Reconceptualising ‘caring’ in e-tutor-student interactions during the Covid-19 pandemic in an ODeL university in South Africa

Shange, Thembeka

doi:10.14426/cristal.v10i2.571

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…At the ODeL university where the current study was conducted, planned and well-placed student support endeavours existed before the pandemic, constituting an element of care for the students involved. Of particular importance was stopping the posting of learning materials to the students involved, accompanied by moving all forms of teaching, learning, and assessment to a fully online medium (Shange, 2022). During this time, I observed that online student engagement remained a concern in the English module where this research was conducted.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Foregrounding Care in Online Student Engagement in a South African E-learning University

Shange

2023

Open Praxis

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This study reports how ethics of care principles were foregrounded in a first-year English module offered at an open distance e-learning (ODeL) university in South Africa to enhance online student engagement. Current research indicates that online student engagement predicts student success; however, there is a paucity of how ethics of care principles can be foregrounded in online student interaction to enhance student participation. The researcher used an action research approach to explore the students' and lecturers' interactions in this module. Their interactions on the discussion forum over four semesters were carefully analysed to establish whether ethics of care principles were displayed. Interviews were also conducted with the lecturers concerned to determine their views on care ethics. Data was also collected through pre-and poststudent evaluations of the module, and evaluations of the virtual class conducted during the semester. The key findings indicated that the students understood care as collaboration and respect in online interactions. Despite the lecturers displaying little or no awareness of the principles, their comments resonated with some care principles. Future research should focus on how the ethics of care principles can be integrated into online interaction while teaching an online English module.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Foregrounding Care in Online Student Engagement in a South African E-learning University

Shange

2023

Open Praxis

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“…One such approach is online tutoring, or e-tutoring, which has become more prevalent as higher education institutions (HEIs) transition to online learning modes (Okoro et al, 2021). Unisa, as the largest distance-learning institution in Africa, has long embraced and facilitated online tutoring to advance knowledge and human capital (Shange, 2022). This aligns with South Africa's national development strategy, Vision 2030, which aims to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality, and address unemployment (Blom, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Empowering e-Tutors for Effective Online Teaching and Learning: E-tutors’ Challenges and Perceptions

Enwereji,

van Rooyen,

Ngcobo

et al. 2024

IJLTER

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Online learning has been considered as a paradigm shift in education that offers a transformative approach to the acquisition of knowledge and skills. The objectives of the study included identifying the perceptions of e-tutors on the usage of e-tutoring by online students; investigating the challenges encountered by students in using e-tutoring; and recommending measures to enhance e tutoring in the Department of Financial Accounting at a South African university. A quantitative research approach and a descriptive research design were used, employing an online survey to collect data from e-tutors involved in financial accounting modules. A total of 188 questionnaires were distributed electronically to e-tutors in the Financial Accounting Department. Due to unforeseen challenges, only 95 e-tutors filled out the questionnaires completely. SPSS was used to analyze the data through the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy and the rotated component matrix was applied to assess the suitability of the sample for factor analysis and to discern the underlying structure and behavioral patterns within the data set. Findings reveal that e-tutors play a crucial role in assisting students with module-specific problems, addressing difficult topics, and making the course content more engaging. However, challenges such as the need for continuous training in online communication skills and the use of online technology tools were highlighted. Issues related to Internet connectivity and costs also impacted the effectiveness of e tutors. Reliable Internet infrastructure and adequate resources are vital for addressing these challenges. Based on the findings, the study recommends that e-tutors engage in continuous professional development and receive module-specific training to enhance their knowledge and skills. Collaboration between e tutors and lecturers should be encouraged to foster a supportive learning environment. The study concludes that the facilitation of e-tutoring in financial accounting modules has shown promising outcomes in supporting students’ teaching and learning.

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“…So, tell us why your research is important in your specific context, give us an explanation of why the topic is relevant in the particular context and in the broader literature; let us know whether and how the paper is uniquely local/African/South African. As an example, while both Feldman(2020) andShange (2022) employ the notion of care, how care plays out during the pandemic at Stellenbosch University and at UNISA, the largest open and distance education institution in South Africa, differs widely.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

What is critical in EdTech research?

Gachago¹

2023

CriSTaL

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There are a number of editors on the CriSTaL editorial board, whose interest is in educational technologies, emerging technologies, ICTs in education, digital education and digital pedagogies, which are some of the many terms that are used in our field. These are usually the editors I, Daniela, as managing editor, draw on, when we get submissions from authors on issues around the use of technology in learning and teaching. We receive many submissions, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, but the rejection rate is also increasing due to the majority of the papers failing to meet CriSTaL’s aim and scope. I invited some of my editorial board colleagues into a conversation to chat about what we would like to see in a paper tackling technologies in learning and teaching and which papers we feel do not suit CriSTaL’s aims and scope. The colleagues who joined me in this conversation were Dr Najma Agherdien, who is in Curriculum and Teaching at the University of Witwatersrand and Dr Nicola Pallitt, an educational technology specialist and senior lecturer at Rhodes University. We shared our reflections with other members of the board, such as Paul Prinsloo, Research Professor in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in the College of Economic and Management Sciences at the University of South Africa, and Tutaleni Asino, Associate Professor in the Learning, Design and Technology Program at Oklahoma State University, and invited our critical friend Laura Czerniewicz, emeritus professor at the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching at the University of Cape Town, to get an outside perspective as well.

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Reconceptualising ‘caring’ in e-tutor-student interactions during the Covid-19 pandemic in an ODeL university in South Africa

Cited by 4 publications

References 10 publications

Foregrounding Care in Online Student Engagement in a South African E-learning University

Foregrounding Care in Online Student Engagement in a South African E-learning University

Empowering e-Tutors for Effective Online Teaching and Learning: E-tutors’ Challenges and Perceptions

What is critical in EdTech research?

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