The Effects Of E-Learning On Student’S Academic Performance And The Role Mobile Technologies Play At The University Of Zambia.

Abstract

The introduction of e-learning in higher education has brought radical changes in the way undergraduate and postgraduate programmes are designed and delivered. University students now have access to their courses anytime, anywhere, which makes e-learning and m-learning popular and fashionable among university students globally. Nevertheless, students and instructors are now challenged, as they have to adopt new pedagogies in learning and teaching. This chapter explores the effect of e-learning on student’s academic performance and the role mobile technologies play at the University of Zambia , as well as the relevant current developments and challenges related to the major stakeholders (educators and students) in higher education. It mainly investigates the student and educators’ views and perceptions of e-learning, as well as its future potential in higher education. Data was collected from 100 randomly sampled students and lecturers of the University of Zambia for the 2016/20217 to 2019/2020 academic years using self- administered questionnaires. Out of 100 questionnaires distributed. 87 questionnaires were returned giving a response rate of 87%. The results shows that most of the UNZA students and educators use e- learning tools to some limited extent, and there is still opportunity to reach full integration with curriculum and the blended learning approach. Most of the responses had challenges in accessing the internet, a few said they had challenges with power outages and setting assessment as for the lecturers. Further, it is proposed that professional development should be provided to instructors to enable them to use the available new technologies in an appropriate and effective way.