You are here

Home » Content

THE POTENTIAL AND CHALLENGES OF INTRODUCING NEW TECHNOLOGY IN DISTANCE TEACHING AND LEARNING

Journal Name:

  • International Journal on New Trends in Education and Their Implications

Publication Year:

  • 2010

Key Words:

Author Name
Abstract (2. Language): 
One of the most significant recent technological developments at the Zimbabwe Open University has been the introduction of the CD-ROM digital text as the central medium of instruction. The ZOU has always used tutorials and the module as the main delivery mode. However, the advent of the global village, advancement in new technology and the socio-economic and political challenges Zimbabwe experienced in the past two years from 2008 to 2009 forced ZOU to adopt an alternative medium of instruction (CD-ROM digital text) in order to survive. However, the introduction of the CD-ROM text has become a topical issue that has raised heated debate in ZOU’s departmental, faculty and senate meetings. Those supporting the use of CDs have argued that ZOU must adopt new technology in order to survive in today’s computer age and in the global village. On the other hand, critics have seen the use of CD-ROM as one way of abandoning the distant and the socioeconomically disadvantaged student! This article reports the findings of a university-wide study the two authors conducted at the ZOU during the 2 nd Semester (July-December 2009) in order to contribute meaningfully to the current debate on challenges ZOU and other ODL institutions are facing the introduction of new technology in their delivery mode. The present study focused on three key issues;  students’ preparedness in the use of CD –ROM in their studies,  whether students found CDs convenient to use and  what ZOU should do to improve effectiveness of CD-ROM in the teaching and learning process. We collected data through a questionnaire from a stratified random sample of 100 undergraduate students 25 students from each of the following faculties; Arts and Education, Sciences, Commerce and Law and Social Sciences. This study found that the majority of ZOU students were not ready and prepared to use the CD-ROM as only 34% of ZOU students were computer literate, 5% had personal computers, 12% had computers either at home or at their workplace. Fifty-eight percent of those students with access to computers reported inconveniences from other members of the family or workmates when using the computer for their studies. The majority of students (72%), experienced financial challenges in the use of CD-ROM due to high costs charged at inter-net cafes and for printing the module. The major implications of the present study are that: 1. Before introducing new technology, ODL institutions must conduct a survey to determine the extent to which students are ready and prepared to use the new technology effectively. 2. ODL institutions must know and understand who their students are, their characteristics and the domestic environment in which they operate. 3. ODL institutions must provide the resources (equipment and software) and training for students when introducing new technology. 4. ODL institutions must provide access and technical support to students to ensure the effective use of new technologies.
Bookmark/Search this post with
FULL TEXT (PDF): 
PDF icon arastirmax-potential-and-challenges-introducing-new-technology-distance-teaching-and-learning.pdf
  • 3
74-86
  • English

REFERENCES

References: 

Barnes, J. M. (1995). Embodiment, Hermeneutic, Alterity and Background relations on the internet. A paper
presented oat the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. San Fransisco CA.
Bates, T. (1995). Technology: Open Learning and Distance Education. New York Routeledge.
Benza, T. (2001), Zimbabwe Open University extends the frontiers of tertiary education beyond the traditional
boundaries in Zimbabwe. International Journal of Open and Distance Learning, Volume 1 pp. 17- 30: Zimbabwe
Open University. Harare.
Croppley, A. J. & Kahl, T. N. (1983). Distance Education and Distance learning: Some psychological
considerations. Distance education.
Fisher, F. & Desberg, P. (1995). The efficacy of adding e-mail to a distance learning Clas, Paper presented at the
Annual Meeting of the American Eduactional Research Association, San Fransisco, CA
Garrison, D.R. (2000). Computer conferencing: The post-industrial age of distance education. Open Learning,
12, 3-11.
Holmberg, B. (1977). Status and Trends of Distance, Lindi, Suicia Lector Publishing.
Holmberg, B. (1986). Growth and structure of distance education. London: Croon Helm.
Izuagie, M. A. (2001). Academic Programme Management Blue print in a distance teaching University,
International Journal of Open and Distance Learning, Harare, Zimbabwe Open University.
Izuagie, M. A. (2002), the then Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Education and Humanities at the Zimbabwe Open
University ZOU Quarterly Newsletter, Vol. 1 No1
Jones, B. (1986). Distance Education in Sweden and Denmark. Des Pick Up Programme Paper No. 3: London
Jones A, Kairkup G. & Kirkwood, A (1992), Personal computers for distance Education. London Paul Chapman.
Keegan, D. (1986). The Foundations of Distance Education. Croom Helm, London
Keegan, D. (1995). Distance Education Technology of the New Millennium: Compressed Video Teaching Ziff
Papiere Hagen, Germany: Institute for research into Distance education.
Leedy, P. D. (1985). Practical Research Planning and Design. New York, Macmillan.
Matshazi, M. J. (1991). In Search for A Distance Education Model; A Look at the Scandinavian Countries,
University of Oslo.
Moore, M. (1983). The Individual Adult Learner, in Tight, M. (Ed.) (1983) Adult Learning and Education, Croom
Helm. London.
Moore, M. G. and Kearsley, G. (1996). Distance education: A Systems View. Washington DC Wadsworth,
Publishing Company.
Myrdal, S. (1994). Teacher Education on Line: What gets lost in Electronic Communication. Educational
Management: Issues and Practice.
Peters, O. (1976). ‘Correspondence education as a form of Industrialised teaching’ in Pedagiogical report No.5
of 1976 Department of education, University of Lund, Sweden.
Sherry, L. (1996). Issues in Distance Learning. International Journal of Educational Telecommunication. AACE.
London UK.
Simiyu, A. M. (1999). New and Emerging Technologies in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Lead
presentation at the regional workshop on teaching and learning in higher education, Moi University, Eldoret,
Kenya 18-22 May 1999.
Taylor, J. (1992). Access to new technologies Survey (1991) Programme on learner use of Media. Institute of
educational technology. Milton Keynes, The Open University.

Thank you for copying data from http://www.arastirmax.com