This study was conducted at the University of South Africa in the Department of Information Science and looked at the students’ perception about e-learning. The study context was Open Distance Learning (ODL) which allows multi-dimensional e-learning aimed at bridging the time, geographical, economic, social, educational and communication distance between student and institution, student and academics, student and courseware and student and peers. It has emerged in the literature that student’ perceptions and understanding of e-learning are susceptible to challenges related to infrastructure, geographic location, skills set, support services, pedagogical matters and other related matters. These challenges are likely to affect the students’ perceptions of e-learning which is likely to have a negative impact on effective learning as well as success and completion rates. The main aim of the study was to examine the perceptions of Information Science students towards e-learning. This study opted for multi-methods. The quantitative approach which involves the use of controlled questionnaires was employed. The questionnaire was designed in the web survey for the purpose of reaching scattered respondents and the opportunity to obtain large numbers of respondents to contribute. Also the qualitative method was considered as appropriate for this study because it helped to conceptualise the research and enabled the researcher to gather information from lecturers on influencing students and the strategies used to promote e-learning. The overall population of this study was 125 students and 17 lecturers. The study revealed that not all students knew what e-learning was, and the major challenge was the internet access as students complained about the shortage of internet bundles. Many students at UNISA considered e-learning as a flexible for teaching and studying method because it is not bound to a particular time and place, also they commended that the usability of myUnisa has created more accessibility in learning environment for tuition. If the current students are not assisted with the lowest prices for internet access, students might not continue interacting with lecturers in the e-learning platforms. Also, first year students at UNISA should be trained for the e-learning environment and be given an overview of the UNISA e-learning platform. / Information Science / M. Inf.

The rapid pace with which internet technology has entered our daily lives provides an opportunity for English language teachers to incorporate some such platforms in their teaching. This study investigates the attitudes of Saudi Arabian learners towards online communication in EFL. It takes place in a university preparatory program at Taibah University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Questionnaires and interviews were used to gather data pertaining to the attitudes’ of Saudi Arabian learners to online communication in EFL. In order to achieve its aims, this study uses both quantitative and qualitative data to inform EFL practitioners of learners’ attitudes towards English, online communication in general and online communication for EFL purposes. / Educational Studies / M.A. (TESOL)

The research aimed to assess the feasibility of using podcasts in mobile devices to teach research proposal writing for masters’ students of University of South Africa. To aid in this, a general objective was developed which was supported by specific research objectives that guided the study. The research looked at the evolution of open distance learning (ODL) including the use of M-learning. I reviewed literature on the history of podcasts as an entertainment tool being highlighted as a revolution in the academic world especially in the area of distance learning. To create a foundation to give strength to the use of podcasts, theories of education were evaluated and criticised to give reason and foundation for the use of podcasts as a technology to support teaching and learning in ODL. All major aspects of learning were traversed in the theoretical aspect. This is in a bid to assess the ability of the use of podcasts to meet the needs of the learners. A methodology for conducting the research that included the deployment of a pilot project for the research proposal writing module in year 2011-2012 class was developed and justified accordingly. The use of both qualitative and quantitative methods was necessitated by the objectives of the research. This was implemented at data collection and analysis stages of the research. The analysis was fruitful and successful for that matter, giving reasonable backing to the proposal by the researcher of adopting the use of podcasts using mobile devices. The analysis deemed the pilot project successful for the period within which it was operated. Hurdles or challenges were present and the study gives them as majorly, the lack of sufficient skills to handle the content of the website, that is, generally, the use of the technology. Also, the study pinpoints that the availability of mobile devices is also a challenge that the students will face. Recommendations were derived from the challenges and include a framework that should be used in creating a podcast support system that will be based on the findings to create a successful project. Regarding the objectives of the study, the conclusion that indeed it is feasible to use podcasts to teach research proposal writing in Unisa is valid. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)

Undergraduate software engineering learners demonstrate a lack of motivation with face-to-face classroom education. Limited access to the Internet via PCs and laptops, hinders effective communication and collaboration. However, the majority of learners enrolled for studies in tertiary education, have cellphones and are proficient in the use of digital technology. A technology-enhanced m-learning solution is indicated. This research project evaluates the usability and user experience of an m-learning environment, custom-designed for a tertiary educational context and delivered by mobile handheld devices, features a synthesized framework of categories and criteria, and determines the nature and scope of an emergent digital divide. A design-based research model suited to the context of the study is implemented, gathering quantitative and qualitative data from experts and learners by survey questionnaires. Analysis of data highlights usability and UX problems, provides insight into an emergent digital divide and suggests guidelines specific to the design of m-learning implementations. / Educational Studies / M. Sc. (Information Systems)

In higher education institutions, virtual learning systems (VLSs) have been adopted, and are becoming increasingly popular among educators. However, despite this ubiquity of VLS use, there has not been widespread change in pedagogic practice to take advantage of the functionality afforded by VLSs. Knowledge of the actual usage of e-learning systems is limited in terms of what specific feature sets are deemed useful, and how this influences system usage. VLSs have a suite of tools with associated functions/features and properties, as well as non-functional system characteristics. In addition, these systems incorporate pedagogic features to cater for online teaching. Educators in higher education, who are the chief agents of e-learning, are confounded by system-related, pedagogic, organisational, user difference and demographic factors that influence VLS usage. Virtual learning system usage involves system feature usage extent and frequency, total system usage and usage clusters. The aim of this study is to develop a model representing the factors that influence usage of VLSs in higher education. The links between system usage and system-related factors, pedagogic factors, organisational factors, user-difference and demographic factors is researched. This research incorporated a literature study, a pilot study, interviews and surveys. A case study research strategy was combined with a mixed methods research design. The results of the qualitative analysis was triangulated with the findings of the quantitative analysis and compared to the findings of the literature study. The study was conducted at two residential higher education institutions (HEI), namely, University of KwaZulu-Natal and Durban University of Technology. The main contribution of this study is the Virtual Learning System Usage Model (VLSUM) representing the factors that influence VLS usage in residential higher education institutions. The proposed VLSUM is based on the empirical results of this study. VLSUM can be used by managers of educational technology departments and instructional designers to implement interventions to optimize usage. The constructs of VLSUM confirmed existing theories, replicated and synthesised theories from different fields, and extended existing models to produce a new model for understanding the factors that influence VLS usage in higher education. / Computing / D. LITT. et. Phil. (Information Systems)

Text in English / With the growing trends in favour of online learning in higher education, further research is needed on the social experiences of students enrolled in online courses. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the ways in which social presence manifested itself amongst first-year undergraduate students who had studied in a fully asynchronous web-based course at Unisa in 2014. The Community of Inquiry framework, which posits that meaningful online learning experience results from interaction of cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence, guided this inquiry. Purposive sampling was utilised to select 18 participants who met the selection criteria. Through semi-structured, telephonic interviews, couched with the social constructivism stance, the participants‟ perceptions of social presence were thematically analysed. The findings revealed that first-year online undergraduate students manifested social presence through affective responses, interactive responses, group cohesion, interaction, instructor presence and internet access. Overall, social presence manifested itself through participation and interaction within the discussion forums. The findings specified further that a blended online learning approach can be crucial in meeting the learning needs of some students. Furthermore, the findings alluded to a lack of interaction and feedback from the online instructors. In addition, the findings revealed a limitation in terms of internet access, particularly for students in rural areas, which is of concern in an ODL milieu heading online. Implications of the study findings, study limitations and avenues for future research are discussed. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

The incorporation of information and communications technology into every sphere of life can neither be denied nor remain unnoticed. Be it for education, government, corporate or social purposes, information and communications technology usage has become a norm in the twenty-first century. In academia, which is the focus of this study, the University of South Africa offers screencasts as a technology-enhanced teaching tool in the College of Accounting Sciences. These screencasts form part of an e-learning initiative to improve the success rate among their students in the Certificate in the Theory of Accounting programme. This phenomenological, qualitative research study employs a case study as a research design tool, employing the community of inquiry framework. Ten lecturer-participants were interviewed in this study. The aim was to determine how screencasts can be used as a technology-enhanced teaching tool at an open distance-learning university in South Africa. Accordingly, this study used semi-structured interviews and document analysis to collect the data. The research data were studied, analysed, explored and validated. The study’s findings proved the validity and the practicability of this research. The findings indicate that screencasting at the university is in its beginning phase and that lecturers make use of the learning management system (myUnisa) to upload screencasts. Although making the screencasts is time consuming, lecturers report on the positive feedback received from students concerning the screencasts, but there is no way to track how many students use them. It is important to note that the lecturers experience challenges, as the MyUnisa system is often ineffective. Furthermore, some lecturers are techno-phobes, resulting in those that are technologically informed being overloaded. This study recommends the use of other effective software, screencast training, proper investment in information and communications technology infrastructure and affordable data access for students to stakeholders such as UNISA. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

