Department of Distance Education
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Item Exploring the dominant learning styles of adult learners in higher education(International Review of Education, 2020) Amponsah, S.In today’s complex and knowledge-driven world, the quest to pursue and acquire information and skills to enable one to be useful in society is not limited to young learners; many older adults also actively seek to acquire new knowledge and skills. The study presented in this article aims to establish the characteristics and dominant learning styles of adults enrolled in a diploma program at an institution of higher education in Ghana. In a qualitative case study approach using a homogenous sampling technique, 21 students (aged 27–54, 10 female, 11 male) were asked to fill in a learning styles questionnaire and to participate in focus group interviews. Based on these participants’ responses, the study found three learning styles to be dominant: Pragmatist, reflector, and theorist. An interesting finding was the absence of a fourth type among participants, the activist learning style. Since it is clear that not all adult learners engage well with the typical theoretical and conceptual content that is taught in higher education institutions, understanding these four adult learning styles should inform higher education policies to make learning equally enjoyable and maximize effective learning for all four types of adult learners. Other significant findings of this study open up avenues for further research on how an understanding of learning styles can be used to enhance learning by adults.Item Arrangements for Online Engagements of Distance Learners in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic(2021) Amponsah, S.; Aheto, S-P.K.; Anapey, G.M.; Kwapong, O.O.The University of Ghana Distance Education Programme was not spared from the disruptions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Management of the Department needed to make a radical move to shift from its hybrid system of delivery to a full-fledged online delivery. In spite of the limited time for this move, a lot of creative planning had to go into this, which led to a virtual training of 340 tutors, through four modules, to prepare them adequately for the task. Aside from assessing the planning and the virtual training aforementioned, this reflective paper also delves into other important issues such as the rolling out of a virtual/online academic and counselling support and architecture for monitoring of all the 228 courses that were moved onto the online space. This paper has implications for both policy and institutions that might be faced with similar circumstances, and it makes suggestions for exploration of other useful tools for delivery and monitoring that would contribute to better online engagements.Item The Sojourner’s Return: Risks and Challenges of the Study Abroad Experience on Re-Entry(2022) Attah, D.A.; Boafo-Arthur, S.; Boafo-Arthur, A.Thousands of students are participating in study abroad programs, which is a major decision that could alter the life of a student and shape his/her future. It is important, therefore, to carefully weigh the options that come with being an international student. This chapter explores the history of study abroad, students’ study abroad experiences, and the benefits of these programs. Study abroad benefits include personal growth, intercultural development, and career attainment. Educators consistently assert that a significant part of the studying abroad experience is training future global leaders to be more effective and efficient, respecting the diversities of people and cultures, including political and economic systems, and the willingness to take a stand for the world’s welfare. Following this, the re-entry experiences of students who return to their home countries at the end of their studies are examined with respect to the physical, social, and psychological risks that student returnees are faced with.Item Distance Education Tutors’ Technology Pedagogical Integration during COVID-19 in Ghana: Implications for Development Education and Instructional Design(Reimagining Development Education in Africa, 2022) Anapey, G.M.; Aheto, S-P.K.Disruptions to education by the 2019 Global pandemic has amplified development educationists’ advocacy for sustainable learner-focused curriculum that addresses cross-cutting themes. Teachers’ failure to effectively use digital media for differentiated learning might continue to widen access, gender, and equity gaps in education for distance learners in the Global South. Within development education framework of raising awareness and understanding of impacts of global affairs on education, we argue that teachers’ technology pedagogical integration competencies are likely to impact quality curriculum delivery in a full-online environment. On a pedagogical integration self-efficacy questionnaire, we elicited data from 197 distance education tutors on a Likert-type scale that yielded reliability coefficient of .9 and face validity checked by instructional design experts. Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA were used for the data analysis and the results suggested that distance education tutors were more likely to select video-based digital tools than asynchronous techniques during tutorial sessions. Secondly, Internet access and technology professional development were the leading needs for tutors’ instructional delivery during the pandemic. Finally, tutors’ technology training and years of teaching experience in facilitating distance education courses were not statistically significant in online pedagogical delivery. We conclude that ICT training amongst distance education tutors remains generic in lieu of digital integration literacy. Recommendations for continuing education, curriculum development, and instructional design are made.Item The Sojourner’s Return: Narratives on the Re-entry Experience(Springer Link, 2020) Boafo-Arthur, A.; Boafo-Arthur, S.; Attah, D.A.; Tsevi, L.This chapter reflects on the re-entry experience with emphasis on the cognitive, psychological, and behavioral aspects of the experience for individuals from sub-Saharan African nations. These issues will be discussed against the backdrop of Szkudlarek’s (2010) Expectations model; Gullahorn and Gullahorn’s W-curve hypothesis; and Martin and Harrell’s (2004), Intercultural Model of re-entry. The internationalization of higher education has become a priority among many institutions of higher education. Sojourning abroad comes with related issues such as culture shock. This notwithstanding, sojourners who choose to return often report many benefits of the stay abroad experience. Likewise, returning home after being away for several years also presents other challenges as students re-adjust to their home countries.Item 2023: International Student Employability: Narratives of Strengths, Challenges, and Strategies from Global South Students(Springer, 2022) Boafo-Arthur, S.; Attah, D.; Boafo-Arthur, A.; Tsevi, L.Studying abroad is seen as a very beneficial aspect of any study experience. And in some countries or cultures, it is expected to be a part of the path carved by any serious potential academician. With studying abroad, and the expectations of being highly employable post one's graduation, it can be quite a disappointment should one's expectations of employability, and the job market not match the reality of employment within the country of origin, or the country of sojourn. This chapter intends to examine the expectations individuals have prior to graduation, the discrepancy between that and the reality of the job market, and tentative solutions to the challenges faced. Narratives from current and former international students/study "abroaders" will be included to depict the actual experiences of these individuals and how their experiences connect to the broader issue under discussion.Item Promoting Gender Equality in Ghana: Sociocultural Factors in Perspective(Reimagining Development Education in Africa, 2022) Ussher, Y.A.A.; Tsevi, L.; Boafo-Arthur, A.Despite many efforts in promoting gender equality, the issue has not become obsolete. Gender inequality with respect to education continues to exist as it finds its expression in socio-cultural factors. This paper explores sociocultural factors that contribute to gender disparity with respect to education. Using semi-structured interviews, the study explores the views of university faculty members regarding sociocultural factors that affect gender educational inequality and solicit their views on interventions being implemented to promote gender equality. The findings of the study show that gendered division of labour is the predominant socio-cultural practice that promotes gender inequality with respect to education and must be reviewed using advocacy and community engagement. The authors therefore argue that unless these socio-cultural practices hegemonized in African society is done away with, gender inequality with respect to education will never become obsolete. There is therefore the need to create awareness and sensitization of the negative effects of socio-cultural practices using African indigenous knowledge and education to promote self-emancipation of females, and an agenda for education and development.Item The Centrality of Glocalisation in Sustaining Development Education in Ghana and Nigeria(Researchgate, 2023) Amponsah, S.; Babarinde, K.Since the attainment of independence from their colonial masters in 1957 and 1960, the Ghanaian and Nigerian education systems have undergone several reforms to conform to the times. Incidentally, all the reforms seem to drive the values of education towards Western philosophies. Indigenous knowledge systems, content and African forms of delivery have eluded the two countries’ educational systems. To bring back authentic African content into development education, this paper advo cates for the incorporation of local content and delivery styles to ensure learners carry the ‘knowledge of their fathers’ into the future and immortalise such knowledge for posterity. In pushing this agenda, we did a content analysis of the various educational reforms in Ghana and Nigeria. Based on what exists in the literature, we theorized that in respect of SDG 4 and the bid to sustain education as a contribution to devel opment education, glocalisation should be the prime focus. Consequently, we noted that policy directives, decolonization of the various curricula used in education and the implementation of the recommendations from earlier studies and declarations are imperatives to this call.Item The Sojourner's return: Risks and challenges of the study abroad experience on re-entry(Study Abroad Contexts for Enhanced Foreign Language Learning, 2018-04) Attah, D.A.; Boafo-Arthur, S.; Boafo-Arthur, A.Thousands of students are participating in study abroad programs, which is a major decision that could alter the life of a student and shape his/her future. It is important, therefore, to carefully weigh the options that come with being an international student. This chapter explores the history of study abroad, students' study abroad experiences, and the benefits of these programs. Study abroad benefits include personal growth, intercultural development, and career attainment. Educators consistently assert that a significant part of the studying abroad experience is training future global leaders to be more effective and efficient, respecting the diversities of people and cultures, including political and economic systems, and the willingness to take a stand for the world's welfare. Following this, the re-entry experiences of students who return to their home countries at the end of their studies are examined with respect to the physical, social, and psychological risks that student returnees are faced with.