Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine factors that predict students’ continued usage intention of web-based learning management systems (LMS) in Tanzania, with a specific focus on the School of Business of Mzumbe University. Specifically, the study investigated major predictors of actual usage and continued usage intentions of e-learning system, and challenges of using the e-learning system. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of 300 third year undergraduate students, with a rate of return of 77 per cent. A total of 20 faculty members were also interviewed. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) was utilized in the study. Findings – The results show that actual usage was determined by self-efficacy, while continued usage intentions of web-based learning system was predicted by performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, self-efficacy, and actual usage. Challenges for using web-based LMS were related to inform...

Antecedents of continued usage intentions of web-based learning management system in Tanzania

INTRODUCTIONLearning Management Systems (LMS) are now installed in the majority of higher education institutions in sub-Saharan Africa. These web-based LMS are intended to support teaching and learning activities. They consist of various features that enable faculty members to share learning materials as well as providing interaction with their students both synchronously and asynchronously (Vovides et al. 2007). The most widely adopted LMS in the region are Blackboard, Sakai, KEWL, and Moodle (Unwin et al. 2010).Institutions use the LMS to supplement traditional face-to-face delivery where faculty members develop and share digital learning materials via the Internet. In this case, the LMS are used as an electronic repositories of learning materials (Vovides et al. 2007). Other institutions especially those offering distance education, have been combining LMS with traditional face-to-face delivery in order to reach more learners across various geographical boundaries (Andersson & Gronlund 2009).In light of these benefits, the adoption of LMS by higher education institutions in sub-Saharan Africa has continued to increase in recent years. Adkins (2013) predicted that LMS adoption will grow at the rate of 15% per annum between 2011 and 2016 in Africa. The increased adoption is further facilitated by the support of several international agencies such as the World Bank (WB), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), African Development Bank Group (AfDB), and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) (Farrell & Isaacs 2007). These agencies have been committing various resources to support institutions in adopting and implementing various LMS.For example, AfDB provided a grant of $15.6 million to African Virtual University (AVU) to support various eLearning initiatives in the region (Adkins 2013). The grant was planned to help 31 partner institutions to build eLearning centers, train content developers, and deploy LMS. Similarly, the Partnership for Higher Education in Africa (PHEA) supported seven institutions in sub-Saharan Africa to implement various eLearning projects including the LMS.LMS have been successfully implemented in many institutions of developed countries. They have managed to improve students' learning performance, reduce students' dropout rates, and they have increased students' satisfaction with offered courses (Naveh et al. 2012). Institutions in subSaharan Africa have been adopting them in a bid to gain similar benefits as their counterparts elsewhere. However, the context of sub-Saharan Africa is different and institutions face different challenges from those faced by institutions in the developed countries. As a result, the adoption and implementation of these systems do not guarantee that institutions will enjoy similar benefits as those institutions in the developed countries.Therefore, this study aims to investigate whether the adoption of LMS are fulfilling their potential through analyzing the literature published on LMS usage from across the region. The article concludes by proposing strategies that can help institutions make more effective use of their LMS. It is important to ensure that LMS implemented in sub-Saharan Africa are successful given the fact that any failures of LMS implementations are likely to be high on account of the limited availability of resources (Heeks 2002).MEASURING LMS SUCCESSStudies of LMS adoption tend to use similar metrics to those used to measure information systems success. Since LMS are a special type of information systems focusing on teaching and learning (Wang et al. 2007), it is not surprising that such metrics are used. In this regard, the success of an LMS adoption at a given institution can be measured in different ways. Some studies have measured the success of LMS through measuring learners' satisfaction with the system (Wang 2003; Shee & Wang 2008; Tella 2012). …

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Learning Management System Success: Increasing Learning Management System Usage in Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This study aimed to identify key factors that have an influence on learners’ satisfaction with the e-learning system at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, using a modified, updated DeLone and McLean (D&M) (2003) model. The research model was tested against regression analysis using a sample of 153 enrolled students. The study found that system quality, instructor quality, and service quality had a significant positive effect on learners’ satisfaction, with service quality being the strongest predictor. However, course quality was found to have no significant effect on learners’ satisfaction with the e-learning system. The findings from this study will help institutions that are planning or implementing e-learning systems to enhance learners’ satisfaction and, consequently, increase systems success. The implications of these findings are discussed.

