Nel, L. 2010. Bridging teaching-learning gaps: Engagement through technology.

Proceedings of the 2010 conference of

the South African Computer Lecturers Association (SACLA Proceedings 2010). Pretoria: University of Pretoria.
ISBN: 978-0-620-47173-2.

Bridging teaching-learning gaps: Engagement through

technology
Liezel Nel
University of the Free State
Dekaan Street
Bloemfontein
+27 51 401 2754
liezel@ufs.ac.za

ABSTRACT
In the current context of South African higher education various
disadvantaged situations or inequities within the teaching and
learning environment can be identified. These “gaps” typically
occur as a result of the teaching and learning challenges
presented by a diverse student population and the inexperience
of facilitators on satellite campuses. In order to bridge these
gaps module facilitators need to ensure that their teaching and
learning strategies not only address the diverse needs of their
students, but also enhance the learning experiences of students
on all campuses. In light of recent technological advances
facilitators also need to investigate effective ways in which
technology tools can be incorporated to support the pedagogical
objectives of their modules. In this study, the researcher
embarked on an action inquiry to investigate effective ways in
which the use of various technology tools could assist in
bridging these gaps and support the students in becoming more
engaged in their own learning experiences. As a result of these
technology interventions students were not only found to be
more actively involved and enthusiastic, but an improved sense
of caring and trust was established with the facilitator. The
results of this study provided proof that the innovative use of
technology to support the pedagogical objectives of a module
could play a significant role in bridging various teaching and
learning gaps that exist in the current context of South African
higher education.
Categories and Subject Descriptors
K.3.2 [Computers and Education]: Computer and Information
Science Education – Computer science education.
General Terms
Performance, Design, Human Factors.
Keywords
Blended learning, action research, educational technology,
active learning.
1. INTRODUCTION
The teaching and learning problems experienced in higher
education at present can be related to the enormous changes
that have taken place in the sector over the last decade, world-
wide as well as in South Africa. Of particular importance are
the massification of higher education, the demands for
accountability, the increase in diversity and the accompanying
academic underpreparedness of a large portion of first-year
students. These changes and resulting problems are also
experienced in the Department of Computer Science and
Informatics (CSI) at the University of the Free State (UFS).
Many students entering the CSI programmes do not possess the
necessary language/literacy and numerical skills required to be
successful as university students. Their subject knowledge is
also questionable as the Grade 12 results can in many instances
no longer serve as a reliable indicator of their level of prior
knowledge in a specific discipline. Other teaching and learning
problems faced by the department include the diverse student
population from different socio-economic backgrounds; large
classes; the continuation of some of the inequalities of the past;
and also many students' lack of technological skills. In addition,
the policy of parallel-medium instruction at UFS have lead to
even more diversity as there are in most cases no interaction
between students from the different language groups.
From a teaching perspective, many facilitators in South African
higher education have not fully adapted their classroom
practices to the changing higher education environment. In this
regard the CHE report [4] expresses concern about academics'
adherence to traditional teaching practices at institutions, which
have not changed significantly to make provision for the
dramatic increase in diversity since the 1980s. This concern
also applies to the CSI department at the UFS where facilitators
have not really made provision for the unique challenges
presented by a more diverse student population. There is also
still a lack in active classroom participation and interaction that
forms the basis of a student-centred approach.
The UFS satellite campus in QwaQwa has brought additional
problems and challenges to the table, especially in the CSI
department. Due to a high staff turnover, many of the CSI
modules on the satellite campus are presented by relatively
inexperienced facilitators who have only completed their
undergraduate degrees during the previous two or three years.
In many cases these facilitators’ main concern centres on the
subject content that they need to master and very little (if any)
attention is given to dealing with teaching and learning
problems.
For quality assurance purposes the QwaQwa students have to
write the same examinations and tests as students on the main
campus, but in many instances the students on the satellite
campus have been exposed to a completely different teaching
model than their peers on the main campus. The satellite
campus students also do not receive the same exposure to
subject expertise due to the lack of experienced teaching staff.
This situation poses a huge challenge.
It has become apparent that definite strategies are required to
address the teaching and learning “gaps” that typically occur as
a result of the challenges presented by (1) a diverse student
population (the diversity gaps) and (2) the inexperience of
facilitators on the satellite campus (the experience and
synchronisation gaps). It is proposed that the technological
enhancement of teaching and learning could provide possible
solutions to bridge these gaps.
