ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic created the need for a global change in tertiary education. Universities that traditionally relied on contact with students in physical classrooms were forced to consider modes of remote teaching to mitigate the risks of infection due to physical proximity. This study evaluates the emergency remote teaching implemented within the Department of Information Technology at the Durban University of Technology, South Africa. An emergency remote teaching model with four stages consisting of: preparation, synchronous and asynchronous teaching and learning, e-assessments and reflections are described, analysed and evaluated with reference to both lecturers and students. The evaluation is performed using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Qualitative analysis was performed on 29 sources using content analysis. 229 initial codes were identified and first categorized into 13 subcategories and finally to the four categories synonymous with the adopted four-stage emergency remote teaching model: preparation (135 references), asynchronous and synchronous teaching and learning (67 references), e-assessments (25 references) and reflections (8 references). Quantitative data on the use of the learning management system from 2019 to 2020 evaluated the results of the applied changes in practice. From the results, it was evident that students and lecturers invested much time in the learning management system with 13 tools being adopted by the 49 analysed subjects. The learning management system was used extensively for communication, assessment and dissemination of subject content. The comparative results of the data from the 2019 and 2020 academic years showed that the majority of the 2020 subjects' final results were statistically higher than the 2019 results. Results of analysis revealed the success of the implementation of the four-stage emergency remote teaching model.
ABSTRACT
Although smartphones bring great advantages to different spheres of life, they could also bring negative tnnuenees. Numerous benefits of using mobile have been identified however, thai does not exempethem from having many disadvantages or distractions. These smartphone distractions are at the center of this study whose aim is to examine perceptions of academic staff on the teeters that are affecting the use ofsmartphones as a constructivist learning tool by students, rather than as a mere communication and distraction gadget. The existing research gap is on whether the distractions posed by smartphenes in Icarning could be turned into a positive by using smartphones for constructivist learning. Students face many challenges that at times force them to not be able to physically attend classes. A good example of these challenges is Covid-19, where everyone was forced to stay at home in order to control the spread of it. These challenges or problems prow the necessity of technology such as smartphones, where students can be able to utilize them to pursue their learning while they are away from school. Literature used to identify key constructivist learning tool characteristics, a framework for maximizing facton to use smartphoncs as a constructivist tool was created and this framework was empirically tested. A Likert-scale questionnaire-based survey of academic staff from a university in Durban, South Africa, was conducted to determine the Iacrers identified in the framework, in their opinion, influence the successful use of smart phones as constructivist tools by students. The data were analyzed for reliability and validity of the data gath ering instrument;descrtpttve and inferential statistical results, factor analysis, which included the principal component marrtx, and regression was used. The results indicate that the participants, Le, members of academic staff, agreed that the factors influencing students' use of smartphones constructivist learning tools would be influenced by attitudes, facilitating conditions, perceived usefulness, performance expectation and perceived ease of use. © 2020 IEEE.