Faculty of Management Sciences
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Item Exploring student perceptions of using the learning management system and social media for blended learning at a rural university(UNISA Press, 2015-01) Moodley, Padhma; Singh, Rachael Jesika; Cloete, J.Blended learning combines the strength of face-to-face learning with e-learning, which has become the catalyst for education reform today. Unfortunately there are many obstacles that can derail this format of hybrid learning before it can reach its full potential, especially at universities where budgetary constraints inhibit the development of the information and communication infrastructure. This study seeks to capture students’ perceptions regarding web-based activities at a rural university. Purposive sampling was used to generate the sample and a combined total of 380 second- and third-year students participated in this study. Second- and third-year students were selected as it is expected that they have experienced the university learning management system and its shortcomings, and are hence in a posistion to compare the learning management system with social media platforms. The data collection instrument was a self-administered questionnaire, which was analysed using quantitative and qualitative methods. The findings indicate that students at the rural university preferred to engage in blended learning through social networking technologies, as opposed to the learning management system, which they found was mostly unavailable or inaccessible at their residences.Item Addressing student dropout rates at South African universities(DHET, 2015) Moodley, Padhma; Singh, Rachael JesikaThe excitement of a South African University acceptance is shortlived, for many students, as the challenges faced is often overwhelming, resulting in many dropping out in their first year of study. This has negatively impacted on the desired national norm of an 80% success rate targeted by the Department of Higher Education and Training. This study aims to explore ways in which the dropout rates can be reduced thereby increasing the throughput levels of universities in South Africa. A qualitative study was conducted to identify the challenges students encounter that lead to the high dropout rates. Students who had previously dropped out from universities in South Africa were interviewed in order to examine their perceptions of how dropping out of university could have been avoided. Snowball sampling, a type of purposive sampling was used in this study. The findings indicate incorrect career choice, inadequate academic support and insufficient funding as being primary factors that led to the drop out of students. One of the recommendations this study makes is that university departments must align their support programmes with modules that have a high failure rate to help students cope.Item Student overload at university: large class teaching challenges(Higher Education of South Africa, 2015) Moodley, PadhmaThe tireless efforts of lecturers to deal with the challenges of large classes at universities continue as they persevere to provide quality education to the masses of students. Many issues plague lecturers and students alike, which inadvertently impact on the teaching and learning experience. This article reports on a study that examined the challenges faced by lecturers with large classes at higher education institutions (HEIs) and the different approaches that are used to overcome these challenges. The contribution of this study is that it documents strategies that can be used within the current technological environment to enhance student participation in large classes. The study was conducted at two universities through the use of questionnaires and found that lecturers at both HEIs were faced with similar challenges in teaching/lecturing large classes. The current feasible solution to support the traditional form of lecturing is an integrative approach that incorporates the use of information communication technologies (ICTs) as well as various other teaching approaches, in reaching all students in large classes.