Abstract
Distance education is an innovative learning experience which focuses on learning technology with the aim of creating human capital by using delivery of lessons from highly accredited source to the learner. At the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, individuals from diverse backgrounds and organizations embark on distance learning who under normal circumstances would not have had access to attend classes in the mainstream. The compelling need to determine their success in various centres is determined by effective assessment procedures and programme evaluation. This depends on types, structures, tools, mode of delivery and assessment records. This paper therefore examines the academic underpinnings of what precisely occurs at the University of Cape Coast. The paper instigates an inquiry to draw attention to learning outcomes of the “new” academic environment which stakeholders are benefitting from. The investigation was a case study from selected centres of the Eastern region. It adopted the mixed approach with sample selection which involved 50 students, 30 course tutors and 5 course coordinators. Semi-structured interview and group discussion were used as validation tools. Analytical processes were through sequencing and concurrent procedures using descriptive statistics and discursive method as basis for generating data. Respondents claimed that assessment procedures were superb. However, both students and course tutors complained about continuous assessment component of Teacher Made Test which is entirely ignored. The recommendation was to adopt well defined assessment and evaluation strategies.
Highlights
Distance education otherwise distance learning is a field of study that focuses on modern scientific way of learning by the use of methods and technology in order to reach out to people who may not have had access to attend regular or mainstream classes
Distance education is an innovative learning experience which focuses on learning technology with the aim of creating human capital by using delivery of lessons from highly accredited source to the learner
Results indicated the vast majority of students were those offering Diploma in Basic Education (68%) which by far exceeded students offering Diploma in Educational Psychology (32%)
Summary
Distance education otherwise distance learning is a field of study that focuses on modern scientific way of learning by the use of methods and technology in order to reach out to people who may not have had access to attend regular or mainstream classes. Distance learning has been instituted as one of the best practices from a remote source to the learner. This can be organized within a complex or simple environment which suggests grassroots participation of learning experiences. Other institutions and organizations have embarked on distance education to reduce capacity constraints on campuses and equal access to quality education. There is the compelling need to determine their successes through effective assessment and programme evaluation. Considering the potential benefits distance education is gaining, it appears very little has been written and discussed about the effectiveness of distance learning and the effective ways of assessing distance education programmes (Wolcott & Betts, 1999). Distance learning opportunity is taken to almost door steps of learners
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