Mobile applications in supporting open and distance learning students' research

Abstract

Honours students, who are generally new to research, require support in finding, accessing and sharing information resources for conducting research. In open and distance learning (ODL) providing students with access to supportive information resources becomes problematic, especially in developing countries, due to the constraints introduced by the distance between the students as well as between students and their supervisors. Such constraints include isolation, lack of peer collaboration, the cost of basic technologies such as broadband, and time management for working students. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the development of a usable mobile tool that provides an interface for information access, collaboration and information sharing. The mobile tool should allow students to access information resources, share research articles, share ideas, interact with each other and form study groups. Although the learning management system of the institution supports some of the students’ needs; however, the support for honours students has been inadequate owing to a lack of capacity and flexibility, and frequent downtime. Following the design science research (DSR) approach, an artefact (a mobile application) was created as a solution to meet some of the students’ needs in terms of collaboration, and access to and sharing of relevant research-related information. The design requirements for the mobile application were abstracted from the literature and adapted to the context. To evaluate the usability of the mobile tool, usability testing was done with 30 honours students, which was followed by the administration of the Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire (PSSUQ) survey, and as well as the conducting of interviews. The evaluation results show that the tool supports collaboration by allowing students to access and share relevant information. The practical contribution of this study to the body of knowledge is the design and construction of a knowledge-sharing and collaboration artefact for research students in ODL. Identifying the properties and guidelines for usable mobile application interface design that support information access, collaboration and information sharing in ODL provides a novel theoretical contribution based on which guidelines for mobile application sharing can be expanded.

Baithuti ba Kgrata ya Onase, bao ka kakaretšo ba lego ba baswa go dinyakišišo, ba nyaka go thušwa go ithuta go dira dinyakišišo. Maikemišetšo a dinyakišišo tše e bile go nyakišiša go tšweletšwa ga setlabelo sa go thetha seo se thušago baithuti ba kgrata ya onase go ba le bokgoni bja go dira dinyakišišo. Setlabelo se sa go thetha se hlametšwe go dumelela baithuti go fihlelela methopo ya tshedimošo, go abelana ka diathekele tša dinyakišišo, go fana dikgopolo, go šomišana mmogo le go hlama dihlopha tša dinyakišišo. Dinyakišišo tše di šomišitše mokgwa wa dinyakišišo wa tlhamo ya tša mahlale go tšweletša le go sekaseka lenaneotirišo go selefoune (app). Tlhamo ya app e thušitšwe ke dingwalwa tša mabapi le mafasetešana a diselefoune. Teko ya go šomišega le diphatišišo di šomišitšwe go sekaseka app ye. Dipoelo di laeditše gore app e bonwe e le mohola ke baithuti. Godimo ga fao, dinyakišišo di tlaleleditše ka go dingwalwa tša ka lekaleng le mabapi le go utolla diteng le ditlhahli tša tlhamo ya go šomišega ya lenaneotirišo la sellathekeng

Abafundi abenza iziqu zeHonours, abasebasha ocwaningweni, badinga usizo lokufunda ukwenza ucwaningo. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo bekungukuphenya ngokwakhiwa kwethuluzi eliphathekayo elisiza abafundi abenza iziqu zeHonours ekwakheni amakhono okucwaninga. Ithuluzi eliphathekayo lenzelwe ukuba abafundi bakwazi ukufinyelela emithonjeni yolwazi, babelane ngemibhalo yocwaningo, babelane ngemibono, bahlanganyele ngabanye nomunye bakhe amaqoqo bafunde ndawonye. Ucwaningo lulandele indlela yocwaningo lwesayensi yokwakha ekusunguleni nasekuhloleni uhlelo lokusebenza oluphathekayo (i-app). Umklamo wohlelo lokusebenza wakheka ngenxa yezincwadi ezisezintweni ezixhumanisayo eziphathekayo. Kuhlolwe ukusebenziseka kwenziwa nenhlolovo ukuhlola ukusebenziseka kohlelo lokusebenza. Imiphumela ikhombise ukuthi uhlelo lokusebenza luthathwa ngabafundi njengolunosizo. Okunye, ucwaningo lwengeze ezincwadini ezikulo mkhakha maqondana nokuhlonza izakhiwo nemihlahlandlela yokuklanywa kohlelo lokuxhumanisayo okubambekayo okusebenzisekayo.