Using ODL and ICT to develop the skills of the unreached: a contribution to the ADEA triennial of the Working Group on Distance Education and Open Learning

Innovation in technology is occurring at rapid pace thus shrinking the distances and making information and knowledge more than ever accessible to everyone irrespective of where the person resides. This paper consists of four main articles. The first one deals with technological trends. The second one focuses on the deployment and use of open and distance education mode in rural areas by documenting initiatives that embrace information and communication technologies (ICTs). Due to challenges faced in rural areas only a few success stories/cases currently exist and some of these are cited in this article. The challenges faced in the deployment of ICT enhanced ODL have been highlighted as well as the potential of developing and delivering effective and relevant ODL programmes in rural areas in order to ensure that issues of educational equity and social exclusion rural communities are adequately addressed. ICTs in ODL are perhaps the greatest tool to date for self-education and value addition to any community’s development efforts, yet poor rural communities particularly in Africa do not have the necessary awareness, skills or facilities to enable themselves to develop using ICTs. Inadequate ICT infrastructures in rural areas remain a major source for the digital divide in Africa and for under-performance of distance learners. The third one analyses the support provided to ODL learners who often encounter difficulties in completing their studies through the distance education mode due to loneliness, uncertainties and de-motivation. ICT has not been able to sufficiently support distance learners in overcoming those obstacles efficiently. An investigation regarding those learning supports has been conducted in ten distance learning institutions, along with an intensive literature review with the aim of understanding the high percentage of dropout rates of distant learners. The learners’ interactions have been scrutinized through content analysis of their synchronous exchanges, during a completely online course. After taking into account the limited technical and human resources in Africa, a technological virtual environment along with a pedagogical framework has been proposed with the aim of giving adequate educational support to them. The fourth article has explored The Open University (UK) and its efforts to use new technologies to deliver online courses to difficult-to- reach learners in prison environments. The case study analysed here is an international course (called, B201- Business Organisations and their environments) which also touches an African cohort of learners. The implications for designing and delivering online ODL to the complex unreachable environments of prisons anywhere, and particularly in Africa, have been discussed

Puzzle Based Learning in Undergraduate Studies

All undergraduate Radiography students require training in image interpretation and evaluation of x-ray images in their second year of studies as part of work integrated learning. The method of teaching pedagogy influences the student\u27s learning process and recall ability during examinations. if the teaching process moves to a student-centred approach, students become responsible for their own learning allowing active engagement and construction of their knowledge systems. Aim/ Objectives The aim of the study is to implement and evaluate the use of puzzle-based learning in the teaching and learning process of undergraduate studies Objectives To determine the efficacy of crossword and jigsaw puzzles as a novel teaching tool for medical imaging education To increase student\u27s interest and involvement with image interpretation topics To improve and assess recognition and recall of medical terminology To improve the understanding of innovative learning Methods The study is a cross sectional qualitative research design. Approval will be obtained from the Research and Ethics Committee of health Sciences. Online consent will be obtained from students involved, by means of Google Form submission, followed by an information session on Blackboard collaborate on the topic "Image evaluation and interpretation of radiographic imaging". Conclusion The research will prove the important collaboration of active teaching methodologies with simple, easy to use didactic material to improve student\u27s understanding of basic concepts in their core module subjec