Studying When You Want, Where You Want

“The best thing about DFL is that students learn independently; it encourages students to think for themselves and we do need to be continuously innovative.’’ —Dr Akhila Nand Sharma. Photo: Matelita Ragogo

Having to serve 12 nations spread over a vast area, the Fiji-based University of the South Pacific (USP) realized much earlier than most other institutions the significance of providing courses externally.

And today, more than half of USP's estimated 15,000 students are being taught over 200 courses under the distance and flexible learning (DFL) program. In 2002, for example, DFL enrollments increased by 4,895. Tonga, Kiribati, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands delivered the most students but even in Fiji, where the USP's main campus is based, DFL enrollments have significantly increased.

The earliest incarnation of DFL was part time courses available to Fiji-based students on Saturdays. These courses could be stressful. Students were often too tired to properly concentrate on theory and research after working all week, and they lacked access to resources.

This state of affairs left Dr. Akhila Nand Sharma, associate professor in the Education Department, frustrated. Dr. Sharma was keen on a more collective approach and as a former distance-education student himself, painfully aware of the challenges but also opportunities a new way of learning could present.

Dr. Sharma recently received a certificate of excellence for his innovation and development of the DFL mode. "The best thing about DFL is that students learn independently; it encourages students to think for themselves and we do need to be continuously innovative,'' Dr. Sharma says.

"We need a thinking society and DFL is at the forefront of this challenge."

2004 marks a first for DSL's Internet mode. A Website simply tagged WebCT (Web communication technology) has introduced a handful of new tools: electronic copies of key readings; lecture notes; Power-Point presentations; discussion boards; task sheets; student assessment records; and thesis supervision.

Student-lecturer interaction has increased dramatically with the introduction of wireless microphones.

One course taught entirely via DFL is the Commonwealth Youth Program's Diploma in Youth and Development Work, taught by Vivian Koster, who also teaches sociology this way. Koster agrees niggling problems like logistics remain but she says DFL is effective and strategic for students who work.

"It is cheaper and the advantages outweigh the problems we still encounter but very importantly, it allows an option for students who fail to score the entry marks into universities or students can take a gap year but continue studying through DFL,'' Koster told Pacific Magazine.

Problems with the program include the need for students to still get to USP centers for satellite tutorials or video-conferencing sessions in their own countries and unreliable email systems, which can mean they don't receive or send their assignments in time.

"Another important but easily forgotten factor is the different time zones in the region. Samoa is a day behind us, and other countries are either two hours ahead or an hour behind," Koster says. "When scheduling our broadcasts, we try our very best to consider everybody but sometimes, students still miss out on tutorials because of different time zones."

Dr. Sharma identifies one of the biggest challenges as the need for lecturers and tutors themselves to continually improve their skills. To this end he is writing a course for teaching staff, so they can more effectively use DFL technology.

USP Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Rajesh Chandra says distance and flexible learning is the "cornerstone for the future."

DFL courses and students are being fully integrated into the rest of the university administration. "The vision is one where the university is a multi-model institution providing challenging learning experience available in different modes and in very flexible ways so that you can study when you want and where you want,'' Professor Chandra says.