The Use of WhatsApp for Flexible Learning: Its Effectiveness in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Sierra Leone's Higher Education Institutions (original) (raw)
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Zambia ICT Journal
One of the norms of distance education is that learners are the drivers of their learning and teachers merely facilitate the learning process. To this effect, learners are expected to be fully engaged in their studies throughout for them to perform well in their studies. However, the ‘distance’ factor inherent in distance education has been identified as one of the major challenges for learners studying in this mode. The geographical isolation significantly detracts from the need for social interactions that are usually afforded by face-to-face situations. Consequently, the void leads to isolation, confusion, stress and ultimately contributing to high failure rate and drop-outs from the academic programmes. In this study, we document the use of “WhatsApp” as a tool for learner support among postgraduate students on the distance learning mode within the University of Zambia. The study, through “WhatsApp”, follows students where they are found and learns from them without disrupting t...
International Journal of Advanced Education and Research, 2017
The study ex-ray the effectiveness of WhatsApp as a collaborative tool for learning among undergraduate students in the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The study was guided by two objectives of the study, two research questions and two hypotheses. The population of the study comprises of all the 400-level science education students in the faculty of education, University of Uyo, while the sample size of the study was sixty (60) science education students. A quasi-experimental design was used for the study. Mean and the standard deviation was used in addressing the research questions while Z-test and t-test were used in testing the null hypotheses. The findings reveal a significant difference in the retention level of students taught with WhatsApp application and those taught using the conventional approach of teaching, also that there is no significant difference between male and female students who use WhatsApp for learning. Conclusion and recommendations were also made.
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.
WhatsApp as a Tool for Integration and Motivation in Distance Education
Social Networking, 2021
This article was based on a Distance Education project in the Pedagogy course which, for a semester, through active methodology, reviewed the contents of the course to increase the knowledge of these students as well as to carry out a pilot test of Hybrid Teaching. The research aimed to contribute to studies on the use of WhatsApp as a tool that favors the integration and motivation of students in Online and Hybrid Teaching. The project included classes before the classroom lessons, physical and online presence of tutors and teachers, communication via WhatsApp, e-mail, Facebook and the online course platform to review and raise the course fee, raising doubts and encouraging the participation and integration of each student. The object of the study was the use of WhatsApp throughout the course, due to the adhesion of students and teachers using it as a tool for integration and motivation for the graduates of the 17 poles participating in the project. It is a descriptive research with a quantitative approach and characterized by a survey. 104 students participated in the survey, which guarantees a confidence level of 93%. A questionnaire was elaborated and requested, via Google Forms, to understand aspects of integration and motivation, containing 10 questions using the five-level Likert scale. It was possible to verify that the tool presented a 77% satisfaction index with the use of WhatsApp considering its positive influence in the best use of the studies while 90% considered WhatsApp important in the integration of students with students, and teachers with students. Also corroborated that the student interacts better with the studies when there is an interpersonal relation present, in this case, through the classes of study and face-to-face held weekly and the immediate communication provided by WhatsApp group chats. Finally, there was a strong correlation (r = 0.8) between the intensity of satisfaction with the use of WhatsApp in this project and the satisfaction with the continuity of the use of WhatsApp in other courses.
Using WhatsApp for Teaching a Course on the Education Profession
International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning, 2020
Social media has gained popularity in the realm of education. However, little research has examined empirically the extent to which students interacting using social media experience a different level of social presence, sense of community and perceived learning compared to those interacting face-to-face. As many as 100 students who were taking a course on Education Profession at the Department of Primary School Teacher Education at Halu Oleo University were recruited for this study. The students were randomly divided into two groups: Group one attended conventional face-to-face classroom instruction over the course of seven weeks and Group two used WhatsApp for learning. Questionnaires measuring social presence, sense of community and perceived learning were pre- and post-tested, followed immediately by interviews. The WhatsApp group reported a stronger sense of community, but both groups experienced an equal level of social presence and perceived learning. Reported benefits of Wha...
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...
WhatsApp platform uses in Teaching and Learning in South African Tertiary Institutions
International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research
Over the past decade, there has been a growth in the usage of new technologies, such as WhatsApp applications, for teaching and learning in educational settings. This study investigates how the WhatsApp platform influences teaching and learning in tertiary institutions. It focuses on tertiary institutions where WhatsApp platforms have become essential for online learning. Connectivism learning theory is applied as a conceptual framework to analyse the influence of the WhatsApp platform on teaching and learning at tertiary institutions. Using a qualitative methodology, a scoping analysis was conducted of 13 academic publications published between 2018 and 2023, which focused on the use of the WhatsApp platform as a learning tool. The study found a notable growth in the usage of WhatsApp as a teaching and learning tool in higher institutions. In addition, the study established that no clear policy guides the use of WhatsApp platforms in teaching and learning in tertiary institutions. ...
This paper explained what WhatsApp application is all about in education especially for the purpose of teaching and learning in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The paper pointed out the meaning; importance: better realization of "anywhere, anytime, freedom of organization in and out of the classroom, collaboration among students separated geographically, Transparent connection to nets, remote sensing and integration of information, shift from "anywhere, anytime" to "everywhere, every time, enabling chatting easy transfer of data, free messaging and importation of contacts. It also allows sending of hundred messages in a month to friends who do not use WhatsApp for free. The platform is very cheap WhatsApp enables notification and the alerts of the receiving text. It allows one to share his location, photos, and status with friends. It can be use to set ringtone alert; problems/challenge: difficulties with understanding recorded audios, lack of participation in e-tutorials, inadequate access to digital devices, Connectivity challenges to facilitate e-tutorial. There are numerous ways of enhancing use of WhatsApp in teaching and learning: incentivizing participation/ grading e-learning, Clarity on tasks to be covered during tutorial, Training on tutors on e-tutorial.
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.
A state of the art about use of WhatsApp as an educational resource
Seven Editora eBooks, 2023
The purpose of this article is to present the results of the survey of scientific production on WhatsApp as a tool for pedagogical use. For this, the "State of the Art" methodology was used, which consists of a study of everything that was researched and built in the area, from the search for descriptors in a database. In the case of this research, the SciELO (Brasil Scientific Electronic Library Online) platform was selected. The descriptors "WhatsApp, mobile, m-learning, learning, education, teaching, literacy, literacy and academic literacy" were used. As for the results, the 17 articles were presented along with which level of education they were present and which areas are interdisciplinary with the research. Among the articles, their contributions to thinking about the use of WhatsApp in education were also presented, namely: the use of WhatsApp by the subjects before the research; their various positive perceptions; its use in teacher training, orality, language teaching and health; needs of the development of new technological competences.