Reading minds at a distance : a case study investigating student motivation for study at an ODL institution and their expectations regarding employability

Abstract

Reading the minds of students sitting in front of you is a challenge, but doing so over a distance in an ODL environment is virtually impossible. Therefore it is important to give attention to questions such as “Who are we teaching and why are they studying this subject?” We need to take student motivation for studying a particular subject into account in order to provide a course that fulfils the student’s expectations and provides the necessary academic content and preparation for employment. In this interdisciplinary case study the motivation of students to study Biblical Archaeology at Unisa is researched and statistically analysed, and brought into relation with the study of Tourism, as well as with issues pertaining to graduateness and employability.