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

Abstract

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.

Section 28. Trends in the Use of Information Technologies in Professional Training: Analysis of the Use of Cloud Technologies in Education

“…Висновки про актуальність впровадження дистанційного, електронного і онлайн навчання корелюють з висновками досліджень 60,61,62 . Zwane Siyabonga Alfa і Mudaua Patience Kelebogile провели дослідження доцільності дистанційного навчання у Південній Африці і дійшли висновку про його важливість, особливо для дітей з сільської місцевості 63 . Автори стверджують, що відстань між студентом і навчальним закладом, студентом і викладачем, студентом та іншими студентами можна подолати і скоротити через надання пристроїв з виходом в Інтернет ІКТ-семінари і тренінги.…”

The Fourth Industrial Revolution: Overcoming Digital Divides in Zimbabwean Rural Learning Ecologies

“…Scholars Nhongo and Siziba (2022), Pokhrel and Chhetri (2021) and Yingi et al (2022) emphasise that an improved access to technology and internet connectivity has the potential to enhance educational equity by facilitating personalised learning experiences tailored to students' contexts, providing access to needed online resources, platforms, and information, fostering global connections among students (Araune, 2023;Daniel, 2020;Nhongo, 2022), and equipping students with essential digital skills relevant for the contemporary job market (Alghamdi et 2020;Mseleku, 2020;Zwane & Mudau, 2023). Substantial government commitments are imperative to facilitate the integration of educational tools and internet infrastructure in rural Zimbabwean learning ecologies to enrich students' educational experiences.…”