E-learning course design in teacher design teams: experiences in the Open University of Tanzania

Abstract

Collaborative course design in teacher design teams (TDTs) is reported as a promising professional development strategy. This study explored the potential of this strategy in preparing teachers in course redesign for e-learning delivery in the context of the Open University of Tanzania. Three teachers from the Institute of Continuing Education worked in a design team and were supported on how to transform their traditional courses into e-learning courses. Sixty-seven foundation course students from the Institute of Continuing Education participated to study in an e-learning environment through offline Moodle Learning Management System and were supported by e-mails and mobile phones for a period of three months. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from teachers and students. This contribution discusses the experiences of teachers on collaborative course redesign in TDTs and presents students’ experiences with the redesigned e-learning courses. The findings show, that despite its challenges, TDTs had a significant return in terms of professional development of teachers and improvement of student support.