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 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)

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T16:10:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao da Angela Noleto.pdf: 1394406 bytes, checksum: 78b96ac722c8c4d286c31f9705d94db8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-08-20 / This study entitled Formation along a line: Distance Education Tutors in the Tocantins State is the result of an analysis undertaken as part of the Master in Education program linked to the line of research: Teacher formation and professionalization at the Universidade Federal de Goiás Education Faculty. The aim of the study was to discuss and understand who these subjects called tutors are, working in the formation of pedagogues in the distance education modality in the Tocantins State. It starts from the principle that the relationships established between education, work and technology, especially those which occurred in the final decades of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries, have produced changes in all sectors of society. This is especially so in the field of policy on the formation of educational personnel and in order to do so mass certification has been encouraged as well as the ample expansion of distance education as a modality for providing undergraduate Higher Education Courses. The theoretical references used were those of Castells (2001), Ianni (1999, 2000), Antunes (1992, 2003), Barreto (2001, 2003, 2008), Belloni (2001), Chauí (1999, 2001) Frigotto (2003, 2007) Kenski (2007, 2008), Kuenzer (1999, 2007), Marx and Engels (1983), Marcuse (1973), and others. The research infers the recovery of historical aspects which consolidate the restructuring of the capitalist mode of production and the understanding that an information society is coming about, supported by technological advances and their application mainly in the fields of the economics, communication, politics, education and labor. For this reason, an empirical research with a qualitative approach was undertaken. It was understood as a case study in which semi-structured interviews were used as a means to collect data. Questionnaires were applied and observation and documental analysis was undertaken. Classroom assistants working in the municipality of Araguaína, Tocantins, and doing tutorial work in the teleclassrooms of the Pedagogy Course offered in partnership by the Fundação Universidade do Tocantins ( UNITINS) and the EADCON company; students regularly enrolled in the 3rd and 5th periods of the Pedagogy Course during the first semester of 2008 and the administrative coordinator of the Course all these participated in the research as subjects. The results would point to the fact that the subjects carry out a function which does not characterize them as tutors; it shows that the model of Distance Education being undertaken there does not correspond to the model proposed in the documentation; the precariousness, the poor objective working conditions and the depreciation of the professionals directly involved in the formation of future teachers, reaffirm the process of social disparagement and proletarianization of the work of teaching in the issue of distance education. The results also draw attention to the social function of education and the university between education, work and information and communication technologies in which new educational actors, in this case, the tutors, suggest studies which would lead to a reflection on the relationship between formation and the work of teaching in distance education. / O presente estudo, intitulado A formação por fio: o tutor na EAD no Estado do Tocantins é resultado da investigação empreendida nos estudos de Mestrado em Educação ligada à Linha de Pesquisa: Formação e profissionalização docente, da Faculdade de Educação da Universidade Federal de Goiás. Este estudo tem por objetivo discutir e compreender quem são esses sujeitos denominados de tutor que atuam na formação de pedagogos na modalidade a distância no estado do Tocantins. Parte-se do princípio de que as relações estabelecidas entre educação, trabalho e tecnologias, em especial as ocorridas nas últimas décadas do século XX e início do século XXI, demonstram mudanças em todos os setores da sociedade, sobretudo, no campo de políticas voltadas para a formação de profissionais para a educação e que toma para tal intento o incentivo à certificação em massa e a ampla expansão da educação a distância como modalidade para a realização de cursos de formação inicial superior. Utilizou-se dos referenciais teóricos de Castells (2001), Ianni (1999, 2000), Antunes (1992, 2003), Barreto (2001, 2003, 2008), Belloni (2001), Chauí (1999, 2001) Frigotto (2003, 2007) Kenski (2007, 2008), Kuenzer (1999, 2007), Marx e Engels (1983), Marcuse (1973), entre outros. A pesquisa implica a recuperação de aspectos históricos que consolidam a reestruturação do modo de produção capitalista e o entendimento de que está em curso a sociedade informacional , cujo amparo se dá nos avanços tecnológicos e sua aplicação principalmente nos campos da economia, comunicação, política, educação e trabalho. Para tanto, foi realizada uma pesquisa empírica, com abordagem qualitativa e compreendida como estudo de caso, em que se fizeram uso de instrumentos de coleta de dados como entrevistas semi-estruturadas, aplicação de questionários, observações e análise documental. Como sujeitos envolvidos na pesquisa participaram: os assistentes de sala, que atuam no município de Araguaína, Estado do Tocantins e que realizam trabalho de tutoria nas telesalas do curso de Pedagogia oferecida na parceria entre Fundação Universidade do Tocantins (UNITINS) e empresa EADCON; alunos regularmente matriculados nos 3º e 5º períodos do curso de Pedagogia no primeiro semestre do ano de 2008 e o coordenador administrativo do curso. Os resultados encontrados apontam para o fato de que os sujeitos pesquisados desempenham uma função que não os caracteriza como tal, ou seja, como tutores; demonstram que o modelo de EaD ali posto em desenvolvimento não corresponde ao modelo proposto nos documentos; a precariazação, as más condições objetivas de trabalho e desvalorização dos profissionais que atuam diretamente na formação de futuros professores, reafirma o processo de desvalorização social e proletarização do trabalho docente, em se tratando de educação a distância. Chama atenção, a respeito da função social da educação e da universidade entre educação, trabalho e tecnologias da informação e comunicação, em que novos atores educacionais, no caso, os tutores, sugerem estudos que conduzam à reflexão entre formação e trabalho docente em educação a distância.

