Part 2

Case Study

 ACCESS Distance Learning and Teaching College

Early Childhood Development:

Reception Year Certificate Course

This case study discusses learner support at ACCESS Distance Learning and Teaching College (ACCESS DL&T) with a focus on their Early Childhood Development Reception Year Certificate Course. The publishing firm of Shuter and Shooter (Pty) Ltd established ACCESS DL & T College, in June 1993.

 1. Overview of programme 

ACCESS DL&T acknowledges that two of the country’s most urgent educational needs are in the fields of School Management and Early Childhood Develop Courses are therefore designed to provide professional know-how and specialist skills in these two crucial aspects of education. The main mission of the college is “to upgrade education, with a strong focus on teacher education, and the marrying of academic and practical work”[1]. 

The Early Childhood Development: Reception Year Certificate Course targets teachers, or learners needing pre-primary, reception class or school readiness qualifications, junior primary teachers and entrepreneurs wanting to establish and run crèches and day care centres. 

Prior to 1999, learners were required to complete the course within three years of starting but in 1999 learners have to complete the course in one year as the College is closing down. 

The main mode of delivery is through printed materials although contact sessions and practical work at schools form an integral part of the programme. 

ACCESS DL&T College has its head office in PMB, run by a chief executive officer. There are 18 satellites across the country. These satellites are run by co-ordinators who also tutor the course. The course content, mode of delivery and assessment is prescribed by head office, however there is some flexibility for tutors to make adjustments as and when necessary.   

The table below provides a breakdown of the number of learners enrolled, passes, failures and dropouts in the year 1998. 

Centre	No. of learners	Passes	Drop outs
PMB	161	143	7
DBN	202	192	13
Cape Town	33	26	7
Dundee	49	42	3
Gauteng	128	121	7
Ladysmith	27	24	1
Newcastle	50	39	6
Pinetown	30	29	-
P.E.	36	31	3
Port Shepstone	44	43	-
Pretoria	48	46	2
Vryheid	23	22	-
Umtata	63	55	2
Zululand	142	134	2
Zaneen	38	35	1
Teletutoring	30	27
Mpulanga Kwa Zulu Natal	38	35	2
Alice	37	33	2
Phoenix	16	14	-
Total	1195	1091	58

 As indicated in the table, there is a high pass rate for the course (96%) and the attrition rate is low (5%). The results for 1998 follow a similar pattern to previous years.

 2. Main support structures 

The main structures provided for learner support are:

2.1. Contact sessions, including the use of  video programmes illustrating theory and practice[2];

2.2. Practical work at schools;

2.3. Individual face-to-face consultations and telephone support;

2.4. Peer and group learning;

2.5. Feedback on assignments.

 3. Research method and process 

Refer to Part 1 of this study for a detailed description of the research methodology.

This case study was compiled on the basis of document reviews, interviews and observation.

3.1 Documents

The following documents were scanned: 

	Pamphlet: Certificate Course in Early Childhood Development: Reception Year Regional Programme           1998/1999
	Early Childhood Development: The Reception Year. Introduction to the Course
	Early Childhood Development: The Reception Year: Course Presenters’ Handbook
	Module 1 Supplementary Test January 1999
	Module 2 Supplementary Test January 1999
	Module 3 Supplementary Test 1999-05-10
	Modules 2 and 3 Supplementary Test January 1999 Marking Memorandum
	Supervisor/Principal’s Information Booklet for Module Three
	School Visit Observation Booklet
	Assignment Booklet: Module 3
	Course Materials; Module 1, Module 2 and Module 3.

 3.2 Interviews

Interviews were conducted with both learners and staff. Staff interviews were carried out with the CEO and five tutor co-ordinators. 

In addition to interviewing staff, learners were also interviewed. Ideally we would have liked to interview a wide range of learners, however due to logistics, this was not possible. In total 15 learners were interviewed, six at Durban and nine at Pretoria. 

Profile of Durban Learners

The learners interviewed were invited by staff to participate in an interview as they lived nearby. Two of them work at the pre-primary school run by a tutor who is author of the modules and who is also the principal of a Regsistered pre-primary school, as well as being a tutor of the ECD course at ACCESS DL&T. One learner is the secretary at the school and one learner has opened her own school. The other two are working at pre-schools. 

Profile of Pretoria Learners

Two of the learners interviewed have matric plus a teacher’s qualification and experience of teaching at the Junior Primary level. One has a B. Com. degree and has just recently decided to change her career to early childhood teaching. The remainder have matric and teaching experience.  

