The characteristics of a good ODL practitioner

Much has been said as to what makes a good open and distance learning (ODL) practitioner, or lecturer if you prefer. It is easy to make statements and observations, but it is however essential to establish exactly what an ODL practitioner is and then to establish if there is a set of characteristics that can be attached to such a practitioner. That, in essence, is the main aim of this study namely to investigate the characteristics of a good ODL practitioner. With the increase in student numbers at ODL institutions, there is a need for an increased number of ODL practitioners who are able to provide the quality education that the ODL students desire or need (Roberts, n.d.:1). In order to satisfy the objectives of the study, a self-administered survey was distributed to the ODL practitioners within an ODL institute. The results of this study revealed that there is a difference as to what these respondents saw in terms of the relevant importance of some characteristics. It is evident from the results that an ODL practitioner should have good subject knowledge, and should be fair and ethical.