[pt] Tecnologias educacionais (semi) autônomas baseadas em Inteligência Artificial vêm buscando registrar, avaliar e prever o comportamento cognitivo e emocional dos alunos, gerando respostas e trilhas de aprendizagem personalizadas. Espera-se que, em alguns anos, sejam massificadas em diferentes aplicações educacionais. Porém, são produtos baseados em tecnologias muito novas, questionados em aspectos humanos e éticos e com efeitos ainda desconhecidos. Neste cenário, se adotados sem o devido cuidado, podem gerar efeitos prejudiciais aos humanos. Essas edtechs são por vezes desenvolvidas em startups jovens, com poucos funcionários e em clima de incerteza, dentro de um contexto social e econômico que demanda o uso dessas tecnologias na Educação. Partindo da hipótese que aplicar visões centradas no ser humano, sistêmicas e participativas do Design permite ajudar a construir uma abordagem de uso e desenvolvimento que inclua questões conceituais, contextuais e intrínsecas dessas tecnologias, a questão central da pesquisa é: dadas as complexidades que cercam Tecnologia e Educação, como abordagens de Design podem contribuir para uma adoção e desenvolvimento de Edtechs inteligentes e/ou (semi) autônomas que considerem as características e particularidades dessas tecnologias tão novas e desafiadoras? Para buscar a resposta, a tese usou como método uma pesquisa de campo, onde explorou o desenvolvimento e uso dessas tecnologias, questionando quais podem ser os seus riscos, desafios e boas práticas, como forma de investigar o que ocorre com uma tecnologia ainda em expansão e estudo, e como tentar abordá-la a partir daí. Para isso, a tese levantou os pontos de atenção e dúvidas que essas tecnologias podem trazer, investigou o contexto de desenvolvimento atual das empresas no Brasil através de técnicas como pesquisa documental e um questionário voltado para as edtechs. Posteriormente, discutiu os resultados (cenários, problemas e possibilidades do seu desenvolvimento e adoção) com especialistas e profissionais de diversos campos através de entrevistas semiestruturadas. Os achados do campo mostraram que essas tecnologias são ainda mais complexas do que o esperado, devendo ser consideradas e abordadas como uma categoria específica de produtos. Ficou claro também, ao menos no material coletado, que falta design no projeto e desenvolvimento de muitas dessas ferramentas. Desta forma, precisa-se de abordagens de Design que levem todos esses fatores em conta. Com os resultados obtidos no contexto encontrado, um projeto de Design pode abordar a questão enxergando-a de forma sistêmica, além da tecnologia e da Educação; observando o contexto social, histórico e econômico; ouvindo as pessoas envolvidas em diferentes campos, buscando quem pensa e quem usa a tecnologia cotidiana e profissionalmente; centralizando a experiência humana durante todo o processo e, dentro do possível, no longo prazo, pensando os efeitos futuros do uso contínuo; e, por fim, buscando entregar seus achados de forma adequada, facilitando o entendimento das pessoas e entes interessados, permitindo um processo de uso e discussão iterativo, onde esse material poderá e será modificado ao longo do tempo. Assim, a pesquisa apresentou os conceitos básicos iniciais de uma abordagem de Design voltada para o projeto e adoção de Tecnologias Educacionais Inteligentes e (semi) autônomas, para aprofundar o conhecimento e os debates sobre o tema, refletir sobre os pontos levantados e pensar formas de inserir essas questões no cotidiano, oferecendo subsídios para projetar e usar essas tecnologias mais cuidadosamente. / [en] (Semi) autonomous educational technologies based on Artificial Intelligence have been seeking to record, evaluate and predict the cognitive and emotional behavior of students, generating personalized responses and learning paths. It is expected that, in a few years, they will be massified in different educational applications. However, they are products based on very new technologies, questioned in human and ethical aspects and with effects that are still unknown. In this scenario, if adopted without due care, they can generate harmful effects on humans. These edtechs are sometimes developed in young startups, with few employees and in a climate of uncertainty, within a social and economic context that demands the use of these technologies in Education. Based on the hypothesis that applying human-centered, systemic, and participatory views of Design allows us to help build an approach to use and development that includes conceptual, contextual, and intrinsic issues of these technologies, the central question of the research is: given the complexities surrounding Technology and Education, how can Design