Understanding the impact of the digital divide on South African students in higher educational institutions

Faloye, Samuel T.; Ajayi, Nurudeen

doi:10.1080/20421338.2021.1983118

Cited by 25 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…A previous South African study revealed that rural schools were digitally disadvantaged to limited access to the internet and computers [24]. In fact, 73% of the students reported that they had no prior exposure to computers before university entry [25]. Correspondingly, our study revealed that 75% (n = 59) students had no previous exposure to computer skills prior to enrollment to the university, 68% (n = 54) indicated that computer applications and related ICT facilities are available and used in their current university classrooms and 79% (n = 62%) owned a personal technology enabled device.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The prominent skills were using email, chatting, surfing the internet, and use of word processor to create documents. A study amongst South African university students reported that students underutilized the technological resources for their learning due to a deficiency in ICT proficiency and experiences [25].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to the Spence model, connectivity is the basis for school leadership support for effective ICT integration in education [26]. Connectivity encompasses the infrastructure of telecommunications, the charges and access to hardware and software [25].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Perceptions of Medical Laboratory Science Students on the Implementation of Information and Communications Technology in Medical Education

Thembane¹

2023

Proceedings of the Focus Conference (TFC 2022)

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Technological environments and demands of the new teaching and learning paradigms have paved the way for educational institutions to use Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to enhance the quality of student learning. ICT has revolutionized medical education in the past two decades, as a result teaching and learning has changed profoundly. Globally, nations and universities are investing immensely on novel ICT tools and adaptation processes. To keep abreast with these advancements, low-and middle-income nations need to investigate the appropriate strategic options for adaption and incorporating ICTs in education. The cross-sectional study sought to investigate the perceptions of undergraduate Medical Laboratory Science students on the application of ICT in education at Mangosuthu University of Technology in South Africa. The data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The research study was underpinned by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which examined the perceptions of students on the incorporation of ICT into their learning. The findings revealed that most respondents were females in the 21-to-25-year age range, living off campus and matriculated from a rural high school with no prior ICT exposure. A low mean self-perceived ICT skills was reported. Student's perceived lecturer's to be competent in delivering ICT enabled teaching. ICT was also perceived to be useful in learning. Students had access to ICT resources on campus. Students reported a positive attitude on technology adaptation. The key barriers to adaptation of ICT were external factors connectivity, time constraints and skills deficiency. This work confirmed that medical educators need to reconfigure their pedagogical approach to a blended learning strategy to accommodate the underprepared students with deficient ICT skills for gradual adaptation of ICTs in medical laboratory science. A recommendation for educational leaders and managers in low-and middle-income countries is to modify the academic calendar, improve resource access and support to ICT to effectively incorporate ICT into medical education. National leaders in higher education must play a proactive and supportive role in mitigating ICT integration constraints.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Perceptions of Medical Laboratory Science Students on the Implementation of Information and Communications Technology in Medical Education

Thembane¹

2023

Proceedings of the Focus Conference (TFC 2022)

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“…The findings from Kotze et al (2012) and Anderson (2011) could be linked to societal attitudes towards technology in South Africa and other developing countries. According to S. T. Faloye and Ajayi (2021), technology engagement is generally perceived in South African society as a male-dominated activity while females traditionally have a more domesticated responsibility. This has created a psychological barrier for females intending to pursue careers in the technological realm.…”

Section: Technophobia In South Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While home language may offer an indication of cultural background, it does not reflect the quality of a student's education. A number of studies (Bornman, 2016;Cox et al, 2018; S. T. Faloye & Ajayi, 2021) have shown that educationally disadvantaged individuals are less likely to have access to modern technologies; for this reason, they tend to exhibit different levels of technophobia from those who are from privileged backgrounds and are educated (like the sample used in the Clark (2000) study). Secondly, as at 2018, isiZulu was the home language of 25% of South Africans, with Afrikaans at 12.2% and English at 8.1% (South African Institute of Race Relations, 2019).…”

Section: Technophobia In South Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Age Differences in Technophobia: A South African Case Study

Faloye¹,

Ranjeeth

Ako-Nai

2022

SACJ

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Over the years, technology has become an essential part of our lives, with technological advancement presenting on-going opportunities. However, technology creates negative emotions, anxiety and fear among some people due to an established set of norms and individual behaviour patterns. Such fear, anxiety and apprehension has been described as technophobia, which constrains individuals’ ability to use technology and thus puts them at a disadvantage. The continuous emergence of new technologies has given rise to increased technophobia, which is now believed to affect a third of every population. This article examines age differences in the level of technophobia as well as the personal characteristics that positively influence it. A quantitative methodology was employed, and 384 questionnaires were distributed to participants in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The findings show that technophobia occurs within all age groups (the young, middle-aged and older). However, young adults with no formal education and employment demonstrated lower levels of technophobia than other age groups. The results also demonstrate a significant relationship between levels of technophobia and the demographic profile of respondents. The article concludes with a discussion on strategies to manage technophobia.

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Closing the Gap: Leveraging Recorded Video Lessons for Digital Inclusion in Rural South Africa

Fouché,

Nel

2024

Communications in Computer and Information Science

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Understanding the impact of the digital divide on South African students in higher educational institutions

Cited by 25 publications

References 51 publications

Perceptions of Medical Laboratory Science Students on the Implementation of Information and Communications Technology in Medical Education

Perceptions of Medical Laboratory Science Students on the Implementation of Information and Communications Technology in Medical Education

Understanding Age Differences in Technophobia: A South African Case Study

Closing the Gap: Leveraging Recorded Video Lessons for Digital Inclusion in Rural South Africa

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