Information and communication, technology (ict) and the development of distance education in Tanzania: A Case of Tanzania Global Development Learning Centre (TGDLC) and the Open University of Tanzania (OUT)

ICT has changed many applied fields in different parts of the world, however there is paucity of theory and coherent frameworks within which educators can effectively integrate and apply ICT in education in Tanzania. The purpose of this study was to examine the availability of ICT resources at the Open University of Tanzania and the Tanzania Global development Learning Centre, to determine the extent to which ICT improves the instructional processes. Three research tasks namely; to assess the availability, utilization and the accessibility of ICTs; to assess the tutors and learners’ attitudes toward the use of ICT resources; and to identify some dimensions affecting instruction in ICT learning environment guided the study. The literature review attested the powerful impact ICTs have in transforming the traditional instructional strategies. The study adopted a qualitative approach. The sample included 28 learners, 14 tutors and 4 institutional administrators. Semi-structured interview, observation, and documentary review schedules were used as instruments for data collection. The findings established that, the need for a reliable access to ICTs was a recurring issue. Unlike the situation at the OUT, facilitators and learners at the TGDLC had more access to ICTs and employed them for a range of instructional activities such as video conferencing, downloading course materials, and contacting support services. The findings also revealed that tutors and learners at the two institutions viewed ICTs to beg beneficial to instructional processes as they allow them to teach and learn more effectively. However while students and tutors identified a variety of benefits offered by ICTs, there were a range of factors that limited the application of ICTs, including the lack of reliable access to ICTs, low levels of information literacy and high costs for purchasing and maintaining ICTs. The study concluded that ICTs enhance quite a range of traditional instructional activities in distance education. Suggestions given included the promotion of e-learning by taking advantage of the mushrooming cyber cafes, and to conduct further studies that would take wider samples.