and organizers: problem identification and co-creation of tasks. This study contributes to understanding a new model of teaching and learning through scrutinizing participation in an open educational course and explores implications for the learning experience.     

Open and distance education as a strategy for human capital development in Nigeria

The development of human capital has been identified as the most important component of all the factors employed in production economics. Since independence in 1960, Nigeria has placed great emphasis on training and education for human capital formation. However, the education process as the primary means of developing human resource has failed, in its conventional mode, to fulfil the needs of the country. This paper therefore examines the impact of open and distance learning on the human capital development processes in teacher education and other areas in Nigeria, presenting an overview of human capital development efforts in Nigeria with a focus on the tertiary education system. The study also maps out the potential benefits and logical justifications for the application of distance learning systems in the training and development of professionals for the industrial and corporate sectors of the economy. In conclusion, a proposal is made for the full‐scale adoption of open and distance learning as a fundamental strategy for human resource development in the country.     

A conceptual framework for achieving good governance at open and distance learning institutions

This paper describes a good governance architecture framework that would bring significant improvements in the overall working of open and distance learning institutions in a well-structured and systematic way. The good governance framework is articulated with seven basic principles which are performance, transparency, accountability, participation, leadership, consensus orientation and fairness. These principles are structured with the good governance practices which relate to performing well for the assigned goals and objectives, promoting values for the organisation, making well-informed and transparent decisions, focusing on the organisation’s purpose and outcomes, capacity building and managing risks effectively. These principles and suggested practices in the framework would become tools for developing an improvement strategy so as to help in the smooth operation and efficient management of the institution concerned. The developed system would bring about significant improvement in the teaching–learning activity as well as in the quality of distance education. It would also enhance the efficiency, effectiveness and overall performance of the institutional management which is crucial to the continuous development of the institution concerned. Thus, the proposed good governance framework when implemented in an open and distance education institution would improve the quality of distance education and also increase its accessibility in a well-organised and structured way.     

运用现代教育技术手段提高远程开放教育教学质量

运用现代教育技术手段提高教学质量，是发展远程开放教育的基本保证。学员在学习理论知识的同时，还需掌握现代教育技术，突破时间和地域的限制，学会学习。     

Issues and challenges of teaching and learning in 3D virtual worlds: real life case studies

We aimed to study the characteristics and usage patterns of 3D virtual worlds in the context of teaching and learning. To achieve this, we organised a full‐day workshop to explore, discuss and investigate the educational use of 3D virtual worlds. Thirty participants took part in the workshop. All conversations were recorded and transcribed for analysis. Thematic analysis was carried out to identify prominent issues and topics. We found that to fully utilise 3D virtual worlds for teaching and learning, students, tutors and educational institutions face a number of socio‐psychological, pedagogical and technological challenges. The paper highlights and discusses the issues that emerged from the workshop, supporting them with real life experiences and case studies provided by the workshop participants.

Probleme und Herausforderungen des Unterrichtens und Lernens in virtuellen 3D Welten: “echte” Lebensfallstudien

Wir hatten zum Ziel, die Eigenschaften und die Gebrauchsweise von 3D‐virtuellen Welten im Zusammenhang mit Unterricht und Lernen zu studieren. Dazu organisierten wir einen ganztägigen Workshop, um den Gebrauch von 3D virtuellen Welten im Bildungsbereich zu erforschen, zu besprechen und zu untersuchen. Dreißig Teilnehmer nahmen an diesem Workshop teil. Alle Gespräche wurden aufgezeichnet und für die Analyse transskribiert. Eine thematische Analyse wurde ausgeführt, um gängige Probleme und Themen herauszufinden. Wir meinen, dass, um virtuelle 3D‐Welten komplett zu verwerten, um darin zu unterrichten und Erfahrungen zu sammeln, Studenten, Tutoren und Bildungseinrichtungen mehreren sozialpsychologischen, pädagogischen und technologischen Herausforderungen gegenüberstehen. Dieser Beitrag beleuchtet und bespricht die Probleme, die innerhalb des Workshops auftauchten und unterstützt ihr Verständnis durch von den Workshopteilnehmern selbst zur Verfügung gestellten Lebenserfahrungen und Fallstudien.

Problèmes et défis de l’enseignement/apprentissage dans des mondes virtuels en 3D: des études de cas empruntés à la vie réelle

Nous avions pour but d’étudier les caractéristiques et les schémas d’usage des mondes virtuels en 3D dans un contexte d’enseignement et apprentissage. Pour y parvenir, nous avons organisé un atelier d’une journée entière pour débattre, explorer et mener une recherche sur l’emploi éducatif des mondes virtuels en 3D. L’atelier a accueilli 30 participants. Toutes les conversations ont été enregistrées et transcrites à des fins d’analyse. On a effectué une analyse thématique pour identifier les problèmes et les thèmes les plus marquants. Nous avons découvert que pour utiliser à fond les mondes virtuels en 3D pour l’enseignement et l’apprentissage, les étudiants, les tuteurs et les institutions éducatives doivent faire face à un certain nombre de défis socio‐psychologiques, pédagogiques et technologiques. Dans cet article l’accent et le débat portent sur les questions qui sont apparues au cours de l’atelier, le tout appuyé sur des expériences de la vie réelle et sur des études de cas fournies par les participants à l’atelier.

Problemas y desafíos de la enseñanza/aprendizaje en mundos virtuales 3D: estudios de casos de la vida real

Nuestro propósito era el estudio de las características y de los esquemas de uso de los mundos virtuales 3D dentro del contexto de la enseñanza/aprendizaje. Para llevar esto a cabo hemos organizado un taller de un día completo para explorar, discutir y investigar el uso educativo de los mundos virtuales 3D. Treinta personas participaron en el taller. Todas las conversaciones fueron grabadas y transcribidas para ser analizadas. Un análisis temático fué realizado para identificar los temas y problemas más destacados. Hemos descubierto que para aprovechar plenamente los mundos virtuales 3D para la enseñanza/aprendizaje, los alumnos, los tutores y las instituciones educativas tienen que hacer frente a un número de desafíos socio‐psicológicos, pedagógicos y tecnológicos. En el artículo los autores destacan y discuten los problemas que han surgido del taller, apoyandoles con experiencias de la vida real y estudios de casos suministrados por los participantes del taller.     

远程教育中实现信息交互的研究和实践

信息交互体现了教学设计和教学实施水平,是教学设计关注的重点活动,信息交互的水平与学生和学习支持人员的具体表现有关。为提高远程教育的质量,远程教育机构需要不断评价和改进教学设计水平和教学实施水平。本文从远程教育实际效果出发,提出以课堂授课实时信息交互为核心的远程信息交互模式,并论证了实现的可能性,找到改进教学设计和教学实施水平的有效途径,对推动电大系统教育事业的发展有着积极的意义。