November - Department of Defence

eventsZoom in ondistance learning30Compiled by Col A. van der Walt(COLET) and PO Dennis NdabaPhoto: F Sgt DavidNomtshongwanaThe DOD continues to undergostructural and functionalchanges in the process ofpositioning itself for thefuture. Developments inEducation Training andDevelopment (ETD), withinthe Department, the country and internationallyhave all had a direct impacton the training element of preparingand maintaining the DOD's forces,and this in turn has had a bearing onhow the DOD facilitates the learningprocess.Certainly its vision of creating acredible, values-centred DOD ETDprocess, creating appropriate, efficientand effective opportunities that areaccessible and inspiring to our people,achieving competence for missionreadiness within an environment conduciveto progressive learning (asdefined by the DOD's ETD WorkGroup Report 1999) continues to openup many exciting and new ETDopportunities within the Department.New technologies, new delivery platformsand innovative programmes arecontinuously being developed andimplemented by the various DODETD providers, while others are stilltrying to update themselves. A veryreal need exists with the DOD forproviders to be aware of these developmentsand to develop themselvesaccordingly.To address this need a DOD ETDconference was convened in Pretoriaon 28 and 29 July 2004 to address twoETD aspects, namely that of accreditationof DOD ETD Providers and distancelearning in the DOD. The goal ofthe conference was to provideEducation, Training and DevelopmentPractitioners (ETDPs)with the opportunitynot only to be informedabout distance learningpossibilities, but tohave the chance to contextualise,through discussiongroups andpanel discussions, theconcepts that were presented.Speakers weretherefore selected whopractise the wholespectrum of distancelearning, from paperbasedthrough to computer-basedtrainingand e-learning.The distance learningstream was conse-S A S O L D I E R • N OV EMBER 2 0 0 4quently structured in four sessions.The first session served to provide theintroduction to distance learning byfirst defining what is meant by distancelearning, then providing anoverview of the distance learning inSouth Africa and after that narrowingit down to what is happening in theDOD in this regard.The introductory session was followedby a session where three presentersintroduced the aspects that areconsidered in the design of distancelearning, namely the components of adistance learning system, the technologiesthat can be utilised frompaper-based to e-learning, and thepolicies that have to be in place for distancelearning to be successful.After the lectures the group dividedinto three and had intensive discussionsled by the presenters. During thepanel discussion where the groupsreported back from the breakaway sessionit became clear that the systemsapproach to distance learning wasimportant to ensure that all the aspectswere addressed, especially the supportsystem.Maj Faeza Jacobs, Senior ETD Practitioner andQuality Enablement at COLET giving a lecture atthe conference.The third session covered thedevelopment and implementation ofdistance learning. The interactive possibilitiesof information communicationtechnologies were clearly illustrated.It was emphasised thatalthough the DOD did not have all theinfrastructure it needed yet to provideall distance learning in a technologicallyadvanced manner, advancedcapabilities were available in pockets,for example at the SA Army CombatTraining Centre (SAACTC), the SAMilitary Health Services TrainingFormation, the Maritime WarfareSchool in Simon's Town, SITA anddesign capabilities at the SANDFCollege of Educational Technology(COLET). The exhibition by theSAMHS training formation andSAACTC clearly illustrated this.The role of the facilitator was discussedin great detail and one conclusionreached in the panel discussionwas that not just anybody could be adistance learning facilitator. Pertinentskills and attributes have to be developed.The role of the line of command(from the officer commanding to the