Over the past two decades new ICTs have had a profound
impact on almost every aspect of our daily lives. It has become
evident that these new technologies also present numerous
educational possibilities and could provide alternatives to
conventional teaching methods [2]. With the dramatic
evolvement of the educational possibilities presented by the
technological era, a more open and flexible approach to
teaching and learning is advocated in higher education
institutions all over the world in which various forms of
online/e-learning have taken shape [3] [15]. The most general
format is the blended learning mode which combines the face-
to-face and online delivery modes [11] [14].
In recent years even more new technologies have become
available. The evolution of the Internet, the emergence of Web
2.0 and improved access to mobile technology have presented
educators with numerous possibilities for integrating
technology into teaching and learning. Various educational
specialists have shown a keen interest in Web 2.0 tools such as
blogs, wikis and podcasting, and their possible applications in
the teaching and learning environment [12] [16] [18].
Nationally, the CHE report regards the implementation of
strategies for the improvement of graduate output as one of the
key factors within higher education’s control. The strategies
include, among others, the implementation of teaching
approaches that make use of educational technology (to address
the realities of diversity and large classes), the construction of
courses and modules on a sound educational basis, and the
management of teaching and learning at faculty, programme
and course level [4]. Since academic structures and subject
specialists are in most cases in charge of programme design and
teaching, it remains their responsibility to select and implement
effective educational interventions.
In this project, the researcher investigated various ways in
which module facilitators can employ technology enhanced
learning in their own modules in an attempt to bridge the
identified teaching and learning gaps.
The main aim of this paper is:
1. To illustrate the exciting possibilities of the use of
technology in advancing more effective learning and, in
the process, bridging different types of gaps; and
2. To emphasise that there is little sense in chasing
innovation, including technological enhancement, if it
does not bring about meaningful changes that advance
teaching and learning and ultimately contribute towards
more successful learning.
The researcher is of the opinion that such an investigation
requires ongoing investigation, with different types of action
research probably the best mode of inquiry.
2. METHODOLOGY
The research reported in this paper forms part of a larger
project, referred to as an action inquiry, which has already run
through six completed cycles (over a period of almost seven
years). Tripp [19] describes action inquiry as an umbrella term
for the deliberate use of any kind of a plan, act,
observe/describe, and review cycle for inquiry into action in a
field of practice. Common varieties of action inquiry include
reflective practice, action learning, action research and
researched action. In this project overlapping phases of several
kinds of an action inquiry was employed. Very appropriately
Hubball and Burt [10] describe action research as a critical
component of a scholarly approach to university teaching which
engages teachers, students and peers in developing a critically
reflective practice, as well as providing valuable information to
enhance the quality of curriculum and pedagogy. The active
involvement of students and facilitators as participants and
collaborators in all phases of the implementation of this project
is therefore regarded as indispensable.
The principal action research approach that has been followed
in this project closely resembles the practical approach as
described by Zuber-Skerritt and Perry [20]. In this approach the
aims relate to the improvement in the effectiveness and
efficiency of professional practice, while the researcher is not a
mere outside expert but encourages participation and self-
reflection. The relationship between practitioner (the facilitator)
and participants (the students) can therefore be described as co-
operation rather than collaboration.
This paper presents an overview of the various technology tools
that were employed by a specific facilitator (the author) during
one completed cycle of the action inquiry process. During this
cycle multiple sources were used for data collection. This
included the facilitator’s extensive research journal, facilitator
observations, as well as student questionnaire surveys,
reflection exercises and analyses of large amounts of student
feedback.
3. RESEARCH CONTEXT
The module (RIS164) which was selected for this inquiry is a
one-semester CSI module on first-year level that was presented
using a blended learning approach. The selection of this module
for investigation was partially based on convenience
considerations as the author/researcher has been facilitating this
module for several years. In addition, the students in the module
also represented the typicality of an undergraduate classroom at
the UFS with relatively large numbers of students divided into
two language groups (Afrikaans and English) according to the
institution’s language policy. Each language group had three
face-to-face contact sessions per week (for 13 weeks), while the
Moodle learning management system (LMS) was used for
delivery of the online component.
