Universities in South Africa are increasingly taking cognisance of modern society's expectations with regard to their mission, aim and function.
Within its broad mission, a university must also accept responsibility for the quality of its graduates. In accepting such a responsibility, universities must take into account the trends, influences and changes to which universities must adapt in order to fulfil their mission, aim and function in the future in as relevant and as effective a manner as possible.
This investigation, therefore, focuses on the noticeable shift in emphasis which has taken place with regard to traditional residential university education. This shift is mainly characterized by an increasingly student centred learning approach, supported by effective teaching and learning management. Individualized training is considered to be increasingly important, and an appropriate teaching strategy to realize the educational philosophy of student participation is promoted using the principle of student accompaniment, in the form of teaching and learning management instruments such as study manuals and multimedia learning packages. The university of Pretoria can be singled out as a good example in this regard, because the University opened a Centre for Extramural Education in Witbank at the beginning of 1989. On this campus, a new type of teaching-learning situation has been identified, one which required a more student centred teaching-learning approach.
In order to monitor the teaching and learning situation in Witbank, extensive empirical research, based on an analysis of the perceptions of the students and lecturers concerned, was undertaken to identify the particular teaching and learning needs which characterize a satellite campus.
Based on the findings of the empirical research, an attempt has been made to design an educational model for a university satellite campus. Since the suggested educational model must satisfy the requirements of a large variety of subject fields, each with different teaching requirements and needs, the requirements for such an educational model must also be emphasised. In addition, the advantages of using a uniform educational model for a satellite campus situation are pointed out.
Bearing in mind the above requirements for this educational model, a four phase model is proposed and discussed. This structural educational model has the potential to fulfil a large number of the various teaching and learning requirements specific to satellite campuses. Further applications of the proposed model will, in all probability, also be found by other universities operating satellite campuses in South Africa.
