Browsing by Subject "Distance education"

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    The development of an effective multi-media distance education programme for in-service teachers
    (1996) Van der Wolk, Karen Anne; Flanagan, Wendy
    This dissertation is a report of my work in schools in the Eastern Cape while assisting the Primary Education project (PREP) to develop a resource pack for in-service education. In-service education has received much attention in recent years in South Africa. Both the state sector and non-government organisations have provided various in-service interventions in an attempt to improve both the qualifications of teachers and the results of pupils in schools. However, the dismal state of education in ex-DET schools bears witness to the fact that such interventions have by and large been ineffectual. This study shows how one project developed and trialled parts of a distance learning in-service course in conjunction with junior primary farm school teachers. The need for innovative and creative models of distance education is explored and our understanding of the nature of distance learning is detailed. The study goes on to include an analysis of the political economy of farm schools. It also details the constraints acting upon teachers in such schools and shows how these impacted on the study. The research procedures and methods of data collection are outlined and a framework for analysing the data is developed and justified. The actual data generated during the study is then measured against this framework in order to gauge its effectiveness as an in-service intervention. Finally, I draw conclusions and make certain recommendations based on the evidence presented. Whilst these recommendations are tentative, they may have relevance in terms of future in-service education policies and procedures.
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    Open Access
    Social media enhanced boundary crossing: exploring distance students' ecosystems of learning support
    (2020) Mwanda, Ziyanda; Ng'ambi, Dickson; Gachago, Daniela
    As the demand for distance learning increases, traditional campus-based universities continue to struggle in supporting working distance students. This has resulted in the increased phenomena of students using social media within their ecosystems of learning support. The use of formal and informal tools such as social media gives rise to boundaries which students need to cross for effective support. How social media facilitates the crossing of boundaries within ecosystems of learning support remains an unfamiliar area of research. This study employed a predominately qualitative research methods, with a small element being a quantitative method to view and investigate postgraduate distance students' ecosystem of learning support holistically. The findings of this study revealed that participants used a combination of formal and informal tools to support their learning, including social media. In particular WhatsApp, which enables the crossing of transitional, formal and informal learning contexts, hierarchical and, time and space boundaries. Recognizing social media as an important part of students' learning support ecosystem, allowed an expanded view on learning support. As such, the study highlighted a range of different learning mechanisms which occur when students cross these boundaries, with coordination being the dominant learning mechanism. In conclusion, social media (such as WhatsApp) does indeed enhance the crossing of various boundaries to support learning. However, some students do not necessarily perceive their interaction on social media as learning, which speaks to the need of legitimising social media as learning tools by institutions. This study then recommends the need for institutions to recognize and nurture the use of social media as one element of a distance learning support ecosystem for cost-effective student support strategies guided by institutional guidelines and policies.