Thesis (MEd (Distance Education))--University of South Australia, 1995

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1988. / Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1998. / Title from title page screen, viewed July 11, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Janice Neuleib (chair), Julia Visor, Jerry Weber, Heather Graves. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 169-176) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A major factor affecting higher education world wide and in particular in Namibia is a trend towards massification. Within Namibia this trend is due to an increase in population, an increased demand for skilled human resources and an increase in political power of the formerly disadvantaged communities. This resulted in a rising demand that the government of Namibia provide access to higher education for increasing numbers of young people. The Polytechnic of Namibia (PaN) has therefore opted for distance education as a means of providing flexible and cost-effective education to the people of Namibia. The term "distance education" is currently accepted internationally to describe a whole range of educational activities in which teaching and learning take place without the students and the educators being together for all, or even most of the time. This is made possible by the use of communication media in the form of print, broadcasts, audio and video recordings, telephones or computers and often a combination of several of these, usually in conjunction with occasional face-taface contact between students and educators or between fellow students. These common characteristics are the result of the convergence of various traditlena and a variety of political, economic, social, educational and technological developments in different countries at different times. Managing distance education is a complex undertaking. In addition, educators have so far only had limited experience of managing distance education, because it has such a short history. This situation is further complicated by the fact that such diverse media are used, each with its own peculiar characteristics and that the scale of operation is often larger than in conventional education institutions. For the purpose of this dissertation distance education institutions were divided into four types, namely, dedicated distance education institutions, departments of existing conventional education institutions, consortia and hybrids. Furthermore, the internal organisation and management issues related to the management and administration of distance education were explored and certain criteria were identified to develop a normative model of distance education management for a mixed or dual mode institution like the PaN. The current distance education management model at the PaN was evaluated in terms of the normative management model identified. An evaluation was undertaken to identify the shortcomings and to make certain recommendations to overcome these shortcomings. A new distance education management model was also proposed. The aim of this distance education management model is to ensure that a suitable division of labour is created to fulfill the required distance education activities, and to ensure that all distance education activities are properly co-ordinated within the PaN and that the Centre for Open and Lifelong learning (COll) which is responsible for the managing of all distance education .. activities at the PaN gets the support it needs to carry out its task. The writer believes that distance education will increasingly be an essential factor in making education accessible at all levels, in all forms, to all people at every stage of their life. New technology is increasingly making this possible. Due to the fact that distance education will become of vital importance in the twenty first century, distance education practitioners and planners need to be more flexible and open-minded about distance education's appropriate role and usage. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Belangrike faktor wat hoër onderwys dwarsoor die wêreld en veral in Namibië beïnvloed, is 'n neiging tot massifikasie. Binne Namibië kan hierdie neiging toegeskryf word aan 'n toename in bevolking, in die vraag na opgeleide menslike hulpbronne en in politieke mag by die voormalige agtergeblewe gemeenskappe. Dit het uitgeloop op groter eise dat die regering van Namibië toegang tot hoër onderwys moet verskaf vir 'n groeiende getal jongmense. Die PoN het dus besluit op afstandsonderrig as 'n manier om buigbare en koste-effektiewe onderrig aan die mense van Namibië te voorsien. Die term "afstandsonderrig" word tans internasionaal aanvaar as die beskrywing van 'n hele reeks onderwysaktiwiteite waartydens onderrig en leer plaasvind sonder dat die studente en die opvoeders voortdurend of selfs vir die meeste van die tyd bymekaar is. Dit word moontlik gemaak deur die gebruik van kommunikasiemedia in die vorm van drukwerk, uitsendings, oudio- en beeldopnames, telefone of rekenaars, en dikwels 'n kombinasie van 'n aantal hiervan, gewoonlik gepaard met toevallige persoonlike kontak tussen studente en opvoeders of tussen mede-studente. Hierdie gemeenskaplike eienskappe is die resultaat van 'n sameloop van verskeie tradisies, asook 'n verskeidenheid van politieke, ekonomiese, sosiale, opvoedkundige en tegnologiese ontwikkelings in verskillende lande op verskillende tye. Om afstandsonderrig te bestuur is 'n ingewikkelde onderneming. Hierbenewens het opvoedkundiges tot dusver slegs beperkte ondervinding opgedoen ten opsigte van die bestuur van afstandsonderrig, omdat dit so 'n kort geskiedenis het. Hierdie situasie word verder gekompliseer deur die feit dat 'n verskeidenheid van media gebruik word, elkeen met sy eiesoortige eienskappe, en dat die skaal waarop hierdie soort onderrig onderneem moet word dikwels groter is as in konvensionele opvoedingsinrigtings. Vir die doel van hierdie proefskrif is afstandsonderriginrigtings in vier tipes verdeel, naamlik, afstandsonderwysinrigtings wat geen ander doel het nie, departemente in bestaande konvensionele opvoedkundige inrigtings, konsortia en 'n samestelling van twee of meer van hierdie drie. Hierbenewens is die interne organisasie en bestuursvraagstukke verwant aan die bestuur en administrasie van afstandsonderrig ondersoek en sekere kriteria is geïdentifiseer om 'n normatiewe model van afstandsonderrigbestuur te ontwikkel vir 'n gemengde of dubbelganginrigting soos die PoN. Die afstandsonderrig-bestuursmodel wat tans aan die PoN gebruik word, is geevalueer ten opsigte van die normatiewe bestuursmodel wat geïdentifiseer is. 'n Evaluasie is gedoen om die tekortkominge te identifiseer en om sekere aanbevelings te doen om hierdie tekortkominge aan te spreek. 'n Nuwe afstandsonderrig-bestuursmodel word ook voorgestel. Die doel van hierdie afstandsonderrig-bestuursmodel is om te verseker dat 'n geskikte arbeidsverdeling geskep word sodat die nodige afstandsonderrig aktiwiteite doeltreffend binne die PoN gekoordineer word, en dat die Sentrum vir Ope- en Lewenslange Leer, wat verantwoordelik is vir die bestuur van alle afstandsonderrig aktiwiteite aan die PoN die nodige steun kry om sy taak uit te voer. Die skrywer glo dat afstandsonderrig toenemend noodsaaklik sal wees om onderwys toegangklik te maak op alle vlakke, in alle vorme, aan alle mense in elke stadium van hulle lewens. Nuwe tegnologie maak dit toenemend moontlik. Aangesien afstandsonderrig 'n noodsaaklike rolspeler sal word in die een en twintigste eeu, sal die beoefenaars en beplanners hiervan toenemend buigbaar en oop van gemoed moet wees ten opsigte van afstandsonderrig se toepaslike rol en toepassing in die samelewing.

