Working memory (WM) is a neural system that plays a role in all complex thinking processes,
including academic reading and learning. Research exploring the relationships between WM,
academic reading, and academic achievement within online higher education is, however,
limited. These relationships are particularly under-researched within the South African context.
This study thus used a non-experimental ex post facto cross-sectional design to quantitatively
investigate whether WM is associated with the academic reading and academic achievement
of online distance e-learning first-year tertiary students attending the University of South
Africa, and to evaluate the use of two open-source web-based WM tasks. One hundred and
thirty-six young adult participants completed a demographic and background information
survey, an academic reading test, the Reading Span, and the Operation Span. The latter two
tasks were developed by the researcher and served as measures of working memory capacity
(WMC). Participants’ final end-of-course grades were requested from the university, and the
results showed that WMC was significantly correlated with both academic reading and
academic achievement. Findings furthermore illustrated the acceptable performance of both
WMC tasks, providing a crucial resource in South African WM research. Findings are
interpreted in relation to existing scholarship regarding cognitive functioning, academic
reading, and academic achievement. Implications for higher education institutions and future
research are discussed.
I-Working memory (i-WM) iwuhlelo lwezodluliswa kwemiyalezo eya nebuya engqondweni
olubamba iqhaza kuzo zonke izinqubo ezinzulu zokucabanga, okubandakanya ukufunda
okubhaliwe nokufunda okwenziwayo ngokwenqubo yezemfundo. Ucwaningo oluhlola
ubudlelwano phakathi kwe-WM, ukufunda okubhaliwe ngokwenqubo yezemfundo, kanye
nempumelelo kwezemfundo emfundweni esezingeni eliphakeme oluqhutshwa nge-inthanethi,
aluluningi. Aluluningi ucwaningo olwenziwe ngalobu budlelwano esimweni saseNingizimu
Afrika. Ngenxa yalokho, lolu cwaningo lumiswe ngokohlelo olucubungula imininingwane
eseyaqoqwa ebantwini abaningi ukuze kuhlolwe ngokocwaningo lwekhwantithethivu ukuthi
ingabe i-WM iyahambisana na nokufunda okubhaliwe ngokwenqubo yezemfundo kanye
nempumelelo kwezemfundo kubafundi abafundela ekhaya abafunda ngokohlelo lwe inthanethi abasonyakeni wokuqala esikhungweni semfundo ephakeme abafunda eNyuvesi
yaseNingizimu Afrika, kanye nokuhlola ukusetshenziswa kwemisebenzi ye-WM emibili
yesoftiwe yamahhala esebenza nge-inthanethi. Ababambiqhaza abayikhulu namashumi
amathathu nesithupha bagcwalisa ucwaningo lwemininingwane eqondene nabo siqu kanye
nolwazi oluyisendlalelo, isivivinyo sokufunda okubhaliwe ngokwenqubo yezemfundo,
Isikhathi Sokufunda Okubhaliwe, kanye Nesikhathi Sokusebenza. Le misebenzi emibili
yasungulwa wumcwaningi futhi yasebenza njengezindlela yokukala ubungako be-working
memory (i-WMC). Amazinga ababambiqhaza okugcina ekupheleni kohlelo acelwa enyuvesi,
bese imiphumela yaveze ukuthi i-WMC beyihambisana kakhulu nokufunda okubhaliwe
ngokwenqubo yezemfundo kanye nemiphumela yezemfundo. Imiphumela iqhubeke yaveza
ukusebenza okwamukelekayo kwemisebenzi ye-WMC yomibili, okuhlinzeke ngomthombo
obaluleke kakhulu ocwaningweni lwe-WM lwaseNingizimu Afrika. Imiphumela ifundwa
ngokuqhathaniswa nemibhalo yabacwaningi ekhona mayelana nokusebenza komqondo,
ukufunda okubhaliwe ngokwenqubo yezemfundo, kanye nemiphumela kwezemfundo.
Kudingidwa imithelela ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme kanye nocwaningo lwangomuso.
Werksgeheue (working memory, WM) is ’n neurale stelsel wat ’n rol in alle komplekse
denkprosesse, insluitend akademiese lees en leer, speel. Navorsing wat die verwantskappe
tussen WM, akademiese lees en akademiese prestasie in aanlyn hoër onderwys ondersoek, is
egter beperk. Daar is veral in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks min navorsing oor hierdie
verwantskappe gedoen. Hierdie studie het gevolglik ’n nie-eksperimentele ex post facto
dwarssnitontwerp gebruik om kwantitatief te ondersoek of WM verband hou met die
akademiese lees en akademiese prestasie van die aanlyn afstands-e-leer van eerstejaar- tersiêre
studente wat by die Universiteit van Suid-Afrika ingeskryf is, en om die gebruik van twee
oopbron-, webgebaseerde WM-take te evalueer. Een honderd ses-en-dertig jong volwasse
deelnemers het ’n demografiese en agtergrondinligtingsopname, ’n akademieseleestoets, die
leesspan (reading span), en die verwerkingspan (operation span) voltooi. Laasgenoemde twee
take is deur die navorser ontwikkel en het gedien om die werksgeheuekapasiteit (working
memory capacity, WMC) te meet. Deelnemers se finale punte aan die einde van die kursus is
van die universiteit af aangevra en die resultate het getoon dat WMC ’n beduidende korrelasie
met akademiese lees sowel as akademiese prestasie toon. Bevindings het voorts die
aanvaarbare prestasie van albei WMC-take geïllustreer, en verskaf ’n noodsaaklike hulpbron
in Suid-Afrikaanse navorsing oor WM. Bevindings is met betrekking tot bestaande vakkundige
kennis oor kognitiewe funksionering, akademiese lees en akademiese prestasie vertolk.
Implikasies vir hoëronderwysinstellings en toekomstige navorsing word bespreek.
