| Contact details Country: Swaziland
Head of IDE Dr. Cisco M. Magagula
E-mail: ciscomag@uniswa1.uniswa.sz
Fax: 09268 51 87083
Tel: 09268 51 87083
Contact Person: Dr. Cisco M. Magagula
Position: Director
E-mail: ciscomag@uniswa1.uniswa.sz
Fax: 09268 51 87083
Tel: 09268 51 87083
Website: http://www.realnet.co.sz/IDE/
Postal Address Private Bag No 4
Kwaluseni
Swaziland
Date: 8 July 1999
Description
Background
The University of Swaziland achieved its independent status as a
fully-fledged university in 1982. UNISWA has continued to develop in accordance with its
aim of assisting national development. With the steady increase over the years in the
number of students who qualified for University entrance from school and outside school,
it became clear that the University could not cope with the demand for admission into
full-time programmes due to limited resources and facilities.
The Institute of Distance Education (IDE) was established in 1994 to
increase access to identified programmes offered by UNISWA for individuals who would not
otherwise be able to register because of a shortage of human and physical
resources/facilities on campus. Through IDE the University expects to increase the
production of a skilled labour force for both the private and public sectors.
Mission
statement:
The mission of IDE is to provide professional education and training
for individuals by offering them offering them quality short and long-term courses at a
time and place convenient to them using the distance education mode. This mission will be
achieved by:
•Initiating, planning, designing, and offering university
programmes using the distance education delivery mode;
•Establishing an organisational structure which has a high quality
academic and professional staff:
•Converting , coordinating and administering university programmes
offered on-campus into distance education programmes;
•Ensuring, in collaboration with the other university departments,
equivalence and parity of standards between on-campus and off-campus university
programmes;
•Establishing regional teaching/learning centres;
•Establishing an Academic Board and a Steering Planning Committee;
•Recommending to the Senate the award of university level
certificates, diplomas and degrees.
Programmes
offered
Currently IDE offers five programmes namely:
Bachelor of
Arts in Humanities
The duration of the programme is 5 to 6 years and it covers
the following subjects: English Language and Literature, African Languages and Literature,
and French. The topics covered include: Introduction to the study of Languages and
Literature; Linguistic Analysis, History of Linguistics, Modern and Oral/Traditional
Literature; Introduction to Grammar; English Languages and Literature Studies. The
programme aims to:
- rovide students with an understanding of the fundamental principles and operations of
linguistic and literature theories;
- expose students to different approaches to the study of languages and literature;
- equip students with skills and knowledge to analyse and evaluate operations of their own
language and literature critically, objectively and creatively;
- equip students with adequate content to teach languages and literature in schools.
Bachelor of
Education in Adult Education
The duration of the programme is 5 years. A major component of the
programme is the design and delivery of instruction. The broad areas and topics of the
programme are:
Foundations in Adult Education which includes Organisational
Theory and Management, Psychology and Philosophy of Adult Education, Adult Education and
National Development, Project Management;
Methods in Adult Education which includes: Human and
Organisational Communication, Methods and Materials, Human Relations, Design and Delivery
Systems, Research Methods.
The optional courses in the fourth year are:
- Communication
- Rural Development
- Organisation and Management
Diploma in Commerce
Duration of the programme is 4 years and it covers topics in the fields
of business administration and management, accounting, and marketing. Specifically, the
course content includes principles of management; the business environment; business
computing; computer foundations; micro economics; macro economics; descriptive and
inferential statistics; quantitative techniques; information systems; business
communication; financial accounting; principles of finance and banking; principles of
taxation and auditing; mathematics for business; academic communication skills; economic
principles and problems; organisational behaviour; and principles of marketing.
Diploma in Law
Duration of the programmes is 3 years and it covers the following
topics: legal system and method, general principles of Swazi law and custom; gneral
principles of criminal law; principles of criminology; principles of constitutional law;
principles of administrative law, law of evidence; law of delict; law of contract;
criminal procedure; civil procedure; labour law; insurance law; family law; tax law;
academic communication skills; introduction to sociology; and introduction to politics.
Certificate in
French
Duration of the programme is 2 years and it covers language,
conversation, reading, comprehension and composition in French.
Target groups
In general all IDE programmes are offered to individuals who are
employed, self-employed, unemployed, and post high school graduates who are eligible to
enrol at the University but for whom there are inadequate resources and facilities to
register for similar existing programmes that use conventional teaching and learning
methods.
