Overcoming barriers of isolation in Distance Learning: Building a Collaborative Community in Learning
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.417.3478Abstract
The rise in popularity of distance education programmes in a rural and remote Namibia poses challenges on students that are far removed from their colleagues, tutors and even their study materials. Interaction between the student and the study materials, tutors and peers are key challenges in open and distance learning. At the same time, sparsely populated areas of the country with less network coverage pose more challenges for web-based learning that could close up the gap. Using interviews, supported by this study engaged 5 groups of students (eight in each group) who have initiated collaborative groups while doing research studies at the Centre for External Studies, University of Namibia. The students are continuing with their educational endeavours through open and distance learning but who find themselves in areas that isolate them more from academic, administrative and logistics support. Their experiences of distance learning were investigated and three main themes emerged. These were academic and administrative challenges. Amongst many, the recommendations included: improving student-study materials contact, student-tutor contact and student-student contact (collaborative learning). Students do well when there is clear support from peers, tutors and the study materials that they interact with from day to day.
References
Alexander, S. (2001). E-learning developments and experiences. Education and Training, 43 (4/5), 240-248
Bates, T. (1995). Technology: Open learning and distance education. New York: Routledge.
Clancey, W. J. (1997). Situated Cognition: On human knowledge and computer representations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Connolly, M., Jones, N. & O’Shea, J. (2005). Quality assurance and e-learning: Reflections from the front line. Quality in Higher Education, 11 (1), 59-67.
Dickey, M. D. (2004). The impact of web-logs (blogs) on student perceptions of isolation and alienation in a web based distance-learning environment. Open Learning, 19 (3), 279-291.
Fry, H., Ketteridge, S. & Marshall, S. (2003). A handbook for teaching and learning in higher education – enhancing academic practice. London: Kogan Page.
Galusha, J. M. (1998). Barriers to learning in distance education. International Computing and Technology, 5 (3-4), 6-14, ERIC Reproduction Document ED 416 377. Available at http://www.nald.ca/library/research/sotfr/barrier. [Accessed 25 May 2014]
Gibson, J. W., Tesone, D. V. & Blackwell, C. W. (2001). The journey to cyberspace: Reflections from three online business professors. SAM Advanced Management Journal, 66 (1), 30-34
Gilbert and Moore, (1998)
Greeno, J. G., Smith, D. R., & Moore, J. L. (1993). Transfer of situated learning. In D. K. Detterman & R. J. Sternberg (Eds.), Transfer on trial: Intelligence, cognition, and instruction (pp. 99-167). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
Hollan J. D., Hutchins E., & Kirsh D (2000). Distributed cognition: A new foundation for human-computer interaction research. ACM To CHI, 7(2), 174-196.
Hughes, M. & Daykin, N. (2002). Towards constructivism: Investigating students’ perceptions and learning as a result of using an online environment. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 39 (3), 217–223.
Hutchins, E. (1991). The social organization of distributed cognition. In L. Resnick, ed., Perspectives on Socially Shared Cognition (pp. 283–287). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Ipsos MORI. (2007). Student expectations study: Key findings from online research and discussion evenings held in June 2007 for the Joint Information Systems Committee [online]. URL: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/publications/studentexpectations.pdf [Accessed 7 July 2014]
Jonassen, D. (2000, October). Learning as activity. Paper presented at the international meeting of the Association for Educational Communication and Technology, Denver, CO.
Keegan, D. (1986). The foundations of distance education (Second Edition). London: Routledge.
Koschmann, T. (1999). Computer support for collaboration and learning. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 8, 495-
Kuutti K. (1996) Activity theory as a potential framework for human computer interaction research. In B. A. Nardi (Ed) Context and consciousness: Activity theory and human computer interaction (pp. 17-44) Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Lake, D. (1999). Reducing isolation for distance students: An on-line initiative. Open Learning, 14 (3), 14-23.
Liu, S. (2008). Student interaction experiences in distance learning courses: A phenomenological study. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration [online], 11 (1) URL: http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring111/Liu111.html [Accessed 15 June 2014].
Lofland, J., & Lofland, L.H. (1984). A guide to qualitative observation and analysis (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Lorenzetti, J. P. (2005). Lessons learned about student issues in on-line learning. Distance Education Report, 9 (6), 3-4.
Mbukusa, N, (2010). Barriers to remote rural students’ access of distance education support services offered by the Centre for External Studies at the University of Namibia. Pretoria: UNISA PhD Thesis (unpublished)
Moore, M. G. (1983). The individual adult learner. In M. Tight (ed.). Adult learning and education. London: Croom Helm, 153-168.
Park, C. (2008). The taught postgraduate student experience: Overview of a Higher Education Academy survey. York: The Higher Education Academy.
Rogers, J. (2001). Adults learning. 4th ed. Buckingham: OU Press.
Rovai, A. P. (2001). Building classroom community at a distance: A case study. Educational Technology Research and Development Journal, 49 (4), 33-48.
Rovai, A., Ponton, M., Wighting, M. & Baker, J. (2007). A comparative analysis of student motivation in traditional classroom and e-learning courses. International Journal on E-Learning, 6 (3), 413-432.
Sheets, M. F. (1992). Characteristics of adult education students and factors which determine course completion: A Review. New Horizons in Adult education, 6(1), 3-20
Stodel, E. J., Thompson, T. L. & MacDonald, C. J. (2006). Learners’ perspectives on what is missing from online learning: Interpretations through the community of inquiry framework. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 7(3), 1-24.
Verduin, J. R., JR. and T. A. Clark (1991). Distance Education: The Foundation of Effective Teaching (San Francisco, Jossey-Bass Publishers).
Wegner, S. B., Holloway, K. C. & Garton, E. M. (1999). The effects of internet-based instruction on student learning. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 3 (2), 98-106.
Whiting, M. J., Liu, J., & Rovai, A. P. (2008). Distinguishing sense of community and motivation characteristics between online and traditional college students. The Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 9 (3), 285-295.
Dillenbourg P. (1999) What do you mean by collaborative learning? In P. Dillenbourg (Ed) Collaborative-learning: Cognitive and Computational Approaches. (pp.1-19). Oxford: Elsevier Girbert, L & Moore, D. R. (May-June, 1998). Building Interactivity into Web Courses: Tools for Social and Instruction. Educational Technology. p. 29-35.
Dimitracopoulou, A. & Petrou, A. (2003). Advanced Collaborative Distance Learning Systems for young students: Design issues and current trends on new cognitive and meta-cognitive tools. Available at http://modellingspace.atosorigin.es/Documents/Collaborative/Review/adimitr/petrou/special/issue/Themes.pdf. [Accessed 15 June 2014]
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2017 Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
