https://zjde.unza.zm/index.php?journal=zjde&page=issue&op=feed 2022-01-25T09:47:25+00:00 Open Journal Systems The Zambia Journal of Distance Education https://zjde.unza.zm/index.php?journal=zjde&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=225 2022-01-25T09:47:08+00:00 Victor J. Pitsoe pitsovj@unisa.ac.za Mmabaledi K. Seeletso mmaba.see@gmail.com

This paper is philosophical in nature and we argue that Virtual Learning and e-Learning in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) present challenges to quality assurance that were unimaginable just a quarter century ago. This paper argues that implementing rigorous authoritative controls, higher institutions can ensure that students are working to attain credible qualifications, as they would be in a traditional learning environment. We theorise quality assurance as a virtue of professional practice; present quality culture as a pedagogic device for classification and framing; and propose a rethinking of Virtual Learning Environments and e‐learning quality assurance praxis through framework of Harvey and Green (1993) and Watty (2003).

2022-01-25T00:00:00+00:00 ##submission.copyrightStatement## https://zjde.unza.zm/index.php?journal=zjde&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=224 2022-01-25T09:47:10+00:00 Paul Mupa mupapaul@gmail.com

Distance education has expanded dramatically over the years and has become a needed component in the higher education landscape especially in this COVID-19 era. Students in distance education need the ability to make decisions about the quality of work and others. The argument advanced in this article is that evaluative judgement should be used as a pedagogical tool by students in distance education so that they develop the capacity to improve their reflective practices. Qualitative methodology was employed in this study. Learning facilitators from the Zimbabwe Open University were purposefully sampled to generate data through semi-structured interviews. The major findings of the study were that evaluative judgement is a very effective tool which enables students to see whether what they are doing is right or wrong. It is used in assignment writing, term paper presentations, research project writing, group discussions, peer assessment, teaching practice attachment and during examination writing. It improves the depth and breadth of understanding matter and also improves the quality of interaction between the student and the content. The study recommends that tutorial handbooks should be provided at orientation on the importance of evaluative judgement to students in order to improve the quality of their work.

2022-01-25T09:05:30+00:00 ##submission.copyrightStatement## https://zjde.unza.zm/index.php?journal=zjde&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=226 2022-01-25T09:47:12+00:00 Innocent Mutale Mulenga innocent.mulenga@unza.zm Victoria Silumba innocent.mulenga@unza.zm

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions in most fields of human endeavor and education seems to be one of the most hit. In Zambian, schools’ face-to-face teaching and learning had been stopped on two occasions when the spread of the corona virus caused several deaths and severe illness. Some institutions of learning especially, in higher education pivoted to some form of technology-mediated teaching and learning. However, can public primary and secondary schools also manage to implement their curriculum using blended and distance learning? In this study, a mixed method research approach was used to analyse experiences of 200 teachers, 400 learners and 20 head teachers in arriving at lessons that can be drawn from the COVID-19 disruptions in terms of the use of blended and distance teaching and learning. The findings showed that the majority of teachers had no pedagogical competencies to teach using blended and distance methods since they were only familiar with face-toface methods. It was also revealed that blended and distance teaching and learning would require digital devices and platforms which were not available to both teachers and learners. It was for this reason that both school authorities and learners only waited for the pandemic to minimize or finish before school activities could resume. We conclude and recommend that the Ministry of Education in Zambia needs to invest heavily in improving school infrastructure, up skilling teachers in ICT and provide digital platforms to schools if blended and distance education are to be used since living with the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be the new normal of the world status.

2022-01-25T09:08:44+00:00 ##submission.copyrightStatement## https://zjde.unza.zm/index.php?journal=zjde&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=227 2022-01-25T09:47:15+00:00 Rudo Valerie Murungu chimbadzwaz@zou.ac.zw Zvinaiye Chimbadzwa chimbadzwaz@zou.ac.zw

This research sought to evaluate the effects of workplace flexibility on job satisfaction for employees at Chitungwiza Municipality. Workplace flexibility are work options that permit flexibility in terms of where work is completed and how it is completed. The research was carried out in the form of a case study of Chitungwiza Municipality employees in the health, works, finance, urban planning, town clerk and human resource departments. A sample of 40 participants was drawn from a population of 440 employees. Purposive sampling method was employed in selecting participants from non-managerial employees. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to generate data from the participants in the identified departments. In analyzing the generated data, the thematic approach was used in which themes were derived from the research questions. The themes included establishing the flexible work arrangements available at Chitungwiza Municipality, the effects of flexible work arrangements, challenges of flexible work arrangements on job satisfaction at Chitungwiza Municipality and the possible solutions to the identified challenges. The research findings revealed that flexible work arrangements had a positive effect on employee job satisfaction and further improve organisational performance. In light of the findings, the study recommends that organisations should incorporate flexible work arrangements so as to minimize negative attitudes and create conducive work environments that suit every employee to ensure employee job satisfaction. Workplace flexibility acts as a security measure in curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2022-01-25T09:14:03+00:00 ##submission.copyrightStatement## https://zjde.unza.zm/index.php?journal=zjde&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=228 2022-01-25T09:47:18+00:00 Thomas Musankuleni Kaputa kaputat@zou.ac.zw Beatrice Bondai Maupa kaputat@zou.ac.zw Pedzisai Goronga kaputat@zou.ac.zw

