Exploring trainers' experiences of distance education at the South African military academy

Like some government departments, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) continuously seeks to improve the quality of service through various initiatives presented in the White Paper on Defence. The SANDF continuously seeks to restore legitimacy in South Africa through professional military education and training. Continuous professional development is one of the crucial processes used to improve the quality of services by making the personnel aware of development trends and the use of new technologies. The South African Military Academy (SAMA) a training unit in the SANDF provides a qualification-based course in distance education mode in partnership with Stellenbosch University to young officers to imbue them with a knowledge framework and to equip them for career opportunities. The evolution of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and online educational platforms are gradually being embraced as means for providing distance education, thereby bringing new experiences and challenges to the SAMA that educators had to deal with. Military educators may have difficulties coping with these changes and challenges. Their experiences with these changes and challenges are essential in sustaining the provision of distance education through both paper and electronic forms. This study aimed to explore the experiences of these military educators in distance education at the SAMA in the Western Cape to gain a deeper understanding of how their experiences affect distance education. The study was conducted at the SAMA. The purpose of this proposal is to provide a narrative justifying the need to conduct a study to explore the experiences of educators in the defence force concerning distance education and training environments in the face of the influence of information and communication technologies. The study population consisted of 66 military educators of which purposive sampling was used to choose the sample of individuals to interview. The research employed a case study at the SAMA through a qualitative approach in which data was collected using interviews. Data was interpreted qualitatively, and the findings were organised into key themes. The findings and recommendations ensuing from the study contribute towards the quality and effectiveness of distance education.

一如多数政府部门，南非国防军（South African National Defence Force，SANDF）始终依托《国防白皮书》提出的各项举措，持续提升服务质效。南非国防军亦始终以专业化军事教育与训练为抓手，重塑其在南非国内的合法性。持续职业发展是提升服务质效的关键流程之一，通过帮助官兵洞悉行业发展趋势、掌握新技术应用，实现服务能力的迭代升级。作为南非国防军下属训练单位的南非军事学院（South African Military Academy，SAMA），与斯泰伦博斯大学（Stellenbosch University）合作，为年轻军官开设以资质认证为导向的远程教育课程，旨在为其搭建系统的知识框架，赋能其职业发展。信息与通信技术（Information and Communication Technology，ICT）与在线教育平台的发展，逐渐被纳入远程教育的实施载体范畴，这为南非军事学院的教育工作者带来了全新的体验与挑战，亟需其妥善应对。军方教育工作者或难以适配这些变革与挑战，而他们在应对过程中的实践经验，对于维持纸质与电子双线远程教育的供给能力至关重要。本研究旨在探究西开普省南非军事学院内军方教育工作者的远程教育实践体验，以深入剖析其经历对远程教育的影响机制。本研究的实施场域为南非军事学院。本研究提案旨在通过叙事论证的方式，阐明在信息与通信技术的影响下，开展针对国防军教育工作者的远程教育与训练环境体验研究的必要性。本研究的研究总体包含66名军方教育工作者，采用目的性抽样法选取访谈样本。本研究以南非军事学院为案例对象，采用质性研究方法，通过访谈收集研究数据，随后对数据进行质性解读，并将研究结果梳理为核心主题。本研究得出的研究结果与建议，可为提升远程教育的质量与实效提供有益参考。