Learning tools in resource constrained environments : learning from e-learning in the time of m-learning

Abstract

Developing countries such as South Africa have underdeveloped human resources. Teaching with information communication technology (ICT) as enabling technology has often been proposed as an approach to maximize the development of human resources. Mobile phone features such as limited dependence on permanent electricity supply, easy maintenance, easy to use audio and text interfaces, and affordability has made the mobile phone the most important networked knowledge exchange technology in the developing world. Due to this accessibility, usability and universality mobile phones have unmatched potential for innovation of education delivery in the developing world. Unfortunately the potential to address human resource development through ICT is restricted by the level of technology adoption and resource constraints in the South African tertiary education context. Firstly, the level of technology penetration in Africa is low compared to other developing countries and this lack of technological development has a detrimental effect on the education sector. Secondly, students at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are often constrained in terms of financial resources and academic preparedness for entering a HEI. The financial and educational constraints that hinder the adoption of ICT and specifically mobile technology in developing countries need to be prioritized for resolution rather than accepted as inevitable. This highlights the importance of proper planning to ensure the selection of appropriate technology for teaching and learning in resource constrained environments. The purpose of this paper is to investigate students’ actual use and preferences of e-learning tools as a point of departure for predicting students’ preferences for m-learning tools and functions. The study was done at the Tshwane University of Technology where most students come from formerly disadvantaged population groups. The research strategies include lecturer observations, interviews with students and an online survey. The contribution of the study is to propose a set of usage spaces for m-learning based on the opinions of students who have had all had the same minimum exposure to the technology. The findings should be of value to researchers, policy-makers and practitioners in the fields of e-learning and mobile technologies towards rethinking approaches to information access and dissemination in Development Informatics.