Information seeking patterns ofdistance learners registered with the Zimbabwe Open University. Jasper Lee Maenzanise Submitted as the thesis component in partial fulfilment ofthe requirements ofthe Degree ofMaster ofInfonnation Studies in the Information Studies Programme, School of Human and Social Studies, University ofNatal (pietermaritzburg) 2002 Supervised by Professor Christine Stilwell Dedication This thesis is dedicated to my wife, Catherine Fungisai and two sons, Tafadzwa Lionel and Komborero Jason, who bore the loneliness and lack ofattention as I left them on several occasions to attend studies and consult with my supervisor during the process of carrying out this study. 11 Declaration The author hereby declares that the contents{)fthis thesis, unless specifically indicated to the contrary, are his own work, and th~t the thesis has not been submitted simultaneously or, at any other time, for another degree. ..~.~.~~~ , . Jasper L~e Maenzanise iii Abstract The study ofinformation seeking patterns ofdistance learners registered with the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) was undertaken with a view to understand the paths taken by the distance learners to identifY, locate and make use ofinformation resources to solve their problems, answer questions or to accomplish given tasks. This study was carried out after the realisation by the Library and Information Service Management that the distance learners were making very little use ofthe library and information resources that were put in place to expressly serve their needs. It was critical for the study to establish the possible causes for this under-utilisation. The study investigated the socio-demographic and academic characteristics ofthe distance learners to verifY the assumption that these characteristics affected the use ofthe LIS. The socio-economic commitments ofthe distance learners were investigated to determine how they impacted on the use ofthe LIS. Factors that possibly prevented the distance learners from using the ZOU LIS were investigated. The CCAUSAL factors included the cost in terms ofboth time and money to get to the LIS due to distance, currency or recency ofthe information, accessibility in terms ofhow easy it was to get to the LIS, usability as it implies the ease ofconsulting the LIS and locatibility ofthe LIS. The study investigated the use ofother information sources and libraries and the CCAUSAL factors that possibly affected the use ofthem. The results ofthe study revealed that the distance learners registered with the ZOU did follow specific information seeking patterns as a result ofwhat the study's acronym CCAUSASL suggested as factors. For instance, it was shown that on one hand, the distance factor affected 32.4% ofthe respondents who lived more than 51 kilometres from the LIS and on the other hand it was not much ofa factor for the 34.1% and 32.4% who lived within the 0-10 and 11-20 kilometre ranges respectively. The study sought recommendations from the respondents as the main users ofthe LIS on what Management should do in order to put in place effective and efficient 'open' library IV systems that meets their requirements as distance learners. Their suggestions together with guidelines from the literature on library service provision in distance learning environments form the recommendations ofthe study. v systems that meets their requirements as distance learners. Their suggestions together with guidelines from the literature on library service provision in distance learning environments form the recommendations ofthe study. v Acknowledgements My gratitude for the production ofthis work go to the Infonnation Studies Programme staff, especially Professor Christine Stilwell for the indefatigable support and excellent supervision throughout the study. Since I had to complete the work most ofthe time as a distance learner, Professor Stilwell managed to remove the separation caused by distance through regular contact via email and alleviated the loneliness that distance learners often endure. Many thanks to Mr Athol Leach for his thoroughness in refining the questionnaire, Mr Patrick Ngulube for the regular nudge to finish the work and assistance with editing and the finer design and layout ofthe contents pages, Mrs Darlene Holtz, Kathy and Priya for tolerating my persistent requests for this stapler, that paper clip, phone and fax services in the Faculty Office. The ZOU staff, especially Ms Suwisa Muchengetwa who assisted tremendously with coding and entering data into the SPSS Editor, Mr Ariel Muvhunzwi who ran around seeking background infonnation to the study, Ms Veronica Bukuta for coming up with the sampling frame from the Academic Registry records ofthe students who were registered with the ZOU at the time ofcarrying out the study, Ms Melody Chigerwe who helped with fonnatting ofthe lists offigures and tables, Mrs Siziba and Ellen for helping with the mailing ofthe questionnaires, all regional centre Coordinators and Library Assistants for administering the pre-test questionnaire as well as for following up on all questionnaires that were mailed to the distance learners and Mr Brian Pillay for desk to publishing ofthe map ofZimbabwe showing the distribution ofthe University's regional centres throughout the country. The sterling job and assistance given to the researcher by the University ofNatal (pMB) Library staffsuch as Jenny, Ruth, Jillian, Nicky and Celeste are greatly appreciated. VI Table ofContents Dedi£atioD ._ _.