Open Learning in the African Context: Challenges and Possibilities for Self-directed Learning

Abstract

AbstractAfrican societies have always had their traditional education. This evolved during the advent of missionary works when most societies were exposed to Western education, which sought to instil “reading of the Bible”. In traditional African education, teaching and learning were done orally, through open gatherings around the fire where the elders told stories, or challenged the youngsters in myths, legends, idioms, and solution-oriented quizzes. With the arrival of European missionaries’ modes of delivery changed as formal classroom setups were introduced. This chapter, which is written from an open distance learning context, looks into ways in which self-reliance and self-directness might be facilitated in an African open learning context. The chapter, which is conceptual in nature, further explores the challenges and possibilities that characterise open and distance learning (ODL). It shall be argued that ODL aims at creating autonomous and self-directed learners who can champion their own learning. The chapter shall draw on the works of Mentz et al. (2019), Mentz and Oosthuizen (2016), and Knowles (Self-directed learning. Association Press, 1975a; Self-directed learning: a guide for learners and teachers. Cambridge Adult Education, 1975b) to argue that self-directed learning (SDL) is a product of autonomous students who, on their own volition, identify their learning needs and create ways of achieving outcomes. Based on the ODL experiences, the chapter shall argue that ODL is a student-centred mode of delivery. Thus, through a convergence of ODL and SDL, students employ various interventions to create and co-create knowledge and solutions to their own learning. Against this backdrop, the chapter shall argue that SDL and ODL are pertinent modes of delivery of teaching and learning in times of global crises such as the current COVID-19.KeywordsOpen and distance learningSelf-directed learningAutonomous learnersTraditional African education