3.3 Observations

Observations transport one into the classroom and can move the researcher away from the level of what is reported to what actually happens. It was possible to observe only two sessions[3]. 

The discussion below is based on data elicited using the above methods. 

 4. The programme 

4.1 Programme goals

The ACCESS DL&T pamphlet describes the goals of the ECD course as follows:

“The Certificate in Early Childhood Development trains the teacher to

	Understand how the young child learns
	I shows the teacher how to create a learning environment which will encourage the child to learn
	It enables the teacher to help the children achieve the proper conceptual understanding, which                              is the essential foundation for later academic growth.”

Tutors interviewed elaborated on the above goals. According to one tutor “It’s an upgrading course for nursery school teachers; it gives teachers fresh ideas on how to teach at nursery school level”. Another tutor commented, “The course specializes in reception year. It gives reception class teachers skills for formal learning classes. It is focussed on what children need for formal learning in literacy and numeracy.” 

4.2 Course content   

The course is made up of three modules. Each module covers four topics per subject. The subjects covered in the modules are Active Learning, Planning and Practice and Learning Experiences (see appendix 1 for details). 

Prior to 1999, the course was structured so that two modules could be completed comfortably within one year, with the third module being done in the following year.  Learners could use any of the following options to structure their studies to suit their own circumstances providing the course was completed within three years of starting (including practical teaching). 

Option 1:             Year 1:  Modules 1 and 2 

   Year 2:  Module 3 

Option 2:             Year 1: Module 1

   Year 2: Modules2 and 3 

Option 3:             Year 1: Module 1

   Year 2: Module 2

   Year 3: Module 3 

Option 4:            Year 1: Modules 1, 2 and 3

                           (by special arrangement only) 

In 1999, learners are compelled to do option 4, as the College is closing in the year 2000.

According to the CEO, these learners have to qualify to do this course and are screened to ensure their success.[4] There are three contact sessions, two assignments and an exam per module. 

Entry Requirements

The documents made available to us did not stipulate entry requirements. According to the CEO, the policy of ACCESS DL&T states Std 8 or prior learning qualifications, e.g. if a woman has Std 6 or 7 and is 30 years old and has had five children, it is assumed that she knows a great deal about Early Childhood Development. But it is also necessary to estimate whether she has enough maturity as well as facility in English to be able to cope with the theory and educational methodology of reception year teacher training. These decisions can only be made in person; so much has to be left up to the tutor during registration at the centres. 

Tutors are given the freedom to make professional decisions about entry assessment and have to rely on their own judgement. Should a learner prove to have been incorrectly screened and it soon becomes obvious that s/he will not cope, then they are advised to transfer to other courses and are not liable to pay fees.[5] 

Tutors did not have a uniform understanding of what the entry requirements to the course are, and one tutor reported that entry requirements for the course are “vague”. All interviewees agreed that ACCESS DL&T is flexible with enrolments. 

According to the CEO, while the college embodies the ideal of recognizing prior learning, in 1999 there has been more of an emphasis on “screening”. This is because the college will be closing at the end of the year and as such learners will not get a second opportunity to write the exam in the event that they do not pass.  Moreover, the learners need to be at a particular standard as the course has been condensed from an eighteen-month course to a one-year course. Because of the accelerated nature of the 1999 course the screening was much stricter than in previous years. Applicants had to show proof of their ability and facility in English and undergo a telephonic or face-to-face interview. The majority of learners in 1999 have a matric, unless they are mature learners with extensive experience. 

The above data suggests that prior to 1999, there was no strict stipulation of academic entry requirements. Rather than focusing on academic qualifications, as a basis for admission, learners have been admitted to the course on the basis of their experiences, and interest in teaching children. This means that learner support has to be carefully planned and integrated into the programme, as learners are likely to be at different levels of preparedness, and may not have the necessary academic skills required. 

4.3 The target group

According to the ACCESS DL&T programme brochure for 1998, the course is aimed at:

	Teachers or learners needing pre-primary, reception class or school readiness qualifications
	Junior Primary teachers
	Entrepreneurs wanting to establish and run creches and day care centres.

Most interviewees concurred with the above as one tutor put it “it is for teachers, school-leavers, mothers and others.” Although the brochure and the tutors did not say that African people were targeted, one tutor reported that the course is open to all but that black nursery school teachers are specially targeted. Advertising for the course is done through the media (e.g. The Sowetan and The Pretoria News), word of mouth is also relied on and flyers are published and distributed. 

