Cohort Supervision: Towards a Sustainable Model for Distance Learning?

Abstract

In response to the challenge of increasing supervision capacity while at the same time also improving the supervision experience, we used a design science research approach to guide the design, implementation and evaluation of a cohort supervision model for master’s students in computing at an open-distance university. This paper describes the implementation of a cohort programme in 2018, the findings from data collected during a focus group with students and supervisors, students’ reflective evaluations at the end of the module, feedback from the supervisors, and our reflective notes. Our main theoretical contribution is the cohort model proposed for developing supervision capacity at master’s level. Our practical contribution is a method for a practical supervision model for master’s students based on the concepts of co-operative learning and conversational theory.