Stories by most distance learning students in developing world have been of the kind: I don't receive study materials on time, most study materials are outdated and some of them are of low quality, I never communicate and interact with my course lecturer regularly, feedback on test results and on my genreal academic progress comes very late some times I receive them after I have done my exams, I feel very much isolated from course instructors, e.t.c, e.t.c. These stories and more others are described as what characterises traditional distance education where print based course delivery is dominant and in fact is the only approach.
Literature on educational technologies show that when appropriately selected, technologies have the potential to address most of the challenges . However, for a technology to ffectively address a specific educational challenge, its selection must base on sound learning theories, availability and access to such a technology in a given context and a need to promote a particular pedagogical approach.
This Blog, shares abstracts from articles I have written based on my PhD research conducted during 2007-2011 at the Open University of Tanzania. The research focused at supporting instructors to integrate offline Moodle LMS (supported by e-mails and mobile phones). It was exprected that such e-learning technologies would address challenges of print-based course delivery at the Open University of Tanzania.
Literature on educational technologies show that when appropriately selected, technologies have the potential to address most of the challenges . However, for a technology to ffectively address a specific educational challenge, its selection must base on sound learning theories, availability and access to such a technology in a given context and a need to promote a particular pedagogical approach.
This Blog, shares abstracts from articles I have written based on my PhD research conducted during 2007-2011 at the Open University of Tanzania. The research focused at supporting instructors to integrate offline Moodle LMS (supported by e-mails and mobile phones). It was exprected that such e-learning technologies would address challenges of print-based course delivery at the Open University of Tanzania.
