Most current definitions of blended learning refer to a blend of online and face‑to‑face instruction. It seems that few authors notice the irony that the definition of blended learning does not include the concept of learning at all. The problem with these definitions is that they are devoid of theory and thus lead to trial‑and‑error research. This paper argues that the definition of blended learning should be built around learning theory and should refer to a blend of direct instruction and learning‑by‑doing. The paper reports on research conducted to validate a model that puts behavioural and constructivist learning at right angles and considers if the two can occur simultaneously. The model is then placed in the context of a framework of knowledge management and from there a definition is derived that includes context, theory, methodology and technology.

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Towards a New Definition of Blended Learning

This paper presents a review of the literature on information quality and the benefits and outcomes of e-Government. According to Ge and Helfert (2007), research on information quality is related to three aspects, such as: information quality management, information quality assessment, and the quality of the contextual information. Literature suggests that there are two primary contributors to high information quality: information systems themselves and organisational factors. This paper presents crucial key findings and concepts from the literature examining one or other of these two factors. First, the contribution of information systems is examined; second, an array of writings on information quality is presented, painting a composite picture of the role of organisational factors and their contribution to information quality.

Investigating the strategic relationship between information quality and e-government benefits

Over the past two decades, e-learning has become an increasingly important field of study that has attracted scholarly and policy makers’ attention. Many developing nations have embraced e-learning as a tool to enhance accessibility and affordability of higher education. During the COVID-19 lockdown period, many universities across the world were forced to embrace online teaching and learning to circumvent lockdowns, social distancing and other public health interventions put in place to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Consequently, this study sought to establish students’ experiences with the e-learning mode during the COVID-19 lockdown in Namibia. The paper discusses the results of an online survey of 137 undergraduate students about their experiences using e-learning technologies during the COVID-19-induced university closures. An online survey instrument was created on Google forms and a link distributed to students through WhatsApp class groups. Quantitative data were presented through frequency tables and figures, whilst we adopted thematic content analysis to analyse qualitative data. The results of the survey indicate that mobile devices remained the primary computing device used to access academic information. An analysis of the study results led to the emergence of five themes, viz, e-learning system accessibility, e-learning platform layout, resources to access Internet and network, isolation and home environment that captured student challenges with online classes. This paper argues that e-learning is still faced by a myriad of challenges that need to be addressed if it is to be a success. Furthermore, we advance the argument for mobile learning as a viable option for Africa due to the ubiquity of mobile devices.

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Investigating the E-Learning Challenges Faced by Students during Covid-19 in Namibia

Researches in electronic government have indicated a number of organizational barriers that hinder the adoption and implementation of electronic government. This paper proposes a research framework for analysing how organizational barriers influence the adoption and implementation of e-government at local levels. The framework is constructed based on four organizational dimensions; adaptability, involvement, mission, and bureaucracy drawn from organizational theories and e-government literature. We found that organizational barriers which are identified in major e-government literature link to the dimensions of organizational culture and effectiveness. Our conclusion is that the framework is relevant to understand organizational barriers influencing adoption and implementation of local e-government. The limitation of this study is that the framework has been developed based on the application of a theoretical lens on the e-government literature. It is now necessary to test this model in different contexts.

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Understanding organizational barriers influencing local electronic government adoption and implementation: the electronic government implementation framework

.......................................................................................................................................... 7 LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................................. 14 LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................ 15 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................ 17 CHAPTER 1: AN INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 19 1.1 CHAPTER INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 19 1.2 WORK LIFE BALANCE: AN INTRODUCTION .............................................................. 19 1.3 WLB: WESTERN VERSUS AFRICAN PERSPECTIVES ................................................. 21 1.4 RESEARCH AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ............................................................................. 23 1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ...................................................................................... 24 1.6 ORGANISATION OF THE THESIS ................................................................................... 25 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................................... 28 2.1 CHAPTER INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 28 2.2 EXISTING DEBATES CONCERNING WLB .................................................................... 28 2.2.1 The definition of WLB .................................................................................................. 28 2.2.2 What is balance? ........................................................................................................... 30 2.3 THEORETICAL APPROACHES TO WLB ........................................................................ 33 2.4 WORK LIFE CONFLICT .................................................................................................... 36 2.5 THE BUSINESS CASE FOR WLB INITIATIVES ............................................................. 37 2.6 NATIONAL CONTEXT AND WLB ................................................................................... 40 2.6.1 Cultural influences ........................................................................................................ 40 2.6.2 Institutional influences .................................................................................................. 42 2.6.3 Economic influences ..................................................................................................... 45 2.6.4 African Perspectives and WLB Practices ..................................................................... 46 2.7 CONTEXTS IN WHICH WLB POLICIES ARE DELIVERED ......................................... 49 2.7.1 Line manager support .................................................................................................... 49 2.7.2 Take-up of WLB initiatives .......................................................................................... 51 2.8 THE KENYAN PERSPECTIVE OF TRIBE AND GENDER ............................................. 52 2.8.1 Tribal dominance .......................................................................................................... 52

