Elearning Delivery: Exploratory Study of ICT in Higher Education in South Africa

Wanjira Kinuthia, Middle/Secondary and Instructional Technology Department, Georgia State University

Abstract
This paper reports on the findings of a research study that was conducted to explore the types of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in higher education in South Africa. The goal was to examine the types of ICT that aid elearning. Specifically, the objectives of the study were to: 1) explore how ICT is being used for teaching and learning purposes; and 2) investigate the barriers to participation in ICT-integrated learning. Data were collected from interviews with educators and instructional designers at three institutions of higher education. Data also came from observation of physical and virtual classrooms, and Learning Management Systems (LMS), as well as institutional (print and electronic) documents related to the use of ICT in instructional environments. Analysis and reporting of the data is currently underway. Preliminary analysis indicates that the resident universities and distance learning universities in the study differ in their missions and approaches to e-learning. A variety of tools including software, LMS and print resources are being integrated. Barriers to participation include large class sizes, limited bandwidth, time and financial limitations. Despite the barriers, elearning integration continues, and learners are enthusiastic in engaging in activities, subsequently fostering ICT integration in instruction.

BACKGROUND

The area of integration of technology in education is a continuous effort that requires examination of factors and practices that can be applied to encourage assimilation of technology into teaching and learning. Likewise, knowledge of instructional web tools and course integration techniques is important to the successful development and teaching of courses. A dilemma facing higher education in Africa in general is the successful resolution of the inherent tension that underlines efficient and effective utilization of existing resources on one hand and intensified demand for more and better education on the other (Okuni, 2001; Sawyerr, 2004).

Increasingly, technologies are being described as cognitive tools that transform, augment, and support engagement among learners. This creates many variables that impact design processes (McLoughlin, 1999). Many terms have been used to describe teaching and learning supported by ICT. In this study, e learning is defined as instruction that covers a wide set of applications and processes such as web-based learning, computer-based learning, virtual classrooms, and digital collaboration. It also includes the delivery of instructional content via the Internet, intranet/extranet, audio and videotape, satellite, and CD-ROM (Klein & Ware, 2003).

A term used in South Africa’s higher education context is telematic education. Zawacki-Richter (2005) defines telematic education as a comprehensive system of flexible learning. It focuses on the use of ICT to enhance the learning environment. He also notes that in telemetric education, print-based resources are considered a low level of technology and are therefore included in the use of the word 'technology'. Overall telematic education includes the full spectrum of education modes, from face-to-face education to print- and web-based distance education. It also includes support supportive modes such as interactive television, video conferencing and interactive multimedia (Brown, 1999, p. 30).

GUIDING QUESTIONS

The study was guided by the following questions:

1. How is ICT being used for teaching and learning purposes?
2. What instructional strategies that are employed in the design and delivery of the ICT-integrated content?

DESIGN OF THE STUDY

This research used a variety of qualitative methods within the context of an exploratory multi-case study. As suggested by Yin (2003), the case study design is an appropriate way to investigate the causal links and the context relating to an intervention. It is also useful when there is little or no control over the behavioral events. The three cases were University of South Africa (UNISA), University of Johannesburg, and University of Pretoria. Exploratory methods were selected for this study for three reasons. First, the scope was not clearly defined initially. Second, the amount of literature focusing specifically on input from lecturers and instructional designers is limited. Third, the research was conducted to determine the best research design, data collection method and selection of participants for future studies.
Data collection methods included interviews with lecturers, administrators, and instructional designers. One-on-one interviews and focus groups were utilized for data collection. Structured and semi-structured questions were included in both types of interviews. Interview data were used to extrapolate in-depth views of the participants while the focus group approach was selected to allow participants to express detailed opinions, and to react to and build on the responses of other group members. A limitation of the research was that due to data collection protocol at the different universities, the researchers only interacted with educators and instructional designers and did not collect data directly from learners. The researchers also located print and electronic documents, and pertinent official university web pages. Formal and informal observations of physical and virtual classrooms were also made.

FINDINGS
In all three universities, the researchers observed various ICT and examined instructional strategies employed in designing and developing the ICT-integrated learning content.

University of South Africa

The University of South Africa (UNISA) is a comprehensive, open learning, and distance education university with headquarters in Pretoria. With approximately 250,000 enrolled students, it is one of the World's mega universities. Although UNISA has multiple campuses around South Africa, data were collected from the Pretoria and Johannesburg campuses. At UNISA the researchers interacted with three faculty members and two instructional designers at the Institute for Curriculum & Learning Development. Formal interviews were done on a one-on-one basis with instructional design faculty and staff who develop the instructional material. Observations of classrooms and computer laboratories were coordinated by the Institute for Curriculum & Learning Development. The Institute is in charge of about 4,500 courses, of which 600 are revised each year. Newly designed courses are delivered for three years and then revised.

UNISA has several missions, one of which is to addresses the needs of a diverse learner profile by offering relevant learner support and is facilitated by appropriate information and communications technology (UNISA, 2006). According to documents obtained from UNISA’s Institute for Curriculum & Learning Development (2005), the online learning environment is organized into two areas.

