Examining Technology Acceptance in Learning and Teaching at a Historically Disadvantaged University in South Africa through the Technology Acceptance Model

The exponential growth in the use of technology for learning and teaching in the higher education sector has imposed pressure on academics to embrace technology in their teaching. The present study sought to examine factors underlying technology acceptance in learning and teaching at a historically disadvantaged university in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Premised on the mixed methods approach and undergirded by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), both a pre-coded and an open-ended questionnaire were used to collect data. Data from the pre-coded questionnaire were analysed through the descriptive statistical approach. The qualitative data from the open-ended questionnaire were analysed through content analysis. The study found that most academic staff believe and see the value that ICTs bring in their teaching and learning practices. In addition, they are aware that technology use in education improves learning and teaching, and they are willing to embrace the use of technology to improve their practices. Based on the findings, we recommend intensification of lecturer training in the use of technology for teaching and learning to enable them to embrace it in their teaching practice. Furthermore, the institution needs to put in place support systems for academic staff to empower them to have continuous access to devices and internet connection for technology integration in teaching and learning. We recommend establishment of e-learning communities of practise in the university that will allow lecturers to assist each other as well as share best practices in the use of technology for teaching and learning.

Lecturer Autoethnographies of Adjusting to Online Student Interactions during COVID-19

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed South African historically disadvantaged institutions, that had not yet reached advanced levels of technology use in teaching and learning, to find immediate solutions to salvage the disrupted academic year. Interactions with students, which had predominantly been face-to-face, shifted to various online platforms for lecturers to adopt emergency remote teaching approaches. Most of the lecturers were unprepared or incapacitated to make the shift to online environment. Studies have looked at the online teaching and learning experiences of students and lecturers during the COVID-19 pandemic but very few have taken an autoethographic approach to their inquiry and situated experiences in historically disadvantaged institutions. In this article, as lecturers, we use autoethnographies to provide an account of adjusting to interacting with students online during national lockdowns at a historically disadvantaged institution. The Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) was applied to guide the study. This reflexive approach is valuable, as it captures professional encounters and reflections needed to understand the effects of rapid changes to teaching and learning in response to the pandemic. Given the education disparities that already existed between South African higher education institutions before COVID-19, the article contributes to the discourse on how historically disadvantaged institutions can advance higher standards of teaching and learning to serve students better. Our reflections point to the personal, technical and structural challenges of maintaining regular online interaction. Our findings show that different approaches and techniques were applied to adjust to virtual teaching and learning. As teaching and learning methodologies have the potential to ingrain social inequalities, we made recommendations on how to improve online interactions with students from historically disadvantaged contexts.

Invitation to participate in the ACM conference on equity and access in algorithms, mechanisms, and optimization (EAAMO'21)

The inaugural ACM conference on Equity and Access in Algorithms, Mechanisms, and Optimization (EAAMO'21) invites participation from the SIGecom community. The conferrence aims to highlight work where techniques from algorithms, optimization, and mechanism design, along with insights from other disciplines, can help improve equity and access to opportunity for historically disadvantaged and underserved communities. The conference is organized by the Mechanism Design for Social Good (MD4SG) initiative, and builds on the MD4SG technical workshop series and tutorials at conferences including ACM EC, ACM COMPASS, and WINE. The conference will have both an archival publication track as well as a non-archival track that welcomes papers under submission or published in the previous year. Papers submitted to EC 2021 or that will be submitted to EC 2022 are welcome in the non-archival track.

DETERMINANTS OF EDUCATIONAL EXPENDITURE AMONG SCHEDULED CASTE FAMILIES IN MANNARKKAD TALUK, KERALA

Consumption patterns differ from people to people with respect to the income which they spend.The scheduled castes (SCs) and scheduled tribes (STs) are constitutionally identified as historically disadvantaged people.The paper examines the determinants of educational expenditure on education among scheduled caste families in MannarkakdTaluk, Palakkad,kerala. Here the expenditure pattern of the SC families and also the determinants of the educational expenditure among them are examined and analysed by using appropriate statistical tools.

Not All Disadvantages Are Equal: Racial/Ethnic Minority Students Have Largest Disadvantage Among Demographic Groups in Both STEM and Non-STEM GPA

An analysis of institutional data to understand the outcome of obstacles faced by students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds is important in order to work toward promoting equity and inclusion. We use 10 years of institutional data at a large public research university to investigate the grades earned by students categorized on four demographic characteristics: gender, race/ethnicity, low-income status, and first-generation college student status. We find that on average across all years of study, underrepresented minority (URM) students experience a larger penalty to their mean overall and STEM GPA than even the most disadvantaged non-URM students. Moreover, the URM students with additional disadvantages due to socioeconomic status or first-generation college status were further penalized in their average GPA. These inequitable outcomes point to systemic inequities in higher education for students with historically disadvantaged backgrounds and the need to dismantle institutional inertia to support them.

Nurturing research capacity among emerging academics through mentoring : reflections from a pilot at a historically disadvantaged South African university

The need to develop the next generation of academics to replace the aging professorate in South Africa has been on the agenda of the departments of higher education and training for some time, gaining momentum in recent years. The Higher Education South Africa (HESA)'s Publication on the National Programme to Develop the Next Generation of Academics for South African Higher Education (2011) paints a dire situation for the higher education industry with regards to the attraction and retention of academic staff. Key challenges identified in the report include the aging profile of academics, poor remuneration of academics, the current postgraduate pipeline and expansion of the higher education sector. Using the Communities of Practice (CoPs) theoretical framework, this paper unpacks an initiative by a professor at a South African university to develop research capacity among emerging academics through a collaborative mentorship programme with five emerging academics. The major findings of the study include, among other things, development of the mentees identity as both academics and researchers, a boost in the mentees research profiles and the development of a community of practice. The study recommends that supervisors and promoters should be supported financially by historically disadvantaged institutions or the National Research Foundation to mentor and nurture emerging academics from historically disadvantaged backgrounds and that such mentorship initiatives be formalised and incentivised as a token of appreciation for both mentors and mentees.

Employee Turnover Intention at a Historically Disadvantaged South African University

This study was motivated by the desire to explore the nature and level of turnover intention at a historically disadvantaged university in South Africa. A sample of 40 participants namely: academics, support and technical staff from the selected institution were purposely identified to participate in the study. The study was mainly exploratory in nature and used quantitative and descriptive research techniques to assess and explain seven behavioural intention factors to leave or stay in the current organisation. In addition, the study investigated factors that are likely to influence employee turnover intention in organisations. Findings show high desirability of employees to leave their present job. It further indicates that the ease of movement is influenced by external factors like availability of job opportunities elsewhere. Lack of advancement opportunities, job insecurity, workload, job opportunities and inadequate salary and benefits are the most influencing factors of turnover intention. The study is significant in that it provides important information on employees’ intent to leave. In addition, knowledge gained from it can be used to enhance understanding of factors that predict actual turnover and could also assist in controlling employees’ avoidance behaviours.