Improving Blended Learning Usage in South African Universities : A Case of Tshwane University of Technology
Kgasi, Mmamolefe Rosina (2021)
Kgasi, Mmamolefe Rosina
2021
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021091517779
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021091517779
Tiivistelmä
The emerging technologies are changing the world’s way human beings do their work in all sectors education inclusive. More so, the increasing global challenges such as the covid-19 pandemic calls for the harnessing of theory to create powerful lesson plans with technology to meaningfully transform teaching with technology in a particular context. This study focused on enhancing the use of Blended learning (BL) by higher education institutions for teaching and learning.
Blended learning is a technology based enhanced learning that combines brick-and-mortar instructor-led training and online learning activities. Blended learning (BL) may be used by combining models that include but not limited to, face-to-face, rotation, flex learning, gamification, online lab, self-blended learning and online driver. However, unlike the full fledged e-learning BL doesn’t replace the face-to-face model of training but it enhances it by extending the classroom to online virtual environment.
Developing countries higher learning institutions have tried to promote BL but its continuance usage fades soon as it is implemented. The reasons for this lack of continuance are still not clear. This study’s major objective was to find better ways of improving BL usage by lecturers in South African universities. This study followed a quantitative approach where data was collected using a close-ended questionnaires from the academic staff of the faculty of ICT at Tshwane University of Technology. The collected data was analysed quantitatively by using the statistical package for social scientists (SPSS vs 25). Results indicated that of the 14 variables that were suggested to have an influence on BL usage, 11 had a significant contribution while three didn’t. The findings of this study indicated that self-efficacy, individual characteristics and organizational strategies have high significant contributing while performance expectancy, effort expectancy and academic work load didn’t show any significant contribution. This study makes contribution that are theoretical and practical. Theoretically, this study indicated that there is a need by Higher learning Institutions to
improve on the design of policies and strategies that are intended for education. More so future research can extend the findings of this study to well inform online usage for teaching and learning. Practically, the findings of this study will be used by HEIs management when making decisions regarding BL usage. Due to an unavoidable limitations, this study recommends that future research should extend the source of data by involving many other participants from different settings, involve the use of qualitative methods or mixed methods to enrich the results so as to allow generalization. Lastly, the study recommends the analysis of the interacting and moderating effects of the participants’ demographical and situational variables.
Blended learning is a technology based enhanced learning that combines brick-and-mortar instructor-led training and online learning activities. Blended learning (BL) may be used by combining models that include but not limited to, face-to-face, rotation, flex learning, gamification, online lab, self-blended learning and online driver. However, unlike the full fledged e-learning BL doesn’t replace the face-to-face model of training but it enhances it by extending the classroom to online virtual environment.
Developing countries higher learning institutions have tried to promote BL but its continuance usage fades soon as it is implemented. The reasons for this lack of continuance are still not clear. This study’s major objective was to find better ways of improving BL usage by lecturers in South African universities. This study followed a quantitative approach where data was collected using a close-ended questionnaires from the academic staff of the faculty of ICT at Tshwane University of Technology. The collected data was analysed quantitatively by using the statistical package for social scientists (SPSS vs 25). Results indicated that of the 14 variables that were suggested to have an influence on BL usage, 11 had a significant contribution while three didn’t. The findings of this study indicated that self-efficacy, individual characteristics and organizational strategies have high significant contributing while performance expectancy, effort expectancy and academic work load didn’t show any significant contribution. This study makes contribution that are theoretical and practical. Theoretically, this study indicated that there is a need by Higher learning Institutions to
improve on the design of policies and strategies that are intended for education. More so future research can extend the findings of this study to well inform online usage for teaching and learning. Practically, the findings of this study will be used by HEIs management when making decisions regarding BL usage. Due to an unavoidable limitations, this study recommends that future research should extend the source of data by involving many other participants from different settings, involve the use of qualitative methods or mixed methods to enrich the results so as to allow generalization. Lastly, the study recommends the analysis of the interacting and moderating effects of the participants’ demographical and situational variables.