Assessment of National Teachers’ Institute’s Nigeria Certificate in Education by Distance Learning System in Northwest Geo-Political Zone of Nigeria
Assessment of National Teachers’ Institute’s Nigeria Certificate in Education by Distance Learning System in Northwest Geo-Political Zone of Nigeria
ABSTRACT
This study entitled Assessment of The National Teachers‟ Institute’s Nigeria Certificate In Education by Distance Learning System in the North-West Geo-Political Zone of Nigeria,
set out to assess the effectiveness of the tutorials used in the Nigeria Certificate in education by Distance Learning System; assess the adequacy of the contact sessions organized for the programme; assess the quality assurance mechanism used in the programme and; assess the success rate of the NCE (DLS) programme.
Accordingly, four corresponding research questions, and hypotheses were formulated with a view to providing directional clues and approaches to the study.
In line with the objectives of the study, relevant literatures were reviewed .Ex-Post Facto Research Design was used in which a sample size of 666 respondents responded to the instrument out of the total population size of 2,980 representing 22.3%, which according to Asika (2004), is representative enough for a study of this nature.
The data obtained from the respondents was subjected to analysis using Chi-square (x2) statistics to determine differences among the opinions of the two different groups of respondents, which were tested at 0.05 alpha level of tolerance.
Questionnaire was used throughout the study in which the respondents indicated their opinions. The findings revealed that the tutorials used in the NCE (DLS) programme were effective, the contact sessions were also adequate, the quality assurance mechanisms were effective and the success rate was also high.
The results showed that there is no significant difference between the opinions of staff and students in the effectiveness of tutorials and success rate of the NCE (DLS) programme,
but significant differences existed on the adequacy of the contact sessions organized in the programme and on the effectiveness of quality assurance mechanisms used in the programme and on the success rate of the programme.
INTRODUCTION
Distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom.
It has been described as “a process to create and provide access to learning when the source of information and the learners are separated by time and distance, or both”.
Honeyman and Miller; (1993) Distance education courses that require a physical on-site presence for any reason (including taking examinations) have been referred to as hybrid (Tabor, 2007) or blended (Vaughan, 2010) courses of study.
The practice of distance education started in 1728, according to Holmberg, (2005) with “an advertisement in Boston Gazette by Caleb Phillips, Teacher of the new method of Short Hand” seeking for students for weekly lessons by post.
In the the early part of the 19th century also, Isaac Pitman continued to teach shorthand in Great Britain via correspondence in (Moore & Kearsley, 2005) through distance education by heavily relying on postal services.
The University of London, the first university to offer distance learning degrees, established its external programme in 1858, which is now known as the University of London International Programmes.
The programmes include Postgraduate, Undergraduate and Diploma degrees created by colleges such as the London School of Economics, Royal Holloway and Goldsmiths.
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