The research was carried out to assess the value of the Bachelor of Education, Educational Administration, Planning and Policy Studies (B.ED-EAPPS) degree programme offered by the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) as a further teacher education programme for primary teachers in Zimbabwe offered through open and distance learning. The research utilised the case study design and had relevant data collecting instruments which included questionnaires, write ups and interviews. Both random and non-random sampling methods were used to come up with samples used quantitatively and quantitatively. The research was immensely useful as it provided an attempt to determine whether it was worth the while for primary school teachers to study for the BEDEAPPS degree programme and more so in view of the large numbers of non-degree primary school teachers either studying for it or on its waiting list. Nothing of the sort had been done since the inception of the BEDEAPPS degree programme in 1993. The research produced findings that reflected that the BEDEAPPS degree programme had much to offer in the area of further teacher education of an in-service nature than had been envisaged by those who originated the programme. It was realised that while the programme's emphasis was on management and supervision it was not devoid of the instructional expertise that is relevant to classroom practitioners. Moreover, there was a traceable link between college training experiences of the BEDEAPPS students and Teachers' College graduates and the course content they had to work on. These findings made revelations on the diversity of further teacher education whose structure and content could be designed to respond to a specific further education need. Findings also revealed that open and distance learning was a suitable and effective means of delivering such a programme provided an enhancing technological back-up can be easily accessed. The research had time related and operational limitations whose impact on the whole process were, however, repulsed by controls effected by the researcher. The diversity of data collecting instruments also played a positive role in ensuring checks and balances in the type and authenticity of data collected. The research had, among its findings, a grounded research theory which was extrapolated from the data that was collected using the seven data collecting instruments mentioned earlier on. It was possible, after thorough scrutiny of data collected, to conclude that the BEDEAPPS degree programme was a performance enhancing qualification to those primary school teachers who were involved in classroom teaching since it made them effective instructors and managers both within their classroom confines and the larger school-wide operational environment. / Educational Studies / D.Ed.

