ERIC Number: EJ1183351
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Jul
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1302-6488
EISSN: N/A
Quality Assurance through Experiential Learning in a Distance Education Context: The Views of Major Stakeholders
Quan-Baffour, Kofi Poku; Arko-Achemfuor, Akwasi
Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, v19 n3 Article 2 p15-23 Jul 2018
The quality of experiential learning in distance education is a dominant concern of all major stakeholders and the public at large. Institutions of higher learning which train school teachers at a distance are often blamed for the poor quality of teachers and teaching. The perception among some sections of the society is that teachers trained at a distance are of poor quality compared to those trained via the conventional face-to-face mode. While this perception can be disputed it gives distance education institutions food for thought. Debunking the wrong perception is to ensure quality in the training of teachers at a distance. Students of the University of South Africa (UNISA) are scattered all over the country and beyond and this makes effective and quality organization, managing, supervision, mentoring and evaluation of experiential learning quite daunting. Effective experiential learning cannot be organized and managed effectively without the involvement of key stakeholders. This paper used the qualitative research approach to explore the views of major stakeholders from two Provinces in South Africa on quality assurance of experiential learning for teacher trainees in distance education. The findings indicate that all the major stakeholders involved in providing experiential learning in the UNISA teacher training program support the idea of collaboration as the basis of quality teacher training.
Descriptors: Quality Assurance, Educational Quality, Experiential Learning, Qualitative Research, Foreign Countries, Distance Education, Teacher Education, Teacher Effectiveness, Universities, Mentors, Teacher Education Programs, Cooperation, Phenomenology, Teacher Attitudes, Administrator Attitudes, Stakeholders, College Faculty, Tutors, Interviews
Anadolu University. Office of the Rector, Eskisehir, 26470, Turkey. Tel: +90-222-335-34-53; Fax: +90-222-335-34-86; e-mail: rektor@anadolu.edu.tr; e-mail: TOJDE@anadolu.edu.tr; Web site: http://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: South Africa
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A