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A conceptual framework for e-collaboration amongst postgraduate students

M. Tech. Business Information Systems.Tshwane University of Technology / E-collaboration supports the accomplishment of learning tasks and activities, and thus,
may be employed as a significant platform for learning and postgraduate studies at
universities. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that South African universities
have not yet tapped into e-Collaboration as a way to facilitate learning at the
postgraduate level.
Learning interactions between postgraduate students and their supervisors or subject
instructors are often confined to formal learning spaces and time periods. This, then,
means that postgraduate students tend not to have the necessary anytime, anywhere
platform to address their on-demand problems or challenges, as they move away from
university spaces. The limited and inconsistent learning support from instructors or
research supervisors hinders a smooth learning experience, often leading to delayed or
incomplete learning tasks, including research works. This constraint leaves
postgraduate students with no alternative but to seek learning support from
knowledgeable peers with shared background.
Underpinned by theories of Activity and Social Presence, this dissertation argues that
an e-Collaboration environment may provide the just-in-time learning support needed
by postgraduate students. Following on the interpretive philosophy, a case study was
conducted at Tshwane University of Technology, using the contextual Inquiry approach
– where contextual interviews, textual interactions and observations were used as
empirical data collection techniques. Informed by the empirical evidence, the
framework for an e-Collaboration environment that may support sharing of learning
experiences amongst postgraduate students was conceptualised.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:tut/oai:encore.tut.ac.za:d1000182
Date January 2011
CreatorsSeaba,Tshinakaho Relebogile
ContributorsSupervisor: Prof. R.M. Kekwaletswe.
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeText
FormatPDF
Rights© 2011 Tshwane University of Technology

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