approaches contribute to the adoption and development of intelligent and/or (semi) autonomous Edtechs that consider the characteristics and particularities of these new and challenging technologies? To seek the answer, the thesis used as a method a field research, where it explored the development and use of these technologies, questioning what can be their risks, challenges and good practices, as a way to investigate what happens with a technology still expanding and studying, and how to try to approach it from there. To this end, the thesis raised the points of attention and doubts that these technologies can bring, investigated the context of current development of companies in Brazil through techniques such as documentary research and a questionnaire focused on edtechs. Subsequently, discussed the results (scenarios, problems and possibilities of its development and adoption) with experts and professionals from various Fields, through semi-structured interviews. The findings have shown that these technologies are even more complex than expected, and should be considered and approa- ched as a specific category of products. It was also clear, at least in the material collected, that there is a lack of Design in the development of many of these tools. Thus, we need design approaches that take all these factors into account. With the results obtained in the context found, Design can approach the issue by seeing it in a systemic way, beyond technology and Education; observing the social, historical, and economic context; listening to people involved in different fields, seeking out who thinks and who uses technology on a daily and professional basis; centralizing the human experience throughout the process and, as far as possible, in the long term, thinking about the future effects of continuous use; and, finally, seeking to deliver their findings in an appropriate way, facilitating the understanding of interested people and entities, allowing a process of iterative use and discussion, where this material can and will be modified over time. Thus, the research presented the initial basic concepts of a Design approach focused on the design and adoption of Intelligent and (semi) autonomous Educational Technologies, to deepen the knowledge and debates on the subject, reflect on the points raised and think about ways to insert these issues in everyday life, offering subsidies to design and use these technologies more carefully.

This thesis offers an assessment design for collaborative learning, utilisation of blended learning support through current communication technologies and highlights the crucial role of the tutor. The thesis designed and tested a theoretical framework which encompassed an active learning environment and resulted in the development of the shamrock conceptual framework. To test the theoretical framework, clarify the role of the tutor and the impact on the learner experience two studies were undertaken using pedagogical models that combined the concepts of learner-centric, sociocultural and dialogic perspectives on collaborative learning and technology in meeting the needs of learners in the 21st Century. In the first study, the role of the tutor was found to be crucial in setting, implementing and guiding learners using the assessment design as part of a social constructivist pedagogical practice. The pedagogical approach adopted was to blend face-to-face and Wiki learning experiences and was found to promote learner ownership, engagement and the fostering of a learning community. The second study validated the first and provided additional asynchronous technology experiences in addition to the Wiki blend in the assessment design. Study 2 examined the role of the tutor and the learner whilst using current technologies comprising podcasts and video and a Wiki in the collaborative experience. Findings showed that the Wiki supported community and collaborative aspects of a sociocultural practice whilst learners were engaged in authentic learning activities and led to a well supported learning environment. The importance of technology design and use to accommodate collaborative and community aspects was found to be an essential component. It was found that technology is not simply an add-on but rather needs to be planned and considered purposefully by both tutors and learners when used in a blend to supplement learning on campus as part of an assessment design in higher education. This study has shown that, for this to happen, academics need to be provided with the appropriate support, knowledge and skills required in developing a blended learning experience using a Wiki supplemented by class contact on campus as part of an assessment design.

