Journal of Information Technology and Application in Education

105-116

Authors: Marichelle Van Deventer, A. Seugnet Blignaut

This article evaluates a residential higher education institute’s (HEI) implementation of laptops as part of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) to Virtual Generation students at a small faculty. The study population comprised 36 first year Humanities students, between the ages of 19-43, the Faculty Dean, and the lecturers of six first year modules. Over a period of one year, the qualitative case study collected data using various data collection strategies: semi-structured interview with the dean, semi-structured individual interviews with purposefully selected students, semi-structured focus groups discussions with lecturers and students, and an open-ended questionnaire. An integrated dataset captured the transcribed interviews as a hermeneutic unit in Atlas.ti™, a computer-based qualitative data analysis software. The researchers coded and categorised the textual data into four themes according to the constant comparative analysis method. Findings relate to the use of laptops as learning tools: (i) students’ experiences of technology; (ii) improving teaching and learning, (iii) technology issues; and (iv) project outcomes. The themes relating to campus-based TEL experience of students comprised six areas, grouped as two patterns. While e-communication, Internet access and comperacy constituted the customary background aspects, students, lecturers and course material were the main concerns that required support to enhance the teaching and learning experiences of students at this residential campus.