The use of ICTs as a learning support tool among student mentors

RITAL 2010Najwa Norodien-Fataar

RESEARCH QUESTION: How student mentors engage with ICTs during an e-mentoring

programme

WHY?

To understand the impact of student engagement in ICTs among student mentors in the e-mentoring programme

how students navigate ICTs for mentoring purposes

FOCUS OF PAPER: The paper explores the efficacy of ICTs for facilitating and

improving student mentoring at university residences I explored selected student mentors’ engagement with ICTs such

as Facebook, Mxit and Blackboard

Introduction

Qualitative research methods are designed to help researchers understand people and the social and cultural contexts within which they live (Myers, 1997)

a qualitative methodology that is based on the interpretive tradition, which emphasizes description and explanation

Semi-structured interviews –with five mentors who were purposely selected

two focus group discussions with student mentors from different residences

Methodology

Interviews and focus group discussions were transcribed

The data was coded using the constant comparative method of coding

Important concepts and themes were extracted from the data and patterns of data were highlighted.

Methodology

Archer’s ( 2003) social realism approach shows us how to examine the social reality of our students

She explores the relationship between structure and agency

Structure refers to the way society is organized, the norms, patterns, customs , traditions, ideologies and material conditions

Agency refers to the ability of individuals to act independently and to make their own choices

Theoretical Approach: Social Realism

She argues for the interdependence of structure and agency, (without people their would be no structure)

She further argues that structures have the potential to constrain and enable agents

Claims that the agents response is conditional rather than deterministic

Wants to analyse the interdependence between structure and agency

Theoretical Approach: Social Realism

She defines reflexivity as the regular exercise of the mental ability, shared by all normal people, to consider themselves in relation to their social context, (2003, 4)

Reflexivity is regarded as the most important personal emergent property

The notion of reflexivity serves as a means to mediate the influence of the structural conditions that influence social action

Each mode reflects a different way of engaging in the reflexive relationship with the structural constraints experiences by agents

Reflexivity

Communicative reflexivity: generally seeks social stability based on dense and supportive networks, seeks to evade constraints, tend towards self–denial, avoids social mobility, and is concerned with a localised sphere of influence.

Autonomous reflexivity: generally seeks upward mobility through engagement in the practical realm, adopts strategic decision- making strategies.

Four Modes of Reflexivity

Meta-reflexivity: focuses on social change, tends towards critical perspectives, transformation of social contexts.

Fractured reflexivity: describes the (perhaps temporary) state of a type of reflexivity which intensifies ‘’distress and disorientation rather than leading to purposeful courses of action. (Archer 2003)

Archer’s four modes of reflexivity provide a valuable way of understanding how students navigate ICTs in constraining conditions

Modes of Reflexivity (continued)

Profile of students Access to technology in high

school Access to technology at CPUT, on

campus and in residences Use of MXit, Facebook and

Blackboard in mentoring

Research Findings: discussion

senior students low socio economic backgrounds 3 Eastern Cape, 1 fro m Kwazulu-Natal,1

Western Cape All attended previously disadvantaged

schools 3 males and 2 females 4 Business Faculty students, of which 1 is a

B. Tech, student 1 Applied sciences student

Profile of students

Structural constraints: Access to technology in high school: Access to

technology at CPUT: campus and residences

ACCESS TO ICTs IN HIGH SCHOOL

Previously disadvantaged school

Limited number of computers in lab

1 computer lab at school, not part of the curriculum

Taught very basic use of computer

ACCESS TO ICTs ATCPUT

A number of labs on campus and in Faculties

First year, computer course , MS Word, PowerPoint , Excel, Blackboard

Internet for the first time Google, popular for

assignments and research

HIGH SCHOOL:“You get there and then he or she will tell you press there, and you press there, you familiarise yourself with the mouse and the keyboard”.

“But the classes never lasted for long, it was only for three to four months and then they get tired and then they just left it”.

CPUT: “So when you get to tertiary level you are more exposed to the computer – they show you the real computer, what the computer does and how you use it – so it’s everything”.

