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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA (UNISA) SCIENCE WEEK 15 th July 2013, ACCRA, GHANA David Modise BSc Hons Bath, MSc West Virginia, PhD Nottingham Director: School of Agriculture & Life Sciences
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Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

Dec 16, 2014

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Education

A presentation by Dr. D. Modise, that looks at the teaching of Agriculture via distance learning. This was at a side event on Day 2 of the AASW6
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Page 1: Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA (UNISA)

FARA SCIENCE WEEK 15th July 2013, ACCRA, GHANA

David ModiseBSc Hons Bath, MSc West Virginia, PhD Nottingham

Director: School of Agriculture & Life Sciences

Page 2: Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

Teaching of Agriculture by ODeL

PROTOCOL• Location• Colleges• Enrolments: Head-counts • Mode of delivery: Open Distance e- Learning• UNISA Vision and Mission• UNISA model of teaching agriculture

– Challenges– Solutions– Possibilities

Page 3: Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

Location

• South Africa, main campus in Pretoria CBD and Science Campus in Florida (RSA), and Regional Learning Centres: Ethiopia, Major Cities/Towns in SA.

• Gauteng Province : Major industrial and political centre in SA with Johannesburg proximal and forms conurbation. Therefore accessible through well developed road, & telecom infrastructure (freeways, international airports) and vibrant corporate climate. Sister universities in proximity are University of Pretoria, WITS, Tshwane University of Technology and National Research institutes.

Page 4: Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

Main Campus

Page 5: Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

COLLEGES OF:

• AGRICULTURE & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (CAES)

• LAW (CLAW)

• EDUCATION (CoE)

• HUMAN SCIENCES (CHS)

• ECONOMICS MANAGEMENT SCIENCES (CEMS)

• SCIENCE, ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY (CSET)

• GRADUATE STUDIES (CGS)

Page 6: Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

HEAD COUNTS by Colleges, 2007-2011

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

CAES 3 712 1,4% 4 506 1,6% 4 318 1,5% 5 672 1,8% 6 815 2,1%

CEMS 132 223

50,3%

140 088

49,1%

130 688

46,7%

140 990

45,7%

137 728

42,9%

CoE 26 45410,1

% 36 20112,7

% 45 61216,3

% 51 15916,6

% 61 76419,2

%

CHS 35 50413,5

% 39 26313,8

% 39 49214,1

% 45 43314,7

% 47 99214,9

%

CLAW 28 89011,0

% 27 523 9,7% 27 208 9,7% 30 74310,0

% 31 725 9,9%

CSET 17 817 6,8% 19 087 6,7% 18 453 6,6% 20 679 6,7% 21 817 6,8%

OCC 18 260 6,9% 18 531 6,5% 13 969 5,0% 14 120 4,6% 13 282 4,1%

Total 262 860 100%

285 199 100%

279 740 100%

308 796 100%

321 123 100%

Page 7: Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

UNISA Vision and Mission

The University of South Africa (UNISA)’s Strategic Plan For 2015 geared to establishing itself as a world class higher education institution through Open Distance Learning (ODL).

The Mission is aligned with national development imperatives and Vision encompasses the African continent as well as international arena– thus the significant enrolments from other African countries

UNISA is a comprehensive university as by offerings: Doctoral, Masters, PG, UG degree, UG certificate and diploma

Page 8: Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

Mode of Delivery

• Comprehensive University: Vocational & Academic programmes

• Open Distance Learning (ODL)/ODeL• - Accessible, Relatively affordable, distance is bridged by

technology [videoconferencing, sms, ICT portal (myUNISA), study guides, contact (blended approach), e-mail, digital satellite etc.]

• - History of success with many current respect political leaders e.g. Nelson Mandela and many prominent activists

Page 9: Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

Background to distance education

• Distance education began only through print material as correspondence over 100 years ago (Moore & Kearnsley 1996).

• Presently a wide range of different technologies exist including multimedia.

• Choice of which media platform to adopt due to increasing technological advances is of great importance

• The ODL/ODEL model’s basic principles are: - Bridge the geographical distance between teacher &

learner, learner & learner, learner & study material and learner & institution.

- Study material is prepared in a manner that allows self study

- Barriers to learning removed (economical, discrimination, flexiblity of learning provision, student support)

- Quality education provided in a cost effective way (Daniel & Mallet

Page 10: Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

The reality

• Distance learning offers a wide choice of learning models for both formal and informal teaching & learning

• Demand particularly for Agriculture is likely to increase as it is a cost effective method of studying (alternative to full time)

• Eliminates need to travel to institution• Can take place while people are on full-time employment• Allows and enables creativity in teaching and learning• Many universities in the world and some in Africa have

already adopted distance learning for particular programes especially postgraduate studies

• Stimulates higher thinking through social constructivists paradigm (collaboration in learning – learners & peers etc.

