**4. UNISA's role in** *e-learning* **in South Africa**

In this penultimate section, we broach UNISA's provision of *e-learning* in these challenging times. In our introductory remarks earlier, we highlighted the fact that South Africa's socioeconomic and political landscape is marked by instability, uncertainty and unpredictability. In Section 2, we touched on South Africa's enduring and vast inequalities, which are by race, class and gender. We showed that while the African people constitute the vast majority of the country's population, the whites, who are a minority, continue to enjoy living standards comparable only to those of *First World* countries. The opposite is the case with the majority of the African people, who continue to live in abject poverty, way below the official poverty line of \$1.90/day as determined by the World Bank and other international agencies. It therefore comes as no surprise that Statistics South Africa ([22, 23], p. 21) is convinced that "South Africa would not likely achieve the target of reducing inequality to 0.6 by 2030".

There has been a bourgeoning interest in *e-learning* among South African academics ([40–44]; Swanepoel, de Beer & Muller, 2009]). For instance, Venter et al. [41] explored "the antecedents of *e-learning* use among advanced business students at UNISA". Mbatha and Naidoo [42] examined "*e-learning* as a transformational educational tool in collapsing the transactional distance among communication science students at UNISA".

Meier [44] draws on the multi-institutional study between School-Net South Africa, the University of Jyväskylä in Finland and the University of South Africa's School of Education to inquire "whether intercultural understanding can be achieved through *e-learning*". It is her view that "terms such as '*e-learning'*, 'online learning', 'virtual learning', 'web-based learning', 'internet-based learning' and 'resource-based learning', all refer to the use of Internet technologies to provide education" ([44], p. 661).

Swanepoel et al. ([60], p. 311) explored the use of "satellite classes to optimise access to and participation in first-year business management" at the neighbouring University of Pretoria, while Engelbrecht [43] explored "the reasons why universities are driven to implement *e-learning*". Her aim is "to identify the critical issues in the *e-learning* models that have to be addressed in a strategic planning process for the implementation of *e-learning* or the adjustment of existing *e-learning* initiatives". The above-cited literature confirms our expressed view that there is "a bourgeoning interest in *e-learning* among South African academics".

It is our conviction that UNISA is "ideally placed to play a leading role in increasing access to higher education for marginalized communities", and "to support high-level capacity development beyond the borders of South Africa, especially on the continent" ([38], p. 2). As Africa's largest and the only dedicated distance learning institution, UNISA has the necessary capabilities to mount structured and sustainable *e-learning*, understood as "a wide set of applications and processes, including computer-based learning, Web-based learning, virtual classrooms, and digital collaboration" ([19], p. 15). Bates [14] noted that governments "see *e-learning* as a new knowledge-based industry, able to lever the advantage of advanced educational systems to create educational products and services that can be marketed internationally". In the same vein, South Africa's DHET ([39], p. 3) "views ICTs and *e-learning* as very significant aspects of open leaning approaches", and as "critically important tools in the struggle against poverty, underdevelopment and marginalisation" ([39], p. 26). The DHET ([39], p. 11) categorised *e-learning* as "digitally supported, digitally dependent, internet supported, internet dependent, and fully online" (see **Figure 6**).

There is, therefore, a sense that *e-learning* can potentially create the desired impact in efforts to widen access to higher education with success. For instance, the DHET ([39], p. 55) noted that while, "distance education is well-known for increasing the educational reach of institutions, and for providing learning opportunities to many who would otherwise be deprived of formal learning…open learning may use the benefits of online and *e-learning* to achieve this end". Boddy et al. ([19], p. 17) identified the following advantages of *e-learning*:



**Figure 6.** DHET's categorisation of *e-learning.*

and cost-effective methods and technologies". It is the DHET's ([39], p. 55) stance that "like distance education, open learning focuses directly on making access to learning a primary

The DHET ([39], p. 34) advocated distance education and specifically *e-learning* to provide increased access to post-secondary education and training opportunities for those who cannot or choose not to enrol for traditional campus-based provision; and second, to lower costs per student by collaborating in curriculum design and materials development, by spreading some teaching and support costs across larger number of learners and by obviating the need for continuing investment in physical infrastructure. It envisions a new post-school education and training system (PSET), that is, responsive to the social, economic and transformative needs of the country, and that will increase "access to, and success in learning through open