4.4 The staff and training 

Each of the satellites has one tutor. Where enrolments are large, more than one tutor is appointed. Generally the aim has been to have 8 – 10 learners per tutor: however the actual ratio ranges from as low as 6 – 7 to a maximum of 25 learners per tutor. 

Tutors must have a teaching background. They meet once a year for some training and discussions. In these sessions, policy is discussed and experiences are shared. The training is not intensive. Some examples of issues dealt with in these sessions are marking and working with non-English language speakers. There are marking memos and notes in manuals to guide tutors. Some tutors also make use of informal support from colleagues. 

Some tutors did the course and performed excellently and were head hunted, others were ex Natal Education Department teachers who were familiar with the philosophy and methodology of the course and were asked to tutor. 

According to comments made by the CEO on the draft report, staff training varies according to the needs of the particular centre. Most tutors have a four-year Pre–School teaching diploma from the previous Natal Education Department and the ACCESS DL&T Course is based on the Natal Pre- Primary Programme, which means that they do not require intensive training. The KwaZulu Natal centres, as well as Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Pretoria are co–ordinated by ex–NED graduates. Originally other centres in other provinces e.g. Johannesburg, Randburg, Umtata were started by Natal graduates but ACCESS DL&T College distinction learners have over the years been selected to train as tutors and have eventually taken over the leadership and training.  

Where ACCESS DL&T College is working in partnership with the church, e.g. Pinetown, Umtata and Tzaneen, or people working close to disadvantaged communities e.g. Dundee where emphasis is on empowerment and upgrading of communities, there is a shift in attitude away from simply imposing externally preconceived outcomes towards negotiating outcomes to accommodate the needs of the community. Teaching methods, illustrative material and assessment criteria are adapted to the needs of the area and the nature of the local Early Childhood Development sites. The CEO emphasises that tutors are carefully selected as the distances from head office make frequent training impossible. 

However annual workshops and CEO and national co-ordinators visits to centres as well as frequent telephonic and fax communications and newsletters ensures on-going tutor support and education.[6]

4. 4 Mode to achieve goals

ACCESS DL&T is described as a distance learning and tutorial college, and the course is primarily based on a set of printed materials, although contact sessions and practicals at schools form an integral part of the course. Per module, each learners receives:

	three booklets, with notes and activities;
	a guide, which explains the course, gives guidelines as to how learners should organise their work,                       guides learners to understand the text in the materials and explains assessment;
	assignments booklets which outline the assignments, due dates and requirements
	a school visit observation booklet – this includes evaluation forms which are filled in by the teacher.                    (These are given to and also filled in by the teacher / principal of the school where the practical work                     is conducted and which the guide the learner to observe and participate in a meaningful manner during                 her school visits.)

It is important to remember that the learning materials were not the only focus of this study. General comments however suggest that both staff and tutors believe that the materials are user friendly, that is written in a way that helps learners to read and understand them. For example, some learners said that difficult words are dealt with in word boxes and the manner in which work is paced in the guides gives them enough time to become familiar with the terminology. Although most learners concurred with this view, three learners for whom English is a second language found the language level difficult. One learner stated, “The modules were confusing, repetitive, overlapping and not organised logically.” The CEO agreed with this view to some extent, although 95% of feedback from learners has been very positive. According to the CEO, ACCESS DL&T College had been committed to re working the material but the closure of the college does not make this feasible.[7] 

4.5 Assessment

The Introduction to the Course booklet lays out the requirements for passing the course. Learners are required to complete two assignments per module. The average mark from these two assignments is taken as the course mark and needs to be a minimum of 50%.  The test mark should be at least 45%. The test and course marks are then added together and divided by 2 for the final mark. The final mark must be at least 50%. 

The booklet states, in order to qualify for the certificate learners are required to

	attend the Registration Session at the start of each module
	attend all contact sessions (unless there is a valid excuse for absence
	visit a reception class site 8 times altogether (two during Module one,  three during Module two                          and five during Module three), and complete the worksheets
	perform certain practical teaching tasks, under the supervision and guidance of the reception                                  class practitioner (Modules two and three).

The College conducts its own examinations, which are moderated by the Natal College of Education and Durban College of Education.

