scholarly journals Student perceptions of a proposed generic e-Learning template aligned with the Engineering Council of South Africa accreditations template

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolaas Luwes ◽  
Leanri Van Heerden
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Student Feedback ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Sample Group ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
E Learning

The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) audits engineering programmes every four years to grant accreditation to higher education institutions. During this audit, ECSA requests evidence of the four year instruction in a specific format. The problem is that lecturers each have their own e-learning layouts according to preference. This paper proposed and implemented a genereic e-learning template that is aligned with the ECSA specificaions for ease of archiving necessary evidence for the audit. It is however important to evaluate student feedback on this genereic format so that the main porpose for elearning as a learning tool is not missed by utilising it as a backup method. An exploratory study was employed to gather student perceptions on the new generic e-learning template. Four electrical engineering subjects’ students were used as the sample group and Google Forms was used to collect the data in an online questionnaire. Of the 36 students who responded to the questionnaire, 94% would recommend that all subjects adopt this generic e-learning template and 89% felt that having all their subject menus the same will make it easier to locate items. Due to the results of this study, the generic e-learning template will be adopted by all engineering subjects at the Central University of Technology, Free State with the addition of an introduction that explains the purpose and procedure of ECSA accreditation.

scholarly journals COVID-19: strategies for positioning the university library in support of e-learning

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Tsekea ◽  
Josiline Phiri Chigwada
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Digital Library ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Digital Library Services

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the various innovative support strategies rendered by academic libraries in support of e-learning in Zimbabwean universities. This was necessitated by the change in nature of learning and services provision in universities as a result of COVID-19. Despite the crisis caused by the pandemic, users of libraries still expect services to answer their information needs. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative study was done to unpack the role of digital library services in supporting e-learning in universities in Zimbabwe. An online questionnaire was developed using survey monkey and distributed to 50 professional librarians in both private and state universities in Zimbabwe. A total of 34 librarians responded to the questionnaire and the data was analysed and presented thematically. Data were presented using descriptive statistics in the form of figures. Findings The findings revealed that academic libraries play an important role in supporting e-learning in higher education institutions by providing electronic information resources, which are key in research, learning and teaching. The libraries provide a one-stop shop for accessing electronic resources through the digital library. Patrons have benefitted by accessing and using digital library services during the COVID-19 lockdown period. It was also discovered that libraries should ensure that they are prepared to always offer their services despite the closure of physical buildings because of the pandemic. Research limitations/implications The study used an online questionnaire only as the data collection instrument, as it was the most suitable one to get data from librarians working from home and also because of the COVID-19 health guidance such as maintaining social distance. The other methods were not used because of financial constraints. Practical implications This research showed the importance of digital services in e-learning environments, especially in developing countries. The work revealed how university librarians in Zimbabwe are coming up with practical solutions in supporting e-learning in times of crisis. The research therefore becomes handy for higher education institutions and authorities in crafting e-learning frameworks and positioning academic libraries at the centre of teaching, learning and research activities. Social implications This paper provides useful insights into how libraries can support learning especially during a pandemic. The paper details how libraries support communities by offering correct and reliable information from scholarly information sources. It also chronicles how libraries play an important part in the support of researchers in higher institutions in the fight against COVID-19. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, this research is one of the first done in Zimbabwe on strategies that libraries are using in the COVID-19 era to support e-learning. The findings presented in this study are helpful for higher and tertiary education authorities and other policymakers in improving e-learning and digital libraries.

scholarly journals DIAGNOSIS AND EVALUATION OF E-LEARNING QUALITY DIMENSIONS: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (20) ◽  
pp. 17-28
Author(s):  
Farsat Shaban ◽  
Dilgash Qadir M. Salih ◽  
Waleed Al-Zaidi
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Learning System ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Electronic Questionnaire ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Quality Dimensions ◽  
Content Accessibility

The aim of this study is to diagnose and evaluate e-learning quality dimensions (content, accessibility, quality of system used, evaluation, and feedback) from the students prospective in Iraqi institutes and universities after the e-learning system was implemented due to the emergence of the Corona pandemic (covid-19) at the beginning of 2020. The study is based on the following question: Are the dimensions of e-learning quality available in Iraq? Knowing the answer to this question is considered a contribution of the current study because there are no previous studies that addressed the topic. The theoretical part of the research relied on articles that have been published in high-quality journals. As for the data of the practical part, it was obtained through the electronic questionnaire. The number of received forms reached (1016) forms. The study reached a conclusion that the weak implementation of e-learning quality dimensions in Iraqi higher education institutions. The study recommended Iraqi higher education institutions pay more attention to all dimensions of e-learning.

USE OF BLENDED LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION – SOME EXPERIENCES

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
R J Singh
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Face To Face Learning ◽  
Made In

This article reports on the use of blended learning in higher education. Blended learning has become popular in higher education in recent years. It is a move beyond traditional lecturing to incorporate face-to-face learning with e-learning, thereby creating a blend of learning experiences. The problem is that learning in higher education is complex and learning situations differ across contexts. Whilst there is face-to-face contact at some institutions, others offer distance learning or correspondence learning. In each context, the mode of learning may differ. The challenge is to cater for various learning opportunities through a series of learning interactions and to incorporate a blended approach. The aim of this study was to examine various ways of defining blended learning in different contexts. This was done through an examination of experiences of the use of blended learning in different higher education contexts. The study presents a case of blended learning in a postgraduate course. The experiences from all these cases are summarised and conclusions and recommendations are made in the context of blended learning in higher education in South Africa.

Challenges Posed by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for South African Higher Education Institutions

10.28945/2679 ◽  
2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
ME Herselman ◽  
HR Hay
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Revolutionary Change ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Teaching Learning

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are the major driving forces of globalised and knowledge-based societies of a new world era. They will have a profound impact on teaching and learning for two decades to come. The revolutionary change which is taking place in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), has dramatic effects on the way universities carry out their functions of teaching, learning and research, particularly on the creation, dissemination and application of knowledge. These developments pose unprecedented challenges to higher education institutions (HEIs) in developing countries particular in South Africa as South Africa is viewed as the leading country on the continent.

E-learning perspectives in higher education institutions

2021 ◽  
Vol 166 ◽  
pp. 120618
Author(s):  
Violeta MILIĆEVIĆ ◽  
Nebojša DENIĆ ◽  
Zoran MILIĆEVIĆ ◽  
Ljiljana ARSIĆ ◽  
Milica SPASIĆ-STOJKOVIĆ ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
E Learning
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document