Changing Roles of Lecturers in a Resource-based, Open Learning Environment

Abstract

In a post-apartheid South Africa, national educational policies are currently being drafted, in order to address the imbalances of the past. The Green Paper on Higher Education Transformation (1996, p. 25) outlines a comprehensive set of initiatives for the transformation of higher education. Amongst others, emphasis is placed on the use of resource-based, open learning systems: "...distance education and resource-based learning have a crucial role to play in meeting the challenge of greater access and enhanced quality in a context of resource constraints and a diverse student body...Distance education based on the principles of open learning leads to the development of a system which is organised for use by learners at different times, in different ways and for different purposes..." However, according to the Green Paper resource-based, open learning is not only appropriate for distance education. It can also be used for the "reorganisation of learning and teaching in contact institutions" (1996 p. 25). Its use in this context will lead to the improvement of quality and effectiveness. Open learning seeks to increase access to opportunities by removing all unnecessary barriers to learning. Brevik (in Rakes, 1996 p. 52) defines resource-based learning as "a learning mode in which a student learns from his or her own interaction with a wide range of learning resources, rather than from classroom exposition". Both the above learning modes accommodate the reality of a diverse South African learning environment to a far greater extent than traditional means of teaching.