The document summarizes research on students' experiences in a distance learning program for a National Diploma in Real Estate offered by Cape Peninsula University of Technology in South Africa. Key findings include: - Students generally had positive experiences and found the flexible online program met their needs as working professionals. However, they had a narrow view of flexibility that focused on content and assessments. - Social presence from instructors and timely feedback were important but varied between instructors. Peer support occurred informally through WhatsApp groups but few formal online meetings. - Recommendations focus on improving support systems, training instructors in online pedagogy, fostering community, and ensuring institutional flexibility to better support distance learners.

1. Towards flexible provision through distance learning
- ND Real estate learners’ experiences
Daniela Gachago, Sarita Edwards and Barbara Jones
Centre for Innovative Educational Technology
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
gachagogd@cput.ac.za

2. structure
Introduction
Flexible learning framework
Content/ background
Methodology
Findings
Discussions

3. introduction
ND Real Estate programme
Changing profile of learners
Changing policy background
New opportunities for flexible learning

4. flexible learning framework
Flexible admissions
criteria
Flexible curriculum
design
Flexible delivery
Flexible support
systems & services

5. ND Real Estate teachers

6. Case study / context: ND Real Estate
1. First distance education
offering at CPUT
2. Existing programme ND Real
Estate: full-time, part-
time, block release
3. Since 2017: offered via
distance (replacing block
release)

7. Case study / context: ND Real Estate
Gender male female Total
180 (62%) 111 (38%) 291 (100%)
Race African White Coloured Indian
179 (62%) 81 (28%) 11 (4%) 20 (7%) 291 (100%)
Age Under 30 31-40 41-50 Above 50
64 (22%) 123 (42%) 71 (24%) 33 (11%) 291 (100%)
Table 1: Demographics HEMIS (registration data): 2017 distance enrolments for ND Real Estate

8. Typical student
• Mature
• On the go
• Full time employment in
the property industry
• Looking for promotion/ a
new retirement plan/
career change to become
property valuers

9. Methodology & research questions
What were learners’ experiences of the ND Real Estate as a
flexible, distance learning programme in 2017, in terms of
admissions criteria, curriculum design, delivery, and
support systems and services admissions?
What lessons can be learned from their responses for
improving the offering?
Mixed method case study:
● online questionnaires sent to 257 registered students -
30% response rate
● interviews with course convenor

10. Gender male female Total
46 (60%) 30 (40%) 76 (100%)
Race African White Coloured Indian
36 (51%) 29 (41%) 2 (3%) 4 (5%) 71 (93%)
Age Under 30 31-40 41-50 Above 50
15 (20%) 34 (45%) 18 (24%) 9 (12%) 76 (100%)
Sector Banking/
Insurance
Government (incl.
local govt)
Commercial/
Private
Other
15 (22%) 26 (38%) 21 (31%) 6 (9%) 68 (89%)
Demographics: survey results

13. general feedback
● General feedback: positive
● Course objectives met
● Course flexible enough in content, delivery and assessment

14. What does flexibility Mean to students?
“…I could do my day work and in the evening read my books and respond to
assignment or test comfortably”
“Flexibility in terms of time given for tests and assignments where I was able to
write even if I am working in the field”;
“That one can study at your own pace and time.”

15. flexible admission
RPL was not yet implemented in 2017, but has begun in 2018
and is expected to grow

16. Flexible Curriculum Design

17. 92% found course content relevant
Quality of curriculum design
“The course is relevant to my current job and therefore
holistically increases my knowledge on some of my
business processes…”
“...relevance of study material and applicability in
my work environment...”
“Assignments work
well to reflect our
knowledge and
understanding...”
“Meeting other professionals that can assist in
your personal development and professional
development…”
“Face to face brings that different direction and a
reviving touch.”

18. Flexible Curriculum delivery

19. Access

20. Access

21. Quality of course delivery
Approx 75 % satisfied with course information and course management

22. Tools used/usefulness
- Highly used/highly useful - recorded face to face
sessions
”...as you can pause and rewind them. Only thing is that
we can't ask our own questions and receive answers that we
require”
- Less used/but still useful - recorded PowerPoints
- Little used/less useful - discussion forums/webinars
- Not used/not useful - Facebook groups

23. Assessments / Assignments
• 73% prefer online
assessments
• 90 % prefer
online
assignments
• 78% no problems
• 88% on time

24. Flexible support

25. Distance education experience
● Majority had no prior DE experience (app 60%)
● Majority says they were scared before starting studying
● Nearly all comfortable with technology in general (app 90%)
● Nearly all comfortable with course tools (app 85%)

26. Course support
● 73% happy with support by lecturers/office admin team
● Areas for improvement: before/during registration, technical queries

27. social presence/learning path
“…feedback from some lecturers is very delayed whilst others
are really good at it…”
“…if perhaps all lecturers could be more interactive like…”
“…not all lecturers communicate in the same way. Some are
more helpful than others…”
“…when I logged on Blackboard the very first time this year
and looked at all the notes that were already posted I was
overwhelmed at first as we had no communication as to what’s
going on…”

28. peer-to-peer support
● 45 WhatsApp groups (app 50%)
● 21 study groups (app.20%)
● very few online meetings (5)

29. support by employer

30. discussion

31. conclusions
- positive experience of online/flexible learning
- narrow definition of flexibility
- social presence important / feedback cycles
- support beyond office hours crucial including informal support
- different tools for different purposes / target groups
- importance of course design (use tools such learning designers)
- importance of choice
- authentic tasks/contextual/practice oriented - assessment/exams
problematic
- little focus on building community of inquiry (Garrison and Kanuka,
2004)
- transition from face to face T&L to online T&L slow process

32. Recommendations
- managing of expectations from the start
- homogeneous year planning/coordination, collaboration
across courses
- provision of learning pathways (CHE 2014)
- identity/role of distance educators - time allocation/
remuneration needs to be addressed
- recognise specific profile/skill set of distance educators
- importance of regular feedback cycles
- training in online exam development
- institutional systems need to be flexible as well
- continuous learning curve

33. Thank you! Any questions?
gachagod@cput.ac.za
edwardss@cput.ac.za
jonesb@cput.ac.za

34. resources
Alexander S. (2010). Flexible Learning in Higher Education. In: Peterson P., Baker E.,
McGaws B. International Encyclopedia of Education (Third edition). Oxford: Elsevier: 441–
447.
Council on Higher Education (CHE) (2014). Distance Higher Education Programmes in a
Digital Era: Good Practice Guide. Pretoria: CHE
Adams Becker, S., Cummins, M., Davis, A., Freeman, A., Hall Giesinger, C., and
Ananthanarayanan, V. (2017). NMC Horizon Report: 2017 Higher Education Edition.
Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.