Student's experiences with distance and online learning of university-level undergraduate mathematics in Nigeria
| dc.contributor.advisor | Jita, Loyiso C. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Moloi, Tshele J. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Reju, Comfort Okwuegbune | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2017-01-23T09:49:50Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2017-01-23T09:49:50Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2016-06 | |
| dc.description.abstract | English: Enrolment and success rates in undergraduate mathematics are relatively low, even for the face-to-face mode of study. The situation is worse for distance and online modes. At the same time, distance and online learning is becoming progressively more popular with higher learning institutions across the globe. In order to increase enrolment in undergraduate mathematics and to boost success rates at open and distance learning (ODL) institutions, a clear understanding of the needs of distance and online mathematics students is required. In particular, it is important to understand their current experiences with four elements of provision: instructional delivery (ID), assessment procedures (AP), learning facilitation (LF) and support services (SS). The key question being answered by this study is: What are the students’ experiences with distance and online learning of university-level mathematics at two major distance-learning universities in Nigeria? The research uses a mixed-methods approach involving questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and document analysis to understand the way distance and online students perceive their mathematics experiences, with regard to these four elements, in two major ODL institutions in Nigeria. The analysis of data included descriptive methods, inferential statistics and specifically Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression to test for relationships between variables and students’ narratives. Experiential learning theory (ELT), transactional distance theory (TDT) and cognitive theory of multimedia learning (CTML), which are found to be influential in distance and online education, were used as lenses to explain student perceptions of ID, AP, LF and SS. The findings reveal that teacher/tutor availability to facilitate and regulate learning and to mitigate the many challenges of learning mathematics in this mode is possibly the most critical success factor. Significant challenges also emerged in the Nigerian context, especially with internet availability and in obtaining adequate and self-explanatory course materials. Students frequently have to reach beyond the basic resources provided in their institutions by seeking textbooks and course materials from other ODL institutions. Consequently, the students called for better inclusion of more up-to-date technologies (with special emphasis on accessible hardware, user-friendly software and stable internet access) in the ID, AP and LF of distance and online mathematics learning. The institutional failure to satisfy this demand is another major finding of this study. The ELT, TDT and CTML models of learning, which call for distance and online students’ maximum commitment to the learning experience, are relevant in terms of their emphasis on enabling understanding, content sharing and online interaction using technologies. It is evident from the findings that, despite the rapid development of information and communication technology (ICT) in our present time, there needs to be far more effective incorporation of modern technology in the teaching and learning of mathematics at ODL institutions, including training teachers/tutors to use it optimally. The study also recommends that distance and online mathematics learners need to be supported in the construction of their own knowledge, by restructuring the learning processes to be more learner-centred. Moreover, regulatory agencies such as the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Nigeria, set up for quality assurance purposes, need to actively oversee the support of mathematics learning at university-level in order to strengthen the experiences of students and learning in online and distance modes. Finally, the pedagogical issues of ensuring that mathematics students at ODL institutions are not disadvantaged require that priority and resourcing be given to mathematics and perhaps other similar scarce-skills subjects. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: Die inskrywings- en sukseskoers in voorgraadse wiskunde is redelik laag, selfs wanneer die vak van aangesig to aangesig aangebied word. Die situasie is erger vir afstand- en aanlynstudie. Terselfdertyd word afstand- en aanlynstudie al hoe meer gewild onder instansies vir hoër opvoeding regoor die wêreld. Om inskrywing in voorgraadse wiskunde te vermeerder en om die sukseskoers by oop- en afstandleer- (OAL) instansies te verbeter, word ’n duidelike begrip van die behoeftes van afstand- en aanlynstudente in wiskunde vereis. Dit is veral belangrik om hul huidige ervarings van vier elemente van verskaffing te verstaan: onderrigverskaffing (OV), assesseringsprosedures (AP), leerfasilitering (LF) en ondersteuningsdienste (OD). Die sleutelvraag wat deur hierdie studie beantwoord word, is: Wat is die studente se ervarings met afstand- en aanlynstudie van universiteitsvlakwiskunde by twee belangrike afstandleerinstellings in Nigerië? Die navorsing gebruik ’n gemengde metodes-benadering wat vraelyste, semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en dokumentanalise behels, om sodoende te verstaan hoe afstand- en aanlynstudente aan twee belangrike OAL-instellings hul ervarings met wiskunde beleef ten opsigte van hierdie vier elemente. Die analise van data sluit beskrywende metodes, afgeleide statistieke en spesifiek Partial Least Squares- (PLS) regressie in, om vir verhoudings tussen veranderlikes en studente se narratiewe te toets. Ervaringsleerteorie (ELT), transaksionele afstandteorie (TAT) en kognitiewe teorie van multimedialeer (KTML), wat almal ’n sterk invloed op afstand- en aanlynonderwys het, is as lense gebruik om studente se persepsies van OV, AP, LF en OD te verklaar. Die bevindings het onthul dat onderwyser-/tutorbeskikbaarheid om leer te fasiliteer en te reguleer en om die talle uitdagings van wiskundeonderwys in hierdie modus die hoof te bied, moontlik die mees kritieke suksesfaktor is. Beduidende uitdagings het ook in die Nigeriese konteks na vore getree, veral ten opsigte van toegang tot die Internet en verkryging van voldoende en duidelike kursusmateriaal. Studente moet dikwels verder soek as die basiese hulpbronne wat deur hul instellings verskaf word, deur handboeke en kursusmateriaal van ander OAL-instansies te verkry. Gevolglik het die studente gepleit vir beter insluiting van meer hedendaagse tegnologieë (met spesiale klem op toeganglike hardeware, gebruikersvriendelike sagteware en stabiele internettoegang) in die OV, AP en LF van afstand- en aanlynstudie van wiskunde. Die institusionele mislukking om in hierdie behoefte te voldoen, is nog ’n hoofbevinding van hierdie studie. Die ELT-, TAT- en KTML-leermodel, wat afstand- en aanlynstudente se maksimale toegewydheid tot die leerervaring vereis, is relevant in terme van hul klem daarop om begrip, deel van inhoud en aanlyninteraksie deur tegnologie moontlik te maak. Uit die bevindings is dit duidelik dat, ten spyte van die vinnige hedendaagse ontwikkeling van inligting- en kommunikasietegnologie, daar veel doeltreffender inkorporasie van moderne tegnologie in die onderrig en leer van wiskunde by ODL-instellings moet wees, insluitend opleiding van onderwysers/tutors om dit doeltreffend te gebruik. Die studie beveel ook aan dat afstand- en aanlynstudente in wiskunde ondersteun moet word in die konstruksie van hul eie kennis deur die herstrukturering van die leerproses as meer leerdergesentreerd. Verder moet regulerende agentskappe soos die Nasionale Universiteitskommissie (NUC) in Nigerië, wat tot stand gebring is om gehalteversekering te doen, die ondersteuning van wiskundeonderrig op universiteitsvlak aktief monitor, om sodoende die ervarings van studente in aanlyn- en afstandmodes te versterk. Laastens vereis die pedagogiese kwessies van versekering dat wiskundestudente aan OAL-instellings nie benadeel word nie dat prioriteit en hulpbronne aan wiskunde en ander soortgelyke vakke wat skaars vaardighede verg, toegewys word. | af |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/5387 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Thesis (Ph.D. (School of Mathematics Natural Sciences and Technology Education))--University of the Free State, 2016 | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Student experiences | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Distance and online learning | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Instructional delivery | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Assessment procedures | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Learning facilitation | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Support services | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Mathematics -- Study and teaching -- Nigeria | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Distance education -- Nigeria | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Education, Higher -- Nigeria | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Student's experiences with distance and online learning of university-level undergraduate mathematics in Nigeria | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |