INTERVIEW DATA EXPLICATION
5.9 Distance learning assessment
5.9.1 Written assignments
Written assignments served as an instructional and a formative assessment instrument to guide adults through the B.Ed. programme (Mutch 2003). I asked participants if they benefited from comments made by tutors on written assignments in DL. The participants gave the following variety of responses:
Written assignments were a very good way of making us study and work, There was no proper induction done,
At times we did not have enough textbooks and the modules did not have the necessary information,
I failed to meet deadlines because of pressure of work at my school or at home, so I would spend sleepless nights trying to write assignments.
Some lecturers could not mark assignments in time, Some students could not find their assignments,
Sometimes we got very discouraging comments from some lecturers, The comments were sometimes general and not instructive,
The tutor sometimes gave people a general mark, and Some students copied other students‘ assignments.
Most participants concurred with a deputy head from earlier intakes that had unimpeded completion of the programme as he said, ―written assignments were a very good way of making us study and work‖ (DT6B:415). Many participants also indicated that where tutors wrote constructive comments they benefited from comments in written assignments. A female head of department from earlier intakes that had unimpeded completion of the programme said, ―Those who write comments, I benefited‖ (DT6R:419). A female deputy head that delayed and was still on the programme confirmed that view as she said, ―From the corrections-- from the first assignment-- written by the tutor-- I could develop from there , enrich yourself basing on them‖ (DT6S:420).A teacher from earlier intakes that had unimpeded completion of the programme substantiated that point as he said, ―Tutors-- could
write-- comments which showed my areas of strength and weaknesses and--could also -- give a way forward‖ (DT6Z:420). A school head that was a member of the SRC and still on the programme indicated that one tutor, ―-wrote comments where I was wrong--in that assignment, when I followed those comments, in all other assignments, I had top marks (DT6CH:419).
It was interesting to note that some interviewees like the school head that had previous DL experience and was still on the programme faced no challenges with written assignments. He said, ―To be honest, the demand-- of the assignments themselves they have been so simple‖ (DT6CH:415). However, other participants faced challenges from written assignments in varied ways. Adults faced challenges of inadequate induction in assignment writing at B.Ed. level as it was their first time to do university studies. A deputy school head from earlier intakes said, ―-written assignments were good--the attack to the question was challenging‖
(DT6B:415).That challenge was substantiated by a female deputy head that delayed completion and was still on the programme as she said, ―-at first we didn‘t know what was really required in the writing of assignments. There was no proper induction done‖ (DT6S:416).
Another challenge faced by adults in preparation of assignments for DL was lack of sources of information. A female rural school head from earlier intakes that had unimpeded completion faced problems in preparing assignments because, ―At times we did not have enough textbooks and the modules did not have the necessary information‖ (DT6V:419). A rural teacher from earlier intakes that also had unimpeded completion of the programme was prevented from visiting the regional centre by floods in January and February facing the challenge, ―-of collecting modules and course outlines for the courses‖ (DT6Z:417)early enough to prepare assignments on time.
At times adult learners failed to balance time among their work, family commitments and written assignment submission due dates. A senior teacher from earlier intakes that delayed but completed the programme said, ―Sometimes I failed to meet deadlines because of pressure of work at my school or at home‖ DT6A:415).
Sometimes students faced challenges of tutors that either failed to return marked assignments on time or misplaced assignments or could not locate them. A female deputy head that delayed but completed the programme said, ―Some lecturers could not mark assignments in time. -- Some could not even find their assignments‖
(DT6E:416).
Although many students were happy with written assignments as an instructional tool, the major challenge faced by adults was ineffective feedback on written assignments by tutors. Apart from delay in returning of marked assignments some students were de-motivated by some comments made by tutors. A rural school head from earlier intakes that had unimpeded completion of the programme said, ―- sometimes we got very discouraging comments from some lecturers‖ (DT6BV:418).
A male deputy head from earlier intakes that also had unimpeded completion of the programme said, ―The comments were sometimes-- a general comment which was not instructive‖ (DT6B:417). This was concurred by a female head of department from earlier intakes that also had unimpeded completion of the programme. She said,
―-some they would just write satisfactory‖ (DT6R:419). A senior teacher from later intakes that was still on the programme added that, ―Some markers-- just put a grade. It does not highlight the weaknesses or strengths of what the writer would have put down‖ (DT6C:418). In a worst case scenario, a rural school head from earlier intakes that had unimpeded completion of the programme said, ―-one DEO actually dropped after he had been given a very discouraging comment in one of his assignments‖ (DT6BV:418).
Participants also revealed irregularities in written assignment mark allocation by tutors in DL. A deputy head from earlier intakes that had unimpeded completion of the programme said, ―The tutor would give people a general mark -- that was discouraging‖ (DT6B:417). A school head from earlier intakes that also had unimpeded completion of the programme complained about the lack of authenticity of some marks awarded to assignments by some tutors in DL. He said,
Some tutors were not thorough , and gave a mark , let‘s say 90%-- yet the stuff which is there is not worthy 90%-- I didn‘t like it--I wanted the tutors to be honest. If I got 30%-- I will work hard to say next time--I must get 60%-- , a genuine mark rather than a mark which pleases me (DT6ZV:418).
A senior teacher from later intakes that was still on the programme added another dimension of inconsistence in mark allocation by tutors. She said, ―You wonder what actually happens--as group members, the other students --excel and some actually fail-- but the ideas will be the same‖ (DT6C:418).
A school head from earlier intakes that had completed the programme revealed an oversight by DL tutors during the marking of written assignments. He said, ―One challenge is the temptation to get someone‘s assignment and copy it‖
(DT6ZV:420).The problem of adults that copy other learners‘ assignments was confirmed by a head of department that delayed completion and was still on the programme. She said, ―I don‘t hide that students -- get other students‘ assignments and write‖ (DT6P:416).