The aim of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between the use of self-regulation by the tertiary distance learner and his or her academic achievement in a specific academic course unit. To attain this aim, a literature study was undertaken to: a) define and describe distance learning, b) describe the nature of learning, c) describe the nature of self-regulated learning and its implications for distance learning, and d) define and classify learning strategies and indicate the relationships between self-regulated learning, the use of learning strategies, and successful learning. Literature indicated a positive relationship between self-regulation, the use of learning strategies, learning success, and academic achievement: learning success results whenever pre-formulated learning goals are attained through the use of self-regulation and applicable learning strategies; and attainment of learning goals results in positive academic achievement. Self-regulated learners, who plan their learning, formulate learning goals, motivate themselves intrinsically, instruct themselves, apply different learning strategies to attain learning goals, continuously monitor and self-evaluate themselves during the learning process, are able to attain the formulated learning goals successfully and perform well academically. The literature review also revealed a high level of self-regulation as one of the prerequisites for performing successfully as a distance learner. Planning personal learning goals, using a variety of learning strategies to attain the goals, determining the correct personal learning tempo, monitoring learning progress, and self evaluating learning outcomes are typical characteristics of self-regulation necessary for effective distance learning and academic progress. The population of the research includes the PU vir CHO - Open Learning Academy-learners registered for the Further Diploma in Educational Management, module PSD 511 (Teaching and Learning) in the North West region of South Africa. The total number of students attending the three contact sessions in September 2000 at five sentra in the North West Province, and who participated in the research, was 143. Three questionnaires were used to obtain personal information, as well as information regarding self-regulation in the learners, namely, a biographical questionnaire, the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) and the Self Regulated Learning Questionnaire (SRLQ). The data was statistically analized by means of: a) factor analyses, b) multiple regression analyses, and c) stepwise regression analyses. A difference was found to exists between the variables that determine the academic achievement of successful versus unsuccessful distance learners. Successful distance learners have better developed self-regulated learning skills than unsuccessful distance learners. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2001

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 2001. / Title from title page screen, viewed April 20, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Susan Davis-Lenski, Joseph Braun (co-chairs), Anthony Lorsbach. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-139) and abstract. Also available in print.

CAPES / O conhecimento científico produzido nas universidades e nas instituições de pesquisa tem sido divulgado através da Internet em portais acadêmicos, revistas científicas online e repositórios digitais. Repositórios digitais de acesso aberto ao conhecimento científico têm sido implementados como uma maneira de disponibilizar a literatura acadêmica sem custos para as pessoas que acessam esses textos. Elaborar os repositórios visando proporcionar acessibilidade para as pessoas com deficiência e com especificidades de acesso é uma maneira de promover a inclusão no meio acadêmico, favorecendo os estudos dessas pessoas no Ensino Superior. As pessoas surdas possuem uma forma diferenciada de apreensão do mundo, que ocorre por meio da percepção visual, resultando em uma demanda de acesso à Internet distinta em relação às pessoas ouvintes. O idioma usado pelas pessoas surdas é a Libras, que possui uma construção gramatical diversa da língua portuguesa, motivo pelo qual a leitura de textos para as pessoas surdas pode ser dificultosa. O presente trabalho buscou conhecer quais as percepções que as pessoas surdas têm em relação à acessibilidade em sites de acesso ao conhecimento científico via Internet. Por meio de entrevistas em profundidade, foi possível coletar dados que foram analisados conforme o método comparativo constante. Os resultados obtidos revelaram que o acesso ao conhecimento científico não é apenas inacessível, é também excludente, pois não oferece alternativas em línguas de sinais para que as pessoas surdas possam ter entendimento dos conteúdos presentes nesses sites. / The scientific knowledge produced in universities and research institutes has been published through Internet in academic portals, online scientific magazines and digital repositories. Open access to scientific knowledge digital repositories have been implemented as a manner to offer academic literature without costs to people who access these essays. Developing repositories aiming at providing accessibility to people with a disability and impairment is a way to promote social inclusion in academic environment, favoring these people's studies in higher education. Deaf people have a differentiated way of the world apprehension, which occurs through visual perception, resulting in an Internet access demand distinctive from hearing people. The language used by Brazilian deaf people is Libras, which has a grammatical structure apart from Portuguese, the reason that reading to deaf people can be difficult. The present essay ought to know which perceptions deaf people have in relation to accessibility in open access to scientific knowledge websites. Through depth interviews, it was possible to collect data that have been analyzed according to constant comparative method. The results obtained revealed that scientific knowledge access is not only inaccessible, but also exclusionary, as it does not offer options in sign language so deaf people can understand the content on these websites.

