The Regional Training and Research Institute for Distance and Open Learning (RETRIDOL), 水果派 of Nigeria (NOUN),聽has organised a Pre-Conference Workshop for the Open, Distance and e-Learning Association of Nigeria (ODeLan)聽during the聽2nd聽International聽Conference held at聽the聽Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
The workshop,聽held聽on聽Monday,聽April聽22, 2024聽with the theme: “Navigating the Digital Landscape: Quality Assurance Practices for Learner鈥檚 Support in Open and Distance Learning,” witnessed three聽separate聽sessions.
In session one, the Director, RETRIDOL and聽coordinator of the workshop, Prof.聽Christine Ofulue and Mr. Felix K. Olakulehin also from RETRIDOL, presented a paper titled: “Learner Support Services in Open, Distance Learning.”
In the second and third sessions, the resource person, Dr. Simon-Peter Kafui Aheto of the College of Education, University of Ghana, delivered two papers titled: “Technology Integration for Enhancing Learner Support,” and “Case Studies: Challenges,聽Good Practices and Solutions,” respectively.
In an interaction with聽水果派 News,聽Prof.聽Ofulue聽explained聽that they were requested and engaged by the host to run a聽pre-conference聽workshop,聽which she described as a half-day workshop and was successfully conducted.
She further described the main facilitator, Dr. Simon – Peter Kafui Aheto as an academic of high repute.
The聽coordinator stated that they choose the topic because聽research聽has shown that Learner Support is a neglected, yet a very critical area of the Open and Distance Learning (ODL).
The director because of the Learner Support Services which cater for all interactions with their learners, prospective聽and聽existing students or even the graduates “were among things we聽centred聽on and the interactions we had with the participants.”
She emphasised that “these are very critical to ensuring the successful completion of their studies knowing their peculiar characteristics that the聽distance聽learners are of the feeling of isolation, being motivated and so many things聽like that.
“We had a very successful workshop, we had over hundred participants who came for the conference but decided to turn for the聽pre-conference聽workshop and we had a robust conversations with the participants.”
One of聽the major takeaways, Ofulue stated,聽was coming up with the template that would enable the various institutions that offer Distance Learning programme to profile their students.
“Therefore,聽when they profile the students according to their characteristics, they find it easier to design support for the students adequately.
“If you don’t know who your students are you cannot design adequate support,” she said.
The director expressed her pleasure with the presence of the Vice-Chancellor, NOUN, Prof.聽Olufemi Peters at the workshop as well as the representative of the Federal Ministry of Education.