Abstract in English, Sesotho and Zulu / The occurrence of Open Distance and e-Learning revolutionized Higher Education Institutions for students to access instruction at anytime and anywhere. Students benefitted instruction of anytime and anywhere in one of the Technology Education courses in ODeL from the e-tutors. As a result of the support from the e-tutors, the curriculum was designed to place a strong emphasis on the design process as the core around which the teaching of the curriculum should revolve. However, it is still not clear how effective is the content knowledge which relates to the design process from the e-tutors. In acknowledgment from such a gap, this study aimed to determine the relationship between the e-tutors’ technological, pedagogical, content knowledge of teaching design process within Technology Education specialization. In order to achieve this purpose, two theories, namely Transactional distance and Connectivism were coined together with the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework to underpin the study. The philosophical worldview is pragmatism having employed mixed method. Participants in this study were 145 students who registered a year programme for two modules in the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) programme at a Higher Education institution were surveyed to collect the quantitative data. Data from the face-to-face semi-structured interviews were collected with five e-tutors from the research sites. Online observations data were collected from the e-tutor sites of the institution’s learning management system (LMS). The results suggest that e tutors still lack the technology knowledge in order to deliver the content aimed for the design process in an ODeL environment. Also, it was evidenced that the e-tutors have not acquired pedagogical strategies for driving the pedagogy for the design process in an ideal context of ODeL. It should also be borne in mind that findings for the content knowledge indicated that the e-tutors still lack the knowledge for exploiting content knowledge of the design process to suit an ODeL environment. These findings highlight a need for technology to support e tutors’ pedagogical strategies towards a meaningful understanding of the design process and its implications across ODeL contexts. / Ketsahalo ea Open Distance le e-Learning e ntlafalitse litsi tsa thuto e phahameng bakeng sa baithuti ho fihlella taeo nako efe kapa efe le kae kapa kae. Baithuti ba ile ba rua molemo taelong ea nako efe kapa efe le kae kapa kae ho e 'ngoe ea lithuto tsa Technology Technology ho ODeL ho tsoa ho li-tutors. Ka lebaka la ts'ehetso e tsoang ho li-tutors, kharikhulamo e ne e etselitsoe ho hatisa ka matla ts'ebetso ea moralo e le khubu eo thuto ea kharikhulamo e lokelang ho potoloha ho eona. Leha ho le joalo, ha ho sa hlaka hore na tsebo ea litaba e sebetsa hantle hakae e amanang le tšebetso ea moralo ho tsoa ho li-tutors. Ho ananela lekhalo le joalo, phuputso ena e ne e ikemiselitse ho tseba kamano lipakeng tsa theknoloji ea "e-tutors", thuto ea thuto, tsebo ea litaba ea ts'ebetso ea moralo oa ho ruta ka har'a tsebo ea thuto ea Technology. Bakeng sa ho fihlela sepheo sena, ho ile ha qaptjoa likhopolo tse peli, e leng Transactional distance le Connectivism hammoho le sebopeho sa Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) ho tšehetsa thuto. Pono ea lefatše ea filosofi ke pragmatism e sebelisang mokhoa o tsoakaneng. Barupeluoa thutong ena e ne e le baithuti ba 145 ba ngolisitseng lenaneo la selemo bakeng sa li-module tse peli lenaneong la Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) setsing sa Thuto e Phahameng ba ile ba hlahlojoa ho bokella lintlha tse ngata. Lintlha tse tsoang lipuisanong tsa sebopeho sa sefahleho li ile tsa bokelloa le barupeli ba bahlano ba tsoang libakeng tsa lipatlisiso. Lintlha tsa tlhaiso-leseling ka inthanete li ile tsa bokelloa ho tsoa litsing tsa e-tutor tsa sistimi ea taolo ea ho ithuta ea setheo (LMS). Liphetho li fana ka maikutlo a hore barupeli ba ntse ba haelloa ke tsebo ea mahlale a morao-rao molemong oa ho fana ka litaba tse reretsoeng ts'ebetso ea boqapi tikolohong ea ODeL. Hape, ho ile ha pakoa hore li-e-tutors ha li e-so fumane maano a thuto ea ho khanna lithuto tsa thuto bakeng sa moetso oa moralo ka mokhoa o loketseng oa ODeL. Hape ho lokela ho hopoloa hore liphuputso tsa tsebo ea litaba li bontšitse hore li-e-tutors li ntse li haelloa ke tsebo ea ho sebelisa tsebo ea litaba tsa moralo oa moralo ho latela tikoloho ea ODeL. Liphuputso tsena li totobatsa tlhoko ea mahlale a morao-rao ho ts'ehetsa maano a thuto a barupeli ho fihlela kutloisiso e hlakileng ea ts'ebetso ea moralo le litlamorao tsa ona maemong a ODeL. / Ukutholakala kwe-Open Distance ne-e-Learning kuguqula izikhungo zemfundo ephakeme zabafundi ukuthi bathole imfundo nganoma yisiphi isikhathi noma kuphi. Abafundi bahlomule ngokufundiswa nganoma isiphi isikhathi noma kuphi kwesinye sezifundo zeTechnology Education ku-ODeL kubafundisi be-e. Njengomphumela wokwesekwa okwenziwa abafundisi be-e-tutors, ikharikhulamu yakhelwe ukugcizelela kakhulu inqubo yokwakhiwa njengongqikimba okumele kufundiswe ngayo ikharikhulamu. Kodwa-ke, akukacaci ukuthi lusebenza kangakanani ulwazi lokuqukethwe oluphathelene nenqubo yokwakha evela kubafundisi be-e. Ngokwazisa ngaleligebe elinje, lolu cwaningo luhlose ukucacisa ubudlelwano phakathi kwezobuchwepheshe be-e-tutors, ubuchwepheshe