Academic Support under COVID-19 Lockdown: What Students Think of Online Support e-Tools in an ODeL Course

Autor/in	van Wyk, Micheal M.
Titel	Academic Support under COVID-19 Lockdown: What Students Think of Online Support e-Tools in an ODeL Course
Quelle	In: Interactive Technology and Smart Education, 18 (2021) 2, S.137-157 (21 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1741-5659
Schlagwörter	COVID-19; Pandemics; Educational Technology; Technology Uses in Education; Preservice Teachers; Student Attitudes; Foreign Countries; Distance Education; Online Courses; Open Education; Economics; Teaching Methods; Computer Mediated Communication; Student Needs; Teacher Role; South Africa + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Unterrichtsmedien; Technology enhanced learning; Technology aided learning; Technologieunterstütztes Lernen; Schülerverhalten; Ausland; Distance study; Distance learning; Fernunterricht; Online course; Online-Kurs; Offene Erziehung; Offener Unterricht; Volkswirtschaftslehre; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Computerkonferenz; Lehrerrolle; Südafrika; Süd-Afrika; Republik Südafrika; Südafrikanische Republik
Abstract	Purpose: This paper aims to explore student teachers' views related to the online academic support e-tools used under the COVID-19 lockdown. Design/methodology/approach: Mapping a pragmatic research approach, an explanatory mixed methods design was used for the study. Findings: Empirical evidence revealed that student teachers were satisfied and experienced the academic support tools as being positively applied to their online learning. Furthermore, it is reported that student teachers preferred the discussion forum as the most appropriate academic support e-tool in the course under coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown. Research limitations/implications: This exploratory pragmatic study extends the knowledge of the online academic support e-tools for an open distance e-learning (ODeL) context that was used under COVID-19 lockdown. This study provides additional evidence concerning a revised academic support frame for an ODeL online learning context. Research limitations: small sample size was used, and therefore caution must be applied, as the findings might not be transferable to a similar context. The current study has only examined a teacher education course and could not be generalised to similar conditions as those under COVID-19 lockdown. This exploratory research has raised many questions that require further investigation. More research is required to determine the efficacy of the academic support e-tools with regard to student learning in other online courses and contexts. Practical implications: The student teachers that participated in this study were empowered to using the academic support e-tools to support them under COVID-19 lockdown. The discussion was mostly preferred academic supportive e-tool as an engaged, participatory and communicative platform for accelerated learning in the teaching methodology of economics course. Originality/value: A noteworthy contribution was made in the design and testing of the reliability of methodological tools, which could be replicated in blended and ODeL contexts. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01