“WhatsApp” as a Learner Support tool for distance education: Implications for Policy and Practice at University of Zambia

Abstract

One of the norms of distance education is that learners are the drivers of their learning and teachers merely facilitate the learning process. To this effect, learners are expected to be fully engaged in their studies throughout for them to perform well in their studies. However, the ‘distance’ factor inherent in distance education has been identified as one of the major challenges for learners studying in this mode. The geographical isolation significantly detracts from the need for social interactions that are usually afforded by face-to-face situations. Consequently, the void leads to isolation, confusion, stress and ultimately contributing to high failure rate and drop-outs from the academic programmes. In this study, we document the use of “WhatsApp” as a tool for learner support among postgraduate students on the distance learning mode within the University of Zambia. The study, through “WhatsApp”, follows students where they are found and learns from them without disrupting their privacy and culture to inform ODL policy and practice. It is now clear that the University should be proactive to encourage the creation of self-generated social networks to mitigate vexing emergent issues students face on the distance learning mode.

How Learner Support Services Affect Student Engagement in Online Learning Environments

“…However, in large-scale online learning, the number of instructors and their available time for supporting learners is limited. Therefore, a variety of online learner support (OLS) services has been introduced to help students solve various problems from different aspects, such as a guidance section in online forums [21], instant messaging [35], chatbots [26], visual aids [19], and recommended learning strategies [9]. Through the learning guidance and course assistance provided by these support services, online learners may have a better learning experience and learning outcomes to achieve their learning goals.…”

Unearthing Motives that Propel Pre-service Teachers Venture into Special Education Career at the University of Zambia

“…Furthermore, [48] observes that there is need to organise teacher education programmes based on multiple motives, which contributes positively to completion of teacher education and teacher retention within their profession. This could be enhanced through the use of ICT platforms in the management and delivery of teacher education [49,50,51].…”