The possibilities of mobile learning for adult learners in the Adult Basic Education and Training sector in South Africa

Abstract

The use of technologies, mobile devices and applications in teaching and learning is gaining momentum worldwide, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. Mobile learning (m-learning) is a form of distance learning and a subset of e-learning and flexible learning. It has significance for the development of both individual adult learners and countries, with immediate access to information and knowledge being counted among its advantages. M-learning has the potential to enhance adult learners’ thinking collaboration, promote deep learning, and support teaching and learning on any mobile device at any location and at any time. Furthermore, m-learning has the capacity to provide an alternative way of teaching and learning for adult learners or provide opportunities for blended learning. Despite the benefits of m-learning for adult learners, public ABET centres in South Africa have not formally adopted mobile devices in teaching and learning, and adult learners and their teachers are not yet compelled to integrate technology as a means to improve their andragogic activities. Consequently, this research study was conducted to explore the possibilities of m-learning for adult learners in the ABET sector in South Africa and to find out whether and how mobile technologies can promote m-learning and empower adult learners. The research study was supported by the FRAME model and the principles of andragogy and ubuntu. The FRAME model is based on the notion of learners being able to access information where and when they need it; in the process, adult learners can self-manage their learning in a communal way that promotes respect and unselfishness. An interpretivist/constructivist paradigm was used for the study, for which the qualitative research approach was followed, and data collection methods included individual semi-structured and focus group interviews. A purposive sampling method was used to select adult learner and teacher participants, and thematic analysis was used to analyse data. The research findings indicate that m-learning could be used to a greater degree as an alternative approach to teaching and learning for adult learners. Most participants indicated their preference for m-learning, with the few who cited the disadvantages of m-learning listing features such as small screens and keys, limited memory, and the distractive nature of mobile devices. Also mentioned was the potential for the digital divide to widen between adult learners able to afford mobile devices and those unable to do so; the digital divide therefore can potentially disrupt teaching and learning processes. Further it was found that m-learning was preferred as a means to support face-to-face learning, thus contributing to a blended learning approach. To assist in the possible adoption of m-learning, it was recommended that mobile technologies and related resources be made available to adult learners and teachers and that training be provided on how to use them. It was also recommended that ABET centres offer academic learning and skills development programmes and use mobile devices to support the process. Due to the limitations of the study, private ABET centres and adult learners with disabilities were not included among the participants, and this could give rise to recommendations for further research. Based on the guidelines derived from the research findings, this research study makes a unique contribution in suggesting that there is a need for m-learning in the ABET sector, where the integration of mobile devices in teaching and learning is necessary, with due acknowledgement of both the advantages and disadvantages of m-learning. There is also a need to make mobile devices, relevant applications and social media available in the ABET sector. Once mobile technologies are available, adult learners and teachers require training in how to use them in skills development programmes that need to be offered at all ABET levels.

