An investigation of the effectiveness of technology in open distance learning : a case study of the University of South Africa

Abstract

Distance education institutions gradually used technology to teach and interact with its diverse student body. University of South Africa (Unisa) has adopted Open Distance and E-learning (ODeL) model to reach students in remote geographical areas. As technology is gaining momentum, the digital divide is a challenge as students experience difficulties in accessing the Internet. The study reviewed the literature from recent sources including books, chapters in books, conference proceedings and journal articles focusing on the effectiveness of technology in ODeL. The study has adopted a qualitative research approach. The study has adopted community of inquiry framework to analyse data gathered from students studying through ODeL. The study used interpretive paradigm which postulates that reality is multi-layered, complex and single phenomenon that can have multiple interpretations. A qualitative research approach with a case study design method was deemed most appropriate for the study; hence, it is holistic in nature. The researcher used purposive sampling strategy to select 12 participants from two Unisa regional offices in the Eastern Cape Province. Semi-structured interviews were used to probe the participants about their perceptions and experiences in using technology. The collected data were analysed using thematic analysis which entails procedure of identifying themes within a qualitative data. The findings indicated that effective use of technology by the students improved communication, students performed better in assignments and did well in examinations and there is high success rate.

Afstandsonderriginstellings het geleidelik tegnologie begin gebruik om onderrig te gee en met hulle diverse studentekorps te kommunikeer. Universiteit van Suid-Afrika (UNISA) het Oopafstand- en E-leer-model (ODeL) aanvaar om studente in afgeleë geografiese gebiede te bereik. Soos tegnologie momentum kry, is die digitale kloof ʼn uitdaging aangesien studente probleme ondervind om toegang tot die internet te verkry. Die studie het die literatuur uit onlangse bronne hersien, wat boeke, hoofstukke in boeke, konferensieverrigtinge en joernaalartikels insluit wat op die doeltreffendheid van tegnologie in ODeL fokus. Die studie het ʼn kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering aanvaar. Die studie het interpretatiewe paradigma gebruik wat postuleer dat die werklikheid ʼn veelvlakkige, komplekse en enkele verskynsel is wat veelvuldige interpretasies kan hê. ʼn Kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering met ʼn gevallestudie-ontwerpmetode is as die geskikste vir dié studie geag; daarom is dit holisties van aard. Die navorser het ʼn doelgerigte steekproefnemingstrategie gebruik om 12 deelnemers uit twee UNISA-streekkantore in die Oos-Kaapprovinsie te kies. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gebruik om die deelnemers te ondervra oor hul persepsies en ervaring in die gebruik van tegnologie. Die versamelde data is ontleed met behulp van tematiese analise wat prosedures behels wat temas in kwalitatiewe data identifiseer. Die bevindinge het aangedui dat effektiewe gebruik van tegnologie deur die studente kommunikasie verbeter het, studente het beter presteer in werkopdragte en goed gevaar in eksamens, en daar is ʼn hoë suksessyfer.

Amaziko Emfundo Yakude athe chu ukusebenzisa ubuxhakaxhaka bokufundisa nokunxibelelana nabafundi bawo abaziintlobo ngeentlobo. IDyunivesithi yoMzantsi Afrika (Unisa) isebenzisa indlela yokufunda kude nge-Intanethi ebizwa nge-Opheni Disistentsi andi E-leningi (ODeL) ukufikelela kubafundi abakwimimandla ethe qelele. Njengoko kusenyuka ukusetyenziswa kobuxhakaxhaka, iyantlukwano ngobugcisa bobuxhakaxhaka ngumceli mngeni kubafundi kuba kunzima ukungena kwi-Intanethi. Olu phando luye lwaphonononga uncwadi kwimithombo yolwazi yamva nje, efana neencwadi, izahluko ezithile kwiincwadi, iingxoxo zeenkomfa kunye neengxelo zamanqaku apapashiweyo ezijolise kwimpumelelo yokusebenza kobuxhakaxhaka kwi-ODeL. Olu phando lusebenzise indlela yokuqokelela ulwazi ngqo kubathathi-nxaxheba. Kwakhona uphando lusekelwe kwindlela yemfuna-lwazi ejolise kuluntu oluphandwayo, ukuhlalutya ulwazi oluqokelelwe kubafundi abafunda nge-ODeL. Olu phando lusebenzise umzekeliso wokuxela ulwazi onebango lokuba ubukho bento okanye ubunyaniso yinto eneenkalo ezininzi, entsokothileyo enokuthi itolikwe ngeendlela ezohlukeneyo. Indlela yokufuna ulwazi ngqo kubathathi-nxaxheba iyilwe ngokujonga umzekelo othile yaye ibonakale iyeyona ndlela efanele olu phando; njengoko, imo yayo igqibelele. Umphandi uye wasebenzisa iqhinga elijolise ukufumana abathathi-nxaxheba abali-12 abakule meko ngqo besuka kwii-ofisi ezimbini zase-Unisa ezikwiPhondo laseMpuma Koloni. Kuqhutywe iingxoxo nabathathi-nxaxheba ngendlela ebuza imibuzo evalekile naleyo engena nzulu ukuveza izimvo kunye namava abo okusebenzisa ubuxhakaxhaka. Ulwazi oluqokelelweyo luye lwahlalutywa ngokujonga imixholo esisikhokelo senkqubo yokuchonga imixholo equlathwe kwiinkcukacha eziqokelelweyo. Iziphumo zibonisa impumelelo ekusetyenzisweni kobuxhakaxhaka ngabafundi ngoba luye lwaphucuka unxibelelwano, abafundi baye basebenza ngcono kwizifundo zabo nakwiimviwo zabo, kwaye izinga lempumelelo liyancomeka.