Locational Dynamics Influencing the Information Environment of Distance Learners in Botswana
Olugbade Samuel Oladokun · Distance Education · 2012
Distance Education 202what constitutes the information environment of distance learners in their remote locations?What are their information needs?What information resources and channels are available for them?How do they go about obtaining the required information and thus meeting their information needs even in their remote locations?How is their environment like in terms of available, accessible and reliable information services and infrastructures?While library may be a major source, it should be understood that information environment in this new age of information goes beyond the library.In any case a library may not be available everywhere the learners are located.What other sources of information are available and can be utilised in such locations?It is assumed there are other sources of information like the Internet, email, mass-media, etc.Indeed, there is a hybrid information environment capable of being utilised by distance learners irrespective of how far they may live from their institutions.While the (hybrid) information environment is considered, the issue of digital divide, which is capable of further marginalizing the "info-poor" particularly in Africa, cannot be overlooked.In reference [1] Joint Information Systems Committee of the United Kingdom observes that "the information environment of users should aim to allow discovery, access and use of resources for research and learning irrespective of a user's location".Information environment in this study is viewed as the type of environment which individuals interact with either for purposes of providing or obtaining information for use in day-today living or to perform a task.The task is seen as distance learning.Information environment can also refer to the context in which information is sourced, accessed, managed, utilised and generally made available for the use of people (distance learners) for various purposes.The components of the information environment include: the information needs, information seeking behaviour and information sources.How do distance learners being students in remote locations and far away distances from their institutions fair in relation to the above?Information support services are known to be part of higher education programmes that add to the value and quality of learning.Distance learners are known to suffer from failure, low pass rate and indeed, withdrawal from or discontinuance of participation in distance education.Part of the reasons for this is lack of adequate academic assistance.In a study cited in [2] some reasons are highlighted on students drop out at the United Kingdom Open University -a foremost distance teaching institution in the United Kingdom.It was established that two-thirds of those who had dropped out indicated lack of adequate academic assistance as one of the main reasons for dropping out.This paper believes that academic assistance can be found in making good information resources and library services available to distance learners, and that the absence of this vital academic assistance is envisaged as constituting part of the learners' dilemma.It is an established fact that there is a significant presence of a number of distance teaching institutions in Botswana offering variety of courses and programmes to people in the country.At variance with this is the seemingly perceived evidence of absence of quality information resources and services to enhance distance learners motivation, learning process and learning success in various locations that the students live.