College of Education
Shedding light on the well-being of ODeL facilitators
Dr Liesl Scheepers, who graduated with a PhD in Education from the University of South Africa (Unisa) on 11 June 2025, has shed light on a critical yet often overlooked aspect of education: the well-being of open, distance and eLearning (ODeL) facilitators during crises.
Prof Geesje van den Berg (left) and Dr Liesl Scheepers
The journey from crisis to clarity is the inspiration behind the research, born from the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. It explores the interplay between self-efficacy, burnout and the transformative power of relationships in distance education.
Scheepers’s focus on ODeL facilitators, rather than traditional educators, was deliberate. "Distance education has been my context for the last 10 years," she explains. "For my master’s, I looked at student emotional wellbeing in ODeL, but Covid provided the perfect opportunity to shift my focus to those facilitating online learning and the impact this had on them."
Scheepers observed a stark contrast among educators. "While some lecturers were flourishing, excited to try new things, others were overwhelmed by the expectation to carry on despite everything," she recalls. This disparity led her to ask, "What was it that allowed some people to face a crisis with confidence while others, from the very same institution and context, just simply could not cope?"
Where people felt connected, supported or heard, they were able to cope with far more than they even realised. The most striking thing was realising the role of relationships in the online space, whether perceived or real, and the importance of nurturing these to grow resilience.
In 2023, Scheepers faced her own crisis: a stage 4 cancer diagnosis. Rather than halt her studies, she leaned into them. "Working towards a goal I wanted to achieve, one I knew I could achieve, kept me focused and positive," she shares.
Her academic supervisor, Prof Geesje van den Berg, says: "Dr Scheepers’s findings developed a resilience model for ODeL institutions. Her recommendations include prioritising relational support, encouraging transparency and agency, and fostering innovation."
Van den Berg is the incumbent of the Commonwealth of Learning Chair. She has a C2 rating from the National Research Foundation. She is the Programme Coordinator: Master of Education in Open Distance Learning, and Professor at the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies in Unisa’s College of Education.
Scheepers hopes to inspire institutions to prioritise educator wellbeing. "If I could advocate for one thing, it would be to build real relationships that people can rely on when the next crisis comes, whatever form that might take," she says.
The academic journey and story of Scheepers encourage the building of relationships with people. "When someone feels you’re invested in them, they’ll do almost anything to support your goals," she concludes.
* By Dineo Horner, Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies
Publish date: 2025/07/02
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