Mobile Applications in Supporting Open and Distance Learning Students’ Research
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Authors
Choshi, Phillip
Sanders, Ian
Van Biljon, Judy
Issue Date
2021
Type
Article
Language
en
Keywords
Open and Distance Learning, Mobile Application, Collaboration, Information Sharing, Information Access
Alternative Title
Abstract
Honours students, who are mostly new to research, require support in
finding, selecting and sharing information resources to conduct research. Providing
students with access to information resources becomes problematic in Open and
Distance Learning (ODL), especially in developing countries due to constraints that
are introduced by distance among the students, and between students and the
supervisors. The constraints include isolation, lack of peer collaboration, the cost of
Internet facilities, and time management for working students. Mobile applications
could offer solutions, but the extant literature offers little guidance on the functional
design of such applications. This design science research study presents a mobile
tool with an interface for information access, information sharing and collaboration.
The evaluation results show that the tool supports collaboration effectively by
allowing students to access and share information. Besides the proof of concept, the
theoretical contribution also lies in sharing the recommendations for improving the
functionality of similar applications.
Description
Citation
Publisher
IST-Africa Institute and IIMC