The pedagogical implications of QA as a tool to enhance teaching and Learning in ODL programs. Patrick Mafenya Institute for Open and Distance Learning University of South Africa (Unisa)

Introduction Study to explore pedagogical implications of QA in ODL QA is not specific to distance education No one area in ODL can be singled out as the most important in terms of quality Rationale is to promote quality excellence in order to develop world class higher education There are criticisms leveled against distance education Majority of courses said to be of low standard-this calls for the providers of DE to look for both the quality of the course and its assurance

Introduction There is dialogue in academia about what constitutes quality in DE and how to ensure it Something is considered to have quality when it meets the expectations of the consumers DE criticized on the basis of poor quality, low standards of students who enroll there, poor planning. Organizations to develop principles, guidelines or benchmarks to ensure quality in education There is growing consensus that the basic methodology of QA in traditional and distance education institutions should be the same

Theoretical framework “Theory teaches us what we know, it teaches us what we do not know and guides us in our research. Research that is not grounded in theory is wasteful.” (Moore 1991, 1-6). Against this back-drop the study used Moore’s (1991) transactional distance theory. According to Moore (1991) it is in this transactional distance where the structure of the educational program and the quality of the interaction between the teacher and the student determines academic performance and success.

Literature review There is huge literature on QA in higher education-scant literature on the pedagogical implications of QA in teaching and learning in ODL The concept of quality very difficult to define-it means different things to different people (Salmi, 2000) Distance education still required to prove that the quality of student learning is at least equivalent to face-to-face teaching COL-defines QA as approaches that are put in place to ensure that quality is guaranteed at every level of teaching and learning.

Literature review continues AQ in ODL covers physical products, pedagogical processes, production and delivery systems, and philosophy The implementation of QA in ODL presents a monumental task which demands a great deal of patience and effort Finally quality assurance is the means by which a provider can convince its various stakeholders that the standards and quality of its educational provision are being maintained and enhanced

Research methodology To answer the research question: What are the pedagogical implications for QA in teaching and learning in ODL? The researcher used academics from an ODL institution as participants These academics were purposefully selected Snowballing was also used because it was anticipated that more participants could be identified by the Individual and focus group interviews were held with information-rich participants Interviews considered most important to elicit such information

Data analysis Data collected until saturation reached Collected data was transcribed and analysed using Collaizi’s data analysis framework Framework chosen because of its ability to provide clear steps for analysis -Entire interview read to get a sense of the whole -extraction of important statements -Formulation of meanings -Meanings organised into clusters -Clusters of meanings develop into themes

Discussion of the findings The study revealed that there are several factors to be taken into consideration when quality issues are discussed. QA should be ensured in everything that is done at an ODL institution QA must be involved when designing the curriculum, selecting or developing assessment procedures All ODL programs to maintain the same high standard of quality assurance QA should not be a once off thing-it should be a continuous thing

Discussion of the findings Teaching should maintain standards in order to assure quality teaching The study also revealed that teaching in DE requires quality in curriculum development and delivery Universities in both traditional and distance settings to promote culture of quality teaching and research The quality of distance education needs to be assured in the same way as any other form of higher education Institutions to have a policy and associated procedures for QA

Conclusion Purpose of the study was to explore and describe the pedagogical implications of quality assurance in teaching and learning programs in ODL Focus was not on discussing the problems of quality assurance in general Quality assurance is an on-going, continuous process of evaluation the quality of a higher education system Although there is consensus of what quality assurance should entail, there is disagreement on the extent of modification.

Thank you “ It is better to lead from behind and put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership. ” Nelson Mandela