This study argues in favour of the distance education student as being a decision-maker and scrutinised his choice criteria against the `open' education background. In particular, the study investigated the relative contribution of influential decision factors, as identified by previous research, in the choice students made when they chose between print-based and on-line modalities. A quantitative study, drawing data from 233 participants in two modules at the University of South Africa, was employed. The study showed that influential decision factors were transferable to a choice between printed or on-line instructional content, but their effects were less significant. Differences pertaining to previous experience with their delivery mode were apparent between students who selected the print-based option and students who selected the on-line option. The results also confirmed that of other research that a significant relationship exists between self-concept and optimal decision-making and self-concept and social environment. / Education Studies / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Mass Open Online Courses have been a phenomenon in education in the past few years. Although their popularity is globaly on the rise, it is not yet clear how sustainable MOOCs really are in the long run. Lack of academic texts and non- existing set of guidelines for the design and implementation of effective and successful MOOCs is one of today's problems. The aim of this paper is to create such criteria that can assess the MOOC quality and success, and subsequently assess current MOOC approach and effectivity as well as outline steps to increase their efficacy. In the paper, I present a novel analysis method of potential MOOC efficacy indicators. Then, based on created criteria, I define the importance of lector's active role in the course, the need for clear formulation and communication of rules, goals and expectations, and the significance of setting high course standards. At the end, I suggest ways of utilizing this thesis for further research.

Thesis (M. Ed.) -- University of Limpopo, 2002 / Refer to document

Thesis (Ph.D. (Educational Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2018 / The primary aim of this study was to investigate the growing rate of dropout phenomenon within the ambiance of higher education and to develop a support model for lower-postgraduate students. Anchored within Maxwell’s (2012) model of qualitative design, this case-study research has employed the deficit theory and the theory of transactional distance to guide the investigation. While the theoretical evidence was garnered through the application of traditional (narrative) literature review design, the empirical evidence was achieved by targeting lecturers, administrative officers and dropout students. These participants were only those who have respectively taught an advanced communication research (COM4809) module which is offered in the department of communication science as part of the honours programme, who have been involved into the administration of the module in the same department and who have dropped out of COM4809 between 2011 and 2016. Purposive selection technique was used to sample distinct units of analysis at various levels. At the first level, the University of South Africa (Unisa) was used as a case ODL university. At the second level, COM4809 was used as an ideal module to demonstrate that dropout is prevalent at an honours postgraduate level within the ODL domain. At the third level, lecturers were also purposively included into the study since they were key informants. With regard to administrative officers, a census approach was adopted to include the only two administrative officers who have been involved in the administration of COM4809 between 2011 and 2016. Dropout students were selected using snowball and purposive sampling techniques. While the purposive selection of dropout students from the given dataset (statistical information) of 219 dropouts, which was requested from the information and communication department (ICT), was used, the snowball selection method came into play when lecturers identified twenty-one dropout students from their personal records and furnishing the researcher with detailed contact information about them. However, the researcher has managed to hold focus-group interviews with a group of six dropout students and telephonic interviews with ten dropout students, summing up to 16 participants. Focus-group interviews were also undertaken with a cohort of eight lecturers while another seven lecturers have participated in the in-depth interviews. Data were analysed through the use of qualitative content analysis method, and O’Connor and Gibson’s (n.d) design viii    to analyse qualitative data was used. To ensure the credibility and dependability of findings, a triangulated approach to data collection and analysis were used. The study unveiled four major themes on dropout factors, namely: dropout factors associated with students’ personal circumstances, with lecturers’ personal circumstances, with institutional (academic) circumstances and with those factors which are determined by circumstances of other units of analysis (other research contexts). The study has further revealed that while the majority of factors can be controlled, others cannot. Based on the findings and the literature, an integrated honours student-centred support model (IHSCM) was developed to serve as a framework within which to understand dropouts of lower-postgraduate students in an ODL institution. Findings have demonstrated the importance of providing support services in an ODL environment and advocate for a holistic approach towards addressing attrition. The proposed model is envisaged to better expound dropout attributes, which lead students to discontinuing their studies in the ODL environment, and to assist ODL institutions to effectively address the concern. ODL institutions, which want to apply the proposed IHSCM, should do that with caution in mind owing to the fact that the model is not yet tested. Hence, it is inferable to suggest that future research should focus on its impact in the reduction of dropouts of honours students in ODL contexts.   Key words: Student dropout (attrition), dropout student, open and distance learning (ODL) institution, Higher education institution, distance education, student support intervention (services, intervention, mitigation strategy) and student support model (framework).

