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Makale Özeti:
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There have been concerns about the teaching and learning modes in both conventional
and Open and Distance Learning (ODL) institutions globally. Such concerns emanate from
issues of quality and standards in education. In view of such concerns, the study
examined the teaching and learning modes in Open and Distance Learning (ODL). These
were examined in relation to how they contribute to quality and standards within the the
context of ODL.
The study focused on the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU), an ODL university in
Zimbabwe. It used the qualitative methodology and the case study design. A purposively
selected sample of twenty students on the Bachelor of Education in Educational
Management (BEDM) programme, another twenty on the Masters of Education in
Educational Management (MEDM) programme and and thirty students on the teacher
development programmes were selected from a population of one hundred and sixty two
students in the Department of Education in Harare region. In total, the sample was made
up of seventy students and fifteen tutors who were observed teaching. Data was
collected through the use of interviews, open-ended questionnaires and analysis of
documents. Data was collected from current students in the Faculty of Arts and Education
in the Departments of Educational Studies and Teacher Development. Data was also
collected through the evaluation instruments and other related documents used at ZOU.
Furthermore, students evaluated the different teaching and learning modes used in the
university. These included reading material, modules, tutors and tutorials. The study
concluded that whilst students expressed satisfaction in areas such as the work and
efforts of their tutors and the relevance of the courses to their jobs and promotion
prospects, they were concerns about the non-availability of learning materials in some
cases, the coverage of some topics in some modules and the language of instruction used
by the tutors. The cases observed indicated that the institution was lagging behind in
modern technology. These are concerns that could compromise quality if not addressed.
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