Magister Public Health - MPH / An urgent need to rapidly increase the size and capacity of the health workforce to manage the health system in Namibia motivated the development of a Bachelor of Nursing Science degree which has been offered at a distance since 1997 at the University of Namibia. The programme is delivered from the University’s Central and Northern Campuses, enabling qualified nurses to develop management and educator capacity while continuing to work;throughput has however been low and slow. Since student support is posited as a vital ingredient of distance education success, this study sought to understand how students experienced the support services offered by the University of Namibia’s distance education unit – the Centre for External Studies. The study explored students’ experiences and perceptions of administrative, social and academic support services provided by the University. The research design was qualitative, and exploratory, using focus groups and interviews for data collection. The sample comprised of forty Bachelor of Nursing Science students enrolled on both campuses between 2005 –2011 as well as seven staff involved in student support services. Documents and interviews of envisioned support services from the Centre for External Studies served as the basis for the evaluation of services. Data was analysed using thematic content analysis. A comparison was made of the findings from the two campuses.The findings reflected positive experiences of support from family and lecturers as well as institutional offerings such as video conferences. There were, however, some institutional weaknesses in the programme delivery such as the late delivery of study materials which impacted on students’ submission of assignments, and weak communication systems which affected delivery of support workshops. The libraries on both campuses were not adequately resourced and prescribed books were not always available at the local bookshops. Lecturer presence was missed by many students who were not used to distance learning, although the intensity of this experience differed between the students on the different Campuses.Personal challenges were sometimes responsible for student discontinuation of the programme, and work-related challenges affected attendance of vacation schools. These problems were experienced more by the students on the Northern Campus.Out of this study, recommendations were made on how to improve support services for advanced nursing students studying at a distance at the University of Namibia. Ethical clearance for the study was obtained from both the University of Namibia and the University of the Western Cape.

While online students should take charge of their own learning and form collaborative learning communities, constructivist instructors should scaffold online learning without dominating course discussions. This research continues the longitudinal investigation of web-based courses at the Faculty of Education, University of Pretoria. The mixed methodological approach this investigation followed consisted predominantly of qualitative methods, augmented with quantitative approaches. I used two distinct online tools to explore student participation in an eight-week online Masters’-level course delivered via the WebCT™ platform. First, I reviewed the use of metaphors in the literature by a framework of requirements for successful online learning. The use of metaphor supports constructivism, facilitates course interaction, helps to avoid students’ initial inertia in online discussions, and contributes to the development of virtual learning communities. I researched how an explanatory metaphor as tool supported online participation and indicated that metaphors eased students’ communication of important and difficult issues. Secondly, I used the tool of a covert virtual student that also acted as an additional facilitator and course helper. I examined the ethical implications of the carefully concealed real identity of the mythical online helper, methical Jane. As she took part in all course activities and assignments, as well as providing her co-students with cognitive and technical support, the students accepted and integrated her presence in their virtual learning community. I consequently analysed students’ reactions to her identity after disclosure of her origin after the course. Although the exposure precipitated students’ shock, disbelief and dismay as she was a convincing virtual student, they did not object to the presence of a virtual student, but rather felt betrayed due to her hidden real identity. The benefits of this teaching intervention include experts supplying technical expertise, multiple faculty enriching the learning experience, and support and teaching assistants and tutors participating with smaller groups in large online classes. I further examined how frequency of course access, discussion postings, collaborative behaviour and integration into a virtual learning community relate to learning and course completion. Quantitative indices indicated highly significant differences between the stratifications of student performance. Absent and seldom-contributing students risked missing the benefits of the online learning community. Students were discontent with peers who rarely and insufficiently contributed to group assignments. Low participation varied from only reading, skimming, or deliberately harvesting others’ contributions, to high student contributions of little value. Conclusions on the formation of an online learning community indicate that the passport to membership of the community is quality participation, rather than prior peer acquaintance. I indicated that students’ learning benefited from contributing high quality inputs to online learning communities while students with poor participation did not benefit from the online learning community. Online facilitators contribute to students’ learning through the timeliness and quality of tailored scaffolding. Recommendations for future research include uncovering the reasons for students’ stressful experiences of online learning; the effect of online assessment on student course participation; the alignment of learning metaphors in multi-cultural learning environments; and the support of non-participating online students. / Thesis (PHD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

