This study explored the support needs of PG students in health studies at a South African Open Distance Learning institution during and after COVID-19 to address research-related challenges. Using a qualitative, exploratory, phenomenological design, 22 Master's and Doctoral students were purposefully sampled and interviewed via Microsoft Teams.…

This study explores pre-service teachers' perspectives about the use of WhatsApp as an educational tool. This is a qualitative project set within an interpretive paradigm. Sixteen pre-service teachers at a University of Technology voluntarily agreed to be part of this study. These pre-service teachers were divided into two groups of eight…

The purpose of this research was to identify students' views on the use of WhatsApp in an online postgraduate course at a South African Open Distance eLearning institution during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, lecturers and students relied on their mobile devices to communicate using different tools, including WhatsApp. Although it is a…

The devastation and aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to pervade almost every sphere of human existence, albeit arguably increasingly nuanced. As we move into the post-pandemic world, it is essential to reflect on the lessons learned and forge transformed, decolonised ways of knowledge production in higher education. To ensure the…

Feedback is one of the most powerful tools for teaching and learning. Providing meaningful feedback to students is of particular importance in an online context as it is a direct way for the facilitator to engage with their students and to provide them with individual, tailored support. This study sought to explore the perceptions of online…

Purpose: The objective of the study was to explore which COVID-19 teaching and learning methods, that enhanced accounting students' learning experience, should be applied at a residential university after the pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative exploratory approach within an interpretive paradigm was applied. A total of 15…

Abrupt switches to online learning without face-to-face contact between facilitators and students can cause distress and have a negative impact on student success. As students use instant messaging applications (IMAs) to communicate with one another, we have integrated WhatsApp-based mobile learning environments (MLEs) in two disparate higher…

This study sought to explore the experiences of counsellors at Nelson Mandela University's Emthonjeni Student Wellness counselling unit regarding the implementation of a blended counselling model which integrated virtual interventions into the existing practice model. Grounded theory methodology was employed to generate an understanding of the…

In this paper we analysed the use of WhatsApp among first-year students at the University of Technology in the context of South Africa. Drawing on Deleuze and Guattari's Assemblage Theory, the study analysed postings on a WhatsApp group and secondary data using content analysis. The findings showed that first-year students used WhatsApp for…

Globalization and the call for global citizenship education have enabled virtual exchange to prepare healthcare students as emerging healthcare professionals for working in an increasingly interconnected and diverse world. Integrating virtual exchange opportunities into undergraduate curricula in higher education equips students with the…

This study explores the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) to enhance student well-being in STEM classrooms within South African higher education. South Africa has long struggled with low enrolment and poor performance in STEM subjects, impaired by inadequate teacher training,…

Digital tools have evolved into a way of life, and as a result, they have become a growing area of interest for academics who research teaching and learning. Scholars increasingly agree that because digital tools affect human-to-human connection, a greater emphasis on understanding their function in engagement from an interdisciplinary viewpoint…

The COVID19 pandemic thrust emergency remote teaching (ERT) into the global spotlight and thereby undeniably changed aspects of the higher education (HE) landscape. For a developing country such as South Africa (SA), the use of the mobile instant messaging (MIM) application (app) called Telegram represents a practicable solution to overcome…

This study employs an Afro-centric framework of Digital "Unhu" (i.e. digital humanism) and netnographic accounts of supervisor-supervisee interactions to investigate Mobile Instant Messaging mediated interaction as a platform for honing students' career management competencies. While many existing studies foreground Western…

Open distance e-learning (ODeL) is an essential form of e-learning for students in South Africa. It allows expanded access to higher education for students from rural or socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. One of the key features of ODeL is that students can complete coursework modules virtually, without the need to step onto a physical…