Characteristics of Distance
Learners
When the advert for part-time writers and editors went out in October, two potential
DPE students answered it requesting to enrol immediately. They said:
Applicant I
"Please send me information about your Primary Diploma in Education. I would like
to enrol as a distant learner and please allow me to be in the first trial list."
PS: I am trained primary school teacher (14 years experience)
Applicant 2
"I am qualified primary school teacher who has been in the service
for at least 25 years and would be happy to be enrolled in your Diploma (Primary)
programme. Please let me in your trial list and send in as much information as possible
urgently."
What do these two applicants have in common? They are both adult learners.
Adults bring experience and maturity to their studies. Since they are
mature, they make wiser judgements and decisions. They are strongly motivated to learn and
have made a conscious decision to study and find time for their studies.
I. Why do adults turn to distance education?
- many may have missed out educational opportunities earlier in life.
- economic or environmental factors may have prevented some adults from continuing with
their education when they were young.
- some may have been rejected by the formal system through acquisition of low marks.
- those who completed school many years ago may have forgotten how to study.
2. Very often adults are a heterogeneous group in terms of educational level,
socio-economic background age, marital status etc.
3. Learners and their environment.
- what are their material circumstances like?
- do they personally own audio-visual equipment?
- are they likely to own cassette players, radios or TV sets?
- will they be able to buy text books suggested in the modules?
- how many hours a day are they likely to be able to give to study?
- what kind of places do they live in?
- are there facilities within easy -each which can be used as Study Centres?
- are there local resource persons who can become Study Centre Supervisors, tutors
and counsellors when the course is launched?
- are there accessible libraries and laboratories?
- is there power supply (electricity) where students live?
- will study materials reach them by post, courier service or by any other means?
It is important to assess their learning needs at the course planning stage. The needs
assessment exercise should come up with answers to a number of questions.
a) What is the educational background of the learner?
- potential DPE learners have JC. COSC with PTC. Others are holders of Primary lower,
Primary higher and Elementary Teachers Certificates
b) Have they reached the same standard or are they at different levels
c) What is their language level, in relation to the performance
expected?
d) How long ago did they study?
e) Is their subject-knowledge likely to be out of date?
f) What do they want or need to learn? What do potential students already know?
Note: The nature of the target group will affect the content and objectives of
the course. It is from definition of learners needs that we arrive at broad aims and
course objectives. A statement of course objectives describes what learners will be able
to do at the end of the learning experience.
Why do we need to know about these students as writers of study materials?
Learner characteristics help to determine student profiles of potential
students. It is important to know what they are like as learners and what their learning
environment and/or situation is like. Students with different backgrounds and from
different situations may differ as a result to those differences. Students in urban
centres and larger villages for instance, have access to facilities such as the library,
bookshops, electricity while students from smaller villages will not have those
facilities. The availability or lack of it might, put one group at a disadvantage compared
to the other group. If this is the case how might the writer present the study materials
so that these differences do not affect some learners adversely?
The main purpose of the students profile is to help provide effective and
relevant distance learning materials. The student profile can be used at two
levels namely:
- At the Policy level
- At Design level
At the policy level certain initial decisions at the planning level are pertinent to
the course development process.
a) The choice of media
Which media are available?
- print
- broad casting
- audio cassettes, radio/video, computers assisted learning
- computers
- what are the constraints on their use?
- are they available to all our potential learners
- are they within the range of financial estimates?
- are there any services that can be acquired for free?
b) Language
- what is the language level of the learners?
c) Distribution of course materials
- how will material be distributed? by post? courier service?
d) Manpower and administrative facilities
e) Time
how long do we have to prepare the course? (if time is short, it is
advisable to recruit several writers to work on different aspects of the course, hire
additional editors, graphic artists at an extra cost.
At the Design Level
The use of student Profile at the design level will involve decisions
on the actual presentation of study materials, what content and how much of it, at what
level/depth etc. It will also help us to decide whether modules will be developed as (a)
self contained materials or as (b) study guides.
How do we determine learner characteristics in distance education?
It is important to consider different factors when compiling student
characteristics.
1. Basic Data
- Rural/urban
- are both male and female
- age 20-55
they are both single and married.
b) Primary occupation
- most or all of them are in full-time employment.
- those in full-time employment will study only after work in the evening or during
weekends.
c) Degree of literacy
- medium to high - their educational background is JC and GCE
- O’level plus Primary Teachers Certificate
d) Primary reason for choice of target
- the need to upgrade teachers from the Primary Teacher Certificate (PTC) to the Diploma
level
e) Educational standards at entry/requirements for the programme
- at least a JC and Primar-y Teachers Certificate
- a few will have GCE/COSC O'Ievel plus Primary Teachers Certificate. A limited number may
have standard 7, Primary lower, Primary higher and Elementary Teachers Certificate.
