WhatsApp platform uses in Teaching and Learning in South African Tertiary Institutions (original) (raw)
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Journal of Information Technology Education: Research
Aim/Purpose: Social media platforms have been increasingly incorporated into teaching and learning. However, studies using mixed methods to explore WhatsApp’s potential to broaden online teaching and learning remain limited. Background: This study reports the experiences and perspectives of undergraduate students in terms of their WhatsApp usage patterns and preferences during COVID-19 using a sequential mixed method. Methodology: Through a quantitative survey of undergraduate students from the Education Faculty in one South African university, quantitative data were collected from 92 participants. Qualitative interviews were followed with ten willing participants to further explore their perceptions and preference. Contribution: This study addresses the literature gap identified by Klein et al. (2018, p. 2) that “few studies that explore WhatsApp use in the natural environment of higher education” and the methodology gap Hashim identifies (2018) that the majority of the literature ...
Use of WhatsApp in Higher Education for Teaching and Learning: Sociocultural Perspective of Learning
Turkish Online Journal of Qualitative Inquiry, 2021
Drawing from social learning theory, this study aims to investigate the experiences of third-year students regarding the use of WhatsApp group chat for teaching and learning. This is premised during a COVID-19 lockdown context at a rural South African university, wherein opportunities to learn socially from each other are created as students interact with their peers, educators and facilitators, and learning materials, objects and activities are collaboratively co-created, shared and disseminated through WhatsApp groups. Data were collected through focus group interview of eight third-year students registered for a Bachelor of Education in Senior Phase and FET degree majoring in English and Life Orientation. The study found that WhatsApp allows students to communicate, collaborate and encourage in remote learning to disseminate knowledge as a way of improving their academic performance. The results provide an insight into how WhatsApp plays a significant role in learning English in the development of reading, writing, speaking and listening skills, which consequently improves students’ academic literacy and interpersonal skills. The findings of this study further reveal a disparity of network connectivity, accessibility and electricity between those residing in the urban and rural areas.
Using WhatsApp for co-creation of learning resources: A case of a South African university
2020
Although culturally diverse students have potential to create enriched learning resources, it is difficult to harness students’ agency and to aggregate individual contributions into a meaningful learning resource. This is one of the challenges facing higher education institutions in South Africa where institutions are increasingly cosmopolitan and culturally diverse, but production of knowledge has largely remained skewed in favour of those students with unlimited access to learning resources, the Internet and peer networks, anywhere, anytime. Although the appropriation of emerging technologies such as mobile phones has enabled a digital sharing culture, this social practice has not been harnessed for co-creation of learning resources. This article reports on a study that sought to uncover the extent to which the use of WhatsApp-enabled phones facilitated the co-creation of learning resources in a human resource management programme at a university of technology in South Africa. The...
While literature continues to promote mobile learning and, in particular, the use of mobile phones for teaching and learning in blended and open distance learning (ODL) to bridge the digital divide, many lecturers still struggle to understand and engage with it to support their teaching practices. Using the theoretical notion of ‘boundary crossing’, this study reflects on how three South African higher educators introduced WhatsApp, a mobile instant messaging application, into their teaching practices, within a blended mode of delivery, both for distance education but also campus-based learners. Following their experiences with using WhatsApp as a boundary object in their engagement with learners, we explore how a pedagogical model, rules of engagement, group ownership and learner profile impacted on their teaching and their students’ learning practices. In this article we argue that mobile technology such as WhatsApp can, by acting as a boundary object, assist in in creasing immediacy and connection not only in informal, but also in formal blended and open distance learning contexts, facilitating reflection, coordination, identification and, in some cases, with students’ control and ownership, transformation. However, more research is needed to include experiences of students, to explore in more depth the ethical issues of using WhatsApp in particular contexts, and to assess the potential to transfer these findings into larger ODL contexts.
WhatsApp platforms as the panacea for online programmes in distance education in Zimbabwe and Zambia
2022
The study focuses on the wide usage of the WhatsApp application in delivering online programmes in distance education. The WhatsApp mode of communication is a social media, which was the result of a fourth industrial revolution but has found wider currency in all aspects of human life including distance education. It has caused massive social upheavals in social life including in electronic teaching and learning from early childhood development programmes to university education. Universities are now using it with sceptics doubting its effectiveness in electronic teaching and learning. This study, therefore, sought to find out if WhatsApp is the panacea for online programmes and how it is used in distance education. A qualitative paradigm using a case study design generated data from 26 lecturers, and 119 undergraduate and postgraduate students on the phenomenon from three universities in Zimbabwe and Zambia. Open-ended questionnaires and WhatsApp focused group discussion were employed to answer the posed questions. The WhatsApp platform is used as the first line of communication between students and their lecturers. Universities ought to integrate all facets of the WhatsApp platform to their electronic LMSs to enable students to access online programmes.