•••••••_ _.._._ __ - ii Declara.tion•.••.•..•.....•.••..•...••.••...•.••••••.....•••••.••••...•..••••••.•.•......•.••.•••..•..•.•••......••.••.••••.•_•..•.•...•10 Abstract.••••••••••••••••••••.•_._••••••••.••••••••._ IV Acknowledgemen'ts ••••_._..•.•.•.•..••••.•••.•.••••._.._.....•._..•.••••.•..•....•••••••.•...•...••.•..••..•.•.•.....•...•.. VI Table ofContent:s._••••____.•.•••••_ _._•••__._._ _.•.•_••••••••- ••••_••_. VII Map showing the Regional Centres ofthe Zimbabwe Open University xii ... LIST OFTABLES•...•__•.•••••..••...••.••••••._...••.•...•....•....•.•.•......•••••••••..•..•..........•••.••.•_.....•.••.Xll) TABLE OF FIGU'RES ._._ _ _._._._.•_•••...•....••.•._.._._._ __ XIV LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS xv CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY 1 1.1 THE CURRENT LmRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICE OF THE ZIMBABWE OPEN UNIVERSITY..•..........._ 2 1.2. DEFINITION OF TERMS AND CONCEPTS.•••••......___..••••••••• 4 1.3. RESEARCH PROBLEM......................................•,..•....•...•......•...•...•..•..•...•.•••.•...•.••.... 9 1.3.1. Description ofthe problem 9 1.3.2. Problem statement 9 1.4. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY _..•.....•..••...•.•..••.•••••.......•..... 10 1.5. OBJECTIVES OF TIlE STUDY........•...........•.•••••.••...•........•.....•_.......•...._..•.•.....•... 11 1.6. RESEARCH QUESTIONS._ _._•••••_ _._ _._._ _._ _._•••••• 12 1.7. JUSTIFICATION OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM 12 1.8. ASSUMPTIONS OF THE STUDY .•.._ _•••.•__.•.•....••.•... 14 1.9. LIMITATIONS OF STUDY._•••••••••••_._.••••••_••••,•••.••.•••..•_••••••.•••.••••••••••••••.••...••.••.•• 14 1.10. OVERVIEW OF CHAnER ONE ._ __••_._.....•..•••••••.•.••.•.•_•••_•••• lS CHAPTER TWO: BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY 16 2.1. OPEN LEARNING AND DISTANCE EDUCATION IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS-.•••••••.•..•.....••....•.•.......•..•..•................•....•........•............•...•.........•...•...•.•.•••. 16 2.2. DISTANCE EDUCATION AT TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN ZIMBABWE....••....•............•.••.•.....•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•_._ _..........•.•••••....•_••...•.•••••...•.•_. 25 2.2.1. Structure ofthe Zimbabwe Integrated Teacher Education Certificate (ZINTEC) Progranune 28 vii 2.2.2. Benefits ofthe Zimbabwe Integrated Teacher Education (ZINTEC) programme to Zimbabwe 30 2.3. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DISTANCE EDUCATION AT UNIVERSITY LEVEL 32 2.3.1. The report ofthe University ofZimbabwe (UZ)Vice Chancellor's Committee of Inquiry into High Failure Rates 34 2.3.2. The 1986 UZ feasibility study on distance education 35 2.3.3. The 1989 Willimns report 37 2.3.3.1. The benefits ofdistance education 42 2.4. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CENTRE FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION (CDE) 44 2.5. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ZIMBABWBE OPEN UNIVERSITY (ZOU) 48 2.6. THE ZIMBABWE OPEN UNIVERSITY AND THE PROVISION OF OPEN LEARNING AND DISTANCE EDUCATION 56 2.7. OVERVIEW OF CHAPTER TWO __ 57 CHAPTER THREE: LITERATURE REVIEW 60 3.1. SCOPE OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW.......•.••..•.......•...•.•.....•.•........................ 60 3.2. INFORMATION SEEKING PATTERNS OF LIBRARY USERS .....•...•...........60 3.1.1. Understanding the conceptof'infonnation' 63 3.1.2. Understanding the concept of 'need' 65 3.1.3. Understanding the concept of 'infonnation need' 67 3.1.4. fufonnation seeking patterns 69 3.2. CHARACTERISTICS OF DISTANCE LEARNERS 77 3.3. LIBRARY SERVICES TO DISTANCE LEARNERS............•.•.......................•.... 79 3.4. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (lCTs) AND LIBRARY SERVICES IN DISTANCE EDUCATION ENVIRONMENTS 89 3.4.1. ICTS in open learning and distance education environments 90 3.4.2. ICTs and library and information service provision 91 3.4.3. The use oflCTs in Africa 95 3.4.4. ICTs and the ZOU LIS 98 3.5. OVERVIEW OF CHAPTER THREE.........................•.............•.......................•....102 CHAPTER FOUR: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 105 4.1. RESEARCH DESIGN - 105 4.2. THE QUESTIONNAIRE 107 Vlll 4.3 THE STUDY POPULATION.•..............•_..•.......................•......................................111 4.4. SELECTION OF CASES IN SAMPLE SIZE ..••••_ .••.•.••_••••••._ _.111 4.5. PRE-TESTING OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE..•....••..•.•.........•..........•._