Tribal affiliations, gender roles and their influence on work life balance practice : the case of the Kenyan telecommunications sector

Some institutions of higher education in Kenya have adopted e‑Learning with the aim of coping with the increased demand for university education and to widen access to university training and education. Though there are advantages that accrue from adopting e‑Learning; its implementation and provision has not been smooth sailing. It has had to contend with certain national, organisational, technical and social challenges that undermine its successful implementation. This paper therefore aims to present a literature review of the challenges faced in the implementation and provision of e‑Learning in universities in Kenya. The scoping review method was used to identify and analyze the literature of the e‑Learning challenges. Some of the challenges revealed include: lack of adequate e‑Learning policies, inadequate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure, the ever evolving technologies, lack of technical and pedagogical competencies and training for e‑tutors and e‑learners, lack of an e‑Learning theory to underpin the e‑Learning practice, budgetary constraints and sustainability issues, negative perceptions towards e‑Learning, quality issues, domination of e‑Learning aims by technology and market forces and lack of collaboration among the e‑Learning participants. These challenges need to be addressed to minimise their impact on implementation and delivery of e‑Learning initiatives in institutions of higher education in Kenya. This analysis of the e‑Learning challenges forms the basis for the ongoing research that seeks to explore and establish possible strategies to address some of these challenges.

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e-Learning Challenges Faced by Universities in Kenya: A Literature Review.

Labour Market Analysis and Business Process Outsourcing in Kenya: Poverty Reduction through Information and Digital Employment Initiative (PRIDE Africa)

The need to encourage citizens' adoption of e-government services has led to an increasing interest in the evaluation of e-government websites. The success of e-government websites depends on how well it is perceived by the end-users. User experience of e-government websites is considered one of important factors affecting the success or failure of e-government websites. However, researchers have focused on infrastructure issues not giving user experience of websites attention as one of the factors affect usage of government services. Focusing on the three high levels of UX components namely user internal state, the characteristic of the system and context and using hedonic/pragmatic quality model to measure the user experience. This study evaluated e-government websites UX from public value perspective. iTax website in Kenya was used as a case study. Findings are discussed with reference to previous research and recommendations for practice. Finally, further research works are offered.

E-government websites user experience from public value perspective: Case study of iTax website in Kenya

Organizational cultural dynamics and information and communication technology adaptation in a developing country: The case of the Kenyan joint university admission system

Governments all over the world are working on a broad array of egovernment-services. As a result, there is need to evaluate e-government services objectively to identify areas of concerns. Recently, researchers have shown interest in IS evaluation and the public value perspective segment taking the lead. Arguably, the prime objective of e-government is to produce public value through effective use of ICT. Moreover, research in the field of public administration are advocating use of paradigm in two-fold; first, it will direct the effort of scholars away from the resolution of pressing administrative problems to the studies of arcane theoretical puzzles. Second, the paradigm dictates the connective taxonomies of the principal subjects of inquiry and forces the scholars, to work and think within the ambits of paradigm. The primary objective of this paper is to carry out a theoritical review and develop a framework of evaluating e-government services for developing countries.

Agnes Wausi

Papers

e-Learning Challenges Faced by Universities in Kenya: A Literature Review.

Labour Market Analysis and Business Process Outsourcing in Kenya: Poverty Reduction through Information and Digital Employment Initiative (PRIDE Africa)

E-government websites user experience from public value perspective: Case study of iTax website in Kenya

Organizational cultural dynamics and information and communication technology adaptation in a developing country: The case of the Kenyan joint university admission system

Evaluating the public value of egovernment services