Die gebruik van tegnologieë, mobiele toestelle en toepassings in onderrig en leer kry wêreldwyd momentum, veral ná die COVID-19-pandemie. Mobiele leer (m-leer) is ’n vorm van afstandsonderrig en ’n subversameling van e-leer en buigsame leer. Dit het belang vir die ontwikkeling van beide individuele volwasse leerders en lande, met onmiddellike toegang tot inligting en kennis wat as voordele daarvan beskou word. M-leer het die potensiaal om die samewerking van volwasse leerders se denke te verbeter, diep leer te bevorder, en onderrig en leer op enige mobiele toestel op enige plek en enige tyd te ondersteun. Boonop het m-leer die vermoë om ’n alternatiewe manier van onderrig en leer vir volwasse leerders te verskaf of geleenthede vir gemengde leer te bied. Ten spyte van die voordele van m-leer vir volwasse leerders, het openbare BOOV-sentrums in Suid-Afrika nie formeel mobiele toestelle in onderrig en leer aangeneem nie, en is volwasse leerders en hulle onderwysers nog nie verplig om tegnologie te integreer as ’n manier om hulle androgogiese bedrywighede te verbeter nie. Gevolglik is hierdie navorsingstudie uitgevoer om die moontlikhede van m-leer vir volwasse leerders in die BOOV-sektor in Suid-Afrika te ondersoek en om uit te vind of en hoe mobiele tegnologieë m-leer kan bevorder en volwasse leerders kan bemagtig. Die navorsingstudie is ondersteun deur die FRAME (fokus, bereik, vra, modelleer en aanmoedig) -model en die beginsels van androgogie en ubuntu. Die FRAME-model is gebaseer op die idee dat leerders toegang tot inligting kan verkry waar en wanneer hulle dit benodig; in die proses kan volwasse leerders hulle leer self bestuur op ’n gemeenskaplike manier wat respek en onselfsugtigheid bevorder. ’n Interpretivistiese/konstruktivistiese paradigma is vir die studie gebruik, waarvoor die kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering gevolg is, en data-insamelingsmetodes het individuele semi-gestruktureerde en fokusgroeponderhoude ingesluit. ’n Doelgerigte steekproefmetode is gebruik om volwasse leerder- en onderwyserdeelnemers te selekteer, en tematiese ontleding is gebruik om data te ontleed. Die navorsingsbevindinge dui daarop dat m-leer in ’n groter mate as ’n alternatiewe benadering tot onderrig en leer vir volwasse leerders gebruik kan word. Die meeste deelnemers het hulle voorkeur vir m-leer aangedui, terwyl min deelnemers die nadele van m-leer en eienskappe soos klein skerms en sleutels, beperkte geheue en die afleidende aard van mobiele toestelle genoem het. Ook genoem is die potensiaal vir die digitale kloof om groter te word tussen volwasse leerders wat mobiele toestelle kan bekostig en diegene wat dit nie kan doen nie; die digitale kloof kan dus potensieel onderrig- en leerprosesse ontwrig. Daar is ook gevind dat m-leer verkies word as ’n manier om aangesig-tot-aangesig-leer te ondersteun, en viii sodoende bydra tot ’n gemengdeleerbenadering. Om te help met die moontlike aanvaarding van m-leer is aanbeveel dat mobiele tegnologieë en verwante hulpbronne aan leerders en onderwysers beskikbaar gestel word en dat opleiding verskaf word oor hoe om dit te gebruik. Daar is ook aanbeveel dat BOOV-sentrums akademiese leer- en vaardigheidsontwikkelingsprogramme aanbied en mobiele toestelle gebruik om die proses te ondersteun. As gevolg van die beperkings van die studie, is private BOOV-sentrums en volwasse leerders met gestremdhede nie onder die deelnemers ingesluit nie, en dit kan aanleiding gee tot aanbevelings vir verdere navorsing. Gebaseer op die riglyne wat uit die navorsingsbevindinge verkry is, lewer hierdie navorsingstudie ’n unieke bydrae deur te suggereer dat daar ’n behoefte is aan m-leer in die BOOV-sektor, waar die integrasie van mobiele toestelle in onderrig en leer nodig is, met die nodige erkenning van beide die voordele en nadele van m-leer. Daar is ook ’n behoefte om mobiele toestelle, relevante toepassings en sosiale media in die BOOV-sektor beskikbaar te stel. Sodra mobiele tegnologieë beskikbaar is, benodig volwasse leerders en onderwysers opleiding in hoe om dit te gebruik in vaardigheidsontwikkelingsprogramme wat op alle BOOV-vlakke aangebied word.

Tiriso ya dithekenoloji, diselefounu le mananeotiriso a khomphiutha go ruta le go ithuta e oketsega ka bonako mo lefatsheng ka bophara, segolo bogolo morago ga leroborobo la COVID-19. Go ithuta ka tiriso ya selefounu ke mokgwa wa go ithuta o le kgakala e bile ke karolwana ya go ithuta ka tiriso ya inthanete gape le go ithuta gore o kgone go fetola mokgwa wa go ithuta go tshwanela seemo se se rileng. Go na le bokao jwa tokafatso ya barutwana ba bagolo ka nosi le ya dinaga, mme bokgoni jwa go fitlhelela tshedimosetso le kitso ka gangwe bo balelwa mo mesoleng ya yone. Go ithuta ka tiriso ya selefounu go na le bokgoni jwa go oketsa go akanya ga barutwana ba bagolo ka go dirisana le ba bangwe, go thusa go ithuta mo go tseneletseng, le go tshegetsa go ruta le go ithuta mo selefounung nngwe le nngwe le mo lefelong lengwe le lengwe le ka nako nngwe le nngwe. Mo godimo ga moo, go ithuta ka tiriso ya selefounu go na le bokgoni jwa go neela mokgwa o mongwe wa go ruta le go ithuta mo barutwaneng ba bagolo kgotsa go neela ditšhono tsa