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7th Call - Dr. John Kwame Boateng

Project Title: Exploring E-Learning Needs for Adults in Central Region, Ghana for a Centre-Based Distance Education Programme

Principal Investigator: Dr. John Kwame Boateng (ICDE Distance Education Unit, Cape Coast Learning Centre of the ICDE, University of Ghana)

Email Address: jkboateng@ug.edu.gh

Award Amount: GHC 4,988.00

Project Status: Completed

Summary:

The Institute of Continuing and Distance Education (ICDE) is one of the key institutions through which the University of Ghana carries its mission, standards and curricula into Ghanaian cities, towns, villages, and communities. The Institute offers courses leading to Diploma, Bachelors, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. in Adult Education; Youth in Development Work; and short courses for community leaders.

Why Central Region

The Cape Coast ICDE Learning Center in Central Region is one of ten Regional Centers that has largely offered face-to-face teaching of adult learners. The Centre’s mandate covers the entire Region. As the ICDE prepares to roll out its distance education program at the Cape Coast Center in 2014, there is the urgency to respond effectively to the growing demand of working adults and others who have difficulties in getting trained in conventional education because of lack of flexibility in the timing and location of courses.  The other urgency is to provide an opportunity for the empowerment of those who are disadvantaged by existing provisions. These are the unemployed, the disabled and ethnic minorities who would benefit greatly from continuing education.

According to Omollo, (2011) and Omollo et al, (2012); a successful integration of learning technology will have the potential to provide more flexible access to learning material, improved learning outcome for the students, and would increase the quality of teaching and administrative services, without changing the mission of universities or reducing the academic freedom and autonomy. Larsen et al, (2013; p36), notes that one way of ensuring student involvement is through mandatory participation in online learning activities where the participation in activities is very important. The authors note that, central aspect in online learning is to look at how you activate the students in actual learning activities and harvesting the full potential of e-learning means that one embarks on an integrated approach in which one engages students in online learning activities. They affirm that one can design, diverse array of activities around group work, problem based learning (projects, cases, etc.), self-tests, video lectures, assignments and discussions.

Research questions

This study intends to ask the following questions:

  1. What are the major difficulties and opportunities that confront students when pursuing online learning?
  2. What accessibility and usability issues are important in e-learning systems?
  3. What are the training needs of working and non-working adults in facilitating online learning?
  4. What are the training needs of disabled learners in facilitating online learning (including motor, visual, cognitive and other forms of disability)?
  5. What are the current trends in providing accessible e-learning systems amongst system developers
  6. How may access and usability issues need be practically and cost effectively resolved?

Objectives of study

Objectives of the study includes: 1). Explore the difficulties and opportunities that confront students when pursuing online learning 2).Examine the accessibility and usability issues that are important in e-learning systems 3). Assess the training needs of adult learners in facilitating online learning 4) .Assess the training needs of disabled learners in facilitating online learning 5).Examine the current trends in providing accessible e-learning systems The research will investigate questions raised in the problem analysis, primarily targeted at prospective adult learners in the Central Region of Ghana. Likert scale model questionnaires will be used to obtain qualitative responses from users, complemented by interviews and focus groups discussions. Validated questionnaires will be used to assess students’ perception of the quality of the learning expected in a centre-based e-learning integrated distance education programme.

Outcomes of study

Learner needs will vary according to whether they are employed, unemployed, disabled and type of disability and this will be taken into consideration when selecting the sample for detailed study. Demographic factors (age, educational experience, gender, home support) also will be considered. Standard statistical packages (SPSS) will be used to analyze data and examine any cross-tabulation, effects, causations, associations, or grouping which emerges (e.g. through factor analysis). For the qualitative data, an appropriate qualitative data analysis software package will be used to assist coding, and derivation of themes, from the interview data. Outcomes will include:

  1. Implementation of a centre -based e-learning integration into the ICDE Cape Coast Centre Distance Education Programme
  2. The completion of a manuscript on findings of the study and a submission of articles to journals
  3. Evidence for the development of guidelines for adult learner support, staff working within information services, and e-learning support staff in the ICDE Centre in Cape Coast, Ghana
  4. Guidelines for disabled students to enable them to make informed choices about their approach to e-learning.

Findings

Respondents in the study have overwhelmingly expressed that mastering technology is a usability need to enable them successfully engage in online learning. This appears to be in line with what other researchers have found. (Hofman, (2014), notes that just because the technology is user-friendly, does not warrant success in itself and shows that when introducing new technologies, different ways of communicating, and a continual access to information can be overwhelming; even for learners who are considered technologically competent of the technology being used. Learnability was expressed as the most important content and use e-learning. Learnability refers to how easy it is for learners to find and retrieve important content and use available tools properly to facilitate their learning. Delivering a successful e-learning strategy to support adult student learning and development goes beyond just dynamic content. Respondents expressed need for appropriate content and resources. Designing e-learning course with the appropriate content and resources should promote that kind of learning where learners are challenged to apply and use knowledge and goes beyond a simple level of comprehension and recall.

Publications from Grant:

  1. Management, Challenges and Exceptions for Expanding Acess on Online Adults Education Programme

(International Journal of Economics and Commerce; Vol III., Issue II)

  1. Usability issues in e-learning :Learning perceptions in Ghana

(Journal of Educational Technology and Society;Under review)

  1. The role of technology  in Adult learning and training learning perceptions

(2015, Second International Conference of African Virtual University; July 2-3, 2015 Nairobi, Kenya)

  1. Accessibility  considerations for e-learning in Ghana

(Transform 2015: Online Research Colloquium).

  1. Tradeoffs between Instructor –learner Interaction , Cost and Numbers in E-learning

(International Council for Open and Distance Education Conference in UNISA: South Africa 14-16 October, 2015).

  1. Internationalizing  Higher Education in Africa :A Cross-Country Synchronous Collaboration in Teaching and Learning between American and Ghanaian University Students

(AAU COREVIP, 2015 2-5 June 2015)