Extant literature indicates that web-based blended learning will become the most accepted mode of delivery in the near future as an alternative to traditional face-to-face instruction particularly in the higher education landscape due to its potential to provide increased access to education for more people, increased student engagement with the tutor, rich learning resources, peers, and external experts, and flexibility beyond the limits of classrooms without compromising quality. The study focused on developing a web-based blended learning model that could help reap the benefits of blended learning at the University of Botswana (UB). With this in mind, the research question, "How can a web-based blended learning environment be designed, developed and implemented at the University of Botswana?" was formulated. In order to address the research question, a six-dimensional model called LAPTEL was developed. The six dimentions are: Digital Leadership, Equitable Access, Active Participation, Authentic Tasks, Intellectual Engagement and Learning (LAPTEL); the first five dimentions are requisites to enable studnets to progress towards successful learning which is the sixth dimension. The LAPTEL model depicts guidelines on how to ensure equitable access for students to learning contexts, motivate and enable them to participate in meaningful educational processes, design and develop effective online as well as classroom learning materials (tasks), and engage students in active 'communityes of practice' in order to help them construct their own knowledge (learning) collaboratively under proper leadership. The Researcher considers it essential to have a complex interplay between the three components - active participation, authentic tasks and intellectual engagement to facilitate active, non-linear learning, and it will be catered for in the design, development and delivery of courses based on the LAPTEL model. The fact that these three dimensions have got features of both face-to-face and onlilne learning, integrated seamlessly, makes the LAPTEL a Web-based learning model. The overall aim was to develop a model of curriculum (re)design based on the student-centred pedagogical approaches that combine synergistically the effectiveness of traditional classroomwith technologically enhanced socialization and active learning oppotunities of the online environment in order to support student learning more effectively than what is possible in a typical lecture room. In a case study to evaluate the effectiveness of the LAPTEL model in the context of UB, the Researcher found that it could provide students with opportunity for increased interactive engagement (more than that is normally possible in 'face-to-face-only' or 'online-only' environments), flexibility and cognitive scaffolding that enhanced their learning experience. The Researcher concludes that the LAPTEL model fits well in the UB context, and it may be adopted by other institutions working under similar contexts. / Teacher Education / D. Ed. (Didactics)

The research aimed to assess the feasibility of using podcasts in mobile devices to teach research proposal writing for masters’ students of University of South Africa. To aid in this, a general objective was developed which was supported by specific research objectives that guided the study. The research looked at the evolution of open distance learning (ODL) including the use of M-learning. I reviewed literature on the history of podcasts as an entertainment tool being highlighted as a revolution in the academic world especially in the area of distance learning. To create a foundation to give strength to the use of podcasts, theories of education were evaluated and criticised to give reason and foundation for the use of podcasts as a technology to support teaching and learning in ODL. All major aspects of learning were traversed in the theoretical aspect. This is in a bid to assess the ability of the use of podcasts to meet the needs of the learners. A methodology for conducting the research that included the deployment of a pilot project for the research proposal writing module in year 2011-2012 class was developed and justified accordingly. The use of both qualitative and quantitative methods was necessitated by the objectives of the research. This was implemented at data collection and analysis stages of the research. The analysis was fruitful and successful for that matter, giving reasonable backing to the proposal by the researcher of adopting the use of podcasts using mobile devices. The analysis deemed the pilot project successful for the period within which it was operated. Hurdles or challenges were present and the study gives them as majorly, the lack of sufficient skills to handle the content of the website, that is, generally, the use of the technology. Also, the study pinpoints that the availability of mobile devices is also a challenge that the students will face. Recommendations were derived from the challenges and include a framework that should be used in creating a podcast support system that will be based on the findings to create a successful project. Regarding the objectives of the study, the conclusion that indeed it is feasible to use podcasts to teach research proposal writing in Unisa is valid. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)

In higher education institutions, virtual learning systems (VLSs) have been adopted, and are becoming increasingly popular among educators. However, despite this ubiquity of VLS use, there has not been widespread change in pedagogic practice to take advantage of the functionality afforded by VLSs. Knowledge of the actual usage of e-learning systems is limited in terms of what specific feature sets are deemed useful, and how this influences system usage. VLSs have a suite of tools with associated functions/features and properties, as well as non-functional system characteristics. In addition, these systems incorporate pedagogic features to cater for online teaching. Educators in higher education, who are the chief agents of e-learning, are confounded by system-related, pedagogic, organisational, user difference and demographic factors that influence VLS usage. Virtual learning system usage involves system feature usage extent and frequency, total system usage and usage clusters. The aim of this study is to develop a model representing the factors that influence usage of VLSs in higher education. The links between system usage and system-related factors, pedagogic factors, organisational factors, user-difference and demographic factors is researched. This research incorporated a literature study, a pilot study, interviews and surveys. A case study research strategy was combined with a mixed methods research design. The results of the qualitative analysis was triangulated with the findings of the quantitative analysis and compared to the findings of the literature study. The study was conducted at two residential higher education institutions (HEI), namely, University of KwaZulu-Natal and Durban University of Technology. The main contribution of this study is the Virtual Learning System Usage Model (VLSUM) representing the factors that influence VLS usage in residential higher education institutions. The proposed VLSUM is based on the empirical results of this study. VLSUM can be used by managers of educational technology departments and instructional designers to implement interventions to optimize usage. The constructs of VLSUM confirmed existing theories, replicated and synthesised theories from different fields, and extended existing models to produce a new model for understanding the factors that influence VLS usage in higher education. / Computing / D. LITT. et. Phil. (Information Systems)