The aim of this study was to identify what were the requirements placed on the design of distance education programmes as regards discipline or dialogue and how did these factors impact on student-support in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). Education in general is used to classical behavioural objective that outlines precisely for the student what has to be done and is one way of structuring the learning materials. The South African National Defence Force (SANDF), by its very nature, is very familiar with this formal structure and style of doing things. It prescribes the way teaching has to happen and how the outcomes have to be achieved and at times in a very formal way. Opposed to the above is dialogue that calls for a move away from the prescriptiveness of doing something. Doing and thinking now becomes more open through dialogue. Education stakeholders now debate the value of certain content, since content is no more fixed, the admission of students into the programme is not fixed any more and the way examinations are set is also not fixed or prescriptive. There is now a move away from the disciplinary way of thinking, that is, thinking in terms of fixed boundaries or discipline any longer – dialogue has opened up options and opportunities. This research is based on the belief that distance education problems in the Department of Defence (DoD) are as result of outdated and inadequate instructional or programme design methods or approaches, and thus lack student-support. The four sub-research questions that emanate from the main research question as posed in this research are summarized as follows: (1) What is the distance learning teaching and learning character of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF)? (2) What is the role dialogue in the design of teaching and learning? (3) How are ‘outcomes’ in transactional distance or dialogue achieved? (4) What is the role of dialogue in student empowerment or student support? The design of this research was based on qualitative approach. The feasibility of the research was assured by focusing on distance learning institutions and practitioners. Literature study and document analysis was utilized as data-collection method. Face-to-face interviews with focused groups and individual interviews utilizing unstructured, open-ended questions on interview schedules were also conducted. In addition, anonymous student reports collected by programme managers at the end of a programme replaced the unavailability of student interviews were utilised. The findings of the study were that the character of structural design of distance learning programmes in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) resembles that of the disciplinary approach, and is thus prescriptive. Structure, in terms of the teaching and learning strategies and the substance of the content is largely the mode of practice in the SANDF’s distance education system. Communication finds its way into the distance learning system of the Department of Defence as authoritative power source. The main function of dialogue in the system is to vest the interest of this organization as programme directors and instructors are not fully emancipated. Students and instructors find it difficult to engage constructively academically. Learner-to-learner interaction and freedom of academic discourse is hampered as the result of authoritarian and prescriptive doctrine of a structured curriculum. It is then concluded that student support in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) distance education settings does not address requirements of dialogue. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / unrestricted

This study is a qualitative review to identify factors impacting on the management and provision of student development and support in higher education in a developing country. For the purpose of the study student development and support includes all developmental and supportive services and interventions for students within an institution of higher learning, regardless of the current structuring of the functions. The study first contextualises the scenario of a developing country in terms of the socioeconomic, political, higher education, labour and other factors that set the scene for student development and support and then continues with a systematic exposition of factors that have direct relevance and impact on the future of student development and support. A systematic investigation in the higher education sector by means of interviews with national policy makers, institutional and unit managers as well as focus groups with practitioners make it possible to identify factors that have direct relevance and impact on the future management and provision of student development and support. The result of the study is a construction of the specific factors identified on the macro/international, meso/national and micro/institutional levels as well as the intricate relationships between the various factors. This research provides a potential framework for future management and provision of strategic focus areas for student development and support functions within higher education in a developing country to ensure that it effectively positions the function within higher educ as a key component of the core business. Copyright / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

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The purpose of this study was to examine the academic performance of the first-time, full-time, traditional-aged students in the Student Support Services program at East Tennessee State University. This was accomplished by comparing their academic performance with the academic performance of first-time, full-time, traditional-aged non-SSS participants, including students in both the SSS eligible and SSS ineligible study groups. Incoming freshman cohorts from 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 were used to create the 3 distinct study groups. Demographic and performance outcome variables were used for comparison among the 3 groups. The cumulative college GPA, fall-to-fall retention, and 6-year graduation status of the 3 study groups were of primary interest in this study. Prediction models for these 3 variables were a secondary consideration. Thirteen research questions guided this study and were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance, two-way contingency tables, multivariate linear regressions, and binary logistic regressions. Results indicated that there were significant differences in demographic and performance outcomes among the 3 study groups. SSS participants were found to have a significantly lower cumulative GPA at graduation than their peers, but exceeded them in fall-to-fall retention status and 6-year graduation status. The prediction models showed that the first-year cumulative college GPA was a powerful predictor of fall-to-fall retention status and 6-year graduation status for first-time, full-time traditional-aged freshman students.

