He said Open and Distance Learning (ODL) is handy in instances where the number of students that can be admitted to higher learning institutions are limited. Mazonde was speaking at a stakeholder breakfast meeting ahead of the 48th Distance Education Association of the Southern Africa (DEASA) conference and annual general meeting in Gaborone yesterday. "Open and distance learning is very important for working people as they can't be away from their jobs," he said.
He said with resource constraints facing universities these days, ODL is a growth opportunity. He added that it was important to dispel the misconception that ODL is second best after conventional learning.The objectives of the workshop were to share information on the operations of DEASA, promote collaboration between institutions in the various sectors of the economy and to solicit support on the hosting of the conference. Its purpose was to inform the local business community, educational institutions, media and other institutions about the forthcoming DEASA conference.