The following table shows the increase in student enrolment from 1996
– 1999.
Student enrolment at IDE from 1996 - 1999
Enrolled students |
1996/97 |
1997/98 |
1998/99 |
1999/2000 |
At beginning of year |
150 |
218 |
282 |
374 |
At the end of the year |
118 |
204 |
275 |
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Student numbers have increased steadily over the four years and the
drop out rate has decreased.
Structure of
IDE
The Institute of Distance Education is part of the University of
Swaziland. Its status is comparable to that of a faculty. It has both academic and
professional staff who work in five units or departments:
•Academic and Professional Studies Unit
•Instructional Design and Development Unit
•Students Support Services Unit
•Printing Production and Distribution Unit
•Research and Evaluation Unit.
Each unit is headed by a coordinator or manager who has relevant
expertise in that field plus experience in distance education. The status of
coordinators/managers is similar to that of heads of department of the University.
Coordinators/managers constitute the academic core staff of the Institute supplemented by
technical support staff such as desktop publishers, graphic designers, administrative
assistants, secretaries, and photocopy assistants.
The institute is headed by a director who the chief executive and/or
academic and administrative head. The position of director is similar to that of a dean of
a faculty. The director, like all deans, is under the direct authority and supervision of
the Vice Chancellor and reports directly to him. The director is the chairperson of the
Institute’s Board, Steering Planning Committee, and Staff Committee. The office of
the director is responsible for:
- coordinating all the activities of the Institute;
- in consultation with the faculty deans and tutors, oversee the selection and adminission
of new students to programmes offered by the Institute;
- liaising with the office of the bursar with regard to the finances of the Instlitute;
- liaising with faculty deans and heads of academic departments on the teaching and
examination of students registered in the Institute;
- chairing meetings of the Board of the Institute;
- in consultation with faculty deans and department heads, preparing programmes and
curricula to be offered by the Institute, and
- liaising with outside bodies to sell programmes offered by the Institute and get
appropriate facilities for the programmes.
Membership of the Board of the Institute includes the director of IDE,
who is the chairperson, the academic/professional staff of the institute, heads of
departments providing off-campus programmes through the institute, the librarian or
his/her representative, two student representatives who are elected by the students
enrolled in the Institute, the director of the Division of Extra Mural Services (DEMS),
and a representative from the Registrar’s office. The Board has a mandate to:
- consider and report to Senate on all matters relating to the academic and non-academic
programmes within its scope, including the definition of courses and the examinations of
students;
- supervise the teaching of the academic and non-academic studies of the Institute;
- monitor the quality of the academic and non-academic programmes of the Institute;
- advise the Senate on all candidates who may be considered for adminission to the
academic programmes in the Institute;
- recommend to Senate the names of external examiners for appointment;
- recommend to Senate the award of degrees, diplomas, certificates and other awards of the
Institute;
- consider and report on matters relating to research within the Institute;
- prepare financial estimates for functions which the Institute proposes to undertake for
submission to Senate; and
- perform such other duties and exercise such powers as may, from time to time, be
assigned to the Institute by Senate.
Delivery Modes
and Technologies]
The delivery mode is descibed in the most recent brochure as
characterised by the following four requirements:
- The main medium of instruction the learner uses is self-instructional modules which
represent lectures;
- The learner attends limited face-to-face study sessions and tutorials as support to the
modules;
- The learner is expected to write assignments, tests and do practicals as part of the
study;
- The learner is expect to make use of the library and laboratory whenever the need
arises.
The main media of course delivery is print, supplemented by
face-to-face teaching by course lecturers and tutors at the regional centres. The
Institute relies on the on-campus staff members from other faculties for the writing of
course materials. Currently the Institute is exploring ways of supplementing print media
with radio broadcast, audio cassettes, video-cassettes, and other new media technologies.
At present the Institute does not have the necessary recording studios
and equipment for recording, editing and producing audio and videocassettes. Negotiations
are underway with the public national radio and TV stations to produce radio broadcast
programmes and video cassettes to supplement the print media.
The second medium of instruction/learning is the use of face-to-face
tutorials. These are mainly residential sessions supplemented by weekend evening schools.
The time spent on this type of learning and teaching may not exceed one-third of the
approved contact hours for on-campus students.
UNESCO has donated desktop equipment, which has enabled the Institute,
among other things, to connect to the Internet and have access to e-mail services. The
Institute does its own desktop publishing. It has a few computers and a small printshop.
