INTERVIEW DATA EXPLICATION
5.5 ZOU support mechanisms
5.5.1 Orientation into DL
Orientation is a way of welcoming and introducing learners to the various systems, aspects and processes of the learning programme on offer. It involves demonstrations and lectures by experts on students‘ accessing and use of support mechanisms available to them in DL. At the time of this study, the official length of the orientation at ZOU was a single day.
I asked the participants how they felt about the orientation of new students at ZOU in terms of suitability and adequacy in preparing adults to cope with DL. Six out of twelve participants felt that the orientation of new students at ZOU adequately prepared them to study in isolation at a distance and six said that the orientation did not adequately prepare adults for DL.
One female deputy head from later intakes that had previous DL experience and delayed completion of the programme said that, ―I don‘t know now -- in 2001- the orientation was quite alright‖ (DT2E:387). A teacher from earlier intakes without previous DL experience who had unimpeded completion of the programme praised
the orientation process for informing adults on what was expected when they were studying, ―-how to write assignments, research, discuss and exposed them to the knowledge of getting information from the internet and good libraries‖ (DT2Z:385).
A widowed school head from earlier intakes that had unimpeded completion of the programme without previous DL experience also said, ―-yes, we were-- told that this was DL and most of the things you had to find them out on your own‖ (DT2V:386).
A head of department from earlier intakes without previous DL experience but had unimpeded completion of the programme said, ―you were given the course outline-- if you want to read ahead, it was up to you‖ (DT2R:386). A school head from earlier intakes with previous DL experience that had unimpeded completion of the programme expressed satisfaction with the orientation process during earlier intakes at ZOU as he said,
Those who were-- responsible for orientation were quite encouraging.
They encouraged us to study. They gave us some of the problems they had experienced. They highlighted --drawbacks-- which would entice us to stop studying (DT2ZV:387).
A deputy head from earlier intakes with previous DL experience that also had unimpeded completion of the programme indicated that he did not need orientation as he had just completed another DL course with a college in the UK,― So, it was not quite new‖ (DT2B:369). It seems that orientation at ZOU was better for earlier intakes than during later intakes. Five out of six interviewees that found the orientation adequate were from earlier intakes and all those participants had unimpeded completion of the programme.
Six participants who found orientation at ZOU deficient in its preparation of adults for coping with DL raised concerns that included:
Lacking relevance,
Insufficient orientation time, Inadequate information,
Inadequate skills training in DL processes, Distance from the venues which were far, and Incomprehensible orientation literature.
An earlier intakes school head with previous DL experience that had unimpeded completion of the programme said that, ―orientation didn‘t help‖ (DT2BV:387). A female senior teacher who delayed completion of the B. Ed. programme from later intakes described the orientation time at ZOU as too short when she said, ― it‘s not sufficient because you are oriented—for-- two hours‖ (DT2A:386). Another female deputy school head from earlier intakes who also delayed completion of the programme said that orientation was rushed without, ―equipping the person with-- skills needed-- in doing the study‖(DT2S:386).A school head from later intakes with previous DL experience who was a member of the SRC at the time of interview criticised the orientation for lacking adequate preparation when he said that,‖ -we have got assignments but we don‘t have modules- there isn‘t that information-‖
(DT2CH:386). A female senior teacher from later intakes without previous DL experience who was still on the programme was not convinced by the strategies suggested for coping with DL during orientation. She pointed out that, ―They warn us-- but they don‘t -- provide the support‖ (DT2C:387).
A female head of department from later intakes without previous DL experience who had delayed completion of the programme also expressed concern over the inadequacy of student orientation at ZOU. She summed up the concerns raised by this set of later intakes participants by saying,
-the orientation needs a lot of detail like-- how to write the assignment-- the venue was very far-- most students--did not attend the orientation--- we were told that there was a module which would explain-- how to study alone at home and we found out that when we read that module, some of the issues we could not understand (DT2P:387).
Since five out of six participants were from later intakes and four of them were still on the programme these results confirm the earlier observation that adult learners from earlier intakes had better orientation and thus faced less challenges with DL than those from later intakes. However, the conclusion on this is drawn after comparison with results from the questionnaire in the discussion chapter.