Reflections on assessment in Open Distance Learning (ODL): the case of the University of South Africa (UNISA)
<p>The article explores the challenges of assessment in open distance learning (ODL). The authors argue that ultimately assessment should be about improving the quality of teaching and effective learning. It should be based on making expectations explicit and public, setting appropriate criter...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE)
2013-07-01
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| Series: | Open Praxis |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://openpraxis.org/articles/248 |
| _version_ | 1811162099868499968 |
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| author | Moeketsi Letseka Victor Pitsoe |
| author_facet | Moeketsi Letseka Victor Pitsoe |
| author_sort | Moeketsi Letseka |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>The article explores the challenges of assessment in open distance learning (ODL). The authors argue that ultimately assessment should be about improving the quality of teaching and effective learning. It should be based on making expectations explicit and public, setting appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality, systematically gathering, analyzing and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches expectations and standards, and using the resultant information to document, explain, and improve performance. However, getting all these variables to work in ODL presents mammoth challenges. How can ODL lecturers validate and authenticate students’ written work? How can they tell whether the students’ submitted work sufficiently reflects their knowledge and understanding? South Africa has inherited an unequal, racially skewed and inequitable educational provision from its apartheid past. This poses serious challenge for assessing quality. The article therefore seeks to understand these context-specific challenges of ODL assessment at UNISA.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T06:24:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-af6d09c95d2b4071ad559c32bc34f3a5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1369-9997 2304-070X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T06:24:14Z |
| publishDate | 2013-07-01 |
| publisher | International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Open Praxis |
| spelling | doaj.art-af6d09c95d2b4071ad559c32bc34f3a52023-03-01T21:21:14ZengInternational Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE)Open Praxis1369-99972304-070X2013-07-015319720610.5944/openpraxis.5.3.66221Reflections on assessment in Open Distance Learning (ODL): the case of the University of South Africa (UNISA)Moeketsi Letseka0Victor Pitsoe1College of Education, University of South AfricaCollege of Education, University of South Africa<p>The article explores the challenges of assessment in open distance learning (ODL). The authors argue that ultimately assessment should be about improving the quality of teaching and effective learning. It should be based on making expectations explicit and public, setting appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality, systematically gathering, analyzing and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches expectations and standards, and using the resultant information to document, explain, and improve performance. However, getting all these variables to work in ODL presents mammoth challenges. How can ODL lecturers validate and authenticate students’ written work? How can they tell whether the students’ submitted work sufficiently reflects their knowledge and understanding? South Africa has inherited an unequal, racially skewed and inequitable educational provision from its apartheid past. This poses serious challenge for assessing quality. The article therefore seeks to understand these context-specific challenges of ODL assessment at UNISA.</p>https://openpraxis.org/articles/248assessmentchallengeslearningopen distance learning (odl)teaching |
| spellingShingle | Moeketsi Letseka Victor Pitsoe Reflections on assessment in Open Distance Learning (ODL): the case of the University of South Africa (UNISA) Open Praxis assessment challenges learning open distance learning (odl) teaching |
| title | Reflections on assessment in Open Distance Learning (ODL): the case of the University of South Africa (UNISA) |
| title_full | Reflections on assessment in Open Distance Learning (ODL): the case of the University of South Africa (UNISA) |
| title_fullStr | Reflections on assessment in Open Distance Learning (ODL): the case of the University of South Africa (UNISA) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reflections on assessment in Open Distance Learning (ODL): the case of the University of South Africa (UNISA) |
| title_short | Reflections on assessment in Open Distance Learning (ODL): the case of the University of South Africa (UNISA) |
| title_sort | reflections on assessment in open distance learning odl the case of the university of south africa unisa |
| topic | assessment challenges learning open distance learning (odl) teaching |
| url | https://openpraxis.org/articles/248 |
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