Distance Education Association of Southern Africa ( DEASA)

Vision

Our vison is of African societies in which education is seen as a human right and distance education means are used to provide access, equitable and flexible opportunities with a reasonable chance of success, to all who need it but particularly the marginalised and the poor.

We are convinced that formal engagement and regular networking among institutions involved in distance education facilitates more rational use of resources and enhances innovation knowledge and dissemination.

We are persuaded of the need to be of service to formal and non-formal education institutions of the Southern African region.
 

Focus areas:

• Share information.

The Distance Education Association of Southern Africa (DEASA) is striving to become the regional powerhouse in Open and Distance eLearning (ODeL) in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. DEASA’s general objective, in line with the constitution, is to enable members to share information, to collaborate in obtaining and developing quality distance education courses in identified areas of need, and to organise relevant professional development activities.

• Coordination for regional ODel organisations

By being the central coordinating point for regional ODeL organisations, from where member countries and institutions can share and create collaboration opportunities, DEASA underlines the principle that cooperation and the shared application of resources can contribute to improved efficiencies in the provision of open, distance, flexible, blended and online education thereby promoting the chances of more widespread and faster growth in the sector. DEASA, therefore, has potential to be SADC’s accelerator for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (on equitable education) and related ones.

• Collaboration

Through DEASA's professional and informal linkages with other regional and international ODeL organisations and statutory bodies, it has become a key driver of initiatives to further develop ODeL and technology enhanced teaching and learning, knowledge-sharing and collaboration in the region. To enhance its reach and impact, DEASA is actively encouraging all SADC countries and their respective institutions to become members and contribute to open, distance, blended and online practices, systems and structures.