bokufundisa, ulwazi lokuqukethwe lwenqubo yokwakhiwa kokufundisa ngaphakathi kobuchwepheshe be-Technology Education. Ukufeza le njongo, imibono emibili, okungukuthi iTransactional distance neConnectivism yahlanganiswa kanye nohlaka lweTechnological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) ukusekela ucwaningo. Umbono wezwe wefilosofi yi-pragmatism esebenzisa indlela exubile. Ababambe iqhaza kulolu cwaningo bekungabafundi abayi-145 ababhalise uhlelo lonyaka lwamamojula amabili kuhlelo lweBachelor of Education (B.Ed.) esikhungweni seMfundo ePhakeme bahlolisiswa ukuqoqa imininingwane yobungako. Imininingwane evela ezingxoxweni ezihlelekile ezenziwe ubuso nobuso zaqoqwa nama-e-tutors amahlanu avela kumasayithi ocwaningo. Idatha yokubuka eku-inthanethi yaqoqwa kusuka kumasayithi e-e-tutor ohlelo lokuphatha lokufunda (LMS). Imiphumela iphakamisa ukuthi abafundisi be-e basenalo ulwazi lobuchwepheshe ukuze bakwazi ukuletha okuqukethwe okuhloselwe inqubo yokwakhiwa endaweni ye-ODeL. Futhi, kufakazelwe ukuthi abafundisi be-e abakawatholi amasu okufundisa okushayela inqubo yokuqamba ngendlela efanelekile ye-ODeL. Kumele futhi kukhunjulwe ukuthi okutholakele kolwazi lokuqukethwe kukhombisile ukuthi ama-e-tutors asenalo ulwazi lokusebenzisa ulwazi lokuqukethwe kwenqubo yokwakhiwa ukuze ivumelane nemvelo ye-ODeL. Lokhu okutholakele kugqamisa isidingo sobuchwepheshe ukuxhasa amasu e-tutors 'pedagogical maqondana nokuqonda okunenjongo kwenqubo yokwakhiwa nemithelela yayo kuzo zonke izingqikithi ze-ODeL. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / Ph. D. (Science and Technology Education)

This study explores the training of Psychology tutors at the University of South Africa's (UNISA) learning centres with a view to providing a paradigm shift in tutor training and contributing towards new ways of thinking about education and training in South Africa. It furthermore opens up alternative ways of thinking about the process of facilitation in general. Although the study focuses on tutor training within the discipline of Psychology, the outcomes of the study are applicable to tutor training and tutoring in general, and make a valuable contribution in identifying the basic principles underlying tutor training in other disciplines as well. An ecosystemic approach encourages the trainer-trainee system to become aware of how they affect each other's thinking and behaviour. The basic principles underlying the process of facilitation that emerge in the study, therefore apply equally to the training of tutors and the tutoring of learners by others. These principles provide guidelines in terms of the processes involved in tutor development, as well as inform the issues and themes around which the sharing of ideas can be choreographed in the field of tutor training and tutoring. In conclusion, the information generated in the study focuses specifically on student support in the form of face-to-face tutorials in the distance education setting, the form of tertiary education which is most accessible to many historically disadvantaged learners in South Africa today. More generally, it will make a valuable contribution in the current educational context in South Africa, where student support is of the utmost importance in striving for equality in education, and where the focus is on outcomes-based education. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D.Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

The recent global growth and popularity of open and distance learning (ODL) has been attributed to its advantages, such as flexibility for students who wish to study while working. Moreover, ODL is an effective tool in extending participation to students from less privileged social groups who are unreachable due to geographic location or cannot access higher education due to diverse factors, such as financial constraints or domestic arrangements. In the light of this, this study investigated learner support in the Department of Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) at the University of South Africa (Unisa), the largest, dedicated ODL institution in South Africa. A review of literature identified the Community of Inquiry model proposed by Garrison, Anderson and Archer (2001) as useful in this context and I used it as a conceptual framework for the empirical inquiry that I undertook. A mixed method approach comprising two consecutive phases was employed to investigate the research questions. A self-designed questionnaire was used to gather quantitative data from a random sample of 400 students registered for the ABET Diploma module (Phase One) followed by face to face interviews with selected lecturers and students (Phase Two). The scope of the study was limited to ABET lecturers, ABET diploma students and to selected Unisa learner support systems, such as myUnisa which includes a web-based discussion forum. The findings of the inquiry were presented and discussed under three main headings: the findings of Phase One, the findings of Phase Two and a summary in which the findings of the two phases were integrated where appropriate. The themes that emerged from the questionnaire and the interviews demonstrate clearly that learner support in the ABET Department is crucial in ensuring learner success. Interlinking themes are as follows: the context of the students, levels of computer literacy, accessibility of Unisa learner support systems, student motivation and time management. Many ABET students live in remote areas of the country and have little or no access to internet facilities. However, the majority of students agreed that they would like to interact more with other students through myUnisa in future. Lecturers and students agreed that myUnisa was a vital tool in teaching the students online; yet both students and lecturers still regarded contact discussion classes as the most important form of learner support. The findings suggested that the distance between the university and the student still has to be reduced more to ensure that student support reaches all students equitably. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