Although the assessment is mainly written, if the learner does not complete the practical at the school successfully, this must be repeated in order to obtain the certificate. According to the CEO, supplementary tests and assignments ensure that learners who fall within a certain margin of marks get a second chance and those who fail outright and have to repeat may do so at a fee of R110.00 which covers the fixed costs involved.[8] The repeat and supplementary fees increase annually. 

4.6 Monitoring

According to tutors, there is no formal system for monitoring the success of the course. Tutors listed the following ways of monitoring the course:

	how learners perform in assignments and tests,
	attendance and enthusiasm of learners at the contact sessions
	teachers’ assessment of practicals
	what learners say.

Learners felt that although sometimes they  “voice an opinion”, there should be “more space” for learners to give feedback.

 5. Learner support 

At ACCESS DL&T College, learner support is not perceived as a separate add on but as a central part of the course[9], “it is part and parcel of the course.”[10] The Certificate Course in Early Childhood Development provides the following forms of support

5.1.   contact sessions

5.2.   practical work at schools

5.3.   individual support

5.4.   peer and group learning

5.5.   feedback on assignments and assessment. 

Learners can make use of two support models: 

Model One:

This model is the preferred model and is based on learners attending contact sessions to supplement the materials. 

Model Two:

If learners live in areas where it is not possible to attend contact sessions, they can make use of teletutoring and correspondence to communicate with their tutors. This is not seen as ideal but as a fall back mode of support.      

This research focused on model one. 

According to tutor one, support is “given to learners if they need help” and learners feel that “tutors generally bend over backwards to help learners”.[11] 

Interviews revealed that tutors have a broad understanding of support and see it as including academic and personal support. Tutor two expressed it as being “there to answer questions and queries and act as an ear to problems of learners”. Similar forms of support are provided by all tutors but with some exceptions. For example, tutor two provides “extra simplified notes” for learners who “struggle with the language level in the modules”. In general, learners interviewed felt that the support offered to them was accessible and that tutors were available when they were needed.   

5.1 Contact sessions

Contact sessions are held roughly once a month depending upon school and public holidays (i.e. three or four sessions per module) during the module. 

These sessions are not compulsory but are strongly recommended and the “ball is in their [learners] court”[12] as to whether they attend or not. Tutors reported that attendance at contact sessions is high and most learners attend unless they are experiencing problems. Attendance is monitored by keeping a register. There are no mechanisms for catching up a session if learners miss one.[13] 

Venue

At Durban and Pietermaritzburg, contact sessions are usually conducted at a pre-school so that learners “can see a real live venue”[14]. In some cases, for example when an overhead projector is needed, they are held in lecture halls. At the satellites, tutors identify suitable venues to run the sessions, for example, the Little Flock Pre-school Bryanston, which is part of a church organisation. In Johannesburg, Phoenix College is used as a venue. In Pretoria, the Presbyterian Church is used as a venue. These venues were chosen because of their central location and because they are on the bus route. According to tutor two, learners have to travel to venues and this means extra cost for them. Learners have not complained but the tutor thinks that it is an added expense. Furthermore, as public transport is not efficient, learners often arrive late. 

Although some learners live far away from venues, making it difficult to attend contact sessions, learners said that the fact that the times and dates for contact session are provided in advance helps them to make arrangements to attend the sessions.

According to learners they are also given a choice between “Friday and Saturday”. Usually the day is decided by what the majority wants. 

According to tutors, these contact sessions are set to be of two-hour duration but usually go on for about three hours. According to tutors, and confirmed by the two observations, a typical contact session is divided up into the following activities: 

• Admin matters
• Handing out of assignments
• Discussion of assignment feedback
• Preparation for next assignment
• One topic for discussion
• Videos
• Tea at some tutorials.

The format for contact sessions is set by Head Office and presented to tutors in a tutor manual. This format is flexible and tutors are at liberty to choose topics relevant to the situation of their learners. The Course Presenters’ Handbook gives guidelines for contact sessions. An example is set out below: 

Module One Contact Session One  Overall outcomes for this session  The learner will be able to describe:  ·        what a reception class looks like in terms of organisation of space and equipment ·        the general activities that are offered in a reception class ·        a suitable daily programme for a reception class.  Study Guide focus: Planning and Practice  (Module 1)  Organisation: Roughly, the two hours can be divided into: 30 = 45 = 30 = 15 minutes for the respective sessions  Overview of the sessions: 1. Welcome and guided tour of the site (which accommodates reception class children) 2. Active Learning Session 3. Video session 4. Preparation for assignment.  Under each of these sessions detailed suggestions are provided for the tutor.

