Pushing the Boundaries: Migrating Online in a Developing Context

Abstract

In this paper, the authors use the National Association for Distance Education’s (NADEOSA) criteria for program development and Mishra and Koehler’s Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, to share how a paper-based distance education model is in the process of being migrated into a wed-dependent blended model that is responsive to the changing environment in a particular developing context. The change was necessitated partly by the University of Pretoria’s decision to adopt a web-dependent “flipped classroom” model; partly by a desire to improve retention and success rates and partly by the new minimum requirements stipulated for teacher qualifications by South Africa’s Department of Higher Education and Training. The new government policy encapsulates the notion of integrated and applied knowledge, which gives renewed emphasis not only to what is to be learned, but also to how it is to be learnt. Embedded in this is the ability to use technology. How did the University push boundaries without necessarily locking out disadvantaged students? What lessons learnt could advance the field of appropriate programme design in distance education? These are some of the questions which the authors attempt to answer. // Paper ID 285