The advent of the internet has resulted in the development from mail, radio and telephonic
modes of delivery to electronic mode of delivery in distance education. It has been predicted
that the impact of the internet on distance and online education will result in benefits such as
wider reach of learners who might be disadvantaged by geographical locations and distance,
greater flexibility and increased convenience for distance and online learners. However, the
envisaged benefits seem to be elusive as a result of a range of impediments, including issues
related to the digital divide. In this case study, focused on on-line students at a college of
distance and open education in Botswana, students perceptions’ of both the benefits of and
the impediments to their study are described, together with their perceptions of support
strategies. Findings indicate the need for support strategies consistent with the nature of
online learning in the 21st century. In particular, the findings of this study suggest that Web
2.0 technologies have the potential to enhance learner support, and that there is a need for
careful exploration of the ways in which such technologies can be exploited and applied in
support of on-line learners.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/11409 |
| Date | 09 March 2012 |
| Creators | Selelo, Edward |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf, application/pdf |
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