“I believe I learned most of the thing about computers here on campus”.

Structural constraints

ACCESS ON CAMPUS

Labs in faculties are used for classes and open 30 minutes before another class starts

24 Hr lab, can only use it, until the last bus leaves at approx. 22h00 to take students home to the residence

Lab. packed during the day

ACCESS IN RESIDENCES

No labs at residences except at one residence

The lab at the residence, not all computers work, no printer, mouse missing

If computers breakdown it takes long to be repaired

Students only receive 50 megabytes per month

“…if students do not have access to computers, they’re not going to do all of their studies. And it’s difficult for students to come to campus on weekends, and when you get there only e-learning and the libraries are open. And at e-learning most of the computers do not have network cables and a mouse, so even if they do come, they can’t do any work. So it’s really boring”.

Student A – worked during weekends in high school, bought his own desktop and own laptop in 2nd year univ.

“I was actually working part-time even when I was in high school, so I decided with the little money I had, I bought myself a computer”

“I’m the second boy – so and I’m the only one who’s in tertiary level. I’m not coming from that fortunate family where there’s like everything that you need.

“I’ve developed myself in terms of looking after myself, not like searching to the parents, it is actually me trying to search for , the potential I have and the challenges that I’m facing in terms of trying to accomplish all what I have. Ja. I’m always saying to myself, what if something happens – because I know at least I have developed that sense of knowing that I can do it on my own.

)

How students use their Agency ?

Student B: part of the house committees at residence,

engaged with residence manager to get a computer lab in the residence, established in Oct/ Nov. this year

Able to get a printer as well Run out of megabytes? “I have to ask for my friend. I’ve got a friend

who’s doing one subject and she doesn’t use the computer often, so I’ve got her pin and username – I just use hers.

Agency

Student C: Laptop Used MXit as a means of communication with

mentees “When you talk to someone on MXit it actually feels

that the person is there, you’re sitting with this person who’s there. You share and then you exchange words, it’s very good. And there are emotions – if she’s saying that she’s crying, she’s going to put that crying emotion, now I’m crying. So I’d respond – don’t cry because your mummy is smiling back at you – and then I would put a smiley face, then I will send it to her”.

Social presence awareness

Agency

Student D: Organized around Christianity via Facebook to

establish mentoring relationships “So now if I’m on Facebook and I’m just doing my

thing, or I see my mentee in, and then that’s when we start talking”

“So then I would use computers at random hours, maybe late at night”.

Would borrow a laptop from friends Internet- “It is not consistent in the heart

of technology”

Agency

Student E: Cell phone, facebook, no laptop or desktop I can’t remember but I know when I started typing I really

typed slow and it took forever and you are so embarrassed to sit in a computer lab while everybody is typing fast and you’re typing slowly finger for finger.

It was a issue for me to use a computer because I never really used one at school”

Oh, the role of technology?, I think it’s better than using books. Just because -. I can’t give you, I don’t have a reason, but, ja, it’s just better, because I don’t know anything else.

Role in lecture room? “I just listen”

Passive agents

Archer says that “Students who are passive agents, are the opposite of those taking a social “stance”

They are people to whom things happen rather than exercise some governance over their lives by making things happen

They do not “exercise their personal powers “(343)

Passive agents (Archer 2003)

Student creatively circumvent the constraints by working part time to buy a computer, by rallying the through the House committees to get a lab in the residences, using own personal resources, using religion (Christianity) via technology as a form of agency

Archer refers to evading or ignoring the constraints which carries “opportunity costs”

They are the time, effort and resources students use

They use their own funds for academic purposes

Conclusion

Students experience many constraints, but at the same time they display a level of agency

As Archer says “They engage in projects which arise out of their concern, society remains an open and contingent system “(Archer 2003)

Student have limited access to ICTs on campus There are students who are not constrained by the limited

access but what about those who are passive recipients of

their circumstances How do we teach or develop pedagogy so that we can

encourage agency? How do we enable a mechanism to identify passive students?

Conclusion