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Key factors in learners’ satisfaction with the e-learning system at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

There is growing interest in expanding public health approaches that address social and structural drivers that affect the environment in which behaviour occurs. Half of those living with HIV infection are women. The sociocultural and political environment in which women live can enable or inhibit their ability to protect themselves from acquiring HIV. This paper examines the evidence related to six key social and structural drivers of HIV for women: transforming gender norms; addressing violence against women; transforming legal norms to empower women; promoting women's employment, income and livelihood opportunities; advancing education for girls and reducing stigma and discrimination. The paper reviews the evidence for successful and promising social and structural interventions related to each driver. This analysis contains peer-reviewed published research and study reports with clear and transparent data on the effectiveness of interventions. Structural interventions to address these key social and structural drivers have led to increasing HIV-protective behaviours, creating more gender-equitable relationships and decreasing violence, improving services for women, increasing widows' ability to cope with HIV and reducing behaviour that increases HIV risk, particularly among young people.

Strengthening the enabling environment for women and girls: what is the evidence in social and structural approaches in the HIV response?

In recent years, there has been an increasing adoption of various Learning Management Systems (LMS) in higher education in Sub-Saharan countries. Despite the perceived benefits of these systems to leverage challenges facing education sector in the region, studies show that the majority of them tend to fail; partially or totally. This paper presents a model for evaluating LMS deployed in Higher Education Institutions in Sub-Saharan countries through adopting and extending the updated DeLone and McLean information system success model. The proposed model and the instrument have been validated through a survey of 200 students enrolled in various courses offered via Moodle LMS at University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The findings of this study will help those who are involved in the implementation of LMS in higher education in Sub-Saharan countries to evaluate their existing systems and/or to prepare corrective measures and strategies to avoid future LMS failures.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/j.1681-4835.2014.tb00436.x

A Model for Assessing Learning Management System Success in Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Countries

E-learning is gaining some ground in University education throughout the world. Currently, a large number of universities worldâ€“wide support e-learning in different forms. Despite this wide spread adoption of e-learning in university education, research on e-learning adoption suggests that it has not reached its full potential. This paper discusses the opportunities that exist and challenges that hinder the successful adoption of e-learning technology as a medium of instruction at selected universities in Zimbabwe. The findings and comments provided are expected to help universities develop their e-learning strategies. The participants of this study are university lecturers who are beginning to use e-learning. The results indicate that e-learning at most of the universities is still at its infant stage. This research exposes a number of reasons for the limited
successes, which are related to infrastructural development, support and pedagogical considerations for e-learning. Universities are investing more and promoting administrative software at the expense of Learning Management Systems (LMS) software that supports teaching and learning. This study recommends that professional development programs with emphasis on e-learning pedagogies as well as the establishment of e-learning support structures should be promoted.

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The current state of e-learning at universities in Zimbabwe: opportunities and challenges

This study examined the International Education and Resource Network Science Technology and Math (iEARN-STM) online professional development course. The study used the constructivist framework as the conceptual model to examine the way in which the constructivist theory has shaped the design and implementation of the course, as reflected by the interactions of a cohort of participants in the course. The participants were 28 educators enrolled in the course, who were either teacher educators or teachers, working in different educational institutions in different countries throughout the world. The purpose of the study was to understand how the iEARN online professional development course supported teachersâ€™ learning through effective discourse in an online environment and to identify the constructivist learning principles that were behind the success of the course. The design of the course appeared to have a positive
impact on participantsâ€™ collaboration with peers. Results of the study confirms earlier research findings that the constructivist approach to course design and delivery provides a powerful structure for creating learning environments conducive to the development of professional skills among educators. Results of this study can be used to assist professional development coordinators and administrators to plan effective professional development. The results of the study are also expected to contribute to improvements in the design of professional development course content, instruction, delivery and administration, focusing on factors such as program model, delivery, contextual factors or best practices.

http://www.e-iji.net/dosyalar/iji_2012_1_2.pdf

A Constructivist Approach to the Design and Delivery of an Online Professional Development Course: A Case of the iEARN Online Course.

