As the competition increase in the Higher Education industry, marketing departments of Higher Education Institutions view students as consumers and market their institutions. At the mean time, universities around the world encourage their international offices to increase the foreign student enrollments. This research investigates the factors influencing international students’ choice of enrolling at Higher Educational Institutions (HEI) via the internet: international students’ Internet use to facilitate information search and decision making. This survey of international students from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) explored the Internet’s role in marketing international education. Based on this exploratory research, NMMU educational institutions gain insights of online customer service for successfully recruiting students. The results show that prospective overseas students do indeed use the internet. Overall evaluation of the factors influencing the use of the internet for enrolling at HEIs was determined by four factors: namely, perceived usefulness, consumer involvement, perceived ease of use and opinion leadership.

D.Phil. / The advances in information technologies have created an array of possibilities for today's learners in institutions of higher education. Kaye (1989) predicted that online education would ultimately emerge as a new educational paradigm, taking its place alongside conventional (face to face) education as well as distance education, and even changing the face of education in general. Although online education is becoming a common component of higher education, Wang & Newlin, (2000) confirm that relatively little is known about the characteristics of learners who choose to enroll for courses in an online learning environment. Schlosser and Anderson (1997) published a report entitled Distance education: Review of the literature in which they did not cite a single study on the characteristics of online learners. What seem to remain unanswered out of the literature are the questions: > Who are the students who undertake and succeed in online learning? > Are these students different from students who take and succeed in traditional, face-to-face classes? The answers to these questions are critical for the future of higher education.

An exploratory study was conducted examining Internet usage among African-American college students. The study examined both psychosocial correlates, including technological anxiety and racial identity as well as socioeconomic measures, as they impacted Internet usage. Additionally, three distinct measures of Internet usage, thin access, thick access and the Internet Connectedness Index (ICI), were used as criterion variables in three separate multiple regression analysis (MRA) models. The results of the study found differences in predictive validity based on the criterion variable used, with the ICI accounting for the greatest amount of variance (54%). Racial identity, in terms of internal beliefs and feelings about being African American and internalization of Afrocentric values in a political context were found to be predictive of Internet usage as measured by the ICI.

Online learning has been widely adopted in higher education to reach students who typically would not have a chance to complete accredited courses (Kentnor, 2015). Massive open online courses (MOOC), which is a type of online learning, makes it easier for people to take university courses with internet access and a fraction of cost compared to traditional residential programs (Reich, 2020). MOOCs also become popular for those who want to increase their professional profile or advance their academic career (Pheatt, 2017). However, online learning has long been criticized for its universally low completion rates, high dropout rate and poor learning performance (Almeda et al., 2018). This phenomenon is more exacerbated in MOOC environments. Historical studies have attempted to support learner self-regulated learning (SRL) activities in order to enhance completion rates and academic outcomes. Prior studies have conducted pre-course questionnaires as inexpensive SRL interventions to prompt learners as SRL support(Kizilcec et al., 2017, Kizilcec & Cohen, 2017; Kizilcec et al., 2020; Yeomans & Reich, 2017). Yet, these one-time-only, short-term interventions only yield limited or no effects. This study implemented and evaluated the effectiveness of an alternative intervention, the self-regulated learning user interface (SRLUI), to support students' self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies in a MOOC environment. SRLUI is based on Zimmerman’s (2000) SRL model and develops learner’s SRL skills through longitudinal, recurring practice of multiple SRL dimensions activities (i.e., goal setting, self-evaluation, task planning, setting reminders) with content-specific information. The study utilized a randomized experimental design and implemented SRLUI in eight MOOCs with a total of 808 participants. The results indicated a higher usage rate of SRL support compared to the historical findings, which may be owing to the SRL support embedded into the learning activities throughout the course. Also, the study showed improved learning outcomes for a subgroup of participants, but there was no reduction in the number of dropouts. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that a personalized SRL tool featuring content-specific information should be embedded in online courses. The research design also recorded direct cognitive records of learners' SRL activities, which yield stronger validity compared to trace and survey data. The result suggested SRLUI might only benefit a subgroup of learners with passing grades. Thus, it is recommended that future research identify various subgroups of learner profiles in MOOC environments and to consider how to reach and support learners in different subgroups.