This final thesis deals with innovations in the management of informal education. The main goal of this work is to determine the extent to which the executives of leisure education organizations recognize the need for innovations in different areas of the organization, to compare the extent and content of specific innovations in selected organizations and explore in which areas and based on which stimuli the innovations in these organizations arise. The obtained information is useful for efficient preparation of further training of organization executives and described examples of good practice as an inspiration to improve the performance of leisure and informal education organizations. The theoretical part incorporates leisure and informal education into the overall education system of the Czech Republic and its development is illustrated on the laws and decrees from 1948 to present. Research in the form of structured interview reveals the respondents view on innovations in leisure education and shows the respondents experience with the introduction of innovations in their own organizations. The conclusions of this research clearly show the need for innovation in informal and leisure education for the competitiveness of individual organizations. KEYWORDS : lifelong learning, formal education,...

[pt] Esta tese estuda a construção do lugar da criança e do adolescente enquanto sujeitos de direitos a partir do Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente (ECA). Como objetivo inicial, estabelece uma leitura dos direitos da criança enquanto um processo complexo de mudanças e práticas na construção de uma nova cultura. O ECA estabeleceu dispositivos institucionais como leis, programas e órgãos que configuraram um circuito institucional gerando novas práticas no cotidiano. Mas, ao mesmo tempo em que funciona como uma transformação jurídico-institucional avançada, o ECA dispara uma ação intempestiva e abrupta no cotidiano da sociedade brasileira. Atores foram colocados em diálogo para a validação desse direito, nesse sentido, uma nova perspectiva de direitos trouxe consigo a valorização do ator e sua capacidade de ação em rede dentro de uma nova lógica de gestão pública. Os efeitos reais das inovações do ECA podem ser observados à luz da presença da criança no espaço público, geralmente, lugares em que são invisíveis, e onde o seu direito à cidade tende a desaparecer. Através de pesquisa empírica o estudo evidenciará trajetórias de crianças e adolescentes da Favela da Rocinha, no Rio de Janeiro, com passagem pelo Conselho tutelar, por meio de tramas e relatos dos casos. Este estudo inclui também, de forma complementar, uma análise da relação deste Conselho com algumas agências que compõem a Rede de proteção de crianças e adolescentes - Ministério Público, Centro de Referência de Assistência Social (CRAS) e Escola - de forma a entender como cada uma dessas agências, em seu modo de funcionamento, revela a fragilidade a que estão expostas crianças e adolescentes de origem popular. / [en] This thesis studies the construction of the place of the child and the adolescent as subjects of rights from the Statute of the Child and the Adolescent. As an initial goal, it establishes a reading of children s rights as a complex process of changes and practices in the construction of a new culture. The ECA established institutional arrangements such as laws, programs and bodies that set up an institutional circuit generating new practices in everyday life. But, at the same time that it functions as an advanced juridical-institutional transformation, the ECA triggers an abrupt and untimely action in the daily life of Brazilian society. Actors were put in dialogue for the validation of this right, in this sense, a new perspective of rights brought with it the actor s valorization and his ability to act in a network within a new logic of public management. The real effects of ECA innovations can be seen in the light of the child s presence in the public space, usually where they are invisible, and where their right to the city tends to disappear. Through empirical research, the study will show trajectories of children and adolescents from the Favela de Rocinha, in Rio de Janeiro, with passage through the Guardianship Council, through plots and case reports. This study also includes, in a complementary way, an analysis of the relationship of this Council with some agencies that make up the Network for the Protection of Children and Adolescents - Public Prosecutor s Office, Social Assistance Reference Center and School - in order to understand how each one of these agencies, in its way of functioning, reveals the fragility to which children and adolescents of popular origin are exposed.