The first is a non-secure web environment used primarily to provide general information on programs and courses. The second is a secure environment that is structured into three sections: The first is Lecturers Online, a personalized teaching environment where lecturers can access online course environments, resources, support and teaching tools. They have access learners’ data, student feedback, and statistical data for researcher purposes. They also have the flexibility develop their own course websites on three levels discussed below in detail. The second is Students Online is an all-inclusive learning environment. According to UNISA data, by 2003, there were 67,000 students registered on Students Online. Students have access to online resources, communication, and administration facilities. They also have access to assignments, timetables, examination results, library and online help desk, study material in Portable Documents Format (PDF), and asynchronous tools such as email, and discussion forums. UNISA is in the process of making an online writing center available. The third is Staff online for support staff.

UNISA has adopted several approaches to structuring and delivering courses. In the first, Course Support Environment (Adjunct Mode) a limited amount of supplemental course resources are made available and interactivity and communication tools online are used at a minimal. Internet resources are provided as optional activities for learners, where delivery of instruction is mainly through print-based resources. This is done as a way for educators to explore electronic resources in a tempered environment. Access to electronic environments is optional, and online participation too is voluntary.

In the second, the Course Enhancement model (Mixed Mode Delivery), certain aspects of e-learning are integrated into the curriculum, and are required as part of the course. Nonetheless, print-based delivery is still primary. Learners are required to have access to the Internet, and have a working knowledge of the tools. They interact with tools such as online assignment submission and discussion forums and conduct Internet-based projects and access a wider range of online materials.
In the third, Online Delivery (Fully Online Learning Provision), courses are primarily mediated over the Internet. Much of the course content, supplemental materials, and administrative tools are only available online. The course is heavily reliant on interactivity and communication tools such as email and discussion forums. There are scheduled online collaborative activities, where the lecturer works with smaller groups, typically nine to twenty-five.

The Institute for Curriculum & Learning Development is responsible for 4,500 courses, of which 600 are revised each year. Newly designed courses are delivered for three years and then revised. In certain areas of the country, due to limited bandwidth and computer access, cell phones are being used to deliver exam results and send reminders. As noted in an interview, “…doesn’t matter how disadvantaged, they have cell phones...we used SMS messaging because that’s the cheapest”. The problem however is that during mass transmission, the networks are unable to support the high volume of messages.

University of Pretoria

The University of Pretoria serves about thirty thousand students, making it the country’s largest residential university. At this site the researchers met with two instructional designers at the Telematic Learning & Education Innovation Centre at the University of Pretoria who gave in-depth interviews, as well as extensive tours of facilities, on-going projects, and electronic classrooms and classes. The educational approach is based on a telematic education paradigm which utilizes various ICT including interactive multimedia, computer-based assessment, interactive television and video-conferencing, and LMS.

WebCT is the LMS in use and is supported by the Telematic Learning & Education Innovation Centre, which also supports a wider range of technologies. The center is involved mostly in web-supported medium, but there is also an emphasis on multimedia. As noted by a participant, “…in our South African context is standardized multimedia on CD-ROM, because we don’t have the bandwidth to deliver multimedia on the Internet.” Multimedia is designed multimedia with audio, visual animation among other features and produced on CD-ROM. The center also has a studio for analog and digital video production, and sound editing and recording. The center also provide video conferencing facilities, which is used to a good extent by postgraduate students who are out of the country as well as for job interviews. According to a Telematic Learning and Education Learning Report (2003), 69 hours of videoconferencing were provided, 122 hours academic modules were broadcast, and 233 hours of studio production were made. The university also produces paper-based learning materials. As reported in an interview, “That’s not so much in use because we’re not a distance learning institution.” But there’s still a place for paper so, we view paper as very important delivery medium still for teaching and learning.”

The e-portfolio is soon to be made available university-wide application. It is a digital record of learner’s performance and knowledge. E-portfolios do not computer-based testing assessments (e-assessments) that have increased to over 112,570 (Annual Report, 2003). Mobile learning (m-learning) is an extension of e-learning, and has been piloted with the use of cell phones and Short Message Service (SMS) or text messaging (Brown, 2003). As reported in the 2003 Annual Report, although less than 1% of the students have access to the Internet, more than 99% of the students have cell phones.

Lecturers do not necessarily resist technology; they are ‘very keen’. Rather it is a learning curve: “it is not so much that they resist [it] as a tool, but just the learning curve…they’ve just learned the previous version…the interface has changed…and like anybody there’s resistance to relearn the software.” Interestingly, the push to use ICT also comes from students. As with UNISA bandwidth was raised as an issue of concern, as were financial and time constraints for lecturers to develop courses.

University of Johannesburg

The University of Johannesburg is located in Johannesburg and it came into existence in January 2005 as the result of a merger between the former campuses of the Rand Afrikaans University, Technikon Witwatersrand, and Vista University. Like the University of Pretoria, it is classified s a residential university. The researchers interviewed three lecturers one-on-one. They also met with five instructional designers who formed a focus group. The visit was coordinated by the Design, Development and Support at the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Assessment.

