Distance Learner Ecologies of the University of the West Indies Open Campus Program

• Main Author: Beaubrun, Elizabeth
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: Education
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.7916/D8GT5V71

This research project examined the learner ecologies of University of the West Indies (UWI) distance learning program participants in two countries within the regional university's network: Dominica, and Antigua and Barbuda. The descriptive study focused on a period of transition from dual-mode delivery (teleconference and in-person tutorial sessions, alongside print material for independent study) to online course delivery. The purpose of the study was to understand the factors impacting the learner ecologies of a particular distance learning program, and extrapolate from these findings to develop an understanding of distance learner ecologies in the Eastern Caribbean, or economically developing countries in general. Based on factors that the respondents identified as most challenging within their ecologies, the study explored different manifestations of time (in terms of life cycle, the concept of time as a social construct, and in relation to the way time is experienced in the learning environment); space (physical space, social constructs of space, and the concept of social distance); and resources (academic resources, funding, and "human resources" within the learning community).