E-Learning: a journey to effective and efficient learning and teaching at WSU

1. E-Learning: a journey to effective and efficient learning and teaching at WSU E-learning Conference Mthatha Health Resource Centre 2-3 November 2010 Mmampho Gogela

2. Purpose of presentation • Background to Life Skills • Theoretical framework • Activities on Blackboard • Survey on e-learning • Growth areas • Conclusion Presentation Outline

3. Purpose of Presentation • Sharing of experiences and lessons learned from a personal journey on e-learning: perspective of a novice • Student participation and views on e-learning • Importance of adopting the right attitude if we are to contribute positively to WSU ideals (e.g integration of ICTs in learning and teaching). • Focus mostly on digital foreigners

4. Background and Introduction • Life Skills is a year course that is offered to students in Extended Programs • Offers academic and personal support to students so as to improve retention and the throughput rate. • The nature of the course requires high levels of participation from students, as well as close interaction in and out of class • Life Skills lecturers have been capacitated to use Blackboard • Online course in place across all WSU campuses, uniform curriculum

5. Activities on Blackboard In developing the course, the following learning and teaching materials have been uploaded on Bb: • Staff contact details and location on campus • Announcements • Course information • Blogs • Course content • learning and teaching materials • Assignments • Tasks

9. Exemplar of Lecture MaterialsExemplar of Lecture Materials

14. Survey on e-Learning @ WSU Feelings on the use of e-learning at WSU • “… e-learning is very useful. I didn't know how fun institutional programmes can be until I knew this one.” • “It is fun and creates a comfortable atmosphere for learning…. It is more like Facebook…” • “… e-learning is a very exciting program… it’s similar to social networks such as Mxit…” • “…. helps to catch up on assignments or what was done in class if you were not present.” • “…. in your spare time you can always go to gain more understanding…”

15. Survey Contd User-friendliness • “It is easy to use blackboard….” • “I thought it was difficult to use blackboard... now I have a lot of confidence…” • “… it makes things easier for submission, and you get computer skills.” • “I find it easy because all the instructions are clear and understandable.” • “… when you need to know something you find it easy without wasting a lot of time…”

16. Survey Contd Like the most Hate the most “gossiping….” “… people misuse blackboard, they send silly comments.” • “… getting to know my classmates even more…. some you have never even spoken to them.” • “The fact that I can interact with my peers online without paying a cent…”

17. Survey Contd Challenges • “… we were introduced late to this program…” • “…. when we want to do our assignments, there is always a class for IT students.” • “….there are not enough computers….”

18. Growth Areas • Life Skills is offered on multi campuses by different lecturers, and the course has different course codes. This means that the course has to be copied over and over to different course codes; • Sharing of course codes with other subjects (i.e Communication, Computer Skills etc). The implication is that lecturers sharing codes do not have full control over their course, it can be edited by the other.

19. Growth Areas Contd • Teething problems resulting to a delay in uploading courses on Blackboard; • Lack of integration with ITS; • Delays in the training of students on the use Blackboard; • Infrastructure - internet connectivity and speed, lab facilities (e.g uploading fails, much refreshing required, not enough labs/computers etc).

20. Conclusion It is evident in this presentation that even though e-learning was introduced late in 2010 in Life Skills, the little that has been done so far has been a great success. Both lecturers and students view e-learning as an effective and efficient learning and teaching tool. Thank You