Mdutshekelwa Ndlovu & Ingrid Mostert Stellenbosch University Centre for Pedagogy

1. THE POTENTIAL OF MOODLE IN A BLENNDED LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: A CASE STUDY OF AN IN-SERVICE PROGRAMME FOR SECONDARY MATHEMATICS TEACHERS Mdutshekelwa Ndlovu & Ingrid Mostert Stellenbosch University Centre for Pedagogy (SOUTH AFRICA)

2. INTRODUCTION • Online learning, or e-learning, is becoming a fundamental part of HEI student learning and no longer a core business only for those universities with a mission for distance education (Ellis, Ginns & Piggot, 2009) • The technology revolution is opening up the possibility of even conventional campus-based Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to diversify their delivery modes to reach out to previously inaccessible populations such as remotely located in-service mathematics teachers.

3. A BENDED LEARNING MODEL OF TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT • Teachers in South Africa are not eligible for study leave when undertaking in-service programmes such as the two-year part-time Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) to which this paper refers. • Blended learning approaches have been used to address the problem of limited face-to-face contact as it offers the prospect of adult learners ‘to be both together and apart - and to be connected to a community of learners anytime and anywhere’(Garrison & Kanuka 2004)

4. ADULT LIFELONG LEARNING DESIGN PRINCIPLES • Life experiences - Adult learners have life skills and experiences that are reflected in their coursework and what they expect from their programmes. • Active learning - Adult learners are rarely passive, tend to work hard because most fund their own education or receive conditional financial support from their employers. • Busy Schedules - an academic programme for adult learners must be flexible for them to be successful • Academic inexperience – adult learners are often apprehensive about going back to school since many might have been out of school for a very long time • Wisdom - adult learners need to be respected for their life and career experiences that they bring to the classroom.

5. BLENDED LEARNING DESIGN MODELS • Kerr & DeWitt’s 3-C model • conceptualises learning as having three components, namely content, communication, and construction (Kerr & DeWitt, 2003) • content is text and multimedia material • communication the task of interaction, arguments, discussion, debates, conceptual conflicts, and dilemmas, sharing ideas with others, problem solving activities, reflection and concept formation • construction deals mainly with instructional methods such as nominal group techniques, debates, or comparative tasks

6. Alonso et al.’s pedagogical guidelines for instructional practice • Training should enable learners to apply the concepts learned at their workplace and evaluate the results… • the aim is for learners to be engaged by the e-learning contents to the extent that they get to understand things that they did not comprehend before. • This will make them ready to practice and take action to perform new activities • eclectic view of behaviourism, cognitivism and constructivism • Focus on content structure, cognitive processes and collaborative activities

7. RESEARCH QUESTIONS • 1. What were the biographical characteristics of the in-service teachers who participated in the ACE in Mathematics programme? • 2. How was Moodle used as an e-learning platform to support the face-to-face (F2F) and interactive telematics education (ITE) experiences of the ACE in mathematics in-service teachers? • 3. How did the in-service teachers experience the use of Moodle relative to F2F and ITE in particular and other traditional or minor forms of communication in general? • 4. What were the throughput rates of the different cohorts

8. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY • A mixed methods design • Content analysis of SUNCEP archival data • Educational design research methodology used to iteratively re-design the nature of the blending of the course • Questionnaire survey with open-ended questions used to collect qualitative data about the in-service teachers’ experiences of the various blended learning delivery formats • Participants = 71 in-service teachers • Moodle platform characteristics and functions

9. Demographic characteristics of participants FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

10. Analysis of Moodle utilisation A:Moodle meeting learning community needs Moodle helped me to understand that I am not alone and to get ideas from others Moodle gave me a chance to interact with other teachers when facing challenges B: Moodle supporting content knowledge Home of Maths discussions were so fantastic most of colleagues were there to help with any topic Moodle discussions made topics to be clearer C: Moodle as administrative tool Moodle reminded me about course related information Moodle reminded me about assignment deadlines

11. Analysis of Moodle utilisationcontd D: Moodle and other available technologies • Using my cellphone to get into Moodle for ideas even not to discuss but to read (T12) • Found ITE sessions an opportunity to discuss with fellow colleagues (T13) E: Internet access constraints • Internet not always available (T14) • Very limited supply of electricity (T15) • Not having computer with internet at home (T18) • Internet too slow, you loose interest by waiting for hours (T20) • Internet cafes far and very expensive (T19)

12. Cohort throughput rates

13. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS • Potential of Moodle to support learning communities of in-service teachers established • The zeal to participate in discussions to improve content knowledge and share ideas was evident • Participation constrained by limited internet access – too far, too expensive, no electricity • Proliferation of mobile devices at affordable prices promising • ICT infrastructure to be rolled out to enable more affordable access in schools and at the individual teacher level.

14. Thank you for your attention Yours truly Mdu Ndlovu: mcn@sun.ac.za & Ingrid Mostert: pwh@sun.ac.za