Distance education in Malawi

Any discussion of technology as a “tool-only” definition is incomplete. Instructional technology also refers to a systematic means of solving problems (Reiser, 1987). In the case of Malawi and so many other low-income societies where tools are difficult to purchase and maintain, one resource that is not in short supply is the number of able and willing people who could themselves provide solutions to the country's many challenges. The important role of the instructional designer should not be ignored. Mzuzu University has the benefit of having five trained instructional technologists among its faculty. Increasing the number of designers with experience in distance teaching and learning would benefit Malawi. The insight provided by people who have taken instructional design, educational psychology, and related courses, would undoubtedly open minds to new possibilities. Not only could they guide instructional development for Web-based learning, they could design and offer training on new technologies as they become available. Although consultants from outside Malawi can offer excellent advice based on their education and experience, such input is necessarily limited by the lack of a true understanding of contextual issues. The advantage indigenous designers have, of course, is first-hand knowledge of their own context, which plays a very important role in shaping instructional decisions (Arias & Clark, 2004; Perkins, 2003; Tessmer & Richey, 1997). Indigenous instructional designers should be called on first to offer guidance as leaders in ministries and at international funding agencies seeking reasonable solutions to the challenges to access and growth that lie before them.