 In the first contact session of the year, learners register, pay their full fees or deposit and get their material.  The first assignment and school practicals are also discussed on this day.

Purpose of contact sessions

Although interviewed separately, tutors and learners had similar perceptions of the purpose of contact sessions, which can be summarised as: 

Getting real and practical

	reinforcing the practical side of the course
	an opportunity to be practical and make things viz. teaching and learning materials
	to have an opportunity to be in a real situation and apply their work
	an opportunity for learners to see the ideal, as many of the schools they go to are not of a high                       quality; for example they can watch a video so learners can see what happens in ideal situations.

Interacting with the materials

	to make the “dry materials come alive”
	to explain the requirements of modules
	familiarize learners with content
	enrich and amplify guides

Participation

to get learners actively participating and involved

Links with other parts of the course

school visits are organised and what is expected of you is explained

Dealing with administrative matters

	allocate schools
	collect assignments and practicals
	hand back marked assignments and practicals[15]

Revision and assisting with study methods

	prepare for exams
	get clarity concerning assignments
	deal with problematic parts of assignments

Interacting and sharing of experiences and ideas

	group work
	speaking to others
	sharing experiences and ideas
	learning from each other
	group work
	discuss practice teaching

Motivation and direction

	keep learners motivated as it is difficult to study on their own
	keep on track and get directed
	an opportunity to socialize, as they get to know each other they find partners to work on assignments        together.

Contact sessions are perceived by tutors to be important particularly for second language learners, learners with standard eight or less and those from informal schools.[16] According to one tutor dealing with mixed abilities in contact sessions is “tricky, but you just go ahead[17]”. 

Learners feel that “tutorials are very helpful”. They “provide ideas on how to make charts, equipment, story telling and how to organise smaller group discussions”. The sessions are encouraging as “you get ideas from other learners and also from the tutor who has a wealth of ideas”. There was general consensus that the sessions challenged learners, and were fun and exciting because of the practical work. 

Learners at one centre (tutorial one) generally could not think of any weakness in the contact session. One learner however felt that there was not enough time to get to know each other and really share the exciting ideas that people brought in. 

Learners at one of the other centres (tutorial two) were more critical of the sessions. One learner found the sessions “a waste of time. I never learnt anything and found it frustrating.” A learner from the same centre stated that the series of videos scheduled by ACCESS DL&T were not watched “and that is a pity as there is a lot to learn from the tapes.” Another learner stated the following about contact sessions: “Sessions are not organised and carefully prepared in advance. Ad hoc decisions are made for each session. We are not children. We need to be treated as adults.”    

Learners at this centre also stated that there is very little relationship between the materials and the contact sessions. According to learners “differences of opinion are not encouraged, as there is no time to do so in the two hour contact sessions. This is demoralising, as there is no space to challenge the comments and marks given for the assignments. The facilitator should keep an open mind and not force her own opinion”. Another learner noted that for “maximum utilisation of time”, a classroom situation should be simulated and model lessons should be presented.

Most learners felt strongly that there should be more contact sessions to capitalise on their strengths. 

Observations

Admin matters were attended to in both contact sessions observed. In both these sessions, tutors handed out marked assignments and reminded learners about outstanding fees.  

In both tutorials, learners displayed their practical assignments and this gave the class the opportunity to discuss the games and activities designed by all the learners. Opportunities for giving feedback were limited in tutorial one but learners’ comments and feedback were encouraged and facilitated in tutorial two. Moreover, there was an emphasis in tutorial one on how learners could use practicals in their own teaching, in this way allowing learners to develop new ideas to try in their own teaching. 

In tutorial one, learners watched a video on group teaching. At times the tutor made comments about the video, however there was no discussion about what learners gained from the video and what they could apply in their own teaching.  

Both tutors focussed on preparing learners for the forthcoming test. This was done by first taking learners through a past exam paper and then giving learners an opportunity to ask questions and clarify issues. In tutorial one, very few learners asked questions, but in tutorial two this time was used constructively by learners to ask questions and clarify issues.   

Levels of interactivity between tutors and learners varied. In tutorial two the level of interaction was high; in tutorial one, the tutor’s input dominated and participation was low. In tutorial two, not only was there a high level of interactivity, but also regular tea breaks encouraged high levels of interactivity between learners. This interactivity between learners was largely missing in tutorial one. It is interesting to note that whilst tutorial two was less tutor-centred it also attracted more criticism from learners, suggesting a mismatch between learners’ and tutor’s expectations of the nature of tutorial sessions. This is an issue of great importance when the general trend in education is towards a more open-ended and independent style of learning, and indicates the need for negotiation between tutors and learners from the start. 