In this penultimate section, we broach UNISA's provision of *e-learning* in these challenging times. In our introductory remarks earlier, we highlighted the fact that South Africa's socioeconomic and political landscape is marked by instability, uncertainty and unpredictability. In Section 2, we touched on South Africa's enduring and vast inequalities, which are by race, class and gender. We showed that while the African people constitute the vast majority of the country's population, the whites, who are a minority, continue to enjoy living standards comparable only to those of *First World* countries. The opposite is the case with the majority of the African people, who continue to live in abject poverty, way below the official poverty line of \$1.90/day as determined by the World Bank and other international agencies. It therefore comes as no surprise that Statistics South Africa ([22, 23], p. 21) is convinced that "South

There has been a bourgeoning interest in *e-learning* among South African academics ([40–44]; Swanepoel, de Beer & Muller, 2009]). For instance, Venter et al. [41] explored "the antecedents of *e-learning* use among advanced business students at UNISA". Mbatha and Naidoo [42] examined "*e-learning* as a transformational educational tool in collapsing the transactional

Meier [44] draws on the multi-institutional study between School-Net South Africa, the University of Jyväskylä in Finland and the University of South Africa's School of Education to inquire "whether intercultural understanding can be achieved through *e-learning*". It is her view that "terms such as '*e-learning'*, 'online learning', 'virtual learning', 'web-based learning', 'internet-based learning' and 'resource-based learning', all refer to the use of Internet

Swanepoel et al. ([60], p. 311) explored the use of "satellite classes to optimise access to and participation in first-year business management" at the neighbouring University of Pretoria, while Engelbrecht [43] explored "the reasons why universities are driven to implement *e-learning*". Her aim is "to identify the critical issues in the *e-learning* models that have to be addressed in a strategic planning process for the implementation of *e-learning* or the adjustment of existing

Africa would not likely achieve the target of reducing inequality to 0.6 by 2030".

distance among communication science students at UNISA".

technologies to provide education" ([44], p. 661).

goal, and may use the benefits of online and *e-learning* to achieve this end".

learning in PSET Institutions" ([39], p. 6).

128 Trends in E-learning

**4. UNISA's role in** *e-learning* **in South Africa**

In this section, we briefly sketch UNISA's capacity for *e-learning*. As Prinsloo [45] pointed out, "Through the years Unisa has always embraced a range of technologies to enhance teaching and learning such as audio cassettes, video cassettes, DVDs, satellite broadcasting and video conferencing and increasingly more effective use of *MyUnisa*". UNISA [46] stated that UNISA's "Students have access to a menu of support services ranging from face-to-face tutorials to video conferences, satellite broadcasts and e-tutors". What we shall attempt to do in this penultimate part of the chapter is to demarcate UNISA's *e-learning* initiatives and practices such as the institution's online learning management system (LMS) known as *MyUnisa*, the uses of video conferencing (VC) and Satellite Broadcast (SB) and the role of the UNISA Telecentre Community Outreach (TCO) initiative. We shall close with an exploration of UNISA's Integrated Tutor Model (ITM).

Additionally, each course portal features a *Course Site Tools* section, which provides a wide variety of *e-learning* tools from which the lecturers can choose. These include, among others: • *Welcome Message*: for generating a welcome message to students at the start of the course.

The Challenges of *E-learning* in South Africa http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.74843 131

• *Announcements*: for posting current, time-critical information.

• *SMS Messages*: for sending bulk SMS text messages to students.

• *Polls*: for initiating and managing anonymous polls or voting. • *Syllabus*: for staff to post summary outlines and requirements.

owned a mobile device that is capable of accessing the Internet.

**4.2. Video conferencing and satellite broadcasting**

of promoting discussion and interaction.

turers to mediate and give direction to the discussion.

• *Wiki*: for collaborative editing of pages and content.

• *Meetings*: this is a Sakai conferencing tool.

• *Blog*: an online collaborative writing tool allowing posts and comments. • *Calendar*: for showing a summary of scheduled events for the course.

• *Course Contact*: which stores students' e-mails for communicating with the students.

• *Discussion Forum*: which enables the students to discuss study-related matters, and for lec-

• *Drop Box*: which provide a private file sharing between the lecturers and the students.

• *Podcast*: for the management of individual podcasts and podcast feed information.

