Evaluation

The importance of evaluation has grown in recent years so that this topic has become the focus of considerable policy and research interest (Oliver, 2000). As new learning technologies emerge there is a need to evaluate how these are used to support an increasingly diverse student population. All staff are now expected to carry out evaluations to account for resources or to justify strategic initiatives. Additionally, for individuals trying to instigate change, evaluation data can be important in providing relevant information to initiate, support and empower change by the “production of knowledge that makes a difference” (Patton, 1997)

Domestication of open educational resources by academics in an open distance e-learning institution of South Africa

The emergence of open educational resources has gained popularity and acceptance in higher education institutions and beyond the basic education sector. This brought a persisting shift in depending on information communication technologies for tuition and research provision. Information technology artifact was not treated in isolation to user perspective. The study established how academics accept, feel, perceive, and what skills, opportunities, challenges exist to hinder the domestication. The study context had no uniform guidelines or tools and policy in place for the domestication of open educational resources. The study adopted the exploratory approach guided by the interpretivism paradigm. The study employed Domestication theory. This study conducted in an heterogenous single case study, which is the open distance e-learning (University of South Africa). That was done for an in-depth investigation by relying on multi-methods for data triangulation such as semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, document analysis, and actual artifact analysis. The total of participants were 52. The study found that most academics played a role in the domestication of open educational resources besides the minority who were unable. The experience and prior knowledge were found to be a factor hindering the domestication process. Open distance e-learning found to relevant space for open educational resources. Such institutions play a role in the adoption and development of open educational resources and mostly rely in information technology for tuition and research. Information technology infrastructure found to be an enabler and disabler in the domestication process. This study contribution to the world of knowledge is based on the theory and practice. Eight theoretical propositions were suggested. The study further contributed by extension of domestication theory as recommended two additional phases which are non-appropriation and dis-appropriation. The current proposed Domestication theory has five phases. Lastly, the study recommended the actual guidelines for adoption and development of open educational resources. This guideline can be adopted by higher education institutions by infusing them in policy development or for general guidance in actual adoption and developments

Enhancing curriculum design and delivery with OER

This paper reports on the key findings from the EVOL-OER project which aims to develop a deeper understanding of the reuse of open educational resources (OERs) by academics in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This paper builds on the JISC OER Impact study by exploring and expanding on the Ratified quadrant of the study’s landscape of reuse framework (White & Manton, 2011). This paper puts forward a different four-quadrant diagram called ‘OER-enhanced curriculum’ to illustrate different approaches adopted by academics to embedding OER into curriculum design and delivery. Key issues in relation to motivation and challenges in reusing OER are discussed

Screencast as a technology enhanced teaching tool at an open distance learning university in South Africa

The incorporation of information and communications technology into every sphere of life can neither be denied nor remain unnoticed. Be it for education, government, corporate or social purposes, information and communications technology usage has become a norm in the twenty-first century. In academia, which is the focus of this study, the University of South Africa offers screencasts as a technology-enhanced teaching tool in the College of Accounting Sciences. These screencasts form part of an e-learning initiative to improve the success rate among their students in the Certificate in the Theory of Accounting programme. This phenomenological, qualitative research study employs a case study as a research design tool, employing the community of inquiry framework. Ten lecturer-participants were interviewed in this study. The aim was to determine how screencasts can be used as a technology-enhanced teaching tool at an open distance-learning university in South Africa. Accordingly, this study used semi-structured interviews and document analysis to collect the data. The research data were studied, analysed, explored and validated. The study’s findings proved the validity and the practicability of this research. The findings indicate that screencasting at the university is in its beginning phase and that lecturers make use of the learning management system (myUnisa) to upload screencasts. Although making the screencasts is time consuming, lecturers report on the positive feedback received from students concerning the screencasts, but there is no way to track how many students use them. It is important to note that the lecturers experience challenges, as the MyUnisa system is often ineffective. Furthermore, some lecturers are techno-phobes, resulting in those that are technologically informed being overloaded. This study recommends the use of other effective software, screencast training, proper investment in information and communications technology infrastructure and affordable data access for students to stakeholders such as UNISA.Curriculum and Instructional StudiesM. Ed. (Curriculum Studies

A pedagogically-informed model of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS) for Mauritian higher education

The purpose of this research was to determine how MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) can be introduced and implemented in Higher Education institutions in Mauritius. The study explored the perspectives of students, teachers and educational leaders using an exploratory case study approach, and involved the implementation of short MOOC-based courses in three areas of higher education in Mauritius. While much of the existing literature on MOOCs has used quantitative data to explore patterns of enrolment and retention, this study explicitly focused on student experience, and used Garrison, Anderson and Archer’s (2000) Community of Inquiry (COI) model to explore patterns of ‘presence’ and pedagogical preferences and needs of learners. In order to explore how these preferences, together with other contextual factors might affect the adoption of MOOCs in Mauritius, Venkatesh and Davis’s (2000) Technology Acceptance Model2 (TAM2) was used. The COI and TAM2 models were used both as analytical frameworks, but also to develop a new composite model that also can function as a boundary object (Bowker and Star, 1999; Fox, 2011) enabling different stakeholders to understand each other’s needs and expectations and communicate better with each other. For Mauritian learners, teaching presence in online environments is of critical importance: this is reflected in different scenarios of MOOC implementation identified, and in a proposed staged model for MOOC adoption across the HE sector in Mauritius. This involves further pilots and preliminary research (stage 1), integration of MOOCs into practice (stage 2), customisation and development of MOOCs (stage 3) and a MOOC for Mauritius (stage 4), with each stage informing the implementation of subsequent stages as part of a broad action research framework. The original contributions made by the research to the knowledge base of its possible audiences include: providing models of practice for teachers and educational leaders; informing the educational leaders and policy makers about how MOOCs can be successfully implemented in Mauritius; providing detailed case studies on MOOCs to the academic audience interested in MOOCs specifically; and proposing a new composite, pedagogically-informed, technology acceptance model to those academics who are interested in online pedagogy and technology acceptance. The results of this PhD research can also inform the introduction and effective implementation of MOOCs in other less-economically developed countries

Use of web technology in providing information services by south Indian technological universities as displayed on library websites

Abstract Purpose - This paper aims to discuss the present status of using new generation web technology, social media and Web 2.0 features among the technological university library websites in south India. It assesses the library websites as a primary platform and one-stop portal for information services and examines as to how much library websites are effective in providing web-based information services. Design/Methodology/Approach - The library websites of the technological universities in south India were evaluated on the basis of a relative weight checklist. The criteria for the checklist was drawn on the basis of availability of websites for library, resource discovery tools, access to scholarly content and Web 2.0 tools. The various issues and challenges in adapting new web technologies in academic environment are discussed. Findings - Using the current web development technologies and deploying for mainstream web information services is not widespread as web information services are yet to take off widely in academic libraries. The majority of university libraries are found to be working in the conventional library settings and the diffusion rate of web information services is relatively low. Originality/value - As this is an assessment of the existing online information infrastructure facilities of the engineering universities in south India, the awareness of web-based information services, their viability, and service values can be enhanced. More emphasis is underlined to improve upon the current learning, online educational facilities and benchmarking electronic information services for sustainability is highlighted. Paper type – Case stud