Part 3

Lessons of Experience

 3.10 Recommendations suggested by lessons of experience 

See 3.2

1)   Institutions offering ODL programmes should consider formalising the educational philosophy underpinning their programme and how this is expected to impact on learning and teaching practices. Such a document could be used for the induction of new learners and staff in order to offer clarity on roles and responsibilities. The document should probably be reviewed annually to ensure that practices remain relevant for the particular context. Formal or informal learning and teaching contracts could support the document.

2)   Learner support should be seen as an integral part of the programme offered and therefore learner support strategies should feature in all initial planning and budgeting.

3)   Learner support implies both academic tutoring and personal counselling and staff need to be trained, supported and monitored in playing both roles.

See 3.3,  pp 144 - 6

4)    A variety of learner support strategies need to be offered to cope with the wide variety of learner needs. The precise combination of strategies needs to take cognisance of the particular target audience and context and needs to be reviewed before the start of each programme cycle to ensure the continuing relevance and optimal functioning of the system. Such a process presupposes a well-maintained database and thoroughly researched learner profiles.

5)   Where access to particular forms of learner support does not currently exist, e.g. access to information technology, thought should be given to whether providing such access, e.g. via study centres, will enrich the programme.

6)   The following possible forms of support need to be reflected upon and prioritised: record management; learning and teaching contracts; newspapers (mass media and internal); career guidance; support and provision for disabled learners; support and provision for minority sub-groups; support services linked specifically to helping adult learners who may never have completed a formal programme of learning or who may have been out of a formal learning situation for some time; support for speakers of languages other than that used as the medium of instruction (usually an ESOL consideration in South Africa); sensitivity to acknowledging cultural diversity among learners and the organisation of social events.

See 3.3, direct human contact, pp. 147 - 149

7)   Where learner support currently involves bringing learners together for a mass lecture, consideration should be given to replacing this with a decentralised telematics model,

8)   perhaps in association with institutions already offering telematics support.

9)   Where possible, times and venues for contact sessions should be negotiated between tutors and learners; where this is not possible, planning and notification should be done well in advance and should take cognisance of the fact that most distance learners are adults with family commitments and they are usually dependent on public transport.

10)  Tutors could be provided with guidelines for contact sessions that support the underpinning educational philosophy of the institution while allowing some leeway for adapting to any different needs identified in consultation with the learners.

11)  In order to increase access to well-equipped decentralised study centres, institutions could actively seek partnerships for the establishing/ sharing of facilities. 

12)  Tutors need to develop a relationship of mutual trust and respect with learners in order to play a counselling role: this suggests the need for a designated general tutor to be assigned to learners for the life of a programme in contexts in which programmes are offered by a variety of specialists.

13)  Tutors may need to adopt a more proactive strategy at key stages of a programme, even in an adult-oriented, ODL context.

See 3.3, email, p. 150

14)  Study centres could be equipped with information technology and learners could then increasingly be encouraged to use the technology to interact with tutors and other learners.

See 3.3, family support, p. 150

15)  Programme planners need to be aware of the importance of family support for adult learners and should consider seeking to create an enabling environment in which the demands of both studying and working can be communicated to families, perhaps through letters, newspapers and open days.

See 3.3, fax, p.150

16)  Study centres could be equipped with fax facilities and learners taught how to use it to formulate focussed questions about their studies.

See 3.3, feedback on assignments, p 152.

17)  Tutors could be provided with guidelines on the use of assignment feedback as a teaching tool, and the quality of feedback, as well as turn around times, should be carefully monitored.

18)  There should be transparency and room for interaction in promoting clarity on the purpose and requirements of assignments, as well as on the marking process, assessment criteria and mediation of feedback.

19)  Programmes should provide opportunities to capture feedback from learners and tutors on the quality of materials, contact sessions and other forms of support and there should be budgeted allowance to make improvements in response to feedback.

20)  Programmes should consider providing for extraordinary tests and assignments where learners have a valid reason for failing to meet a deadline.

21)  In order to encourage a formative approach to assessment, institutions should consider adopting the UNISA: ABET model of optional and compulsory assignments or the UOFS: BML model of feedback, interaction and resubmission.

See 3.3, financial support, p. 152.

22)  Programme planners need to give attention to the need to provide financial support, perhaps in the form of advice, loans or arranging sponsorships.

