Critiquing the role of field facilitation in open and distance learning within a resource-constrained environment in the Global South

Kalima, R, Grant, C, Clarence, S ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2777-4420 and McKenna, S, 2025. Critiquing the role of field facilitation in open and distance learning within a resource-constrained environment in the Global South. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 26 (2), pp. 227-242. ISSN 1492-3831

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Abstract

Field facilitation is a crucial pedagogical intervention aimed at supporting student learning in resource-constrained open and distance learning environments, particularly in the Global South. This study used second generation activity theory to analyse a field facilitation intervention in an education faculty at a Malawian university, particularly the ways in which student learning and understanding was enabled or undermined while implementing field facilitation. The findings showed that many of the benefits of field facilitation were constrained for a number of reasons related to recruitment and training, pedagogies and understanding of student needs, and the materials and approaches used in field facilitation. For the field facilitation intervention to be fully effective as a means to deepen student learning, it needs to be embedded in the curriculum rather than implemented as an add-on activity, field facilitators need to be fully supported in their role, and the tools and materials available for teaching and tutoring need to be carefully designed within the resource constraints of the learning environment. These findings may inform reflection and further action in similarly resource-constrained contexts that are working to improve the success of open and distance learning.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning
Creators:	Kalima, R., Grant, C., Clarence, S. and McKenna, S.
Publisher:	Athabasca University Press
Date:	May 2025
Volume:	26
Number:	2
ISSN:	1492-3831
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.19173/irrodl.v26i2.7915 DOI 2447550 Other
Rights:	The copyright for all IRRODL articles remains with the author(s). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Divisions:	Schools > Doctoral School
Record created by:	Laura Borcherds
Date Added:	04 Jun 2025 07:41
Last Modified:	04 Jun 2025 07:41
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/53687

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