This study sought to explore the experiences of academics with the use of e-learning to support teaching and learning at a South African university. The theory underpinning the study was the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The study adopted a qualitative design using ten purposively selected academic staff and one IT specialist at a South African university. Semi-structured interview was used to gather the data that were used to answer the research questions. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis. The following themes resulted from the analysis: technical support and training for e-learning; Information Communication Technology infrastructure and internet accessibility; uptake of e-learning and the use of the Learning Management System; content development for e-learning; and evaluation of teaching effectiveness using e-learning. Based on the findings, periodic updates and training on the new changes should be made to the university’s e-learning platforms, provision of timely technical support to academics in order to sustain positive user experiences of e-learning were recommended.

Introduction: Hearing loss is a silent disability that reduces the hearing acuity of an individual and makes it difficult to perceive or interpret auditory signals. Persons with hearing loss are a heterogeneous group comprising of diverse and complex psychosocial characteristics of individuals who does not readily enjoy the empathy/sympathy received by other forms of disabilities that is readily visible. Hearing loss usually predisposes sufferers to resentment, hostility, rejection and subtle denial resulting to a cascading effect on socio-emotional development and could ultimately lead to depression.Objective: This study assessed the extent and trend of studies on depression among individuals with hearing loss which are domiciled online data bases and to establish the strengths and limitation of such studies in Nigeria. Methods:To conduct this systematic review, a thorough search across multiple databases was undertaken, based upon five search facets ("depression", "depressive symptoms", "hearing loss", "deaf" and "hard of hearing"). Five electronic databases, key texts and references in the articles identified were scrutinized for article that have in their title "depression" and "hearing loss". Results:Data gathered revealed that hearing loss is significantly associated with depression while the onset and degrees of hearing loss poses to be a major correlate of depressive symptoms among the elderly. The study revealed that there is a dearth of studies which distinguished between communication options, parental involvement, socioeconomic status or birth order of the Deaf respondents/participants in relation to depression in their studies. Conclusion:There is a great tendency for depression among the Deaf and/or hard of hearing which may as well instigate suicidal thoughts. This study observed a dearth of studies on depression and its associated symptoms among the Deaf and/or hard of hearing in Nigeria and the Sub-Sahara Africa. Therefore, psychologist and other mental health workers should not take for granted any depressive symptoms among persons with hearing loss.

Background: Antenatal care (ANC) services provide access to integrated health management for several pregnancy related conditions. Unfortunately, deaf pregnant women remain vulnerable during pregnancy due to lack of access as well as communication barriers at antenatal clinics in Nigeria. Objective: The primary aim of this study was to explore the experiences and satisfaction of pregnant deaf women with antenatal care in Nigeria. Methods: This was a qualitative study, conducted among nine deaf pregnant women from two local government areas, attending both private and public health facilities for antenatal care in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Data were collected using semi-structured, video recorded one-on-one interviews, with sign language as the medium of communication. The interviews were conducted until saturation of the themes was reached. The recorded interviews were precisely transcribed and thematic analyses were conducted on the data obtained. Findings: The mean age of the participants was 29.5 years. Participants indicated that they had registered/booked for antenatal care in their second trimester. Registration at this stage was regarded as late registration of the pregnancies. Communication difficulties during their ANC (antenatal care) visits, distance and location of the clinics, knowledge and perception of what ANC entailed, finance/cost, and health care professionals’ attitudes towards the participants were the major themes identified for late ANC bookings. Participants who attended privately owned health care facilities for ANC had more satisfaction with ANC care than those attending publicly owned health facilities. Conclusions: Deaf pregnant women were knowledgeable about ANC but registered late for the service, largely due to communication difficulties, distance to the clinic, cost, and the perceived attitudes of the health care workers. There existed a variance in the level of satisfaction of deaf pregnant women who attended private or public health facilities.

This study aimed to assess the role of self-esteem, self-efficacy and self-concept on intimate image diffusion among in-school deaf adolescents in Lagos, Nigeria. The theory of planned behaviour served as a framework for the study. Data was collected through structured questionnaire from 276 (male = 39.5%; female = 60.5%) in-school deaf adolescents from five senior secondary (3 integrated and 2 inclusive). Data generated were analysed with IBM SPSS 22 and IBM AMOS 26.0 packages. Mean age of participants was ±16.5, all participants use WhatsApp while 71.7% had Facebook profile. It was observed that all the fit measures of the SEM fell within the acceptable range (χ2 = 104.34, df = 39, χ2/df = 2.67, GFI = 0.92, CFI = 0.91, NFI = 0.93, IFI = 0.91 and RMSEA = 0.54). According to the findings, self-esteem and self-efficacy had a positive and direct relationship with intimate image diffusion while a negative but direct link exists between self-concept and intimate image diffusion among deaf adolescents. Based on the finding, an appropriate recommendation was made.

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The Experiences of Emergency-Remote Teaching Via Zoom: The Case of Natural-Science Teachers Handling of Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Learners in South Africa.

Deaf learners have strived to enrol in science-related subjects but barriers towards effective teaching and learning have contributed to low performances in science-related subjects. Although previous studies have affirmed that learners’ attitude towards scientific instructions and pedagogical strategies used by science teachers creates barriers to effective learning and expected learning outcomes, but gaps still exist in the use of digital components in learning outcomes of deaf learners. Therefore, this study, determined the moderating effects of onset of deafness on the attitudes of deaf learners towards Biology in Ibadan, Nigeria. Twenty-seven deaf learners were exposed to an 8-week digitalized and interpreted Biology instructions. Data were collected using the Biology Achievement Test before and after the treatment sessions. The data generated were analysed using the Analysis of Variance at p < 0.05. The results revealed that deaf learners in the digital Biology class performed better than their peers in the interpreted Biology instructions. Variations in the attitude toward Biology based on onset of hearing loss were observed. Based on the findings, recommendations were made to adequately prepare the deaf for a technologically-driven inclusive society.