go tswakanya go ithuta ka tiriso ya inthanete le go ithuta go go tlwaelegileng go go direlwang mo phaposiborutelong. Le mororo go na le mesola ya go ithuta ka tiriso ya selefounu mo barutwaneng ba bagolo, mafelo a puso a ABET mo Aforika Borwa ga a amogela semmuso diselefounu mo go ruteng le go ithuta, mme barutwana ba bagolo le barutabana ba bone ga ba ise ba patelesege go kopanya thekenoloji jaaka tsela ya go tokafatsa ditirwana tsa bone tse di fatlhosang barutwana ba bagolo. Kwa bokhutlong, thutopatlisiso eno e diretswe go sekaseka dikgonagalo tsa go ithuta ka tiriso ya selefounu mo barutwaneng ba bagolo mo lephateng la ABET mo Aforika Borwa le go batla tshedimosetso ya gore a mme dithekenoloji tsa selefounu di ka thusa go ithuta ka tiriso ya selefounu le go maatlafatsa barutwana ba bagolo, le gore di ka dira seno jang. Thutopatlisiso e tshegeditswe ka sekao sa MATLHOMESO le melawanatheo ya go fatlhosa barutwana ba bagolo le ya ubuntu. Sekao sa MATLHOMESO se ikaegile ka kakanyo ya go nna le bokgoni ga baithuti jwa go fitlhelela tshedimosetso kwa ba e tlhokang teng le ka nako e ba e tlhokang ka yone; fa ba ntse ba tsweletse, barutwana ba bagolo ba ka laola go ithuta ga bone ka go dirisana le barutwanammogo go go rotloetsang tlotlo le go dira kwa ntle ga boitebo. Go dirisiwa sekao se motlhotlhomisi o sekasekang deitha mo tlhotlhomisong kgotsa sekao se motlhotlhomisi o agang kitso e e rileng go tswa mo deitheng ya mo thutopatlisisong, mo go sone go latetswe mokgwa wa go botsa batsayakarolo ba thutopatlisiso dipotso ka ga dikakanyo le maitemogelo a bone, mme mekgwa ya kgobokanyo ya deitha e ne e akaretsa dipotsolotso tse motho ka nosi o bodiwang dipotso tse di se nang dikarabo tse di rileng le tse go bodiwang batsayakarolo ba setlhopha dipotso go batla tshedimosetso e e farologaneng. Go dirisitswe mokgwa wa go tlhopha batsayakarolo go ya ka bokgoni jwa bone fa go tlhophiwa batsayakarolo barutwana ba bagolo le barutabana, mme go dirisitswe tshekatsheko e batlhotlhomisi ba rulaganyang le go sekaseka dideithasete tse di raraaneng go sekaseka deitha. Diphitlhelelo tsa tlhotlhomiso di kaya gore go ithuta ka go dirisa selefounu go ka dirisiwa segolo bogolo jaaka mokgwa o mongwe wa go ruta le go ithuta mo barutwaneng ba bagolo. Batsayakarolo ba bantsi ba kaile se ba se ratang ka go ithuta ka tiriso ya selefounu, ba le mmalwa ba umakile masula a lenaane la dilo tse di kgonang go dirwa ka go ithuta ka selefounu tse di jaaka disekherine le dikhii (dikonopo) tse dinnyane, memori o o lekanyeditsweng, le go tshwenya ga diselefounu. Se se umakilweng gape ke kgonagalo ya go oketsega ga palo e e sa lekalekaneng fa gare ga barutwana ba bagolo ba ba kgonang le ba ba sa kgoneng go reka diselefounu tse ka tsone ba ka fitlhelelang dikhomphiutha le inthanete; ka jalo palo e e sa lekalekaneng fa gare ga ba ba kgonang le ba ba sa kgoneng go fitlhelela dikhomphiutha le inthanete e ka kgoreletsa ditirego tsa go ruta le go ithuta. Go lemogilwe go ya pele gore go ratiwa go ithuta ka selefounu jaaka tsela ya go tshegetsa go ithuta go go tlwaelegileng go go direlwang mo phaposiborutelong, mme ka jalo go na le seabe mo molebong wa go tswakanya go ithuta ka go dirisa inthanete le go ithutela mo phaposiborutelong. Go thusa mo kamogelong e e ka nnang teng ya go ithuta ka go dirisa selefounu, go atlanegisitswe gore go nne le dithekenoloji tsa selefounu le ditlamelwana tse di amanang le tsone mo barutwaneng ba bagolo le barutabana le gore go neelwe tshedimosetso ya gore di dirisiwa jang. Go atlanegisitswe gape gore mafelo a ABET a neele mananeo a tokafatso ya thuto le a tokafatso ya bokgoni mme a dirise diselefounu go tshegetsa tirego eno. Ka ntlha ya ditekanyetso tsa thutopatlisiso, mafelo a poraefete a ABET le barutwana ba bagolo ba ba nang le bogole ga ba akarediwa mo batsayakarolong, mme seno se ka feleletsa se dirile gore go dirwe dikatlenegiso tsa go dira tlhotlhomiso go ya pele. Go ya ka dikaedi tse di tshotsweng mo diphitlhelelong tsa tlhotlhomiso, thutopatlisiso eno e na le seabe se se kgethegileng mo go tshitsinyeng gore go na le tlhokego ya go ithuta ka tiriso ya selefounu mo lephateng la ABET, moo go tlhokegang go tsenyeletsa diselefounu mo go ruteng le go ithuta, ka kamogelo ya mesola le masula ka bobedi a go ithuta ka tiriso ya selefounu. Gape go na le tlhokego ya go dira gore go nne le diselefounu, mananeotiriso a khomphiutha a a maleba le maraanyane a boitapoloso mo lephateng la ABET. Fa dithekenoloji tsa selefounu di le teng, barutwana ba bagolo le barutabana ba tlhoka katiso le thupelelo ya gore ba di dirise jang mo mananeong a tokafatso ya bokgoni a a tlhokang go neelwa mo maemong otlhe a ABET.