Platformisation of Education: An Analysis of South African Universities’ Learning Management Systems

Badaru, Kazeem Ajasa; Adu, Emmanuel O.

doi:10.46303/ressat.2022.10

Cited by 17 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…There are social and psychological dynamics at play, either positive or negative, depending on the teacher's pedagogical style and the student's attitude toward the teacher or subject. Teachers may refine their educational content and adapt their pedagogical approach based on their students' ability to understand what they are being taught (Badaru & Adu, 2022;Crawford & Jenkins, 2017). Learners, in turn, may acquire different skills and knowledge based on the expectation of which career they want to pursue.…”

Section: Evolution Of the Education System In South Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

Freirean Utopian Didactic: A Retrospective View of Education in the South African Education Environment

Pietersen

Plaatjies²

2023

JCVE

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This study investigates how the utopian didactic in education can be achieved in South Africa. It is foregrounded by Brazilian educator Paulo Freire’s collective and forward-looking dreams about what education, in the shattered sense of the “now”, can look like if teachers and students participate democratically in the learning process. Education, in a general sense, is a form of learning in which knowledge, skills and habits are transferred and nurtured from one generation to the next. But, in the Freirean utopian didactic, education involves so much more than the mere transfer of knowledge. It is about transformation, both internal (the individual) and external (society). By allowing students to critically reflect and engage in honest dialogue with their teacher, education can lead to social injustices being challenged and, hence, being overcome. Freire’s utopian vision of education is one in which hope and imagination are celebrated in the quest for a better world. This vision is sorely lacking in South African educational environment today, which is still bruised by decades of inequality. Using a literature review, this conceptual article explored whether a Freirean utopian didactic can be applied to the current education system in South Africa and bring about the much-needed transformation. We have examined whether a utopian education can be considered a basic right in South Africa, according to the Constitution, and whether it can be applied more broadly to the African continent. For education to meet the needs of all learners in the education system, a utopian education system based on quality educational skills, values and equal distribution of resources is highly recommended.

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Section: Evolution Of the Education System In South Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

Freirean Utopian Didactic: A Retrospective View of Education in the South African Education Environment

Pietersen

Plaatjies²

2023

JCVE

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“…These also help with the metaphorical 'chaos' that come with the isolation rural students experience when they can't reach their lecturers on online leaning management system (LMS) platforms like discussion forums and when they can't keep up with scheduled online learning programmes. They can, in the midst of 'chaos' or 'crisis' find solace in the fact that they have their gadgets like cellphones which help them connect with other students and mitigate their failure to adhere to scheduled online learning programmes and expectations set by the university and which also become the sole source at that time, therefore, the device in itself becomes a critical learning tool that cannot be divorced from pedagogical and curriculum planning and development (Adebola & Tsotetsi, 2022;Badaru & Adu, 2022;Hamakali & Josua, 2023;Madimabe & Omodan, 2021;Shava, 2022).…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Student Teachers’ Experiences of Open Distance e-Learning Support in a Posthuman Era: A Learner Engagement Perspective

Zwane

Mudau

2023

JCSR

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Online learning uses information and communication technologies which rely on reliable connectivity. While this is a giant step to widen access in South African education as shown by a number of studies conducted already regarding online learning, less focus has been paid on rural students which are under-resourced. They are presumed to have access and support to online learning and assistive ICTs that make online learning possible. Therefore, the focus for this study was on KwaZulu-Natal rural student teachers’ experiences of open distance e-learning in a posthuman era. The study focused on students’ experiences regarding online support tools like discussion forum and others as tools for student engagement and support on myUnisa platform. The problem was investigated using a descriptive qualitative case study, which used individual interviews. The study involved fifteen UNISA student teachers from KZN and the findings revealed that, notwithstanding the countless challenges, students were very passionate about the use of online learning in open distance e-learning and they showed a desire to engage more using different types of devices and platforms as they learn through social media and also showed that learning resides in technological appliances they use(posthumanism), hence the study’s conclusion and implications stress that the distance between the student and the institution, student and lecturer and student and other students can be mediated and reduced through proper student support services such as provision of gadgets for internet connection, proper telecommunications infrastructure, ICT workshops and training for all students and in posthumanism terms, formal integration of social networks in learning in light of the finding that learning is non-linear and resides in technological devices used to connect students.

