E-learning course design in teacher design teams: experiences in the Open University of Tanzania

Abstract

Collaborative course design in teacher design teams (TDTs) is reported as a promising professional development strategy. This study explored the potential of this strategy in preparing teachers in course redesign for e-learning delivery in the context of the Open University of Tanzania. Three teachers from the Institute of Continuing Education worked in a design team and were supported on how to transform their traditional courses into e-learning courses. Sixty-seven foundation course students from the Institute of Continuing Education participated to study in an e-learning environment through offline Moodle Learning Management System and were supported by e-mails and mobile phones for a period of three months. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from teachers and students. This contribution discusses the experiences of teachers on collaborative course redesign in TDTs and presents students| experiences with the redesigned e-learning courses. The findings show, that despite its challenges, TDTs had a significant return in terms of professional development of teachers and improvement of student support.