Learner Support
Strategies
The Institute is committed to offer quality teaching and learning on
all courses it offers. To provide support for students and minimise high attrition rates,
which are characteristic of many distance education programmes, IDE has set up two
regional study centres, one in Mbabane and Manzini. It aims to expand its support to
students in other areas such as Piggs Peak, Nhlangano, Mhlume and Big Bend.
The learning centres are established in strategic locations such as
training centres, colleges, large schools, and regional educational centres. The criteria
for establishing a regional learning centre are: availability of basic infrastructure
(e.g. electricity, water, rooms); accessibility to the centre by public transport;
centrality of the location of the centre; and the number of students it can accommodate.
Regional centres are staffed by part-time coordinators and part-time
course tutors. The duties of the regional centre coordinators are to:
•arrange space (classrooms) for tutoring purposes;
•oversee and supervise the tutoring system;
•coordinate and manage all IDE activities;
•distribute IDE distance learning materials to students;
•oversee and supervise the administration of tests and assignments;
•make available to IDE students learning resource materials and equipment;
•attend to students’ concerns and problems;
•monitor and keep students’ and tutors’ records;
•liaise with IDE;
IDE students are scattered all over the country and since meeting times
are few, these students would benefit immensely if certain courses could be taught using
radio and television. The Swaziland Television Broadcasting Corporation (STBC) could give
the University some time slots to present IDE courses in support of printed materials. It
is envisaged to seek funding for the development of radio and television programmes for a
pilot project.
For many students access to the library is problematic. The use of
Internet access to relevant information would assist students in their academic work and
with their projects. Where students have access to the Internet they can contact their
tutors by e-mail. Tutors are also available to students by telephone and fax.
Assessment
Each course module is assessed through continuous assessment and formal
examinations at the end of the year. For the purpose of continuous assessment students are
given periodic work such as tests, assignments, practicals, term papers, special projects,
etc. All students are required to submit assignments and to take specified tests on
specified dates.
The weighting of continuous assessment and examinations varies from
2:1; 1: 1; 1:2 as determined by the special regulations of the on-campus departments
governing the programmes.
In order to pass a module and/or course students need to have achieved
50%. If a student fails a compulsory module(s) the student is allowed to repeat the
module(s) once. Where a student fails a compulsory module three times he/she is forced to
discontinue with the course.
Professional
Development
IDE is committed to the professional development of all its
staff both full-time and part-time. During the year the Institute conducts workshops for
staff members to help them with their teaching. Such workshops are opportunities to share
experiences and ideas about how to teach using distance education methods. As part of the
staff development package, a handbook was developed at the end of 1997, Face-to-Face
– A Guide for IDE Tutors and Course Lecturers. The content focuses on the
face-to-face tutorial as one method of teaching distance learners. It is written as a
self-instructional manual so that tutors can experience first hand what it is like to
learn using materials.
The Institute also organises a series of workshops for course writers
with a view of increasing its capacity in course materials writing.
Collaboration
The Institute is continuously initiating regional and
international links with similar institutes in order to share experiences and exchange
programmes. IDE is a member of a regional association of distance education institutions
in Southern Africa (DEASA). Through its links with this and other associations it IDE
hopes to enhance its operational activities. Where possible IDE plans to join regional
initiatives to improve distance education and open learning.
Nationally the Institute plans to enter into partnerships with the
business community and other stakeholders with a view to solicit material and financial
support as well as ensuring that its programmes are relevant to the needs of stakeholders.
Enabling and
Hindering Factors
The infra-structure at the University of Swaziland continues
to provide IDE with a home base from which it plans to expand its operations. The director
is proud of the success that has been achieved by the Institute in putting an innovative
method of teaching and learning as a viable alternative for tertiary education on the
University’s calendar. Thanks to the dedication of the IDE team, it seems that
colleagues and students are converting to the idea that studying at a distance can be as
good, and in some cases even better, as studying full-time.
The biggest challenges for IDE are the following:
- improve the quality of written materials and increase the course writing capacity of
IDE;
- the slow pace at which the modules are written by on-campus staff members;
- expanding the support to learners in the regional centres;
- increasing access to existing programmes offered within financial and human resource
constraints;
- expanding the programme of courses offered by distance education at the University;
- overcoming copyright and royalty constraints in order to use existing materials from
other institutions.
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