What is Humanize/Humanizing

The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has grown enormously in the last decade with computers and smart devices becoming indispensable in tertiary students' study practices, especially in distance education. There is, however, limited documented research on humanizing distance education in terms of studying the ways educators and students use ICT in the process of teaching and learning within this context. This chapter thus provides a background context of the existing studies on distance education as well as the distance education in relation to ICT use. It then examines the degree to which connections between social and technological elements are interrelated in distance education by highlighting the challenges of humanizing distance education. The chapter then outlines a possibility for addressing this challenge, by introducing the socio-technical framework formulated by Bostrom and Heinen (1977a) in researching distance education. The chapter concludes with future research suggestions.