Nurses, especially those who care for the critically ill, are required to perform high-level intensive clinical care. It is common for complicated procedures such as therapeutic hypothermia (TH) to be done infrequently at small community hospitals. According to the 2020 recommendations by the American Heart Association (AHA), “prompt initiation of targeted temperature management (formally known as TH) is necessary for all patients who do not follow commands after return of spontaneous circulation to ensure optimal functional and neurological outcome” (Panchal et al., 2020, p.S366). These high-risk, low-frequency protocols typically require nurses to be able to perform these procedures in a time-sensitive manner. If the procedures are not done correctly, they can have negative patient outcomes. Patients are put into medically induced comas, maintained on ventilators, cooled to very low body temperatures, and often medically paralyzed to inhibit shivering. Each of these conditions has the potential for adverse outcomes and together can lead to poor neurological outcomes and even death (Kim et al., 2015). Health educators have the opportunity to provide knowledge and support to these nurses as a way to improve patient outcomes. In this study, a patient care checklist and an online self-learning module were developed for nurses to learn how to perform this high-risk procedure quickly and effectively. A focus group was then conducted with a group of nurses to gain feedback on the checklist and module, and these data informed specific changes to these materials. Then, drawing on a sample of 60 nurses and using a post-study design, data were collected to determine the effectiveness of the checklist and online module as compared to a control group of nurses who read a scholarly article on the same subject. Data were collected at two time points for both the experimental and control groups. The results indicated that nurses who used the online learning tool scored higher in the post-assessment than those in the control group (t = 6.092, p < .001, BCondition = 3.865), with a remarkably high effect size, r2 = 0.379. Moreover, 77% of the nurses agreed that protocols and checklists helped nurses minimize disparities in patient health outcomes. Additionally, 95% of the nurses agreed that patient care checklists helped them care for patients when delivering high-risk, low-volume protocols such as TH. This study demonstrated that online learning tools provide an effective way to educate nurses, and checklists and protocols support the implementation of high-risk, low-volume procedures such as TH.

This qualitative case study was created to explore with experienced online adjunct faculty in higher education their perceptions of the ways they learned to stay competent within their discipline to continue to be proficient in their online instruction. Their experience teaching online ranged from five to 17 years and all participants taught online for both private and public institutions. Some participants taught for one institution while others taught for as many as three to six institutions. All participants taught a variety of courses and learned informally to develop the competencies they needed to become proficient in online instruction. The study was based on the following assumptions: a) experienced online adjunct faculty need continuing opportunities for professional and personal development and growth; b) experienced online adjunct faculty need professional development support from their institutions to create experiences that support their professional and personal development growth; c) professional development programs will help adjuncts keep their knowledge and skills current to help them to remain competent in their online instruction to continue to be proficient in their online instruction. The source of data for this study was interviews with 15 experienced online adjuncts who had at least five years of experience teaching online. This research study was designed to explore the competencies experienced online adjuncts (EOAs) perceive they need to remain competent, the way they learn those competencies, and factors that help and hinder them from remaining competent to continue to be proficient in their online instruction. Three major findings revealed that: a) technological and pedagogical competencies were the most important to be proficient in their online instruction; b) EOAs learned these competencies informally, through experiential learning, dialogue with colleagues, trial and error and self-directed learning; c) engaging in the institution’s decision-making process for online instruction helped them to remain competent. The principal recommendations for administrators in institutions of higher education who support EOAs who teach online are to offer meaningful specialized professional development and training, foster practices that acknowledge the expertise of EOAs and compensate them for expenses incurred from the purchase of technology products, and participation in opportunities that advance their competencies. The principal recommendations resulting from this research study for EOAs who gain technological and pedagogical competencies through informal learning to continue to be proficient in their online instruction are to advocate to develop their own professional development and training programs, establish opportunities for collaboration with their colleagues, initiate more interaction with the administrators, and acknowledge their hard work and professional growth in gaining exceptional competencies for their online instruction.

Thesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology,2012. / Learning management systems (LMSs) have become the central aspects of educational processes in modern universities. Arguments are that LMSs improve educational efficiencies including the processes of storage, retrieval and exchange of content without distance, space and time constraints. A trusted platform without undue intrusions however, determines the extent to which these benefits can be realized in higher education (HE) spaces. The underlying assumption in this thesis therefore, is that e-Learning systems would lose its value and integrity when the security aspects are ignored. Despite this logic, an overwhelming evidence security omissions and disruptions continue to threaten e-Learning processes at CPUT, with a risk of the actual usage of LMS in the institution. For this reason, this study sought to investigate the extent as well as causes of existing security threats, security awareness programmes and the in/effectiveness of security measures within CPUT. Within the qualitative interpretive research framework, the purposive sampling method was used to select participants. Semi-structured interviews were then used to collect primary data from administrators, technicians, academics and students in the IT and the Public Relations departments at CPUT. The activity theory (AT) was then used as the lens to understand the security aspect in e-Learning systems in the CPUT. From this theory, an analytical framework was developed. It presents holistic view of the security environment of e- Learning as an activity system composed of actors (stakeholders), educational goals, rules (in the form of policies, guidelines and procedures), activities, mediating factors, transformation, and outcomes. The tension between these components accounts for failures in e-Learning security practices, and ultimately in the e-Learning processes. Whilst security measures exist on the e-Learning platform, findings show a combination of the tools, processes and awareness measures to be inadequate and therefore inhibiting. Poor adherence to security guidelines in particular, is a major shortfall in this institution. To this end, a continuous review of network policy, clear and consolidated communication between stakeholders as well as emphasis on the enforcement of security compliance by users across all departments is therefore recommended. Frequent security awareness and training programmes for all LMS users must also be prioritized in this institution.

A dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Technology: Information Technology, Durban University of Technology, 2011. / This study examines the perceived effect of the following factors on web searching ability of academic staff in the computing discipline: demographic attributes such as gender, age group, position held by the academic staff, highest qualification, etc; lecturing experience, research experience, English language proficiency, and web searching experience. The research objectives are achieved using a Likert-scale based questionnaire for 61 academic staff from Information Technology and Computer Science departments from four Universities from the Kwazulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. Descriptive and inferential statistics were computed for data analysis from the questionnaire after performing data reliability and validity tests using factor analysis and Cronbach‟s coefficients methods on the PASW Statistics 18.0 (SPSS). Descriptive statistics revealed a majority of staff from IT as compared to staff in CS and, a majority of under qualified middle age male staff in junior positions with considerable years of lecturing experience but with little research experience. Inferential statistics show an association between web searching ability and demographic attributes such as academic qualifications, positions, and years of research experience, and also reveal a relationship between web searching ability and lecturing experience, and between web searching ability and English language ability. However, the association between position, English language ability, and searching ability was found to be the strongest of all. The novelty finding by this study is the effect of lecturing experience on web searching ability which has not been claimed by existing research reviewed. Ideas for future research include mentoring of academic staff by more experienced staff, training of novice web searchers, designing and using semantic search systems both in English and in local languages, publishing more web content in local languages, and triangulating various research strategies for the analysis of the usability of web search engines.

This research study, funded by the Leverhulme Trust as part of the CURLIEW project, explored how learners understand, construct, express, and manage identity when virtual worlds are utilized in higher education and how the virtual world itself might impact on concepts of identity. In particular, the study focused on aspects of learner identity from the physical world and learner identity in virtual worlds, the latter being a ‘translation’ of physical identity markers onto the avatar. The research builds on the experiences of 75 student participants, who employed virtual worlds as learning environments. A narrative research approach was applied to thematically analyze interview, focus group, and observational data, collected from two educational contexts at two British universities. Three themes emerged from the analysis and interpretation of these data, which are presented as narratives of Pursuit, Embodiment, and Resistance. The study makes two main contributions to existing knowledge on learning in virtual environments: firstly, it reveals that virtual worlds are ‘threshold concepts’, in which students need to be able to align their learner identities with the utilization of virtual worlds to integrate them successfully in their learning. Secondly, the study develops a five-dimensional typology of the ways in which students engage and manage identity directly in the virtual world through their avatars. This typology includes: dislocated avatars, representative avatars, avatars as toys and tools, avatars as extensions of self, and avatars as identity extensions. The study demonstrates that engagement with virtual worlds and avatars in the educational context can provide a valuable opportunity to foster critical thinking, if learner identities are given a central place in course design and delivery. Then, virtual world learning can enable students and tutors to reflect critically on what shapes, influences, and constrains identity in virtual worlds, in the physical world, in higher education, and beyond.

M. Tech. Business Information Systems / A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) enables teaching and learning pedagogy that allows students to study without geographical barriers and time constraints. VLE promotes innovations in institutions of higher learning and encourages lecturers and students to move away from the face-to-face learning method to virtual learning pedagogy. The ability to learn anywhere, any time (which is what VLE is all about) was found to be the most appealing. Furthermore, VLE enables institutions of higher learning to enrol large numbers of students without having to worry about the size of the classroom. Global learning, as well as collaboration between leaners and lecturers is encouraged and supported through VLEs. Although institutions of higher learning spend huge amounts of money on technologies such as VLE, most VLEs are still not contextualized to cater for the needs of students in developing countries such as South Africa. This leads to the VLEs in developing countries not being effectively utilised. This study aims at designing a contextualized VL model that suits South African institutions of higher learning. The study identifies factors necessary for contextualizing VLE to fit the student's perspective in a developing country (in this case, South Africa).