This study explored lecturers’ preferences regarding online modules and study guides for Distance Education (DE) in Zimbabwe. It focused on two universities, one campus-based and the other one an open and distance electronic learning (ODeL) institution. The advent of Covid-19 has hastened the use of electronic learning management systems in higher and tertiary education institutions as an antidote for the pandemic. Universities agree that the use of technology is the only way to go in the new normal. The use of online modules or study guides, resisted for some time by campus-based universities, has now become central to the narrative on the best delivery mode for online teaching and learning. This qualitative study adopted a case study design. A sample of eighteen (18) participants drawn from two faculties of education, from the two universities, responded voluntarily to the online questionnaire sent to them through their emails. Thus, eight (8) participants from the campus-based institution and ten (10) from the open and distance institution responded to the online questionnaire. Data collected were analysed thematically. The study established that participants from the two institutions had differing views of which mode of teaching to adopt between online modules and online study guide. Campus-based participants preferred using study guides while participants from the open and distance electronic learning institution opted to use both modes of teaching although they preferred modules more. The study recommends that universities need to use lecturers’ preferences, as they are crucial for the success of online teaching and learning. Consultation is fundamental to coming up with a common position informed by lecturers’ preferences. In view of the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic, the study further recommends that universities use online modules as they avail to the students more material in one package without using much data than is the case with study guides. For maximum benefit, where resources permit, universities may use both online modules and study guides. The study also recommends further research on university students’ preferences of online learning modes since they are the beneficiaries.

2022-01-25T09:15:50+00:00 ##submission.copyrightStatement## https://zjde.unza.zm/index.php?journal=zjde&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=229 2022-01-25T09:47:22+00:00 Guti Onesmo gutio@zou.ac.zw

Open Educational Resources are teaching, learning and research materials. OERs are released under an open license that permits no-cost access. The learner and the teacher have access to the OER unlimitedly. One wonders why most learners still find it a challenge to access these resources. This is the motivation for this study. The purpose of this study was to gather first-hand data from the learners as to the challenges on integrating OER into Distance Learning. This study was descriptive quantitative research with the purpose being to get information about the barriers to use of OER in Distance Learning in Zimbabwe. The population of the research was all learners in the accounting department of Zimbabwe Open University. Learners partaking a chosen accounting course were chosen as a sample. Purposive sampling was used as the sampling method. Learners who had practised Distance learning in accounting for a semester were legible. Data to be analysed was gathered from the learners through questionnaires. The learners were asked on the use of OER in Distance Learning given the contemporary issues such as COVID-19 pandemic and the economic constraints. Findings included sentiments by learners who lacked funds for data bundles. Some said the learners need training on OER. Use of OER was perceived by learners as being crucial because of its pragmatic and constructivist nature. Learners reiterated it boosted their level of understanding of a topic especially through videos. Low rate of OER use by learners was prevalent with an average use rate of 38%.

2022-01-25T09:17:22+00:00 ##submission.copyrightStatement## https://zjde.unza.zm/index.php?journal=zjde&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=230 2022-01-25T09:47:25+00:00 Thomas Musankuleni Kaputa kaputat@zou.ac.zw Barbara Mapuranga mapubee@gmail.com Morine Matongo morinematon@gmail.com Francis Simui francis.simui@unza.zm

The study focuses on the wide usage of the WhatsApp application in delivering online programmes in distance education. The WhatsApp mode of communication is a social media, which was the result of a fourth industrial revolution but has found wider currency in all aspects of human life including distance education. It has caused massive social upheavals in social life including in electronic teaching and learning from early childhood development programmes to university education. Universities are now using it with sceptics doubting its effectiveness in electronic teaching and learning. This study, therefore, sought to find out if WhatsApp is the panacea for online programmes and how it is used in distance education. A qualitative paradigm using a case study design generated data from 26 lecturers, and 119 undergraduate and postgraduate students on the phenomenon from three universities in Zimbabwe and Zambia. Open-ended questionnaires and WhatsApp focused group discussion were employed to answer the posed questions. The WhatsApp platform is used as the first line of communication between students and their lecturers. Universities ought to integrate all facets of the WhatsApp platform to their electronic LMSs to enable students to access online programmes.

2022-01-25T09:19:17+00:00 ##submission.copyrightStatement##