In a study of access and usage of *MyUnisa* that involved 22,216 UNISA online students, Liebenberg et al. ([48], p. 257) found that 91% of students who participated online had regular access to the Internet, which meant that 9% of online students did not have regular access to the Internet. Their study found that online students who had access to the Internet mostly accessed it from home (57%) and work (51%). The vast majority (82%) of online respondents

UNISA makes use of "videoconference technology for the purpose of discussion classes, meetings and tutorials" ([49], p. 2), and "as a way of bridging the time, geographical, economic, social, educational and communication distance between students and the institution, students and academics, students and courseware and students and peers" ([50], p. 4). UNISA ([61], p. 11) defined video conferencing "as an interactive means of communication between two or more locations. The interactivity is accomplished by various means, but the most common include live video and audio feed in both directions". Video conferencing allows lecturers to use computers to display PowerPoint presentations or play music clips for the purpose

On 2 June 2010, the Senate of UNISA approved the use of video conferencing (VC) and Satellite Broadcast (SB) sessions free of charge to all registered students ([51], p. 3). As Prinsloo [45] pointed out, "Although *Adobe Connect* is a licensed software in the same league as *Elluminate* and *Wimba*, there is Open Source Software available such as *BigBlueButton* which is already

available in the Unisa context". Swanepoel et al. ([60], pp. 311–312) argued that.

#### **4.1.** *MyUnisa*

UNISA's provision of *e-learning* is done through the Learning Management System (LMS) known as *MyUnisa* [41, 42, 47]. Mbatha and Naidoo [42] described *MyUnisa* as "the *e-learning* resource developed by the university to improve communication between lecturers and students, while also improving its services to students to ensure a seamless learning experience". They argued that *MyUnisa* "has been developed to supplement and enhance academic interactions and improve communication between UNISA and its students, as well as provide an opportunity for engagement among students". It is their view that *MyUnisa* is used "to bridge the transactional distance in order to ensure increased engagement among all stakeholders" ([42], p. 170). In the same vein, Venter et al. [41] posited that *MyUnisa "*uses the Sakai platform and offers tuition and administrative functions to develop and enhance academic interaction and improve communication between UNISA and its students". *MyUnisa* features a wide range of *e-learning* enabling functions among which we want to mention the *course administration* and *my students*.

The *course administration* section is a platform for staff to manage course assessment plans; assign and manage assignments, course readings, examination question papers and examination statistics; F1 concessions—supplementary concessions that are granted to students who have one outstanding module to complete a qualification, and to manage Tutor Student Grouping.

The *my student* section provides staff with facilities for storing information on students' admissions; students' assignments, assignment status reports and marking statistics; academic records, examination results and financial details; students' lists and students' mailing lists; capturing and recording of masters and doctoral students' activities, that is, submission of research proposals and progress being made in the research.

Each course portal provides space for announcements, uploading of official study material and additional resources and prescribed books. It also features the *Discussion Forum Portal*, where staff can post important announcements and notices for students; reply to student queries and initiate exchanges among students on course-related issues, or intervene where there is an *impasse* and give direction in ongoing discussions among students. The *Discussion Forum Portal* provides a user-friendly and enabling space for staff-to-students and student-tostudent sharing of ideas and experiences online.

Additionally, each course portal features a *Course Site Tools* section, which provides a wide variety of *e-learning* tools from which the lecturers can choose. These include, among others:


In this section, we briefly sketch UNISA's capacity for *e-learning*. As Prinsloo [45] pointed out, "Through the years Unisa has always embraced a range of technologies to enhance teaching and learning such as audio cassettes, video cassettes, DVDs, satellite broadcasting and video conferencing and increasingly more effective use of *MyUnisa*". UNISA [46] stated that UNISA's "Students have access to a menu of support services ranging from face-to-face tutorials to video conferences, satellite broadcasts and e-tutors". What we shall attempt to do in this penultimate part of the chapter is to demarcate UNISA's *e-learning* initiatives and practices such as the institution's online learning management system (LMS) known as *MyUnisa*, the uses of video conferencing (VC) and Satellite Broadcast (SB) and the role of the UNISA Telecentre Community Outreach (TCO) initiative. We shall close with an exploration of

UNISA's provision of *e-learning* is done through the Learning Management System (LMS) known as *MyUnisa* [41, 42, 47]. Mbatha and Naidoo [42] described *MyUnisa* as "the *e-learning* resource developed by the university to improve communication between lecturers and students, while also improving its services to students to ensure a seamless learning experience". They argued that *MyUnisa* "has been developed to supplement and enhance academic interactions and improve communication between UNISA and its students, as well as provide an opportunity for engagement among students". It is their view that *MyUnisa* is used "to bridge the transactional distance in order to ensure increased engagement among all stakeholders" ([42], p. 170). In the same vein, Venter et al. [41] posited that *MyUnisa "*uses the Sakai platform and offers tuition and administrative functions to develop and enhance academic interaction and improve communication between UNISA and its students". *MyUnisa* features a wide range of *e-learning* enabling functions among which we want to mention the *course administra-*