5.2 Practical work at schools

A central aspect of the support that ACCESS DL&T provides to its learners is practical visits to schools. As part of the course requirement, learners are required to spend a number of days at a school. Two school visits are required during module one, and three for module two and five for module three. For modules two and three, learners are required to carry out certain teaching, administrtaive, facilitating and observation tasks at the school. These tasks become progressively more challenging and must be discussed with the teacher and prepared before hand.[18] 

The relationship with schools developed out of a historic relationship with the “old” Natal Education Department. The schools in KZN were faced with a common threat of withdrawal of funds and so co-operated. Out of this co-operation, a tradition of support emerged and this formed the platform for the relationship with ACCESS DL&T[19]. 

Allocation of learners to schools  

According to the Course Presenters’ Handbook there are two options for the allocation of learners to sites:

Option 1

The ideal is for the co-ordinator to select and contact suitable reception class sites in the area with a view to soliciting their co-operation in accommodating ACCESS DL&T college learners for their practicals.

By drawing on teachers that they know, tutors can be sure that the learners are gaining a meaningful experience of reception class teaching. Initial contact with sites may be made telephonically, but should be followed up with written confirmation. 

Option 2

Where option one is not possible, it may be necessary to allow the learners to find their own reception class sites and gain the co-operation of the supervisor/principal through their own negotiating skills. These sites may well use very different methodology from that reflected in the course but ACCESS DL&T believes that learners can use this positively as part of the learning process. 

If learners already work in a school they can do the practical in their own school, although the ideal is to go to another school to do it.[20] 

Once sites are confirmed, the school receives a Supervisor/Principal’s Information Booklet, which provides guidelines of what is expected of the school in terms of the learner’s visit. 

Learners in Durban felt that the fact that arrangements for school visits were made by ACCESS DL&T, with schools that are accessible to them, is very helpful. Only one of the learners interviewed found it difficult to do the practical work at a school as she lives in Kwandebele and there are no pre-primary schools in the area.   

Learners must do at least one module in a registered school where they can have access to qualified practitioners. Teachers who assess the learners need to have a recognised qualification. Once access to a school has been secured, the principal will allocate the learner to a teacher, usually in the reception year. 

Practical tasks for different models 

Module One = two school visits.  During these visits, according to the Introduction to the Course, a learner is expected to remain at the site for the full morning’s programme. They are expected to observe the teacher teaching and then fill in the observation booklet provided by ACCESS DL&T. 

Module Two = 3 visits. During these visits the learner is expected to observe as well as teach. The teaching sessions must be discussed with the reception class teacher and prepared before hand. 

Module Three = 5 visits. As above but unlike in module two, learners are assessed as not yet competent, competent and merit.

Assessing learners at schools

Teachers in the school assess learners according to criteria set by ACCESS DL&T College. Learners are able to read the report and discuss it with their tutors. According to learners the process is “open and transparent and helps them to know their strengths and weaknesses”.

The observation booklet in Modules one and two is read and commented on but no marks are allocated for it. In Module three the observation booklet is assessed as noted above.[21] 

During Module three, in the five-day school visits, learners also compile a portfolio of items that they have collected or made plus specifies tasks such a lesson plans, reports, etc. This final site visit is assessed by the teacher/principal/supervisor of the school using criteria set out in the observation booklet which falls into three categories; “competent”, “merit”, and “not yet competent”. This assessment is essential for the learner to obtain the certificate. If learners get an assessment “not yet competent”, they can repeat their practicals in order to be given the chance to achieve a pass.

Perceived value of practical work at schools

The practicals are recognised by both tutors and learners as being a critical part of the learning experience and according to learners, “the highlight of the course”. Two tutors felt that if the relationship with schools could be enhanced, then ultimately contact sessions could play a less important role. Most tutors felt that, the ideal support system would be to involve much more work at schools so that it was far more practical but this is “impossible because of overloading schools.”[22] 

It must be noted that individual experiences vary according to the school the learner is placed in and the teacher she is paired with. Furthermore, some schools prefer “more independent learners” while others are prepared to offer more support. 

