Tutors are key supporters within semi-distance education and as such comprehensive support of tutoring is necessary to provide the best possible support to learners. This case study investigates how tutoring can be better supported within a semi-distance part-time professional development course in environmental education. The course, aimed at adults working in environmental education fields, is seen as an important strategy for helping participants become critical, reflexive and active environmental education practitioners who can start working on solutions to environmental issues. This study found that most challenges to successful tutoring lay in the availability and competence of human resources within Namibia. Additionally improvement in the management of tutor and learner support systems, information, guidance and enrolment and finally of learning resources is seen as essential to better support a successful tutoring process. An alternative model of tutoring is offered as a way of overcoming the major tutoring challenges outlined in this study. / Educational Studies / M.Ed.

Tutors are key supporters within semi-distance education and as such comprehensive support of tutoring is necessary to provide the best possible support to learners. This case study investigates how tutoring can be better supported within a semi-distance part-time professional development course in environmental education. The course, aimed at adults working in environmental education fields, is seen as an important strategy for helping participants become critical, reflexive and active environmental education practitioners who can start working on solutions to environmental issues. This study found that most challenges to successful tutoring lay in the availability and competence of human resources within Namibia. Additionally improvement in the management of tutor and learner support systems, information, guidance and enrolment and finally of learning resources is seen as essential to better support a successful tutoring process. An alternative model of tutoring is offered as a way of overcoming the major tutoring challenges outlined in this study. / Educational Studies / M.Ed.

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)