During this cycle, a total of 107 students were registered for the
module. The majority of the students were male (78.5%) and
the average age of the students was 20.7 years. The distribution
of first language (mother tongue) amongst the students was as
follows: Afrikaans 33.6%, English 4.7% and African languages
58.9%. The remaining 2.8% were made up of international
students. As many of the Afrikaans students attended the
English contact sessions (mainly due to class schedule clashes)
the English class had a truly multicultural composition.
During the cycle of inquiry that was selected for this discussion,
the facilitator incorporated various technology tools into her
teaching and learning strategies. The following sections report
on how these technology tools were utilised to address the gaps
that were identified earlier.
4. ACTIONS TO ADDRESS DIVERSITY
GAPS
This section will look at the technology tools that were
employed by the RIS164 facilitator in an attempt to address the
student diversity gaps. These tools will be discussed under the
following headings: Podcasts and vodcasts, bulk SMS
messages, electronic worksheets and tutorial classes.
4.1 Podcasts and vodcasts
In its simplest form the term “podcast” refers to any distribution
of audio content on the web (typically in .mp3 format). Since
the introduction of podcasts in 2005 [17] educators have used
this technology tool in various ways. The most common
educational exploration of podcasting is to create audio
archives of lectures [5]. Previous research on the use of
podcasting suggests that it has the potential to (1) complement
the traditional resources of a course, but not replace it; (2)
increase the impression of permanent contact between students
and facilitators which in turn could help to increase students’
motivation; and (3) make provision for a diverse range of
student skills and learning methods [7]. In a multicultural
classroom, this technology tool holds particular potential for
students who prefer listening and who respond positively
towards auditory stimulus [9].
Vodcasting is considered to be one of the latest innovations in
the podcasting world. Fernandez et al. [7] explain that a vodcast
“exchanges the audio of traditional podcasts for video” making
it more usual to play this kind of podcasts on a computer or
laptop which has larger display areas than MP3 players or
cellular phones. In this project the vodcasts contained edited
screen recordings of the lectures. These screen recordings were
created using a commercially available application and captured
all actions that were performed by the facilitator on the
computer while presenting the face-to-face lecture. It included
PowerPoint slides, demonstrations, live-code examples and was
synchronised with an audio recording of the lecture. After each
lecture the screen recordings were edited to include a menu on
the left side of the screen thereby creating an “interactive”
vodcast. This gave students the option to jump to particular
sections of the lecture that they wanted to review. As podcasts
are better suited to communicate small chunks of information
[8] and not an entire 50 minutes lecture, this was regarded as a
crucial element to ensure the usefulness of the vodcasts.
Over the course of the semester all lectures (in both languages)
were recorded and made available to students on the
university’s LMS in two formats: podcast (audio only) and
vodcast (audio synchronised with screen captures). Students
could access these files from any computer on campus (at no
cost) or they could download it from their computers at home
(at normal data rates).
These podcasts and vodcasts proved to be very useful in
supporting the students’ learning experiences. In a survey
conducted at the end of the research cycle, 51% of the students
indicated that they have watched (or listened to) the recordings
at least once or more per week. It was interesting to note that
only 5% of the students listened to the podcasts on a portable
device. The rest preferred to listen to these recordings on a
computer (either their own or one of the laboratory computers).
The students also indicated that they did not regard the
recordings as substitutes for the face-to-face classes. As one
student remarked: “the podcasts and videos helped a great deal
even if you attended the classes”. Another student noted that the
vodcasts helped him “to re-live the class atmosphere”. Overall,
the students found the recordings to be very helpful. In the end-
of-semester reflections one student even remarked “...out of
100, podcasts and videos get 200”. The majority of the students
(95%) also indicated that they would like other module
facilitators to also make similar recordings available to them.
Podcast and vodcast recordings can therefore be regarded as
valuable tools, not only to provide supplementary learning
materials to students, but also to make provision for a diverse
range of learning preferences.
4.2 Bulk SMS messages
One of the most time-consuming duties of a facilitator,
especially when dealing with large undergraduate classes, is the
handling of procedural queries. Normally, students either come
to the facilitator’s office to ask questions or post their queries as
messages to the facilitator on the online learning management
system (LMS). The majority of these queries come from
students who fail to attend some of the contact sessions and are
therefore not aware of information that has been communicated
during these sessions. In most cases, more than one student has
the same query, which results in the facilitator having to repeat
the same information over and over to individual students. In an
attempt to reduce the number of procedural queries, the
facilitator decided to employ the university’s bulk SMS system
to send regular messages to her students. SMS messages have
been found to be a very useful technology tool to enhance
communication between the facilitator and students. DuVall,
Powell, Hodge and Ellis [6] argue that if text messaging is
effectively integrated into a class and used for well-defined
objectives, “it provides a useful tool for enhancing social
presence and communication among students”.
