Open and Distance Learning for Sustainable Development

There is therefore the need to prepare the facilitators to understand the operations and workings of
a distance learning education or pedagogical mode. To determine the training needs of these
facilitators for the school’s MBA programmes, the School of Business & Human Resources
Management distributes questionnaires to existing and prospective facilitators seeking such
information as: length of time of involvement in tutorial facilitation, how they have been coping,
and what areas of their work require training, etc. It is on the basis of responses received from the
facilitators that the training needs are determined.
Once these needs have been conceptualised, it is now easy to organise a workshop, symposium or
induction where experts in the field of open and distance learning are brought in to train. After
training, participants brainstorm to come up with communiqué or working paper that would guide
their future activities within the National Open University of Nigeria.
Systematic Training
A term frequently used to describe well-organised training (and development) is ‘systematic
training’. This can be illustrated diagrammatically as a cycle of events, which is initiated by the
institution’s policy, and sustained by its training unit, as shown in the diagram below:
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Training Policy
Establish Training Units
Identify Training Needs
Evaluating Plan Training Required
Carry out Training
Figure 2 Systematic Training: The Basic Cycle
Benefits of Systematic Training
These include:
• Provision of a pool of skilled manpower for the institution
• Improvement of existing skills.
• Increase in the knowledge and experience of employees.
• Improvements in job performance with resulting improvement in overall productivity.
• Improved service to learners
• Greater commitment of facilitators (i.e. increased motivation).
• Increased value of individual employee’s knowledge and skills, and
• Personal growth opportunities for employees (Onwarishi, 1974).
Why is Training Needed?
Training of both new and existing facilitators in open and distance learning programme is
essential to the development of the competencies of the practising facilitators. It is important that
NOUN sees training as an investment rather than a cost, and give it high priority in institutional
plans and funding allocations. It is also important for NOUN to ensure that when training is