Dr Mpine Makoe Institute for Open and Distance Learning A student-centred approach – Incorporating students’ experiences in the development of a student support system Dr Mpine Makoe Institute for Open and Distance Learning

Outline of the presentation Student Centredness Student Support Student characteristics Demographics Case studies Experiences of distance learning Unisa context Open and Distance learning Elements of student support

Student-centredness Focuses on an individual student’s experiences, perspectives, background, capabilities and needs Gives learners greater autonomy and control Based on the needs of the learners than on teacher’s needs

Student-centredness requires that students are seen as the main foci of the educational process and they are supported to take progressive responsibility for their learning. However, the pedagogy employed should enable successful learning establish links between students’ current meanings and new knowledge to be learnt, and encourage independent and critical thinking.

Student-Centredness Teacher-Centredness Approaches Dominant theory Construct their own knowledge with the assistance of the lecturer Discovery and independent learning Centre of knowledge Transmission of information from a knowledgeable individual to a student Dominant theory Constructivist and sociocultural Behaviourist or Positivist Processes Personalised and individualised responses Collaboration and dialogue among students and lecturers Process-oriented instruction that focuses on authentic tasks and problem solving strategies Directs and controls the learning processes One-way communication from lecturer to students through study material Study, memorise and mirror the correct view Roles Students are active Lecturer is a facilitator, coach, mentor and a resource person Students are responsible and accountable for their learning Students are passive Lecturer focuses on the content – sylabbi; discipline based

Student Support tuition support in the form of detailed, individualised and timely feedback to formative assessment; regional tutorials in a medium (face-to-face, online, telematic etc) that is accessible to students; remedial interventions such as responsible open access programmes to help underprepared student achieve success in order to decrease the distance between student and teacher; peer support in the form of institutionally arranged and supported peer self-help groups; in-text support in the form of well-designed well-integrated courseware encouraging active learning and promoting dialogue between teacher and student in order to decrease the distance between student and study materials; administrative support in the form of timely, accurate and accessible information from institution to students about all aspects of the learning process, from registration to graduation.

Elements of support systems Registration Tutoring Counselling Peer groups Learning centres Assessment Educational technologies

Teaching and learning Study material Teaching and assessment goes hand in hand – continuous assessment Reveals students’ strengths and weaknesses and suggests where the student might need help Feedback is very important

Age demographics

Age demographics

Johannes Age – 22 Urban areas Formerly from rural areas Full time student Son and a brother Student since 2003

Mokgadi Mid 30’s Rural areas Mother, wife, daughter-in law, community worker Teacher Student since 1993 Switched from degree to diploma

How do we support our students?

Principles of student-centredness Cognitive and metacognitive factors Motivational and affective factors Development and social factors (McCombs and Vakili, 2005)

Student support services Cognitively Affectively Systematically (Tait, 2000)

books

Position Unisa as a leading provider of quality distance education programmes through an academic product that expands on its comprehensive character

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