Beschreibung und Bewertung verschiedener Lerntheorien und Prüfung derer auf Eignung in Online-Lernsystemen. Konzept zur Erweiterung der Lernplattform Data Mining Tutor (DaMiT) durch Integration benutzer-adaptiver Funktionen.

Information and communication technology (ICT) has dominated our lives and the way we learn in such a way that, without it, our way of life becomes obsolete. This study explored challenges experienced by tutors in facilitating teaching and learning through the use of videoconference (VC) technology in an open and distance learning (ODL) environment. These challenges are exacerbated by the fact that most tutors, although highly qualified, do not have teaching methodologies with their qualifications at the time of their employment as tutors. It is believed that if these challenges could be given attention, VC technology would serve as an effective facilitation tool for bridging the distance in teaching and learning. Based on qualitative research approach, this study followed a qualitative phenomenological research design. Qualitative data was collected from individual semi-structured interviews with specific VC tutors; tutorial observations based on tutorials offered in the VC environment; and focus group interviews with students who attended tutorials through VC technology. Informed by the Community of inquiry (CoI) theory, the study answered the following main research question: “What are the experiences of tutors in applying instructional methodologies during VC tutorials?” The findings indicate lack of skills and reluctance in applying various active facilitation methods by VC tutors, insufficient technology training intervention by the ODL institution under study, technical challenges of VC technology in teaching and learning, and lack of monitoring systems during VC discussions. The findings further featured various factors that contribute to tutors’ ability in promoting interactivity during VC tutorials. In conclusion, this study clearly indicates that instructional methodologies used in VC tutorials cannot contribute to a meaningful teaching and learning, and thus make interactivity absent throughout VC sessions. Based on these findings, and suggestions for further research, the study therefore recommends acceleration in tutor training on exploitation and integration of VC technology with various suitable teaching methodologies. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Didactics)

Student assessment and feedback is not new to open and distance learning (ODL) but there is a paucity of empirical evidence as to its effectiveness in improving the performance of students and institutions. The objective of this study was to identify key aspects required to optimise feedback in ODL. In various studies, feedback has been heralded for its key role in the improvement of student learning. However, there are on-going expressions of uncertainty about whether assessment feedback is indeed delivering this potential, particularly in ODL mode. Against this backdrop of uncertainty and circumspection, this study offers a critical reflection on assessment feedback with particular focus on ODL. This case study was undertaken using semi-structured interviews with the students, which were conducted to explore and extrapolate their experiences and views on feedback. Focus group interviews with tutors were also conducted to provide an in-depth understanding of participants’ experiences and perceptions. Document analysis was used to make informed recommendations. The study recommends that creating an effective assessment programme, developing criteria, guides, exemplars and models; discussing and refining them and communicating them to students and their staff — will have a positive impact on the workload for staff with coordinating responsibilities. It is recommended that a student charter be devised to lay out student expectations alongside the expectations of an ODL institution. Such a student charter will ensure that both tutors and students know what is expected of them during the feedback giving and receiving process. My findings offer a deeper understanding of the assessment of code disciplines which require a specialist gaze for the judgement of student work, and the pressures experienced in this type of assessment in an ODL context. It is envisaged that the research findings will assist ODL practitioners with decisions related to assessment and feedback. There are clear implications for staff in ODL institutions to encourage changes in feedback culture. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum and Instructional Studies)