Presentation
Reflections by Open Learning System Practitioners: Development, Deployment and Use
Murrell, K., Clarke, P., Voges, M. and Yates, S. University of KwaZulu-Natal
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The ITEd programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal has been using online technologies to support its constructivist learning programmes for the last three years. Initially WebCT was used to support the delivery of these courses but this year saw the implementation of the Open Learning System (OLS). This paper documents our experiences in moving from WebCT to OLS and also explores the role of the course designer/facilitator, technological issues, and the student experience.
The courses discussed in the paper form part of the Digital Media courses offered by ITEd. All courses are offered online with only one of the courses having a short face-to-face session. The move from static pages within WebCT to the more flexible database system has posed some challenges for designers, but more specifically facilitators have found the flexibility of OLS has challenged them to reflect upon their pedagogical approach and structure their modules accordingly.
Generally the response by students and designers has been positive and the students are challenged by the methodologies used. However the success of the system is dependant on the appropriate use by students and designers. Examples and experiences related to these themes will be presented from our different perspectives in order to provide multiple views in the development and use of OLS courses.