This multiple case study investigated impact and perceptions of students enrolled in the Watson Digital Bridge Academy Foundation Course at Cabrillo College in Watsonville, California. The Watsonville Digital Bridge Academy is an innovative community college program that integrates four theoretical frameworks in student learning: self-efficacy, accelerated learning, team management, and developing a desire for learning. Students identified three crucial components of the Foundation Course as impacting their success in and desire to continue college. First, students believed the self-assessment of their team networking skills was useful during and after the Foundation Course. As part of identifying their own team interaction style, students also reported they learned to understand and appreciate differences in others. Second, students believed the Learning-to-Learn skills made them more efficient learners, able to take notes and engage with texts. Students were amazed that they had read and written so extensively, and felt they could approach other college assignments with new skills. Third, students were energized by the social research project that required them to gather data from community sources, facilitate group discussions and speak in front of others. While each of these components resulted in important skills, the combination had a remarkable impact on these students' beliefs about themselves. Students described themselves as more self-confident, more aware of their own strengths and weakness, more capable of academic success because of their reading comprehension and note-taking skills, and more motivated to continue their education. This case study confirmed much of the literature about the importance of learning to manage teamwork and applying these skills to real-life community projects. Community colleges play a large role in helping at-risk students achieve economic and social advantages. The key to student success is to ensure that for high-risk students, the transition into a college learning environment is both challenging, as well as a safe and comfortable environment. The Watsonville Digital Bridge Academy Foundation Course presents a unique model designed to help students make a seamless transition into the college environment with the goal of teaching students essential academic skills to become successful in college.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of parental support on social work students’ well-being. This study assessed social work students’ perspectives on perceived social support, financial support and the relationship between student stress levels and depression levels. The data was collected using quantitative surveys and was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS). A total of 64 students participated in the study. Results concluded that there was no relationship between parental financial support, parental social support, depression levels, and stress levels were not statistically significant. The study also revealed that parents did not contribute financially to social work students. It was also found that friends played a bigger role in social work students life compared to family. The study recommends increases educational materials on stress and depressive symptoms, training, support from staff, and a one-time mandatory mental health counseling session.

The problem being investigated in this thesis is to understand and explain why some Setswana speaking students in the ACE-programme for Life Orientation who have voluntarily registered for a decentralised off-campus education programme at the NWU, continue to demand personal, face-to-face communication with their lecturers during the course of their studies. „Off-campus education‟ (also known as „distance education‟ and / or „decentralised education‟) is usually implemented in an attempt to afford more students the opportunity to improve their qualifications and skills – especially in the case of those students who, for a variety of reasons, may not be in a position to enrol for fulltime contact training. Off-campus education could help to serve the divergent education-related needs of poor, less privileged, geographically isolated, difficult-to-reach and deep rural communities. It could also assist with the teaching and learning of new knowledge and skills as far as its integrated use of contemporary technological developments is concerned. Besides UNISA, the North-West University is at present the biggest supplier of off-campus education programmes to practising teachers in the country. Despite the exponential increase in educational and technological developments in the late 20th and early 21st century, information and communication technology – within a broader South African context – is still not within reach of all the NWU‟s off-campus education students. Recent attempts to integrate contact education principles in off-campus education, led to the development of the (well-known) hybrid, namely „flexi-education‟. Over the past seven years or so, this state of affairs has slowly developed to the point where the number of registered, off-campus African education students at the NWU who insist (despite paper-based, electronic and mobile learning support) on demanding personal, face-to-face contact with their lecturers, has increased rapidly. It would furthermore seem that the use of, for example, internet and communication technology is increasing the existing gap between the African education student and his / her lecturer. This growing gap has already resulted in some registered African education students feeling increasingly isolated. The problem with the use of ICT in off-campus education is understood by some as leading to a situation where the ICT being implemented may, one day soon, replace the lecturer during scheduled contact facilitation sessions. Should that happen, it could mean that interactive communication and