In some cases, mentoring relationships have been established with teachers in the schools and this has been very significant particularly for non-English speakers[23]. According to the learners, school visits are very useful as they enable learners to put into practice what they have learnt and to gain ideas from the teachers in the school. According to learners, “it is a hands on course and the practical work at schools really helps”; “at the schools, we learn to do things properly, be organised and prepare in advance”; “we are able to make charts, equipment, games, story aids.  We do things as if we are teachers”. 

The course also “encourages working together with other teachers in a school so you don’t feel isolated”. One learner felt that “the course brings the entire pre-primary phase into perspective”. 

A bonus emerging out of the relationship with schools and placing learners for practical experience is that it is common for 6 - 8 schools a year to offer ACCESS DL&T learners posts as teachers or as teacher assistants.[24] 

Problems

The role of the teacher is to guide and help learners but this does not always happen effectively as it depends on the schools and on individual teachers as to how much support they offer to learners.

ACCESS DL&T does not have any direct relationship or dealings with teachers. The forms filled in by teachers are the assessment that the tutor goes by. One or two learners also felt that the tutor from ACCESS DL&T “should observe us teaching and then give an assessment. Teachers in the school alone should not do assessment of practice teaching”. 

Despite the lack of lesson observation by ACCESS DL&T staff, one tutor believed the assessment given by teachers to be often unrealistically high. There is no system set up to check how accurate the assessment is and the tutor suggests that fieldworkers should have been appointed by ACCESS DL&T to support learners and monitor the competence of assessors. One tutor was concerned that in the long term the relationship with schools could be problematic because as the pressure on schools increases, they might be less able to take on learners. 

5.3 Individual support

ACCESS DL&T College believes that individual support for the learner is crucial and individual support is therefore offered telephonically or face-to-face at the regional centres. This support deals with both academic and personal problems that learners may be experiencing. 

By special arrangement, learners are able to phone their tutors at designated times to discuss urgent matters. As most tutors are full time teachers or principals, learners are encouraged to keep to times that are convenient to tutors.[25] Learners confirmed that telephone numbers of tutors are provided when they register, that set times are given for learners to contact tutors and that they are made to feel welcome to visit and phone the tutors. 

According to one learner, “if you need support you can phone your tutor who is willing to discuss personal problems as well as problems in relation to assignments or exams or understanding the modules”. Learners said that they found it more convenient to phone, rather than visit the tutor. 

Tutors reported that most of the phone calls they receive are not about academic enquiries but rather about personal problems or administrative queries.

The kinds of personal problems that are usually dealt with are “marriage problems, health, family, and emigration”.[26] One tutor said that most of the individual support she deals with is about “replanning” as many learners have young children or fall pregnant during the course of their studies. One tutor said that learners often phone after an assignment has been handed in to find out how they have fared. Another tutor noted that an important function of the individual support offered was to lend learners resources, as learners, especially those in the townships, do not have access to resources. One tutor phones learners to ask if they have problems and to remind them of outstanding fees and assignments. 

Tutors interviewed had various perceptions about how much learners make use of the support.

One tutor said only one or two learners had visited her in almost five years and she rarely received phone calls, however another tutor said that individual consultation was fairly frequent. Most learners say that in the 18 months of the course they would have phoned or visited lecturers for individual support between 1 and 4 times. 

Tutors gave various reasons as to why they believed that learners did not make more use of individual support. Reasons included:

	not enough time,
	lack of transport,
	no access to telephones,
	the course is “self explanatory”,
	unavailability of tutors (especially those that teach),
	perception that tutors are “too busy”
	it is part of the culture of the learners not to ask for help
	learners are “too shy” to ask for help,
	second language speakers do not have the “right tools” to talk about their problems.

Learners believe that the relationship they enjoy with their tutors provides space to discuss problems related to the courses as well as personal problems. They say they are able to phone tutors for clarity on assignments, help with understanding materials and to discuss personal problems. 

None of the learners interviewed had had the need to contact the tutor for personal problems but most of them said they had phoned ACCESS DL&T at some point to obtain clarity around assignments and materials, and to discuss ideas around practicals at school. For administrative issues such as times, dates and venues for exams and contact sessions they could phone the secretary at ACCESS DL&T. 

5.4 Peer and group learning

Peer group work outside of the contact sessions is encouraged but is not built into the course. According to tutors there is some peer work outside of contact sessions but this is limited. Tutors are of the opinion that peer work could be very beneficial, especially if learners “struggle with English”[27]. 