Les nouvelles technologies ont beaucoup modifié l’apprentissage en général et l’apprentissage des langues en particulier. Cela, à son tour, a changé les représentations et les rôles traditionnels des acteurs impliqués dans l’acte d’apprentissage : apprenants et enseignants. Cette recherche décrit l’apprentissage à distance du français mettant au point l’apprentissage du FLE au Pakistan via Internet et les problèmes liés à cette nouvelle approche d’apprentissage en autonomie qui requiert la modification des rôles des apprenants ainsi que des enseignants en suggérant des stratégies à utiliser afin d’autonomiser et responsabiliser les apprenants habitués à une méthode d’apprentissage traditionnel qui est différente de celle utilisée dans l’apprentissage de la langue française en ligne / The technology of information and communication has revolutionized the teaching in general and teaching of language in particular. This in its turn has altered the traditional concepts of roles attributed to the actors involved in the act of learning and teaching. This research work describes the distance learning especially online learning of French language in Pakistan using Internet and the problems related to this new approach of autonomous learning that requires the modification of roles and duties of both the learner and the teacher focusing on strategies to be used in order to make the learners get used to a method of learning that is totally different from traditional learning and to make them take responsibility of their learning.

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.

The study investigated the experiences of remaining nurse tutors at the Free State School of Nursing during the transformation of Nursing Colleges and downsizing of personnel. The study aimed at describing the experiences of individuals during changes in their work environment, with the purpose of contributing to the identification of guidelines for 'surviving' transformation and downsizing at the workplace. Three themes emerged from this study through the narrative descriptions and unstructured interviews. The first theme, affective responses, dealt with emotions, low morale, depressive moods and anxiety caused by transformation and downsizing. The second theme, cognitive and perceptual view, revealed the thoughts, beliefs, and opinions of remaining nurse tutors regarding transformation and downsizing. Perceptions of and opinions on how nursing education and human dignity were affected were also expressed. The third theme portrayed the coping responses, which described work-related personal and social adjustments nurse tutors made during the transformation of nursing colleges. Recommendations included communication, participation and counseling of nurse tutors and to meet the requirements of nursing colleges during transformation and downsizing. / Health Studies / M.A. (Nursing Science)

The study investigated the experiences of remaining nurse tutors at the Free State School of Nursing during the transformation of Nursing Colleges and downsizing of personnel. The study aimed at describing the experiences of individuals during changes in their work environment, with the purpose of contributing to the identification of guidelines for 'surviving' transformation and downsizing at the workplace. Three themes emerged from this study through the narrative descriptions and unstructured interviews. The first theme, affective responses, dealt with emotions, low morale, depressive moods and anxiety caused by transformation and downsizing. The second theme, cognitive and perceptual view, revealed the thoughts, beliefs, and opinions of remaining nurse tutors regarding transformation and downsizing. Perceptions of and opinions on how nursing education and human dignity were affected were also expressed. The third theme portrayed the coping responses, which described work-related personal and social adjustments nurse tutors made during the transformation of nursing colleges. Recommendations included communication, participation and counseling of nurse tutors and to meet the requirements of nursing colleges during transformation and downsizing. / Health Studies / M.A. (Nursing Science)

