Challenges Experienced by Students Studying through Open and Distance Learning at a Higher Education Institution in Namibia: Implications for Strategic Planning

Abstract

Online learning remains one of the most powerful enablers and accelerators for realising higher education studies by enhancing teaching by means of innovative technologies and pedagogies. However, the success rate of students studying through Open and Distance Learning (ODL) remains very low. Therefore, institutions of higher learning in Namibia should continuously establish and assess the challenges affecting the students who opt to study via distance mode to devise strategies required to address such challenges. The objective of this study was to understand the challenges experienced by students studying through ODL at Higher Education Institution (HEI) in Namibia and establish the challenges they face. A qualitative, phenomenological, explorative, descriptive and contextual research strategy was employed in this study to explore and describe challenges experienced by students’ studying through ODL at HEI’ satellite campus in Namibia. A purposive sampling was utilised in the selection of participants. Data were collected from participants using semi-structured interviews with nine participants. Three themes were identified, namely, the reasons why students chose to study through ODL programme, challenges experienced by students studying through ODL and mechanisms for improvement. The findings of this study call for well-articulated plans and actions to address the challenges faced by students studying in the distance e-learning mode. The study recommended that both Lecturers and ODL programme Administrators should undergo refresher training on distance education annually to ensure that they are aware and can address the challenges faced by their students.

Investigating the E-Learning Challenges Faced by Students during Covid-19 in Namibia

“…This was motivated by the fact that previous scholars (e.g. Ilonga, Ashipala & Tomas, 2020) have reported that poor internet connectivity continues to be detrimental to e-learning efforts in Namibia.…”

“…Nevertheless, this would have significantly affected students' experience elearning as accessibility is an important variable that influences students' perceptions of e-learning (Alshehri, Rutter & Smith, 2019). A study by Ilonga et al (2020) among university students in Namibia established that students had to invest in faster internet devices and data so as to mitigate against the effects of slow loading pages.…”

Academics’ “Why” of Knowledge-Building for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and COVID-19 Era

“…The 4IR-Rs demand that academics, students, and administrators undergo refresher training. Such will help the above-mentioned groups to understand digital technologies based on their needs, drawing from both professional and societal needs (Ilonga, Ashipala, & Tomas, 2020).…”

Students’ Habits Appear Captured by WhatsApp

“…The discussions of social and discipline habits reveal a need for a neutral platform of habits created through the strengths of disciplinary and social habits. A new, emerging category of habits is personal or pragmatic habits, that may address the needs of individual students by drawing on the strengths of both the social and discipline habits (Czerniewicz, 2018;Ilonga, Ashipala, & Tomas, 2020;Khoza, 2013). Studies (Khoza, 2013;Khoza & Manik, 2015;Mpungose, 2018) are of the view that students should learn with the aim of finding and understanding their identities through relevant theories such as The Tree Three Rings Theory (TTTRT) (Khoza, 2013) and others, before they attempt to address discipline or societal needs, in order to have control over WhatsApp and other digital technologies.…”