- Title
- Exploring the usefulness of learning management system (LMS) in higher education learning development at a historically disadvantaged Eastern Cape University
- Creator
- Holmberg, Lorraine
- Subject
- Instructional systems--Management
- Subject
- Education, Higher--Management
- Subject
- Universities and colleges--South Africa
- Date Issued
- 2014-11
- Date
- 2014-11
- Type
- Master's theses
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10353/24216
- Identifier
- vital:62443
- Description
- This case study aims to explore how using a Learning Management System (LMS*) to mediate learning, impacts learning development (LD) at a historically disadvantaged university (HDU) in the Eastern Cape (EC). Massification and the technological revolution have together changed the way that teaching and learning takes place, more especially in higher education institutions (HEI). Due to the increased demand for higher education (HE), computers have been used to mediate the learning space, altering the skills teachers and learners are required to have. The LMS under exploration provides a multitude of tools for managing both administrative and academic tasks. This study has drawn extensively from the framework of Activity Theory (AT), and Vygotsky’s theory of learning development to develop understandings and guide data analysis in preparation for discussion and for conclusions to be drawn. The study mostly investigated student interaction patterns with the various tools of the LMS in an effort to determine how these activities impact learning development. A mixed methods approach was used to address data that was automatically generated by the LMS; quantitative analysis using descriptive and inferential statistics was applied to numeric data, while thematic analysis was applied to textual data obtained from the threaded discussion that transpired between members of the learning community. Findings show the impact which context has on learner development and how, unless all the tools of the LMS are formally integrated for learning purposes, learners can become distracted by the functions these tools offer. This in particular pertains to learners struggling to integrate and assimilate new information. Further to this, the discussion tools serve social purposes, and have the potential to benefit constructionist learning principles, on condition that activity on the tools is structured and has clear outcomes.
- Description
- Thesis (MSoc) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2014
- Format
- computer
- Format
- online resource
- Format
- application/pdf
- Format
- 1 online resource (132 pages)
- Format
- Publisher
- University of Fort Hare
- Publisher
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
- Language
- English
- Rights
- rights holder
- Rights
- All Rights Reserved
- Rights
- Open Access
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Collections
UFH Department of Psychology
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | LORRAINE HOLMBERG - Masters thesis POST SENATE CORRECTIONS 27 March 2015.pdf | 610 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |