University of Botswana
SAIDE

Context:
While collecting information for this global distance education network, SAIDE held several interviews with organisations in Southern African countries. Impressions of each country were generated to give some introduction to distance education and technology use in the area. Each interview has also been written up separately as a case study.

Source:
SAIDE country visits conducted in 1999

Copyright:
Permission granted.

• Diploma in Primary Education (with an expected enrolment of 600 students);
• A Masters in Education Degree is planned for the next two years; and
• The Department of Medicine is planning a distance education programme.

Delivery Modes and Technologies

The certificate in adult education (CAE) is primarily print-oriented, making use of several designed modules. Some face-to-face contact is included and study groups among students are encouraged. Audio support using audiocassettes is being considered. Some staff have attended training in script writing.

The centre is currently planning what additional technologies it could use. This is currently at the brainstorming stage with print, audiocassettes and video production being considered. The centre has produced approximately 200 audio programmes, which could be used on radio. It has started making links with Radio Botswana to negotiate airtime and is following the plans for Botswana television carefully. Personnel for production of such resources would be drawn from the current CCE media officer and the department of educational technology, which services the technology needs of academic staff on the campus. Additional staff would be required if television and radio or computer software production were pursued. Currently, a survey of CAE students has yielded the following provisional findings:

Of the 94 responses to a questionnaire on technology access 88.2% of students own radios, 82 own audiocassette recorders, 58% have telephones at home, 41.2% have television sets and 26% have videocassette recorders. No students reported having a computer at home, although 29% have access to computers at work. 70% of the respondents reported not being computer literate.

Based on these provisional results, it seems prudent for CCE to focus on radio for the moment. CCE course development aims to make use of an integrated media approach. It is considering using ‘high tech’ technologies and Internet in its courses for online courses. There are still questions about whether this could work however. It would aim to bypass centralized printing and enable end-users to print out the course materials themselves.

Regarding technological infrastructure at UB and in Botswana, the Botswana Department of Telecommunications has taken a proactive approach to equipping government structures with computer technologies. The recent deregulation of telecommunications (which took place less than two years ago) has seen the emergence of a range of new Internet Service Providers and cellular telephone companies. The Government Computer Bureau remains responsible for facilitating government computer facilities. A national fibre optic network for government is now unfolding. Information about the Botswana government can be accessed at www.gov.bw. This responsibility for government computer equipment extends to schools and parastatals. A few years ago University of Botswana had dial-up Internet access through Rhodes University in South Africa. Now, through Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC), it has direct Internet access. The Computer Science Department does not currently offer any distance education courses. Together with the Distance Education Unit at the CCE, it is considering the social applications of computer based education.

Technologically, the University of Botswana and the country as a whole is at an early stage. It is still identifying which technologies to use and is focusing on support and training in computer use for its students and staff. Technology is viewed as a vehicle and not as an end itself. The University of Botswana (UB), the Government, and the BTC are still to discuss which technologies to use and how best to use them. BTC is an important role player in this process, as it will be able to assist with bandwidth and choices of platforms. It is currently agreed that it would be desirable for each player to be able to piggyback on existing infrastructure initiatives rather than each doing their work in isolation. It is generally agreed that the three organizations should work together.

UB has 22 computer centres for student use. This amounts to a total of approximately 600 computer, each of which has Internet access. Plans to extend this infrastructure to Francistown and Maun are in place. UB has a web site: www.ub.bw.

As regards broadcasting, Botswana does not currently have a national television station. There are plans underfoot to start one, and an educational broadcasting channel has been mooted. The Educational Technology department at the University of Botswana has plans for a radio station to transmit from the campus for the humanities department.

Learner Support Strategies

Tutorials for CAE are held four times a year at centres in Gaborone, Maun, and Francistown. In between the tutorials, which are held in July/August, November, February and May, students attend study weekends. Students can also obtain telephonic support, especially for administrative matters. More elaborate support strategies are planned for the diploma in primary education programme.

Professional Development

CCE conducts training for writers, editors, and tutors. It has formed sub-units for the humanities, education, and social science departments. It sources its writers for course materials from the university colleges providing conventional programmes. In addition the centre employs a graphic designer, media officer and an editor.