The importance of student feedback in shaping the future of ODL at Unisa : the case of LML4810 module offered in the College of Law

Abstract

Student feedback is of critical importance in distance learning (Price 1997). Student feedback needs to be relied upon when modules are planned, launched and continuous monitoring can never be under estimated. Feedback is at the heart of what students expect from their distance learning lecturers as has been pointed out by Cole et al (1986). During 2011, the tuition committee granted permission for the mercantile law department to offer LML4810 module fully online as from 2013. This paper analyses feedback given by students concerning the need to move the LML4810 module to fully online. The majority if not all the students were clear in their support for the module to be offered fully online. This study was prompted by an evaluation of the module provision that the author is playing a leading role as course leader. The evaluation shared in this paper represents only the perspectives of quantitative research on student feedback.