Drivers of learning management system use in a South African open and distance learning institution

Abstract

The study on which this article reports examined the determinants of usage of an online learning management system (LMS) by fourth level business students at a South African open and distance learning university using an extension of the widely used technology acceptance model (TAM) as a theoretical basis. A survey was conducted among students at their annual summer school, with 213 usable questionnaires being returned. The findings suggest that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use as core aspects of the TAM and TAM2 models are confirmed, and study relevance (job relevance in the TAM2 model) and facilitating conditions as extensions are confirmed also. However, other elements of the TAM2 model and extensions were not confirmed by the research, while the relationships between these constructs, behavioural intention and LMS use were significant but not particularly strong. Thus, despite the ostensible robustness of the underlying structure and dimensionality of the TAM core constructs, its usefulness as a model to explain usage in this context and in a setting where acceptance and usage patterns have been established over prolonged periods of time is limited. The findings do, however, suggest certain initiatives to assist in increasing the perceived usefulness of the LMS.

Key factors in learners’ satisfaction with the e-learning system at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

“…The adoption and use of various e-learning systems such as Moodle, Sakai, and Blackboard to enhance teaching and learning are gaining popularity in higher education in sub-Saharan Africa (Ssekakubo, Suleman, & Marsden, 2011;Unwin et al, 2010;Venter, van Rensburg, & Davis, 2012). Countries such as Kenya, Mozambique (Unwin et al, 2010), Uganda (Mayoka & Kyeyune, 2012), Sudan (Elmahadi & Osman, 2013), Zimbabwe (Chitanana, Makaza, & Madzima, 2008), South Africa (Bagarukayo & Kalema, 2015;Venter et al, 2012), and Tanzania (Lwoga, 2012;Mtebe, Dachi, & Raphael, 2011) have adopted e-learning systems of various kinds. For instance, Moodle has 81,397 active sites registered from 234 countries (Moodle, 2017).…”

“…Studies have also found low usage or non-use of these systems in various institutions in countries such as Uganda (Mayoka & Kyeyune, 2012), Kenya, Zambia (Ssekakubo et al, 2011), Tanzania (Mtebe & Raisamo, 2014), and Zimbabwe (Chitanana et al, 2008;Dube & Scott, 2014). Studies have pointed out inadequate technical support, poor Internet connectivity, lack of e-learning policies, high costs of technology, and poor technological infrastructure as inhibitors to the use of these systems (Mlitwa & Van Belle, 2011;Ssekakubo et al, 2011;Unwin et al, 2010;Venter et al, 2012).…”

“…Although technological infrastructure is improving, little is known about why some users tend to stop using these systems after their initial experience (Sun, Tsai, Finger, Chen, & Yeh, 2008). Therefore, there is a need to seek a deeper understanding of how users perceive these systems (Venter et al, 2012). The majority of studies to date have focused on technological and infrastructural challenges with fewer efforts on assessing learners' satisfaction with these systems.…”

An Online Collaborative Discussion Platform for Bridging a Technological Reliance Gap in Higher Learning Institutions in Tanzania

“…Coming to Africa, Sub-Saharan African countries, although the number of e-learning technology adoption and use is low, but several HLIs in different countries are continuing to adopt and use some LMS [1,9]. For instance, at University of South Africa (UNISA), myUnisa web application is used for collaboration and interaction and the university tutors use Sakai platform for dissemination materials and facilitating the interaction with their learners, while the mobile technology is kept for learners' communications [1,10]. Additionally, other HLIs use the LMS for complimenting the face-to-face T/L approaches, for instance, "The University of Johannesburg (UJ) which has over 45,000 full-time, parttime, face-to-face learners spread across seven campuses.…”

Educational Technologies to Support New Directions in Teaching Practice

“…Examples include Poll Everywhere [19] and Top Hat Monocle [20] and these offer real-time capabilities including the ability to gauge student comprehension during lectures. In addition, the latter offers features such as the grading of student activities, thus providing a competing service with that offered by the LMS.…”