See 3.3, orientation, pre-registration, p. 153.

23)  Planning should take into account when support might be required, including before, during and after the programme.

See 3.3, orientation: support, pp. 153/4.

24)  Orientation into the programme and forms of learner support available should happen early in the programme; perhaps mediated other than by print.

See 3.3, peer groups, p. 154/5.

25)  If the programme seeks to promote peer group interaction, tutors will need to provide support around how to set up and sustain groups, how to manage group dynamics, how to overcome the logistical problems that arise outside of contact sessions, as well as providing clarity on the outcomes and purposes of group interaction and the implications for assessment practices.

See 3.3, practicals, pp. 155/6.

26)  Where possible, programme planners should make provision for practical work and work place observations.

27)  Where programmes make use of the services of other institutions, for example the evaluation of teaching practice, guidelines will probably need to be provided to the service institution.

28)  Where possible, work place performance should be observed by programme tutors; where not possible, alternative forms of evaluation should be considered, such as establishing a network of experienced, because often used and supported, mentors, micro-teaching, practically-based assignments, portfolios of practical work, etc.

29)  Programmes should be designed to promote reflection on actual workplace practice.

See 3.3, previous learners, p. 156.

30)  Consideration should be given to involving previous or more advanced learners in support roles.

See 3.3, radio, p. 157.

31)  Consideration should be given to making greater use of radio as a medium of support, to capitalise on an existing culture of talk-radio and phone-in programmes.

See 3.3, study centres, p. 157.

32)  Institutions making use of decentralised learning centres should consider providing details about these centres for inclusion in a SAIDE website database of available facilities. Such a database could save programme planners valuable time in seeking venues at which to offer contact support.

See 3.3, study skills, p. 159.

33)  Programme planners should consider building into their programmes a formal study skills course and/or providing access to a tutor with this sort of experience and responsibility.

See 3.3, video-cassettes, audio-cassettes and technology, pp. 160/1.

34)  The various technologies used as mediums of support require competent and professional technical support, ongoing training and monitoring of presenters to improve presentation skills, video back up and a conscious effort to promote more interactive practices.

35)  Televised broadcasts could usefully be supported by additional information technology that allows for real time interaction as happens in a normal contact classroom setting.

36)  Because technology changes so rapidly, programme planners should probably explore the possibilities of making use of existing facilities before creating new ones.

37)  Programme planners interested in the application of technology in education would probably find it useful to subscribe to the free email TAD updates.

See 3.3, telephones, p. 161.

38)  Learner support using telephones could be enhanced by greater proactivity on the part of tutors, teleconferencing and the provision of voicemail and toll free numbers.

See 3.3, website, p. 161.

39)  Consider using website technology for those who have it; introducing the technology at study centres for those who do not; and building the provision of appropriate technologies into course fees for certain programmes.

See 3.3, workplace support, p. 162.

40)  Encourage work place support by targeting employers in programme promotions; especially in terms of the Skills Development Act. 

See 3.5

41)  Where large numbers of learners are spread over many decentralised learning centres, use a cascade model to provide ongoing tutor training, support and monitoring via regional coordinators.

See 3.6 – 3.9.

42)  Consider assigning a formal quality assurance responsibility to a programme tutor.

43)  Consider providing some form of continuity manager for programmes comprising multiple courses and presenters.

44)  Consider sharing professional support staff, e.g. a psychologist, between programmes and insititutions.

45)  Give thought to actively seeking to decentralise programme provision so that learners have fewer obstacles to overcome to gain access, but budget for monitoring, support and provision and maintenance of suitable resources.

46)  A formal quality assurance mechanism is needed and should be backed up by a sufficiently responsive database. Record keeping is a neglected area of support and baseline data for longitudinal studies is often inadequate.

47)  It is suggested that programmes should have an overall coordinator for learner support services to ensure that the various strategies are mutually reinforcing in contributing to the achievement of programme goals.

48)  Further research is needed in the following areas:

·     Guidelines for matching learner support provision to different target audiences

·     Guidelines for matching learner support strategies with programme needs

·     Adopting learner support strategies which are culturally sensitive

·     Learner support provision and the implications for the per capita cost of successful programme graduates

·     Making learner support more responsive to changing needs and contexts

Developing models of learner support for the South African context to mediate the transition from a school system dominated by rote learning and teacher-centred transmission styles to helping learners become increasingly independent.