Impact Assessment of Digital Learning Tools in South African Higher Education

Technological advancements have significantly reshaped the operational landscape of tertiary institutions, enhancing both student and academic efficiency processes. In South Africa, many students in higher learning institutions scrambled to use technology for teaching and learning due to load sheddi...

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Main Authors: Dorcas Oladayo Esan, Themba Masombuka
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Informatics Department, Faculty of Computer Science Bina Darma University 2025-03-01
Series:Journal of Information Systems and Informatics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journal-isi.org/index.php/isi/article/view/999
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author Dorcas Oladayo Esan
Themba Masombuka
author_facet Dorcas Oladayo Esan
Themba Masombuka
author_sort Dorcas Oladayo Esan
collection DOAJ
description Technological advancements have significantly reshaped the operational landscape of tertiary institutions, enhancing both student and academic efficiency processes. In South Africa, many students in higher learning institutions scrambled to use technology for teaching and learning due to load shedding, poor internet connectivity, lack of technological skills, lack of technology training by the tertiary institutions, etc. This study employs the UTAUT to understand better how technological innovations impact South African higher institutions. The UTAUT model includes components such as effort expectancy, self-awareness, social influence, facilitating conditions, and voluntary use to fully understand the factors influencing technology development and adoption. Three hundred and ten (N=310) students from underprivileged tertiary institutions in the Eastern Cape participated in this study.  The study used a quantitative research methodology based on a 5-point Likert scale to gauge the respondents' intention to use technology for teaching and learning. Regression analysis and NOVA statistical tools were used to analyse the acquired data. The findings revealed that most participating students believe that technological advancements had a positive impact on their ability to teach and learn. The research findings imply that faculty should implement training programs on digital tools, improve IT infrastructure, provision of free internet bundles, and develop policies that support the adoption of e-learning technologies.
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spelling doaj-art-7bd77e4189f84d58973c4a232c55cdb62025-08-20T03:49:12ZengInformatics Department, Faculty of Computer Science Bina Darma UniversityJournal of Information Systems and Informatics2656-59352656-48822025-03-017122424910.51519/journalisi.v7i1.999999Impact Assessment of Digital Learning Tools in South African Higher EducationDorcas Oladayo Esan0Themba Masombuka1University of South AfricaUniversity of South AfricaTechnological advancements have significantly reshaped the operational landscape of tertiary institutions, enhancing both student and academic efficiency processes. In South Africa, many students in higher learning institutions scrambled to use technology for teaching and learning due to load shedding, poor internet connectivity, lack of technological skills, lack of technology training by the tertiary institutions, etc. This study employs the UTAUT to understand better how technological innovations impact South African higher institutions. The UTAUT model includes components such as effort expectancy, self-awareness, social influence, facilitating conditions, and voluntary use to fully understand the factors influencing technology development and adoption. Three hundred and ten (N=310) students from underprivileged tertiary institutions in the Eastern Cape participated in this study.  The study used a quantitative research methodology based on a 5-point Likert scale to gauge the respondents' intention to use technology for teaching and learning. Regression analysis and NOVA statistical tools were used to analyse the acquired data. The findings revealed that most participating students believe that technological advancements had a positive impact on their ability to teach and learn. The research findings imply that faculty should implement training programs on digital tools, improve IT infrastructure, provision of free internet bundles, and develop policies that support the adoption of e-learning technologies.https://journal-isi.org/index.php/isi/article/view/999technological development, tertiary institution, e-learning, utaut, lms.
spellingShingle Dorcas Oladayo Esan
Themba Masombuka
Impact Assessment of Digital Learning Tools in South African Higher Education
Journal of Information Systems and Informatics
technological development, tertiary institution, e-learning, utaut, lms.
title Impact Assessment of Digital Learning Tools in South African Higher Education
title_full Impact Assessment of Digital Learning Tools in South African Higher Education
title_fullStr Impact Assessment of Digital Learning Tools in South African Higher Education
title_full_unstemmed Impact Assessment of Digital Learning Tools in South African Higher Education
title_short Impact Assessment of Digital Learning Tools in South African Higher Education
title_sort impact assessment of digital learning tools in south african higher education
topic technological development, tertiary institution, e-learning, utaut, lms.
url https://journal-isi.org/index.php/isi/article/view/999
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