The *course administration* section is a platform for staff to manage course assessment plans; assign and manage assignments, course readings, examination question papers and examination statistics; F1 concessions—supplementary concessions that are granted to students who have one outstanding module to complete a qualification, and to manage Tutor Student

The *my student* section provides staff with facilities for storing information on students' admissions; students' assignments, assignment status reports and marking statistics; academic records, examination results and financial details; students' lists and students' mailing lists; capturing and recording of masters and doctoral students' activities, that is, submission

Each course portal provides space for announcements, uploading of official study material and additional resources and prescribed books. It also features the *Discussion Forum Portal*, where staff can post important announcements and notices for students; reply to student queries and initiate exchanges among students on course-related issues, or intervene where there is an *impasse* and give direction in ongoing discussions among students. The *Discussion Forum Portal* provides a user-friendly and enabling space for staff-to-students and student-to-

of research proposals and progress being made in the research.

student sharing of ideas and experiences online.

UNISA's Integrated Tutor Model (ITM).

**4.1.** *MyUnisa*

130 Trends in E-learning

*tion* and *my students*.

Grouping.


In a study of access and usage of *MyUnisa* that involved 22,216 UNISA online students, Liebenberg et al. ([48], p. 257) found that 91% of students who participated online had regular access to the Internet, which meant that 9% of online students did not have regular access to the Internet. Their study found that online students who had access to the Internet mostly accessed it from home (57%) and work (51%). The vast majority (82%) of online respondents owned a mobile device that is capable of accessing the Internet.

#### **4.2. Video conferencing and satellite broadcasting**

UNISA makes use of "videoconference technology for the purpose of discussion classes, meetings and tutorials" ([49], p. 2), and "as a way of bridging the time, geographical, economic, social, educational and communication distance between students and the institution, students and academics, students and courseware and students and peers" ([50], p. 4). UNISA ([61], p. 11) defined video conferencing "as an interactive means of communication between two or more locations. The interactivity is accomplished by various means, but the most common include live video and audio feed in both directions". Video conferencing allows lecturers to use computers to display PowerPoint presentations or play music clips for the purpose of promoting discussion and interaction.

On 2 June 2010, the Senate of UNISA approved the use of video conferencing (VC) and Satellite Broadcast (SB) sessions free of charge to all registered students ([51], p. 3). As Prinsloo [45] pointed out, "Although *Adobe Connect* is a licensed software in the same league as *Elluminate* and *Wimba*, there is Open Source Software available such as *BigBlueButton* which is already available in the Unisa context". Swanepoel et al. ([60], pp. 311–312) argued that.

*One method of increasing student teacher (two way) communication is through interactive satellite classes (real time verbal communication), which have the capacity to re-humanize distance education and are more accessible to the majority of UNISA students who are far removed from the major cities.*

role is facilitative. It entails encouraging dialogue between tutors and students, among students, and between the student and the academic and administrative structures of UNISA [54].

The Challenges of *E-learning* in South Africa http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.74843 133

The notion of dialogue was made prominent by, among others, Greek philosopher Plato in his dialogues such as *The Republic, Crito*, *Euthyphro*, *Protagoras,* and the *Meno*, which feature Socrates as the central character. Gonzales [55] described dialogue "as a face-to-face conversation that can answer questions, choose whom it addresses and when". During the interview by Donaldo Macedo, Brazilian philosopher of education Paulo Freire ([56], p. 379) argued that "dialogue characterizes an epistemological relationship…I engage in dialogue because I recognize the social and not merely the individualistic character of the process of knowing. In this sense, dialogue presents itself as an indispensable component of the process of both learning and knowing". In his seminal book, *Pedagogy of the Oppressed*, Freire [57] argued that "problem-posing education sets itself the task of demythologizing. Banking education resists dialogue; problem-posing education regards dialogue as indispensable to the act of cognition

Commeyras [58] makes a case for the promotion of 'critical thinking through dialogical thinking. Her take on critical thinking draws of Robert Ennis [59], who defined critical thinking as "reasonable reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do…Critical thinking involves both dispositions (e.g., open-mindedness, reason seeking, and sensitivity towards other's feelings and knowledge) and abilities (e.g., engagement in argument analysis, question identification, credibility assessment, and inference)". It is Commeyras [58], p. 487) contention that "In a dialogical approach to teaching, students learn to argue for and against each and every important point of view and each basic belief or conclusion that they are to take seriously". Our view is that in an open distance *e-learning* environment such as UNISA where tutoring is offered online, hence *e*-*tutoring*, an e-tutor is a person who undertakes the role to support and enable students to engage in the above-mentioned forms of dialogical

In this chapter, we outlined the way by which UNISA, which is the oldest *mega university* in the continent of Africa with a student enrolment more than 300,000, is ideally placed to play a leading role in the delivery of distance learning through structured and sustainable *e-learning*. We sketched South Africa's socio-economic and political landscape, which we argued, is marked by instability, uncertainty and unpredictability. We showed that because of this landscape, South Africa is the most unequal society. We broached the country's demographics, showing that Africans constitute about 80.8% of the country's total population, while whites constitute a meagre 8.8%, yet in terms of top management positions in the labour market whites dominate, and they also constitute over 80% of the entire university professoriate.