(Mbati, 2012)

Page 11: Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

Examples of distance learning institutes

• Faculty of Agric. Bindure Univ. of Science, Zimbabwe• Tamil Nadu Agric. Univ. India, (Undergraduate)• Bangladesh Open University (Training 20 000

teachers)• College of Agric & Life Sciences, Florida Univ. (USA).• Virginia Tech University, Virginia, USA –Masters degree• Distance Learning Centre, Univ. of Ibadan. Nigeria.

Undergrad.• University of Pretoria, South Africa. MSc Vet Science• California Virtual Campus, USA. Undergrad• Faculty of Agriculture, Univ. of Nairobi, Kenya.

Undergrad.• Open Polytechnic, New Zealand. Vocational

qualifications.• Institute of ODeL, Kenyatta University, Under &

postgrad• Many other universities in Africa and abroad

Page 12: Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

Teaching of Agriculture : UNISA model

Page 13: Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

Teaching & Learning• Student support :

- Tutors (20 students per tutor/module) in the field provided to support lecturers

- Learning material accessible through the ICT platforms (MyUnisa), regional centres (electronic toasters), postal. This is a blended approach.

- Technologies (DVD, audio and CD, satellite broadcasting, podcasting, radio, television, on-line. Asynchronous methods e.g. Blogs, wikis, social media, e-portfolios

Interactive technology – Telephony, sms, e-mail, discussion/chat forums e.g. Myunisa, videoconferencing (e.g. Ethiopia learning centre), face to face sessions, simulations and advanced combinations of synchronous technologies

- Access to the library & to books : E-books and on-line access provided, mobile library facility. Also access to internet facilities

Page 14: Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

Practicals & work experience

• Provide Practicals through collaboration with other institutions e.g. Vet practicals with University of Pretoria.

• Utilise facilities of research institutes e.g. the Agricultural Research Council

• Assist with provision of Work Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunities in the industry – finding placements

• Seek innovative ways of exposing learners to various alternative ways e.g. simulations, virtual lab

Page 15: Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

Research• Collaboration with partners/stakeholders/industry is

a win-win situation for all (local and internationally).- Supervision of Postgrad. Students with externals as either

supervisor/co-supervisor has been successful- Collaboration on joint equipment grant application & use of research

facilities- External examiners- Encourage academic discourse by inviting scholars- Use of research fellows and academic associates to enrich the

research and scholarly environment- Develop own research facilities e.g. new science hub

Page 16: Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

The 600 MHZ NMR placed at CSIR

Used for structural analysis of compounds; bioprospecting in medicinal plants – research in metabolomics

Page 17: Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

General challenges to teaching agriculture by ODeL in most African countries

• Unstable electricity supply• Lack of modern electronic access e.g. emails• Access to electronic gadgets such as computers,

TV, radio• Dropouts due to inability to maintain self study

discipline, feeling of loneliness (Faruque, 1998)• Access to facilities to conduct practicals• Plagiarism

Page 18: Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

Reflections on teaching & learning models

• There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution but rather a careful choice should be adopted of what technology to use.

• Considerations to be based on prevailing factors (media, learners, subject matter, interactions etc)

• A media mix (blended approach) is often recommended as more effective and efficient than a single medium of teaching & learning

• A synchronous method is quite often suitable as a model where access is not a problem

Page 19: Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

Continued

• The teaching methodology should enable an interaction between learner & lecturer, learner & material to encourage student to engage with teaching material (FAO, 1989).

• Infrastructure is a major consideration e.g. internet access, electricity etc. as it affects both learner & lecturer.

• The medium should compliment the learners experience e.g. familiarity with content, literacy

• The cost is also thus a factor. It may be cheaper to produce a CD than a manual book (Truelove, 1998).

• Support available to learners e.g. counselling

Page 20: Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

ReferencesFAO. 1989. Guidelines on communication for rural development: a brief for

development planners and project formulators.

Farauque AM. 1998. Agricultural education in distant mode in Bangladesh Open University – A new approach to transfer of technology. Col.org

Mbati LA. 2012. Online learning for social constructivism: Creating a conducive environment. Progressio 34: 99-119.

Moore MG & Kearnsley G. 1996. Distance education: As systems view. Belmont.

Truelove W. 1998. The selection of media for distance education in agriculture. FAO.

Page 21: Teaching Agriculture via long distance education

A word of thanks

• To FARA for affording space to make presentation• Attention from participants• Grateful to UNISA for enabling environment for this

opportunity to make this presentation in Ghana

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Thank you!

An acacia tree spp. silhouette under the African sky