Abstract
Effective postgraduate supervision is a concern at universities worldwide, even under optimal conditions where post-graduate students are studying full-time. Universities are being pressured by their governments to increase the throughput of postgraduates where there is a need for supervisory guidance in order to produce quality graduates within a shorter period of time than was previously thought possible. In an Open Distance E-learning (ODeL) context in South Africa, postgraduate supervision presents an even more formidable task as face-to-face communication between supervisor and student is restricted or totally non-existent. Informed by a review of the Community of Practice Theory, the researcher undertook a qualitative study to investigate the challenges of supervisors by means of a purposeful sample of postgraduate supervisors at a major ODeL institution in South Africa. Open-ended questionnaires were the means of collecting the data. The results indicated weaknesses in respect of the following: the selection and allocation of postgraduate students to supervisors without consultation; the requirements for intensive guidance during the process of writing the thesis to meet the needs of under-prepared students; and the difficulties inherent in the ODeL model, which depended primarily on written communication, especially for academically weak students. The recommendation is that experienced supervisors should conduct workshops and mentor novice academics on effective ODeL supervision procedures. Keywords: higher education institutions; open distance e-learning; postgraduate studies; postgraduate supervision; South Africa; supervisee; supervisors
Highlights
The supervision of postgraduate study is a challenge at universities worldwide, even under optimal conditions and where the postgraduate students study full-time (Andrew, 2012; Sussex, 2008; Willems, Farley, Ellis, McCormick & Walker, 2011; Wisker, 2008)
The results of this study indicated that experienced supervisors were very successful in reducing the distance in an Open Distance E-learning (ODeL) institution through the effective management of the process
Most of the experienced supervisors provided their postgraduate students with the structure at the beginning of the study to allow for effective planning and further engagement
Summary
The supervision of postgraduate study is a challenge at universities worldwide, even under optimal conditions and where the postgraduate students study full-time (Andrew, 2012; Sussex, 2008; Willems, Farley, Ellis, McCormick & Walker, 2011; Wisker, 2008). The massification and marketisation of higher education has resulted in increasing numbers of students entering postgraduate programmes with different levels of capabilities (McCormack, 2012). Coupled with this is the mounting pressure from the governments to deliver postgraduate students within a prescribed period of time in order for these newly qualified individuals to contribute economically to the development of the nation (Manathunga, 2012). The Brazilian government, for example, was able to improve its economic development by increasing the quality and quantity of its postgraduate students (Sandoval, 2012). According to Mouton (2011), South Africa’s ability to improve its global competitive edge is dependent on the quality of its postgraduate students. Since the government’s funding to universities is dependent on the students’ throughput rate, the supervisors have an added burden to find new ways of guiding these students quickly and effectively
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