Papers Presented at the 1st National NADEOSA Conference
Held 11-13 August 1999

Author:
Sello Sekgwelea, Technikon SA

Title:
TSA is Ready to Face the New Millenium Through Digital Videoconferencing (DVC) as a Flexible Delivery Tool

Introduction:

DVC still belongs to a family of cutting-edge technologies known as future technologies. TSA introduced DVC at the beginning of 1998 as a pilot project with the main purpose of providing communication tool for the staff based at Head Office (Florida) with the "FOUR" regional offices (Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Neilspruit, and Pietermaritzburg).

Initially, based on its size, the DVC system was to be used for meetings, and interviews; however, with a little imagination, it is interesting to note that it is now also being put to use for group seminars and contact sessions by both administrators and academics.

It has been repeatedly stated by instructional technologists that no matter how viable a technology is to daily demands, it is never a panacea for problems encountered in instructional setting. Unfortunately, the administrators and academics sometime tend to overlook this salient point and end up blaming their lack of innovativeness about the given technology on its shortcomings. And often such a blame is employed as an excuse to dumb the expensively bought technology. So far this has not been witnessed in during this pilot phase.

In this paper, the writer further highlights the steps to be pursued in introducing an unknown technology such as DVC to staff in DE. At the same time, the writer employs a research questionnaire to elicit and evaluate attitudes of staff exposed to DVC; it is the writer’s argument that not only systematic induction measures are sufficient to successful adoption of technology, but also positive attitudes on the part of the users toward such a technology.

As the new millenium approaches, there is likely to be more demand for flexible delivery of quality education in DE. TSA’s respondents to questionnaires about DVC confirm the latter contention, that DVC is assured of a critical role in DE.

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