Distance Education Students’ use of Activities in their Self-Instructional Modules: The Case of Distance Education Students of the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana

The study explored the effectiveness or otherwise of the in-built activities in the course manuals given to DE students of the University of Education in supporting their learning. Adopting the sequential mixed method design, 156 respondents were purposively selected from two study centres of the University. Data were collected using questionnaire and interview guides. Percentages and the thematic approach formed the analytical frame. It came out strongly from the study that almost all students attempted answering the in-text activities in the course modules supplied to them. Issues like inability to manage their time, laziness, and absence of video footage on some of the activities prevented them from getting involved completely in the activities. Further, pressure from schoolwork, as most of them were teachers, and difficulty in understanding some concepts were some of their challenges. The activities, on the other hand, supported DE students to learn effectively, even though some of the activities were very challenging. It was concluded that a number of factors combine to influence how an individual is likely to respond to an activity. These include time constraints, level of difficulty of concepts, nature of the activity and the mode of delivery. It is therefore recommended, among others that the modules need reviewing to include activities that seek the opinion of learners, with most of the concepts well explained.