We sketched the country's high rates of youth unemployment, which peaked at 38.8% in 2016 as well as adult unemployment rates, which peaked at 27.7% in 2016. We showed that in terms of the poverty share, black African households accounted for over 90% of all poor

conversations online, thus providing personalised student support.

which unveils reality".

**5. Conclusion**

UNISA ([61], p. 8) defined satellite broadcast (SB) as "the distribution of visual images by means of a satellite link. It is less interactive than video conferencing, but more cost-effective. Students can see their lecturer, but their lecturer can't see them". One of the disadvantages of satellite broadcasts is that they encourage passive viewing instead of active participation. Students do not have control over the medium and are unable to stop the flow of information to ask questions and request clarification.

### **4.3. The Telecentre community outreach (TCO)**

In its *Strategic Plan 2016–2030*, UNISA [37] provided for the university to "Upgrade ICT platforms at all student centres and regions to promote ICT accessibility" and to "Sign agreements with, at least, 2 Multi-Purpose Centres in each province to serve as sites for the uploading and downloading of students' assignments" ([37], p. 72). UNISA [52] stated that

*The identification and contracting of Telecentres across the country is an effort to contribute to a positive student experience by providing tools for students to access ICTs with ease. Telecentres are located within communities (mostly rural) and are usually public organizations that are funded by the government, such as public schools; non-profit organizations (NPOs); agencies.*

UNISA has established collaborative agreements with Telecentres throughout the country under the auspices of the Telecentre Community Outreach (TCO). In its submission to the Council on Higher Education (CHE) with reference to Quality Enhanced Project (QEP), UNISA [53] stated that


The main objective of the TCO is to reach out to the rural and remote students nationally by providing them with access to the Internet/computer facilities, for academic purposes.

#### **4.4. The integrated tutor model (ITM)**

According to the UNISA Tutor Model, tutorials emphasise collaborative learning (group work) among students. They promote social integration particularly at the first-year level. Students who enter higher education are provided with a tutor who will guide them as they grapple with the many challenges that often confront students entering university directly from a school environment ([54], p. 5). Tutorials therefore offer "a facilitative space". Concomitantly, the tutor's role is facilitative. It entails encouraging dialogue between tutors and students, among students, and between the student and the academic and administrative structures of UNISA [54].

The notion of dialogue was made prominent by, among others, Greek philosopher Plato in his dialogues such as *The Republic, Crito*, *Euthyphro*, *Protagoras,* and the *Meno*, which feature Socrates as the central character. Gonzales [55] described dialogue "as a face-to-face conversation that can answer questions, choose whom it addresses and when". During the interview by Donaldo Macedo, Brazilian philosopher of education Paulo Freire ([56], p. 379) argued that "dialogue characterizes an epistemological relationship…I engage in dialogue because I recognize the social and not merely the individualistic character of the process of knowing. In this sense, dialogue presents itself as an indispensable component of the process of both learning and knowing". In his seminal book, *Pedagogy of the Oppressed*, Freire [57] argued that "problem-posing education sets itself the task of demythologizing. Banking education resists dialogue; problem-posing education regards dialogue as indispensable to the act of cognition which unveils reality".

Commeyras [58] makes a case for the promotion of 'critical thinking through dialogical thinking. Her take on critical thinking draws of Robert Ennis [59], who defined critical thinking as "reasonable reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do…Critical thinking involves both dispositions (e.g., open-mindedness, reason seeking, and sensitivity towards other's feelings and knowledge) and abilities (e.g., engagement in argument analysis, question identification, credibility assessment, and inference)". It is Commeyras [58], p. 487) contention that "In a dialogical approach to teaching, students learn to argue for and against each and every important point of view and each basic belief or conclusion that they are to take seriously". Our view is that in an open distance *e-learning* environment such as UNISA where tutoring is offered online, hence *e*-*tutoring*, an e-tutor is a person who undertakes the role to support and enable students to engage in the above-mentioned forms of dialogical conversations online, thus providing personalised student support.
