An investigation into the effects of e-learning readiness and student expectations on academic results in distance education

Abstract

This study sought to determine the combined effect of e-learning readiness and student expectations of academic results in distance education. The target population consisted of students registering at a higher education institution for the first time for a first-year programming course at the University of South Africa (Unisa). A questionnaire in the form of a web survey was used for the widely dispersed respondents due to its ability to reach a large number of them. The study was initially intended to be quantitative, but due to the low response rate, a descriptive quantitative research approach was adopted. While this study could not determine a conclusive relationship between students’ e-learning readiness, their expectations in an online environment and their academic performance, several interesting findings pertaining to student e-learning readiness and expectations in an online learning environment were identified. This study concluded that most students have positive expectations regarding e-learning and that most were, therefore, ready for it.

In hierdie studie is daar probeer om die gekombineerde uitwerking van e-leer-gereedheid en studente-verwagtings op akademiese resultate in afstandsonderrig te bepaal. Die teikenpopulasie het bestaan uit studente wat vir die eerste keer by ’n hoëronderwysinstelling registreer vir ’n eerstejaarsprogrammeringskursus by die Universiteit van Suid-Afrika (Unisa). ’n Vraelys in die vorm van ’n webopname is gebruik vir die wydverspreide respondente vanweë die vermoë daarvan om ’n groot aantal van hulle te bereik. Die studie was aanvanklik bedoel om kwantitatief te wees, maar weens die lae responskoers is ’n beskrywende kwantitatiewe navorsingsbenadering gevolg. Hoewel die studie nie ’n onweerlegbare verhouding tussen studente se e-leer-gereedheid, hulle verwagtings in ’n aanlyn omgewing en hulle akademiese prestasie kon bepaal nie, is daar wel verskeie interessante bevindings geïdentifiseer wat verband hou met studente se e-leer-gereedheid en verwagtings in ’n aanlyn leeromgewing. Daar is in die studie tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die meeste studente positiewe verwagtings het oor e-leer en die meeste studente dus gereed was daarvoor.

Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuthola umphumela wokulungela ukufunda nge inthanethi kanye nokulindelwe ngabafundi ngemiphumela yemfundo yezamabanga amade. Isibalo sabafundi okwenziwe kubo ucwaningo sihlanganisa abafundi ababhalise esikhungweni semfundo ephakeme okokuqala, ukwenza unyaka wokuqala eNyuvesi yaseNingizimu Afrika (iUnisa). Kusetshenziswe uhlu lwemibuzo ngokohlelo lwesaveyi ye-inthanethi ukuze kutholakale abantu abaningi abazophendula, ngoba lolu hlelo luyakwazi ukusabalalela kubantu abaningi. Ucwaningo ekuqaleni lwaluhlose ukubandakanya abantu abaningi, kodwa ngenxa yesilinganiso esiphansi sezimpendulo, kwasetshenziswa ucwaningo zinombolo ikhwantithethivu. Nakuba lolu cwaningo lungazange lukwazi ukuthola ubudlelwano obuqinisekile phakathi kokulungela kwabafundi ukufunda nge-inthanethi, abakulindele endaweni yokufunda nge-inthanethi nangemiphumela yabo yokufunda, kwatholakala okuningana okujabulisayo okuphathelene nokulungela kwabafundi ukufunda nge-inthenethi kanye nokulindelwe endaweni yokufunda nge-inthenethi. Lolu cwaningo luphethe ngokuthi iningi labafundi lilindele okuhle mayelana nokufunda nge-inthenethi nokuthi iningi labo selikulungele.