The role of partnerships in academic capacity building in open and online distance education

Abstract

In many parts of the world online education is still taking shape and faces many obstacles, including insufficient numbers of professionals prepared to teach using new technologies. This paper is a case study of academic capacity building to determine how a partnership between the University of South Africa (Unisa) and the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) in the United States influenced teaching and learning. The study sample comprised 50 faculty members enrolled in a master’s degree. The study included an online questionnaire with open and closed-ended questions. The findings show that despite a number of difficulties, the international experience provided a unique opportunity for faculty members to gain knowledge and skills, while concurrently putting these into practice. The difficulties highlighted by participants serve as rich input to improve the support services, most prominently those that enhance learners’ readiness and autonomy.

Keywords:

• Academic capacity
• benefits
• challenges
• international partnership
• open distance learning