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“…Many academics across universities struggled to abruptly switch to online platforms, including holding meeting on Teams [6,33]. Although academics had laptops and were supplied with data on their personal phones, they did not possess the technical skills to incorporate technology for teaching and learning.…”

Section: Online Learning Prior To and During The Covid-19 Pandemicmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Before the COVID-19 outbreak, most South African universities had already embraced technology literacy by integrating online platforms such as Moodle. According to a study by Badaru and Adu (2022) [6], a significant percentage (34%) of the 26 public universities used Moodle LMS (learning management systems) prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 disaster and during the lockdown period, while the majority (46%) used the Blackboard LMS. Following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease and the strict lockdown measures adopted to mitigate the spread of this disease, government emphasised the critical interventions needed to develop and implement effective multi-modal remote learning systems to provide support to all students and academics at a university [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During the lockdown, a few more universities in the country had moved from one LMS platform to another to serve the pedagogical needs of the universities in terms of facilitating online interactions between instructors and students, the dissemination of course materials, announcements, submissions and assessments. Some of the online platforms used by different universities in South Africa included the Vula, Efundi, ClickUp, RUConnected, Sakai, SunLearn, Canvas, and D2LBrightspace [6,8]. However, these platforms do not mean a replacement for the traditional teaching method of face-to-face interaction between an instructor and learners, but rather a remedial solution to ensure sustainability and continuation of academic programmes, especially in a time of disaster such as the coronavirus pandemic.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Psychosocial Implications, Students Integration/Attrition, and Online Teaching and Learning in South Africa’s Higher Education Institutions in the Context of COVID-19

et al. 2023

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This article explores the psychosocial impact of online teaching and learning on students, following the decision by South African universities to move teaching and learning from physical contact platforms to cyberspace interactions. South Africa’s intervention, like many other countries, adopted the necessary measures that would prevent the spread of the virus among its population, particularly educational institutions. One such measure was the decision to shut down institutions in South Africa and the contingent measure to operationalise teaching and learning using cyberspace. The unprecedented move to online teaching engendered levels of anxiety and fear, and presented a highly disruptive and traumatic experience for many students, especially those from impoverished and rural backgrounds. While focusing on student psychosocial vulnerabilities during this pandemic, the article also presents background factors such as social and economic factors that constrain student success in South Africa’s higher education institutions (HEIs), and which became exacerbated during the pandemic. It further explores the behavioural significance of online teaching and learning’s impact on the physical and psychological energy that students devote to their academic work. The study is underpinned by psychosocial and student-integration theories, and it weaves the argument articulated by leaning heavily on the secondary data. Lastly, by way of recommendation, the study highlights the unique challenges that the COVID-19 disaster posed for South African students in HEIs and emphasises the need to give symbolic attention to these unique challenges. The study, therefore, is proposing improvement in preparedness and the mitigation of societal disruption in South African society and higher education during future pandemics.

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Platformisation of Education: An Analysis of South African Universities’ Learning Management Systems

Cited by 17 publications

References 20 publications

Freirean Utopian Didactic: A Retrospective View of Education in the South African Education Environment

Freirean Utopian Didactic: A Retrospective View of Education in the South African Education Environment

Student Teachers’ Experiences of Open Distance e-Learning Support in a Posthuman Era: A Learner Engagement Perspective

Psychosocial Implications, Students Integration/Attrition, and Online Teaching and Learning in South Africa’s Higher Education Institutions in the Context of COVID-19

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