There is no doubt that digital technologies play major roles in education inmodern times. Whatsapp mobile technology has been of immense value in this respect, as it is frequently and globally used in online instruction in universities. As well, it offers students increased choices and opportunities in the context of online instruction. Consequently, the purpose of this research work is to find out exactly to what extent the students and lecturers in the University of Port Harcourt, Faculty of Education are using the Whatsapp instant messaging tool in teaching and learning process in Faculty of Education, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. It also tried to find out if the aforesaid have enabling phones that are Internet ready to utilize the Whatsapp software in teaching and learning process. It attempts to discover major challenges, if any that are confronting its effective application in teaching and learning. Descriptive survey approach was adopted. The population for the study comprised of one hundred and twenty-eight (128) lecturers and one thousand six hundred and three (1603) first year undergraduate students of the University of Port Harcourt, Faculty of Education for the year 2017. Three (3) research questions guided the study. The research instrument used was a- 12 item questionnaire for both lecturers and the students correspondingly. It was validated with a reliability index of 0.70 and considered appropriate for the study. The researchers also employed an in-depth interview method to cover any discrepancy in the structured questionnaire, which was administered to the lecturers and the students respectively. The research questionnaires so retrieved from both respondents were analyzed, using statistical percentile to answer the necessary research questions. The results revealed that regardless of the fact that both the lecturers and the students possess Internet enabled mobile phones, they were not properly utilizing Whatsapp instant messaging for effective academic activities because only 15(11.7%) of lecturers and 243(22.9%) of students actually use it for academic purposes. The result further revealed that 100% of both lecturers and students never received any form of training for the use of Whatsapp mobile technology. Recommendations were also made, which included among others, adequate training on Whatsapp skills and the purchase of Internet enabled phones for effective utilization of Whatsapp instant messaging in teaching and learning process.
Use of WhatsApp as a Learning Tool in Today's Generation: A study of Undergraduate students
Gamji, M.B, & Jinaidu, H. S., 2019
This research is about the role of WhatsApp in enhancing students' academic performers with the aim of establishing the acceptability and usage of WhatsApp as an important tool of learning using 300 and 400 level students of mass communication, ABU Zaria as an area of study. Specifically, the study explores the level of their WhatsApp use, correlation between WhatsApp use and academic performance as well as knowing if they share material via the application. The researcher made use of Connectivism and Uses and gratification theories as a justification for the research work. To address the issue of the research, survey method was employed by administering 200 copies of questionnaire to the participants who were selected via simple random sampling technique. Findings from the research reveal that students of Mass communication undergraduates use WhatsApp on a medium level. It also shows that they utilize the application to share material among themselves and finally it reveals that there is correlation between academic performance and the use of WhatsApp. However, the correlation was neither positive nor negative. The researchers recommend that students should try as much as possible to utilize the application to assist their academic and not to be an agent of distraction.
5. INTERNATIONAL ANKARA MULTIDISCIPLINARY STUDIES CONGRESS, 2023
The aim of this study is to determine the role of WhatsApp in the academic arena to determine whether it facilitates teachers’ work and communication as well as students’ collaboration and communication with their peers and teachers. For this purpose, a sum of 32 participants (17 teachers and 15 students) wilfully participated by answering two questionnaires – one for teachers and the other for students – which were prepared using Google Form. The data collection was done through Google Form, and a descriptive data analysis was done separately to avoid ambiguity and got to the result that all the participants had a WhatsApp application and were all part of a WhatsApp group related to their respective status. The results indicated that 94% (f=14) of the teachers were active in the group and pay attention to incoming messages which they all agreed were relevant; 73% (f=11) confirmed there is a good communication among teachers in the groups and 68% (f=10) agreed teachers do assist each other. On the students’ part, 53% (f=9) believed the groups were active with 59% (f=10) that indicated group messages were relevant, in addition to good communication flow resulting to 64% (f=11) testified students assist each other; with 59% (f=10) that indicated good students-teachers relationship in the groups. Although it is not considered as an official academic app by the majority, it is clear that it plays a key role in the academic field not only by fastening teachers and students’ work rate but also by bring teachers and students together. Key words: WhatsApp, social media, academic dependence, educational learning. Communication
Trends, Opportunities, and Challenges of Using WhatsApp in Learning: A Literature Review
Jurnal Simki Pedagogia
WhatsApp is a widely used and widely used communication platform in education. The main objectives of this literature review are to identify the trends and challenges associated with using WhatsApp in education, explore the benefits and opportunities for students and teachers in using this platform for learning, and understand the challenges and limitations of using WhatsApp within the classroom setting. The literature was obtained through various databases using keywords related to WhatsApp and education. It is important for educators and administrators to be aware of the trends, opportunities, challenges, and opportunities associated with the using of WhatsApp. The increased usage of WhatsApp as a tool for communication and collaboration between students and teachers is one trend that has been identified in the research. The results of this literature review will contribute to the field of education and technology by highlighting the potential of WhatsApp as a tool for learning an...
International Journal of Advanced Corporate Learning (iJAC)
Despite its inherent limitations, Whatsapp messenger has proved beneficial in bridging the gap in technology provision for enhancing students' learning experiences in Sierra Leone. The need to make sure students dedicate time in using Whatsapp for the benefit of improving their learning experiences was emphasised; this as suggested can be done through participation in group collaboration, which involve peer-to-peer and peer-to-instructor interaction. Equally, to advance effective use of flexible learning opportunities, institutions must consider alternatives like Moodle / Blackboard, which already comes with the added capabilities of MIS synchronisation features of integration with students' record. In all of the aforementioned points, there is a need for government support in ensuring the right investment is made in bringing the country's HEIs integrated ICT learning provision to international standard.