Abstracts in English, Zulu and Sotho / The provision of education through an open and distance learning (ODL) mode calls for institutions of higher learning to provide support services that can respond to students’ needs and expectations, and impact positively on their learning experiences. Tutorial support is one of the pillars of student support services which contribute to the academic success of students in this academic context. The use of technology has led institutions of higher learning to change the way support is provided to students by integrating online learning to reach students who cannot attend traditional face-to-face (F2F) tutorials at a specified time and venue. The University of South Africa (Unisa) responds to these global changes by integrating F2F and online services to support its students through the integrated tutor model (ITM) which seeks to address the learning needs and expectations of students. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of this ITM. The study was guided by a social constructivist theory of learning supported by connectivism, empathy theory and Salmon’s five stage model of e-learning. The fundamental theory of social constructivism is based on the assumption that learning is constructed in a social setting before individuals engage with knowledge. The experiences of individuals play a big role in the construction of knowledge hence it is crucial to acknowledge their prior knowledge. Students who are supported through the ITM in the six Unisa regional service centres and the Unisa staff involved in the implementation of the ITM participated in the study. A purposive sampling technique was used to select these participants. A random sampling technique was also used to sample students to complete a questionnaire. Qualitative data were collected through individual and focus group interviews and documents analysis. The findings of this study reveal that the ITM is not quite ffective as it partly meets the students’ needs and does not meet students’ expectations. This is because Unisa offers students’ needs such as F2F and online tutor support for some modules. However, students’ expectations in terms of receiving teaching by tutors, provision of assignment aswers to students, fully fledged resource provision in the learning centres and receiving technical support from tutors are not met. In light of the findings, the study contributes to the ITM by identifying and filling its gaps using the Context, Input, Process and Product (CIPP) model of evaluation. The improvements will assist Unisa to relook at the ITM to intensify its support for students to fully meet their needs and expectations. / Uhlelo lokuhlinzeka ngemfundo olusebenzisa uhlelo oluvulekile nohlelo lokufunda ukude (ODL) linxusa amaziko emfundo aphakeme ukuthi anikeze anikeze izinsiza ezixhasayo ezingabhekana nezidingo nezinhloso ezilindelwe kubafundi kanti futhi zinomthelela omuhle ohlelweni lwabo lokufunda. Uxhaso lweThuthoriyali ngolunye lwezinsika zemisebenzi yokuxhasa abafundi olunegalelo kwimpumelelo yabafundi kwezemfundo kulesi sizinda sezemfundo. Ukusetshenziswa kobuchepheshe sekuholele amaziko emfundo ephakeme ukuba aguqule indlela abafundi abaxhaswa ngayo – ngokuhlanganisa uhlelo lokufunda nge-inthanedi ukufinyelela abafundi abangeke bakwazi ukuya kumathuthoriyali okuhlangana nabafundi ngobuso nobuso (F2F) ngesikhathi kanye nendaweni enqunyiwe.. INyuvesi yaseNingizimu Afrika (Unisa) ibhekene nalezi zinguquko zomhlaba ngokuhlanganisa uhlelo lwe-F2F kanye nezinsiza zohlelo lwe-inthanedi ukuxhasa abafundi bayo ngokusebenzisa imodeli ehlanganisiwe yamatjhutha (ITM) efuna ukwanelisa izidingo zokufunda kanye nezinhloso ezilindwe abafundi. Ucwaningo beluqonde ukuhlola ukusebenza kahle kohlelo lwa le ITM. Ucwaningo belulandela ithoyori ebizwa nge-social constructivist theory of learning ngokuxhaswa ukuxhumana (connectivism), i-empathy theory kanye nemodeli yokufunda kaSalmon yezigaba ezinhlanu. Ithiyori yokuqala yokwakhiwa komphakathi isuselwa phezu komqondo wokuthi ukufunda kwakheka ngaphansi kwesizinda sabantu ngaphambi kokuthi abantu bahlangane nolwazi. Ulwazi abantu abahlangabezana nalo ezimpilweni zabo ludlala indima esemqoka ekwakhiweni kolwazi, kanti-ke kubalulekile ukwamukela ulwazi lwabo lwangaphambilini. Abafundi abaxhaswa ngohlelo lwe-ITM ezikhungweni ezisebenzayo eziyisithupha zezifunda kanye nabasebenzi ababandakanyeka ekusetshenzisweni kwe-ITM bazibandakaye kulolu cwaningo. Indlela yesampuli enezinhloso isetshenziselwe ukukhetha labadlalindima, kanti ngakwenye ingxenye indlela yokuksampula yinoma ngubani isetshenzisiwe ukusampula abafundi ukuba baqede umbhalo wemibuzo. Idatha eyencike kwingxoxo iqoqwe ngokusebenzisa izinhlolovo zabantu kanye namaqembu aqondiwe kanye nokuhlaziywa kwemibhalo. Ulwazi olutholakele lwalolu cwaningo luveza ukuthi i-ITM ayisebenzi kahle njengoba yanelisa izidingo zabantu ngokwesigamu, kodwa lolu hlelo lwe-ITM alufinyeleli izinhloso zabo ezilindelwe. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi i-Unisa ifeza izidingo ngokuhlinzeka, isibonelo, ngohlelo lokufundisa lwe-F2F kanye nohlelo lwe-inthanedi lwamatshutha uma kunesidingo sabanye omojuli. Yize-kunjalo, izimpokophelo ezilindelwe ngabafundi mayelana nokuhlinzekwa ngemfundo eyethulwa ngamatshutha, ngokunikezwa izimpendulo zama-asayimenti kubafundi, ngokusebenzisa imithombo eqotho ezikhungweni zokufunda kanye nokuthola uxhaso lwesithekinikhali oluvela kumatshutha akuyona imisebenzi efeza lokhu. Ngokolwazi olutholakele, ucwaningo lufaka igalelo kwi-ITM ngokwehlukanisa kanye nokuvala izikhala zalo ngokusebenzisa i-Context. I-Input, uHlelo kanye noMkhiqizo (CIPP) okuyimodeli yokuhlola. Izintuthuko zizonceda i-Unisa ukuba ibuyekeze i-ITM ukuqinisa uxhaso lwayo kubafundi ukuze kufezwe izidingo kanye nezinhloso zabo ezilindelwe. / Kabo ya thuto ka mokgwa wa go ithuta ga phatlalatša le ga kgole (ODL) o ipiletša go dihlongwa tša thuto ya godimo go fana ka ditirelo tša thekgo tšeo di ka kgonago go arabela dinyakwa le dikemelo tša baithuti le go ama gabotse maitemogelo a bona a go ithuta. Thekgo ya dithutišo ke ye nngwe ya dikokwane tša ditirelo tša thekgo ya baithuti tšeo di tsenyago letsogo go katlego ya baithuti ka mo seemong se sa thuto. Tšhomišo ya theknolotši e dirile gore dihlongwa tša thuto ya godingwana go fetoša ka fao thekgo e fiwago ka gona go baithuti – ka go kopanya go ithuta inthaneteng gore go fihlelele baithuti bao ba sa kgonego go tsenela dithutišo tša setlwaedi tšeo baithuti ba kopanago le bafahloši (F2F) ka phapošing ya bofahloši. Yunibesithi ya Afrika Borwa (Unisa) e arabela ditlhohlo tše tša lefase ka bophara ka go kopanya F2F le ditirelo tša inthaneteng go thekga baithuti ba yona ka go diriša mokgwa wa go ruta wo o kopantšwego (ITM) wo o nyakago go rarolla dinyakwa le dikemelo tša go ithuta tša baithuti. Dinyakišišo di ikemišeditše go sekaseka go šoma gabotse ga ITM ye. Dinyakišišo di hlahlilwe ke teori ya kago ya setšhaba mabapi le go ithuta yeo e thekgwago ke tirišo ya theknolotši thutong, teori ya go naganela ba bangwe le mokgwa wa Salmon wa dikgato tše hlano tša go ithuta. Teori ya motheo ya kago ya setšhaba e theilwe go kwešišo ya gore go ithuta go agwa ka seemong sa setšhaba pele ga ge batho ba ka hwetša tsebo. Maitemogelo a batho a raloka tema ye bohlokwa ka go kago ya tsebo, ke ka lebaka leo go le bohlokwa go lemoga tsebo ya bona ya peleng. Baithuti bao ba thekgwago ka ITM ka disenthareng tša Unisa tše tshela tša ka dileteng le baithuti bao ba kgathago tema ka phethagatšong ya ITM ba tšere karolo ka mo dinyakišišong. Mokgwa wa go dira sampole ka maikemišetšo o šomišitšwe go kgetha bakgathatema ba, mola mokgwa wa go dira sampole ka sewelo o šomišitšwe go dira sampole ya baithuti go tlatša dipotšišo tša dinyakišišo. Tshedimošo ya boleng e kgobokeditšwe ka go botšiša batho ba nnoši le dihlopha dipotšišo gomme gwa dirwa le tshekatsheko ya dingwalwa. Dikutollo tša dinyakišišo tše di utolla gore ITM ga e šome gabotse kudu go fihlelela dinyakwa tša baithuti ebile ga e fihlelele dikemelo tša bona. Se ke ka lebaka la gore Unisa e hlokometše dinyakwa tša baithuti ka go fana ka, go fa mohlala, F2F le thekgo ya baithuti ya inthaneteng go dimotšule tše dingwe. Le ge go lebjale, dikemelo tša baithuti mabapi le go amogela go rutwa ke bafahloši, go fa baithuti dikarabo tša diasaenemente ke bafahloši, kabo ya methopo ka botlalo ka disenthareng tša thuto le go amogela thekgo ya sethekniki go tšwa go bafahloši ga di fihlelelwe. Go lebeletšwe dikkutollo tše, dinyakišišo di tsenya letsogo go ITM ka go tseba le go tlatša dikgoba ka go diriša mokgwa wa tshekatsheko wa Seemo, Tšweletšo, Tshepedišo le Setšweletšwa (CIPP). Dikaonafatšo tše di tla thuša Unisa go lekodišiša ITM go maatlafatša thekgo ya yona go baithuti gore e fihlelele dinyakwa le dikemelo tša bona ka botlalo. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)