A case of an assessment module in Distance Education at the University of Pretoria

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the teaching and learning experiences of students and tutors in an assessment Distance Education module. The study looked at the students and tutors experiences of the pedagogy (like the contact sessions) the technology used (the Blackbaoard LMS) and the content and assessment of the module. The methodology followed was a descriptive qualitative case study, using semi-structured interviews and online questionnaires. Responses were obtained from the academic supporter, three tutors and 22 students. The learning management system, Blackboard, is easy to use and user-friendly. Students make use of the discussion board to communicate with each other and lecturers. They also find the contact sessions organised on Blackboard Collaborate useful and use the recordings of the sessions if they cannot attend virtually. They experience the assessment module as very relevant to their teaching practice and believe the content to be well planned.