Abstract
第 59 卷 第 5 期 2 0 2 4 年 10 月 Abstract The literature on student research supervision tends to readily propose 4IR-based technologies as the best possible solutions, particularly in Open Distance Education (ODE) environments without detailed empirical support and clear abstraction. While the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has revolutionized the education sector, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the diverse supervisory challenges in ODE research supervision is imperative to recommend not only appropriate 4IR-based interventions but also other response mechanisms that can support research. Drawing on critical document analysis, this paper reviews articles on research supervision selected from both academic and gray literature in Africa using key terms such as postgraduate supervision, supervision challenges, distance education, doctoral supervision, and 4IR solutions. This article identifies the key challenges and complexities of postgraduate research supervision and then critiques 4IR-based interventions to resolve these challenges. In conclusion, the use of 4IR tools is not the only solution to the identified challenges.