INFUSING EXTERNAL EXAMINERS’ REPORTS IN OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING POSTGRADUATE SUPERVISION

Year 2018, Volume: 10 Issue: 2, 0 - 0, 31.12.2018

Patrick Mafora

Abstract

In postgraduate studies an examiner’s report serves as a quality index of the
supervision process and its output – the dissertation or thesis. This article reports
selected findings of a qualitative interpretive analysis of examiners’ reports of
Masters’ dissertations in one College at the University of South Africa. The
purpose of this study was to ascertain, through a literature study and document
analysis, the scholarly attributes expected by external examiners with a view to
infusing these expectations in postgraduate supervision guidelines. The analysis
uncovered a pattern in examiners’ quality expectations, concerns and
commendations. Undergirded by social constructivism and principles of
andragogy, the paper argues that supervisors should make these expectations
known to students by incorporating them into the goals of postgraduate
supervision. This can help minimise postgraduate supervision challenges
encountered by students in Open and Distance Learning.

Keywords

adult learners, examination, Open and Distance Learning, postgraduate supervision

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