The main objective of these SMS messages was to
communicate general module information, deadline reminders
and mark availability to students. As almost all of the students
(99%) were in possession of cellular phones, the facilitator
hoped that the use of this technology tool would ensure that all
students would be regularly informed and up-to-date with
important module information. It would also provide an
alternative source of information for those students who were
less inclined to approach the facilitator in person. On a few
occasions SMS messages were also used to inform students of
cancelled lectures (when the facilitator fell ill) and to wish them
good luck with their exam preparations.
Over the course of the semester more than 2000 SMS messages
were sent. As there were a few students (1%) who did not own
cellular phones, all information that was communicated via
SMS was also posted in the “News” section of the LMS. This
ensured that students who did not receive the messages (due to
cellular network problems for example) could also get access to
the information.
It should be noted that the bulk SMS system used does not
make provision for students to reply to the messages they
receive. All the messages sent out were therefore just intended
to inform the students about certain module related issues and
no replies from students were needed. As SMS messages are
received for free in South Africa there are no cost implications
for the students. The only costs involved relate to the sending of
the messages which are covered by the department responsible
for this particular module.
In the end-of-semester survey 97% of the students indicated that
the SMS messages were useful in keeping them informed
regarding module related issues. As one student remarked: “I
got the information I needed without having to do anything”.
The majority of the students (98%) also indicated that these
messages helped to create a sense of caring and trust between
students and the facilitator. In this regard the students
commented as follows: “This was the first time I had ever
gotten a message from a lecturer” and “SMSs helped to
establish a communication doorway between the lecturer and
the students”.
Numerous students requested even more extensive use of SMS
messages in future and expansion to other modules. As one
student noted: “I think the lecturer should share her experience
with SMS messaging to inspire other lecturers”. SMS messages
can therefore be regarded as a valuable tool in enhancing
facilitator-student interaction and communication.
4.3 Electronic worksheets
Active learning is regarded by many as the cornerstone of a
student-centred approach. In order to become active, students
need to do more than just listen to the facilitator. Meyers and
Jones [13] assert that active learning “derives from two basic
assumptions: (1) that learning is by nature an active endeavour
and (2) that different people learn in different ways”. It is
therefore important to not only create opportunities for students
to actively engage with the learning material but also to provide
different ways in which the students can engage and learn. One
way in which a facilitator can cater for the different learning
preferences of the students is to incorporate various types of
formative assessments into the module design. Biggs and Tang
[1] regard feedback during learning, also referred to as
formative assessment, as the most powerful enhancement to
learning. It is all about “telling students how well they are doing
and what might need improving” [1].
In an attempt to encourage the students to prepare and to
participate more actively during class discussions, a set of
electronic worksheets was prepared and placed on the module’s
LMS site. Students were instructed to download these
worksheets and prepare certain sections thereof before they
attended each of the face-to-face lectures. Each lecture would
then be purposefully structured around the specific content that
was covered in each of the worksheets. Although the students
would not receive any additional marks for completing the
worksheets they were informed beforehand of the main purpose
of the worksheets, namely to (1) provide them with additional
practising opportunities and (2) identify problem areas before
they attended a specific lecture. During the lecture they could
then get feedback on their worksheet answers from the
facilitator and their fellow students and evaluate their own
efforts accordingly. The worksheets therefore also provided the
students with an opportunity to engage in self-assessment.
Although the facilitator originally intended to use the
worksheets as “electronic” tools, it soon became apparent that
most of the students experienced difficulties in gaining access
to printing facilities and could not bring their completed
worksheets to class. As a result very few students completed the
worksheets during the first week. It was therefore decided to
distribute hard copies of the worksheets to students. The
worksheets were however still made available in electronic
format on the LMS site.
As noted by the researcher in her research journal, the
worksheets largely contributed to increased activity among
students during face-to-face classes. She also observed higher
levels of enthusiasm and engagement with learning activities on
their side. These observations were confirmed by the students in
their end-of-semester reflections. The students commented: “the
worksheets forced me to prepare for lectures” and “I felt lost
when I didn’t prepare my worksheet”. The use of electronic
worksheets can therefore be regarded as a valuable tool to
encourage more active participation by students in face-to-face
classes. It can also provide the students with an additional
opportunity to get feedback on their work.
4.4 Tutorial classes
In an attempt to provide the students with additional practise
opportunities, a series of weekly tutorial classes were scheduled
in the computer labs. During these classes the students worked
on additional exercises that were related to the content
discussed during the previous week’s contact sessions. A tutor
was available to assist them and to provide immediate feedback
during practical implementation of the module content. Class
sizes were limited to 20 students to ensure that the tutor had
enough time to give constructive feedback to each student.
Although attendance of these classes was compulsory for
underperforming students (those who received less that 60% in
the first summative assessment) many of the “performing”
students also chose to attend the classes. When students had
shown significant improvement in their performance,
attendance of the tutorial classes became no longer compulsory.
Interestingly enough, many of these students realised that the
tutorial classes played a major role in their improved
performance and continued to attend the additional classes for
the remainder of the semester.
In their end-of-semester reflections the students noted that they
“enjoyed working on the tutorials even if it didn’t count for
marks” and that the tutorial sessions were “very helpful. Make
attendance compulsory”. The students also regarded these
sessions as “a chance to practise the work while being helped
by the tutor” and realised that it provided them with a “good
platform to learn further”.
By scheduling the tutorial sessions in a computer lab (instead of
a lecture hall) the students were provided with additional
opportunities to engage with the learning material and practise
their skills.
5. ACTIONS TO ADDRESS GAPS IN
SYNCHRONISATION AND EXPERIENCE
In an attempt to narrow the synchronisation gap that exists
between the main and QwaQwa campuses, the facilitator also
made the podcast and vodcast recordings of the RIS164 lectures
available to her QwaQwa colleague. He could then review these
recordings in preparation of his own lectures. It also ensured
that students on both campuses would receive the same
information and were exposed to the same teaching model. The
QwaQwa facilitator found these technology tools so helpful that
an official request was sent to the CSI departmental chair on the
main campus for making similar recordings available for all
undergraduate modules that were presented on both campuses.
Although this ideal has not been realised as yet, podcast and/or
vodcast recordings of at least four undergraduate modules
(mostly on first-year level) have been made available to the
QwaQwa colleagues. Unfortunately, bandwidth issues and lack
of access to computer labs are currently complicating the
release of recordings to the QwaQwa students as well. In future
cycles this project will have to investigate more efficient ways
in which the recordings can also be made available to these
students so that they can reap the same benefits as their peers on
the main campus.
As mentioned in Section 1, most of the CSI academic staff on
the QwaQwa campus are relatively inexperienced and have only
recently completed their undergraduate studies. Many of them
are still in the process of completing their Honours degrees. As
a result of the distance between the two campuses
(approximately 300 km) they are unable to attend the weekly
classes that are only presented on the main campus. In an
attempt to assist them, podcast recordings of all these honours
classes are now also made available to them. Preliminary
findings indicate that these recordings have played a vital role
in keeping them informed and motivated.
The CSI department at the UFS hosts weekly research talks to
keep both academic staff and postgraduate students informed
about current research projects that are conducted in the
department. The QwaQwa staff members are also unable to
attend these sessions. In an attempt to assist in the professional
and academic development of these colleagues video recordings
of all the research talks (on DVD) are sent to the QwaQwa
campus. They can now organise their own weekly research
sessions to watch these videos.
6. CONCLUSION
In this paper the author has illustrated some of the exciting
possibilities of the use of technology in advancing more
effective teaching and learning and in the process bridging
different types of inequity gaps. Through the innovative use of
technology tools the author has illustrated that these tools can in
fact:
 Advance everyday teaching and learning;
 Bridge the various gaps that were identified; and
 Bring about engagement and active participation
among students.
The way in which the technology tools were selected for
integration and the findings reported for the use of each tool left
no doubt that each was selected to support a specific
pedagogical objective. This serves the notion that there is not
good sense in chasing innovation, including technological
applications, if it does not bring about meaningful changes that
advance teaching and learning and ultimately contribute
towards student success.
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