2. Life Style
It is important to assess how their lifestyle will affect learning and make proper
arrangements.
a) Housing
A number live in single dwelling units - mainly hired, especially in rural settings.
- mostly when no electricity or florescent lighting facilities.
- no running water within the dwelling unit
- some areas in the western part of the country have desert conditions
- pit latrine :s mostly used
- water is in the yard or at a stand-pipe nearby
- some in rural and urban areas live in multi-dwelling units with electricity and or
running water - some privacy is possible.
- density of occupancy depends - in some cases possibly more than one person
- some have access to radio/radio-cassette player and television.
b) Work
- daily official work schedule - 7:30 - 12:30; 1:45 - 4:30 p.m.
- in winter it gets dark around 5:30 p.m.
c) Economics
- income estimates between -600 - PIOOO
- some have no tables to work on possibly because of limited space.
- most do not own the means of transport - they walk or use public transport
- in areas further away from the railway line in the eastern part of the country public
transport is scarce and the distances are vast.
d) Non-work activity
- many like sports and/or music
- few use the library frequently
- some of those who live in places there are no sporting and other facilities meet and
socialise at local community centres
e) Attitudes and aspirations
- the DPE qualification will lead to promotion, or better job prospects.
- it will open avenues such as further training prospects e.g. entry to the degree course
in Primary Education at UB
- those with the above aspirations are highly motivated.
- acquisition of the DPE diploma may also mean a higher status compared to non-certificate
holders.
f) Other sources of information available
- Daily News papers available at most places but come very late or not at all to some
remote places/areas
- other weeklies available mostly in urban and big to medium rural settlements.
- library branches exist in all urban centres and a mobile library reaches other medium
size villages.
- some remote areas do not have access to the service at all.
- film shows/ and access to TV sets mainly in urban centres
- no national TV station
- South African signals don't reach all parts of the country
g) Infrastructure and Local Service
(i) Postal services fairly reliable but painfully slow in some areas
- telephones available in many settlements but not to individual students
- primary school buildings arc available widely
- writing materials can be bought almost everywhere
- there is poor radio signal reception in some parts of the country - however boosters
have been installed e.g. at Selibe-Phikwe to improve reception in many parts of the
country.
- some civil servants such as teachers in schools and colleges of education, education
officers (both primary and secondary) can be a form of support to DPE students
- Education Centres are available for use in servicing the programme
- Library (BNPC) holdings are not always relevant to the students learning needs.
h) Regional and/or national services
- inter-regional postal services are good comparatively
- the telephone is available
- roads are fairly good but some gravel roads in the rural areas are unpassable during the
rainy season.
- rail services are very good and reliable but only along the railway line
- national radio service coverage fairly widespread (80%)
- colleges and schools: these can provide venues for study centres and tutors.
i) Study habits - there is need to cultivate distance learning study
skills
- reading is likely to be confined to study materials – people seldom read
widely.
- only a few if at all may hold membership of a library.
- students may study course modules to identify answers to the assignment question/s but
not learning for purposes of understanding and utilising content
- there may be a tendency towards rote learning
- students may fail to study on their own and only bring questions on difficult aspects of
the study materials at face-to-face sessions.
- students may expect to be taught as in a conventional face-to-face setting
How do you develop positive study skills in distance education students?
The study materials developed must contain clear instructions on what students are
expected to do in each unit.
Summary
A typical DPE student is likely to have the following characteristics
- aged between 25 and 55 years
- is likely to be based in rural than urban centre
- holds a JC and/or GCE/COSC. Some may have primary lower, primary higher and elementary
teachers certificate
- has a radic radio-cassette set but reception is likely to be not so good.
- loves sport
- lives in a duty station
- may not be easily reached by telephone
- likely to depend totally on course text
- has poor study habits
- is likely to be in full-time employment
- sponsored by the employer for the course
- adequately motivated to study
- live in a dwelling unit without electricity and running water
- study late in the evening tired after the day's work.
- live with one or more people
- study is likely to be interrupted by extended official field trips.
- owns no means of transport therefore relies on public transport.
- most likely reads the Daily News paper than other papers.
- has limited access to library and other similar services
- is accessible through post
- less accessible by telephone
- has access to a school or college of education in her region.
As you embark on writing course materials it is necessary for you to hear the
circumstances of the learner in mind. |
