Challenges of Pedagogy in an ODeL Setting: Making Magic out of Mayhem

Abstract

The teaching and learning environment has undergone substantial changes as a result of technological advancements. Educators at all levels constantly face the challenge of increasing students' interest. In response to students' exposure to technology and social trends, practices are changing. This presentation provides a case study of how technology can be used to improve the learning environment for engineering-based courses in higher education. The method includes integrating web application technologies to improve the learners' experience and delivering interactive materials via a virtual learning environment. There are phases in the pedagogy execution that demonstrate the development from the first event through the implementation of the materials, after which the module is evaluated and is improved even more in light of the qualitative assessment. Electronic surveys are used in the evaluation process to gather input on the distance learning module. Furthermore, there is oversight of how the students are using the resources. The first findings from a recent online course are presented as the presentation comes to a close. A qualitative research approach is adopted to explore and explain the challenges of pedagogy in an ODL setting.