the social presence of the lecturer during scheduled contact facilitation sessions may be compromised and even permanently forfeited. The available body of scholarship does not adequately address the perceptions of students with regard to the importance of (a) the temporal-spatial, simultaneous presence of their lecturers and (b) social interactions during scheduled contact facilitation sessions. From the available literature, it is also not clear: why some students may want to entertain and maintain such perceptions, what the attitude of students with regard to social interaction and the social presence of their lecturers might be, or what role ICT could be playing in the life-world of off-campus students in South Africa. In an attempt to solve this intellectual conundrum and with a view to effecting naturalistic generalisation (and not statistical generalisation) I have decided, in light of the above, to implement and follow a multi-analytical research design (mixed methods, multi-analysis design) (Onwuegbuzie et al., 2009: passim; 117). Instead of me seeking to generalise my own research findings, I have decided to leave it to my readers to generalise the findings from their own experiences in the past (Onwuegbuzie et al., 2009: 120). This approach represents a kind of „fuzzy generalisation‟ (Ekiz, 2006:73) in the sense that something that has happened in one place could just as well be demonstrated to have happened somewhere else as well (ibid.). I have, therefore, undertaken both a quantitative as well as qualitative study in order to understand why Setswana speaking education students in the ACE-programme in Life Orientation would continue to demand personal, face-to-face contact with their lecturers, despite all the teaching and learning support that they are offered along the way. I have completed my research on the basis of (and in view of) my research aims. The same applies to the data that I have managed to capture and interpret. On the basis of these data, certain strategic guidelines for effective education in off-campus education programmes for practising teachers have then been drafted. My most important research findings include: Off-campus education is purposively delivered to the client, e.g. to the Setswana speaking student in his / her natural surroundings. Off-campus education should strive to care for the student and his / her contextualised needs. An authentic encounter between the off-campus lecturer and student should be allowed to take place. These encountering opportunities could assist in liberating the Setswana speaking student from all moral and ethical obligation of having to meet his / her lecturer and talking to him / her personally. No more moral burdening or social indebtedness should be placed on students to attend the scheduled contact facilitation sessions. The Setswana speaking student should be accompanied to feel and experience that s/he is unconditionally accepted and respected in his / her particular situation and locale. The Setswana speaking student should be able to feel and experience on a particularly deep interpersonal level the security that s/he has the right to belong to a particular off-campus education community (that is not only viewed as a communal society, but also managed as one). The University as service provider ought to create intimate, interactive spaces during scheduled contact facilitation sessions for all off-campus lecturers in order to afford their Setswana speaking students the opportunity to realise their ontic, social yearning for belonghesion. The Setswana speaking student experiences off-campus education as a process of social unity, as well as a social, communal learning community, together with his / her lecturers and fellow students. For this reason, scheduled contact facilitation sessions should be focusing (given the transactional nature of off-campus education) on communal, „perfect-fit education for us‟. Within a communal „perfect-fit‟ education community, the Setswana speaking student should be accompanied to adopt his / her reason for existence in the following manner: “We are, therefore I am.” Given the transactional nature of scheduled contact facilitation sessions (that should be focusing on transactional proximity, openness and sincerity within this communal „perfect-fit education for us‟) the Setswana speaking student does not wish the use of computer and internet technology to replace their ontic and socially cohesive, essential yearning for communal humanity and fellowship. It would seem that Setswana speaking students may not, necessarily, be less than ready for the implementation of ICT in their off-campus education programmes because they cannot afford it, but mainly because they do not yet regard computer and internet technology as part of their cultural furniture. Any attempt at implementing ICT in off-campus education should be considered and managed by universities with great circumspect, so that these students‟ social, ontic, and cohesively essential yearning and ever intensifying, deepening, socially-mutual attaching, fixative and reciprocally trusting attraction could be properly accounted for, and so that it may be managed satisfactorily on a curricular level. Off-campus education should, therefore, be based on the realisation of ontic „We-ness‟ where the members of this community continue to depend on each other and where the supply and delivery of off-campus education is constantly reformed and fine-tuned so that it may reflect an authentic collective learning community. Off-campus education should be focusing on a collectivist, communally searching, epistemological approach where human beings are constantly relating to their fellow human beings, playing different social roles and taking full responsibility for whatever may be needed to realise these students‟ off-campus studies successfully. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.