An Approach to Integrate Skills Development in Open Distance Learning (ODL) Environment: Part 2

Abstract

ODL education has been developing rapidly in Southern Africa recently. The system involves study that is not limted by geographical boundaries and in practice tend to extend knowledge beyond that is offered by contact or tradional univeristies. At the University of South Africa (UNISA), adoption of this method on theoretical knowledge has been successful. The practical component has not been effective, particularly in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Curriculum. This has resulted in high volume of dropouts, contributed to unskilled graduates and unemployment growth within the academic space. In this paper, an emerging centered learner and a developed centered learner method is proposed. These two methods simulate unemployed and employed students who study part-time at the university in their first entry level. Employed are classified as developed centered learner (DCL) and unemployed, newly matriculated, as emerging centered learner (ECL). The results show a measure of correlation between the two groups of students in their learning method. Developed centered learner attained a better pass-rate than an emerging centered learner. A conclusion is made by drawing attention to the integration of practical curriculum elements and lasting understanding of theory in practice for ODL graduates.