The present study attempted to measure library literacy levels of open or flexible learners at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) during the 1995 academic year, and to investigate to what extent the information skills component of TAFE open learning modules influence adult learners' library literacy levels. To address these issues, a quasi-experimental research methodology was used to measure library literacy levels at the beginning and, again, on or near course completion to ascertain whether any change had occurred, through the administration of a questionnaire. A number of participants were then interviewed to further validate the responses fiom the questionnaires. The study attempted to show that though courses claim to address key competencies in a vocational education and training environment, one component of the key competencies, the ability to collect, analyse and organise information, was not being met. That one component was the ability to locate (or collect) information. No strong correlations resulted fiom the library literacy levels measured and the degree to which the key competency was addressed within course modules. No statistical measures were possible due to the small sample population that eventuated, though it was almost half the original targeted population. No real gain was achieved in library literacy levels between the pretest and posttest stages of the research for either the Experimental or Control groups. Though a highly suitable research methodology, the quasi-experimental research design did have some limitations in this piece of research. The CIT flexible learning environment at the time of the study contributed to the limitations of the study. However, a number of recommendations were made on the basis of the research results, advocating some strategies that might be implemented to improve the library literacy levels of learners undertaking open or flexible delivery courses within CIT, and suggestions to change the research environment to avoid many of the problems experienced. The CIT pilot study was the first known formally documented study of library literacy levels in an Australian TAFE environment of its kind. The study reflects the literature published at the time of the study. At that time, the research in this field was minimal. Many publications and research have emerged since 1995 when this study was conducted, indicating this is an area of great interest.

This study argues in favour of the distance education student as being a decision-maker and scrutinised his choice criteria against the `open' education background. In particular, the study investigated the relative contribution of influential decision factors, as identified by previous research, in the choice students made when they chose between print-based and on-line modalities. A quantitative study, drawing data from 233 participants in two modules at the University of South Africa, was employed. The study showed that influential decision factors were transferable to a choice between printed or on-line instructional content, but their effects were less significant. Differences pertaining to previous experience with their delivery mode were apparent between students who selected the print-based option and students who selected the on-line option. The results also confirmed that of other research that a significant relationship exists between self-concept and optimal decision-making and self-concept and social environment. / Education Studies / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

In developing countries, the mobile phone market has matured in terms of subscription, penetration and mobile centric1 services. In turn, people have integrated mobile phones into their daily lives. The interaction opportunities that have evolved in business and social life have given students at Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) grounds to anticipate similar opportunities within their learning environments. In the context of developing countries, students primarily access information through mobile phones and there seems to be a disconnection between how HEI provide informational services and how students want to access the services. Therefore, HEIs are challenged with shifting from their traditional information distribution practices into integrating mobile centric services. Literature describes several models of providing mobile centric services in learning settings but there is a paucity of research that address the disconnection between students’ mobile centric needs and expectations against the HEIs’ provision of such services. Therefore, this study proposes a Framework for providing mobile centric services to students at HEIs in Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) context in South Africa. The potential contribution of the framework is that it can facilitate strategic planning and implementation of mobile centric services whilst ensuring the needed synergies with students and academics. The research is grounded in interpretive philosophy and was undertaken as a single case study. The case study employed mixed method design for data collection. The advantage of mixed method design is that it enables both qualitative and quantitative data to be collected from a variety of sources and triangulation of results to get a complete picture of the phenomenon under study. The research was undertaken in four phases. Phase 1 of the study was a literature analysis carried out to identify the components for providing mobile centric services that facilitate students with information access and interaction. The objective was to provide a conceptual framework that would direct the search for evidence and organise the results. Phase 2 of the study employed the conceptual framework developed in Phase 1 to identify the units of analysis and to design the data collection instruments. Phase 3 of the study focused on collecting data within a single case study with embedded units of analysis. Data collection included Policy document analysis, Tool observation analysis, Student surveys and Lecturer interviews. The data collected from the case study was analysed with the view of enhancing the components of the conceptual framework developed in Phase 1. The enhancement of the components of the conceptual framework carried out in Phase 3 directed the development of the Framework for providing mobile centric services to students at HEIs in ODeL context in South Africa as presented in Phase 4. This adds new knowledge in addressing the literature gap between the mobile centric needs and expectations of students and the provision of mobile centric services at HEIs. The framework has practical value in that its components can guide HEIs in determining the mobile centric readiness of their institutions, the needs of the stakeholders, the context of use, the identification of mobile centric resources and the managing of constraints. Mobile centric refers to the preference of accessing and interacting with information services through a mobile device such as a mobile phone. / Computing / Ph. D. (Information Systems)