From 1990 to 1993 I was engaged as the Information Technology (IT) Workshop manager at Mid-Cornwall College, St. Austell. My mission during this period was to develop a new kind of IT learning environment. The main purpose was - and continues to be - to provide for mixed 'open-access’ student targets wishing to pursue generic IT activities and gain commensurate vocational qualifications. This Open-Learning (OL) environment provides on-the-job curriculum development of IT learning support systems, through a Flexible Learning (FL) management policy. An action research approach based on S-O-L provides both the methodology and technology for implementing a learning organisation. A key objective was institutional change towards the learning management policy of IT, through appropriate deployment of staffing and courseware resources to enable the practice of student centred learning. Another aim was to integrate and mix all target groups of learners together in the same domain, i. e. school leavers with adult returners for the achievement of a cost-effective, well-co-ordinated and productive learning environment. My action research applied the Centre for the Study of Human Learning's (CSHL's) ideas and tools towards the development of the IT Workshop's learning policy. I have sought to make the connection between FL delivery of the generic IT curriculum and the SOL approach towards individual and organisational learning. This came about from the link between the FL philosophy of learner-centred activity and the SOL philosophy of empowering individuals via Learning Conversations. S-O-L'Systems-7' was adopted as a conversational tool for developing the educational roles and practices of the IT Workshop. This influenced my college to make essential environmental changes to the workshop in order to develop these activities. The project also used the Personal Learning Contract (PLC) to manage and enable the 'learning-to-learn' activities of individual IT learners. With the PLC as the central tool for implementing Learning Conversations, there evolved the idea of 'Group Learning Contracts' (GLCs). This led to the practical development of 'Learning Plans' (LPs), such that IT flexible modules could be transferred to the autonomy of the learner. Evaluations from this project included sample case-study evidences of Learning Conversations obtained from individual IT case-load students. Repertory grid feedback conversations of learning experienced by individual staff members taking part in the project were also obtained. Questionnaire results from IT learners was used as another method of feedback, and conversationally evaluated using factor analysis and 'talkback' records. All the action research qualitative evidences were finally analysed using conversational techniques, leading to the overall project 'findings'.

M.Ed. / The aim of this study is to explore best practices instructional strategies for facilitating learner self-regulated learning in an online learning environment by determining, by means of a formal literature review, best practices instructional strategies that facilitate learners' strategy use and acquisition during learning. The knowledge gained by this study will be used to construct a matrix/guide that can be used by online higher education practitioners who would want to facilitate SRL in their online courses.

D.Ed. / You all know about population growth. When Oxford University was founded in the 13th Century there were about 500 million people in the world. When the Open University was set up there were 3 billion and when we celebrate our thirtieth anniversary at the end of this century there are likely to be 6 billion. To situate the same phenomenon ... in Africa you only have to note that in 1960 there were only three African cities with populations of over half a million. Now there are 28. In many countries population is increasing faster than gross national product. The conclusion is simple. By the next century the world will not possibly be able to train and educate its people by conventional means. We shall face the challenge of mega-education and mega-training. By the year 2000 half of the world's population will be less than 25 years old and half will live in the cities. In the developing world one third of the population will be under 14. The response to this challenge will determine the future of the world and we, as distance educators, have the nearest thing to a solution for educating and training the people of the 21st century" (Daniel, 1992:4). Seligman (1992:13) continues the above line of thought when he states: "We need a class of modern educators who are Ghandian in their commitments and concerns but who are at the same time highly modern in their technological competence and sophistication in the field of communication. This means they combine social sensitiveness with the technical capability to bend modern technology for a mass orientated education". The researcher in this study is therefore of the opinion that within the context of South African education, training and development of the workforce conventional training methodology as well as conventional delivery of programmes would futuristically not be appropriate if we consider the changing nature of local and global economies.

This study explores the development and implementation of a tuition policy at the ‘single dedicated distance education institution in South Africa,’ which is the University of South Africa. The discussion focuses specifically on ‘how different stakeholders participated in the development and implementation of the Unisa tuition policy’. In this context, the author contends that the development and implementation of an institutional tuition policy is influenced by various factors relating to the determination of the roles to be played by various stakeholders in the process. A broader consideration is whether or not and how tuition policy development and implementation influence teaching and learning in distance education. The perspective taken in this study necessarily includes the different acts and policy documents that focus on the development of the higher education sector in South Africa, which consequently influence the practice and experience of distance education. The main findings of the study concur with the notion that there is contention in terms of Unisa tuition policy development and implementation, which leads to a measure of reluctance to implement the policy. Furthermore, the implementation has not been as effective as it might have been, and this defeats the purpose of the policy, which is to promote effective teaching and learning in distance education. The data derived from the investigation partly support this study’s concern that the development and implementation of this policy depend on participants’ and stakeholders’ mental models. The findings also show that the contention regarding the determination of roles in the development and implementation has negative impacts on the effectiveness of teaching and learning at Unisa, which may not be very obvious to the stakeholders involved. Crucially, it was also found that the stakeholders could not separate their institutional roles and positions from their roles in policy development and implementation. It is in the context of these findings that the author recommends that policy development and implementation for effective teaching and learning should critically define the institutional roles of those engaged in policy development and implementation in a distance education institution such as Unisa. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

Internet ha cambiado las formas de comunicación y socialización, provocando una emergente sociedad en red que modifica las relaciones sociales y que afecta directamente a la forma en que aprenden las personas. Este actual panorama, nos permite mostrar nuevas perspectivas en el ámbito educativo, y del mismo modo reflexionar sobre dónde y cómo se está generando el aprendizaje social. Bajo este contexto centramos nuestro análisis en el aprendizaje en red y ubicuo como un escenario que se manifiesta de manera abierta en la actualidad, y porque es quizá el escenario de actuación docente más viable.