According to the learners, if they want to work with a peer, they must make their own arrangements. Two of the learners interviewed have made arrangements to work with colleagues and they found it useful to discuss assignments with peers. Learners suggested that the addresses and phone numbers of learners in their group should be handed out so that they could contact learners in their area and work together. 

Tutors feel that although peer work is beneficial, it cannot be formalised or enforced because of lack of transport and because many learners teach during the day. Furthermore, they noted that peer work is not without problems. For example, one tutor reported that the previous year two learners worked together on an assignment and produced identical assignments. 

5.5 Feedback on assessment

For each module, two assignments and exams make up the marks for promotion. There are no strict deadlines for the return of assignments and tests but they are generally returned at the next test or contact session. Learners say that the turn around time for assignments is one month and this is “enough time – it is not a long wait to know results”. Furthermore, if learners are anxious about their results, they can phone to get the results. 

According to tutors, feedback on assignments is mainly written on individual assignments but there is also some verbal feedback in contact sessions on the most common problems as well as sharing of good assignments. One tutor said that “weak” learners can stay behind to “chat” after their assignments or tests are handed back in the contact session.

According to tutors, the purpose of feedback is to

	show learners where they went wrong
	help with further study, and
	encourage and motivate.

According to learners at centre two, the assignments are “thoroughly marked” and the feedback on assignments helps learners to know where they have gone wrong and how they can improve. In relation to comments on assignments, learners at centre one stated that “the feedback given in the assignments is constructive and encouraging – it helps to understand where you have gone wrong and how you can improve”. One learner felt that “there’s lots of comments which help but there should be space to engage with these comments with the tutor”. Learners also felt that they should know where they went wrong in the exams.

 6. Concluding comments 

Both tutors and learners had various viewpoints about how the support system at ACCESS DL&T could be improved. Some tutors felt that more contact time was necessary (at least five contact sessions per module). One tutor emphasised the importance of ACCESS DL&T formalising the organization of peer study groups. According to the CEO, ACCESS DL&T encourages a philosophy of learner responsibility and independence. Learners should take intiaitive to organise their own peer/study group.[28] Another tutor felt that more use could be made of technologies, such as videos, to support learners. However, the CEO felt that ACCESS DL&T has enough videos to support learners, although the ones available are not always used. [29]

Clearly a major strength of the programme is that such a wide range of support mechanisms have been built into the programme to serve both an academic and social function. It is necessary to explore in greater detail why learners do not make more use of the available support in addition to the obvious logistical constraints. 

Support is as much an attitude as it is a structure. The support on this programme is made successful because of a combination of structures that enable the support to operate effectively by addressing a range of individual needs and learning styles. In addition, the overall positive attitude to learner support creates an enabling environment. An important element in supporting the learners is the sense of caring for the learners and a strong ethos of professionalism.  

All tutors agree that due to finances, the “ideal” support system cannot be introduced. Today the college faces financial problems and the CEO attributes this largely to the polemic between academic needs and financial constraints.[30]

 Footnotes 

[1] Interview with Leanne Williamson, CEO of ACCESS DL&T

[2] Taken from comments made by the CEO on the draft report 

[3] Although an observation of a contact session was meant to happen in Johannesburg, it did not materialize.

[4] Taken from comments made by the CEO on the draft report 

[5] Taken from comments made by the CEO on the draft report 

[6] Taken from comments made by the CEO on the draft report 

[7] Taken from comments made by the CEO on the draft report 

[8] Taken from comments made by the CEO on the draft report 

[9] Interviews with CEO, tutor one and tutors four and five

[10] Interview with tutor two

[11] Interview with learners at centre three

[12] Interview with tutor one

[13] Interview with tutor one

[14] Interview with tutor one

[15] An interesting variation is two tutors who co-teach; one marks the practicals while the other tutors - in this way the tutors do not have to take the practicals home and learners can keep their work and use it in classrooms if they are teaching.

[16] Interview with tutors four and five.

[17] Interview with tutor one

[18]  “Introduction to Course”.

[19] Interview with tutors four and five

[20] Interview with tutor one

[21] Course Presenter’s Manual

[22] Interview with tutor one

[23] Interview with tutors four and five

[24] Interview with tutors four and five

[25] “Introduction to course”

[26] Interview with tutor one  

[27] Interview with tutor two

[28] Taken from comments made by the CEO on the draft report 

[29] Taken from comments made by the CEO on the draft report 

[30] Interview with CEO