A UTAUT Evaluation of WhatsApp as a Tool for Lecture Delivery During the COVID-19 Lockdown at a Zimbabwean University

Abstract

<jats:p>Focusing through the lens of the (COVID-19) lockdown which was enforced on the 30th of March 2020, it became apparent that students from rural resource-constrained educational institutions had to adapt to sustainable online learning platforms from traditional content delivery. WhatsApp a social networking app, but due to its low data consumption, it became a de-facto teaching and learning tool for Lupane State University (LSU) students in Zimbabwe. Prior studies have focused on the use of WhatsApp as an alternative lecture delivery platform but very few have evaluated its role as the sole platform for lecture delivery. With no government or institutional support for data acquisition, students failed to utilise other e-learning platforms that were in place due to exorbitant data costs. This study seeks to evaluate the success of WhatsApp mediated teaching and learning at LSU during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a randomized evaluation of weekly lecture delivery through WhatsApp to LSU students. A questionnaire based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology’s main constructs was delivered to 200 students that were randomly selected. The results revealed that student’s attitudes, behavioral intention of using WhatsApp for learning as well as the platform’s usefulness were rated highly, implying high adoption. The positive perceptions suggest that it would be easy for the institution to formally integrate the platform to augment traditional lecture delivery or for use during an event that disrupts traditional face-to-face lecture delivery. Results revealed that WhatsApp can support 21st century learning through autonomous, collaborative and learner centred education.</jats:p>

The impact of peer-peer learning and student-lecturer interaction on Biology pre-service teachers’ achievements

“…Walan (2020) also observed that different technology tools promote variations in teaching. Studies have showed that WhatsApp support collaborative learning where information is shared among students (in line with the social cognitive theory of learning), hence, increased access to educational resources regardless of distance (Rambe & Chipunza, 2013;Maphosa, Dube & Jita, 2020). Furthermore, WhatsApp provides a cheaper learning platform for students in poor communities.…”

Factors Affecting Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) Postgraduate Students’ Behavioural Intention for Online Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Published studies have confirmed the effectiveness of the UTAUT model in investigating the students' acceptance of e-learning. For example, the acceptance and preparedness of students for e-learning in northeastern Thailand [31], a study of e-learning acceptance in postgraduate program at Universitas Negeri Makassar, Indonesia [32], e-learning acceptance level among accounting lecturers in the universities in Padang, Indonesia [33], factors that influence the intent of teachers in higher education to use e-learning in hybrid environments [34], and the evaluation on WhatsApp as a tool for learning during COVID-19 at a Zimbabwean University [35]. However, few if any studies have considered Malaysian post graduate students' behavioural intention to use online learning during the pandemic.…”

“…If the participants expect online learning to perform excellently during COVID-19, they are more likely to use online learning. Past studies [31,35,39] claimed that effort expectancy would affect students' behavioural intention. Therefore, it was considered as the participants' perceived effortless use of online learning, which might affect their intention to have online learning class.…”

“…Performance expectancy is an important factor that affects TESL postgraduate students' behavioural intention, as stated by Venkatesh et al [10], p. 447, as "the degree to which the user expects that using the system will help him or her to attain gains in job performance". Past studies have proposed that performance expectancy is one of the most significant factors to predict learners' behavioural intention to use technology [31,[34][35][36]. Subsequently, the predicted complexity of the technology and the degree of energy required to use can be explained as effort expectancy.…”

Knowledge Management Strategies Through Educational Digital Platforms During Periods of Social Confinement

“…Educational institutions have taken important steps towards digitalization by making a great effort to improve the telecommunications infrastructure and electronic administration [8][9][10]. Nowadays it is almost inconceivable to teach without technology, or without reference to methodologies such as gamification, inverted classrooms or bringing your own device [11][12][13], which can contribute to create new scenarios that facilitate and promote different processes within the classroom, and that connect and help transfer knowledge to the outside world [1,14,15].…”