HIV/AIDS and education

This research was undertaken to investigate the issue of how to maximise or make efficient use of bandwidth In particular, the research sought to find out about what universities in Zimbabwe are doing to manage their bandwidth It was, therefore, appropriate to survey a sample of five universities and to catalogue their experiences Results show that most universities in our sample did not have an official Acceptance Use Policy (AUP) to assist with bandwidth management Successful provision of managed network bandwidth within a university is likely to involve the application of many tools encompassing a number of different techniques These products are often expensive and are rarely available for loan Fortunately, a cost-effective solution exists for all universities that can be deployed regardless of the campus' existing network configuration or installed devices The authors recommend that using Quality of Service (QoS) and Bandwidth management will enable network administrators to control network traffic flow so that appropriate users and applications get priority during the allocation of network resources Also, universities must contain in their IT policies a meaningful AUP which will help universities to develop and refine usage and access as well as plan for network resource allocation Keywords: Bandwidth Management, Acceptable Use Policy, Policy implementation BACKGROUND TO THE PROBLEM Universities in Zimbabwe are under pressure to provide their students and lecturers with reliable Internet access As Internet connectivity is increasingly becoming a strategic resource for university education, a robust campus network with good connectivity to the Internet is no longer a luxury to a university, in actual fact, it is now a basic necessity Internet connectivity is critical for any university to participate effectively in the global knowledge society The use of the Internet can enhance the efficiency and capacity of universities in Zimbabwe to provide quality education and the conduct of high calibre research work Internet connectivity provides a gateway to vast amounts of information from the information highway and thus provides support and enhances research efforts by both students and lecturers Many universities in Zimbabwe have set aside a significant fraction of their budgets towards increasing their bandwidth and upgrading their networks (Chita nana, Makaza and Madzima 2008) Despite considerable investment in bandwidth, many of these universities are still finding themselves not having reliable, usable Internet access for their students and staff The demand for bandwidth within universities is constantly rising and the overall bandwidth usage continues its upward trend This demand is caused by, among other things, increased student enrolment, the increased use of electronic resources for teaching and learning, and the spread of desktop applications that can use practically any amount of bandwidth given to them A definite trend is continuing towards multimedia websites, which contain bandwidth-hungry images, video, animations, and interactive content Students use the Internet in many different ways, some of which are inappropriate or do not make the best use of the available bandwidth Not all of these activities could be described as having much academic worth and indeed some may be viewed as undesirable by any standards Bandwidth is often consumed by low priority, bandwidth hungry uses for non-educational purposes However, restricting this altogether may not be the solution since this leads to frustration on the part of the user As the popularity and usage of heavy bandwidth consuming applications grows and the number of network users multiplies, the need for a concerted and co-ordinated effort to monitor bandwidth utilisation and implementation of effective bandwidth management strategies becomes increasingly important to ensure excellent service provision …

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Bandwidth management in Universities in Zimbabwe: Towards a responsible user base through effective policy implementation

This research was undertaken to investigate the issue of how universities are managing utilisation of bandwidth in the face of increased Internet traffic in the era of ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) and increased digital content. In particular, the research sought to find out about what universities in Zimbabwe were doing to ensure efficient utilisation of the limited bandwidth that is experience by most developing countries. A survey was carried out in a sample of five universities to catalogue their experiences. Results showed that most universities in the sample did not have an official Internet Access Policy to assist with bandwidth management. Technical solutions to successful provision of managed network bandwidth within a university involve the application of many network hardware tools, encompassing a number of different techniques, which are often expensive and out of reach of universities. Fortunately a cost-effective solution exists for all universities, which can be deployed regardless of the campus' existing network configuration or installed devices. The authors recommend that using quality of service and bandwidth management policies will enable network administrators to control network traffic flow so that appropriate users and applications get priority during the allocation of network resources. Also, universities must contain in their information technology policies a meaningful Internet Access Policy, which will help universities to develop and refine bandwidth access and usage and allow easy access to network resources.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/j.1681-4835.2015.tb00489.x

Lockias Chitanana

Papers

The current state of e-learning at universities in Zimbabwe: opportunities and challenges

A Constructivist Approach to the Design and Delivery of an Online Professional Development Course: A Case of the iEARN Online Course.

HIV/AIDS and education

Bandwidth management in Universities in Zimbabwe: Towards a responsible user base through effective policy implementation

Bandwidth management in the era of bring your own device