At the time of data collection, WebCT was in use at the University of Johannesburg. The university has since the, made a decision to move to WebCT Vista. WebCT is used to extend multimodal learning to the various campuses. As part of this process, the university has developed new computer labs dedicated to its Edulink electronic driven by WebCT technology (University of Johannesburg, 2006). WebCT Vista was selected because of the successful use of the WebCT Campus Edition nine years and that the students were in favor of the system.

In one interview, a lecturer reported that he was using a multimode approach to learning, which is similar to blended learning. This is an approach to address large class sizes. Learners are provided with study guides, alongside CD-ROM. They then access the course lectures (PowerPoint) and questions via WebCT. He noted:
“Because this is a residential university, the focus is still on face to face. But the problem is we have so many students… at the moment we have 2 ½ thousand students… In one lecture hall you have about 600 students… our tutorials are for the bridging program and are between maximum 30-40 students which are way too much… we simply don’t have the venues for it…yeah WebCT comes in and what I do have is I have tutors.

DISCUSSION

This study is a work in progress. The initial round of interviews, documents analysis, and subsequent data analysis has identified that a variety of ICT is being used for teaching and learning, in various forms, and for different reasons. The selection of the modes and resources is dependant upon learner and institution needs, resources, class size, and resources available. The University of Johannesburg and the University of Pretoria, both residential universities, are using WebCT. The reasons for selecting WebCT as addressed by one participant was “… a company that has already shown they can be competitive with the best.” WebCT is also instrumental in addressing challenges associated with large class.

UNISA’s has a customized delivery system. However, as with the residential universities, there is still a heavy reliance on print-based materials, and CD-ROM. This is key in light of bandwidth and Internet access issues. Video and video conferencing is also in use at the universities, as is m-Learning, as a means of supporting instruction. Brown (2003) recommends that m-learning should be a supportive mode of education and not a primary mode of education, and the focus should be more on communication and interaction than on content.

Instructional designers are important to the course development process. The collaboration between content experts, audio/video personnel, and instructional designers helps to ensure course quality. At the University of Pretoria and University of Johannesburg, teams are allocated to work with lecturers by faculty and content area. The faculty support teams consist of project managers, instructional designers, and multimedia developers and they focus on two or three faculty groups. Given the amount of time required to prepare courses and technical expertise, this type of support is important to program quality.

All programs are accredited, and as noted in an interview, “the government is setting standards and criteria…so that we get good quality in delivery…every program must be accredited.” The use of instructional design expertise also addresses the issue of professional development, which is available at all three universities. Unlike findings in earlier study findings, lecturers are not necessarily resistant to change. However, the study yielded similar findings of the challenges emerged, including bandwidth and access (Dagada, 2004; Kinuthia, 2003).

CONCLUSION

This study was conducted to explore the types of ICT at three major universities in South Africa. Preliminary analysis indicates innovative ways that ICT is being used for instructional purposes, where selection is based on individual institution needs, missions, and resource availability. However, there are barriers to e-learning including large class sizes, limited bandwidth, time, and financial limitations. Despite the barriers, learners and educators are keen on e-learning. Cycles of the research process will be implemented in order to expand on specifically how these resources are being aligned with instructional strategies.

REFERENCES

Annual Report. (2003), Telematic Learning and Educational Innovation. University of Pretoria

Brown, T. (June 2003), “The Role of M-Learning in the Future of E-Learning in Africa?” Paper presented at the 21st ICDE Conference, Hong Kong.

Brown, T. (Ed.). (1999), University of Pretoria: Telematic Education: Focusing on the client into the future with flexible learning. University of Pretoria.

Dagada, R. (2004), “Educator competence in integrating computers for teaching and learning within the framework of the GautengOnline Project.” Education as Change, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 105-133.

Kinuthia, W. (2003), An Exploratory Study of Faculty Participation in Web-based Instruction at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of South Alabama.

Klein D. & Ware M. (2003),”E-learning: New opportunities in continuing professional development”. Learned Publishing, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 34-46.

McLoughlin, C. (1999), “Culturally responsive technology use: Developing an online community of learners.” British Journal of Educational Technology, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 231-245.

Okuni, A. (2000). Higher Education through the Internet Expectations, Reality and Challenges of the African Virtual University. D+C Development and Cooperation, 2, 23-25. Retrieved June 18, 2002, from http://www.dse.de/zeitschr/de200-4.htm

Sawyerr, A. (2004). “Challenges facing African universities: selected issues.” Association of African Universities. Retrieved July 19 2004. http://www.aau.org/english/documents/asa-challengesfigs.pdf.

University of Johannesburg. (2006), Retrieved June 5, 2006, from http://www.uj.ac.za/

University of Pretoria (2006), Retrieved June 5, 2006, from http://www.up.ac.za/

University of South Africa. (2006), Retrieved June 5 2006 from http://www.unisa.ac.za/

Structuring Online Delivery (2005), University of South Africa

Yin, R. (2003), Case study research: design and methods, 2nd edn, Thousand Oaks, Sage Publishing.

Zawacki-Richter, O. (2005). Online Faculty Support and Education Innovation – A Case Study. Retrieved July 15, 2005.

http://www.eurodl.org/materials/contrib/2005/Zawacki_Richter.htm

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