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Using ICT at an Open Distance Learning(ODL) institution in South Africa: Thelearning experiences of students with visualimpairmentsS.A. Mokiwa a & T.N. Phasha ba 305 Walker Street, Pretoriab Department of Inclusive Education , University of South AfricaPublished online: 21 Mar 2013.
To cite this article: S.A. Mokiwa & T.N. Phasha (2012) Using ICT at an Open Distance Learning (ODL)institution in South Africa: The learning experiences of students with visual impairments, Africa EducationReview, 9:sup1, S136-S151, DOI: 10.1080/18146627.2012.755286
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ISSN1814-6627 (print) 1753-5921 (online)DOI: 10.1080/18146627.2012.755286University of South Africa Press
Africa Education Review 9 Supplementary issue 1, 2012
pp. S136 – S151
AbstractFor students with visual impairments, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become an important means through which they can learn and access learning materials at various levels of education. However, their learning experiences in using such form of technologies have been rarely documented, thus suggests society’s lack of understanding and/or interest about the effectiveness of such technologies in responding to the learning needs of people with visual disability. Following narrative inquiry design, the research question that guided this study is: What are your learning experiences of using Information and Communication Technology at an Open Distance Learning institution in South Africa? The narratives were obtained in two ways, namely a written form and then followed up verbally using one-on-one interviews with each participant and were analyzed qualitatively. The findings are presented in the following themes: (a) challenges with mathematical, scientific and accounting signs; (b) difficulty in accessing graphic learning materials; (c) incompatibility of software; (d) lack of timely access to electronic learning materials; (e) unfulfilled promises; and (f) inflexible pedagogical practices. These challenges occur alongside perceptions, which narrowly view students with visual impairment as incapable of following particular subject streams [career], conceptions that make such students blame themselves for having impairments. The findings of this study will contribute towards the improvement of learning experiences of students with visual impairment in institutions of higher learning and fostering posi-tive conceptions about visual impairment.
Keywords: visual impairment, ICT, institutions of higher learning, computers, learn-ing experiences.
Using ICT at an Open Distance Learning (ODL) institution in South Africa: The learning experiences of students with visual impairments
S.A. Mokiwa 305 Walker Street Pretoria [email protected]
T.N. Phasha Department of Inclusive Education University of South Africa [email protected]
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Introduction
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and other related assistive technologies have brought hope to many students with visual impairment because it affords them opportunity to access learning and educational materials they previously could not access (Hollier, 2007). In the case of Open Distance Learning (ODL) which has no or limited face-to-face contact with students, ICT plays a crucial role in affording students with visual impairment and the general student population access to education and the learning materials. For example, the University of South Africa (UNISA) alone, which is the largest ODL institution in the country/continent, caters for a total of 554 students with visual impairments (Department of Institutional Statistics and Analysis (DISA), 2012).
The services that students with visual impairment can now access include digital enlargeable (ZoomText) and voice synthesizable library books, voice readable graphics, computer monitors that allow the font size and color to be changed for clarity, just to name a few services. Students with visual impairment can also use internet to access information globally and to perform other online services (Hollier, 2007). Watling (2011) and Lane-Fox (2010) indicate that ICT can afford effective learning and positive learning experiences to students with visual impairments, particularly those who are at institutions of higher learning.
Limited research in South Africa on ICT and visual impairment in ODL institutions prompted our interest to write this paper, so as to avoid reliance on the findings of the studies conducted in settings that do not take into consideration some of the challenges and history of the country. The challenge was also acknowledged by the South African Higher Education (2005) responses to students with disabilities report. In particular, the report highlighted the lack of research covering the quality of students’ teaching and learning experiences. This report included a specific focus on both the concrete experiences of students with disabilities at institutions of higher learning, as well as the training of academic staff to deal with disabled students in a supportive manner (reference).
Available studies, which attempted to include students with disabilities in higher education preferred to focus on institutional access, especially redressing the racial imbalances created by the apartheid education system. For example, Howell (2005) focused on institutional practices and attitudes as barriers to higher education. The study mentioned the unaccommodating access points which look for what Wolfendale (1996) referred to as the eligible few from the
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ineligible many and lack of access to certain courses due to certain impairments. Howell’s study was not particularly on students with visual impairment, but on the general population with disability. On the other hand, Magongwa (2009) captured deaf teachers’ experiences of being students at an institution of higher education; whilst Shunmugam (2002) researched the barriers experienced by students with visual impairments at the University of Natal without zooming into the learning experiences of using ICT. Laurillard (2004) conducted a study on e-learning in higher education though it was not specifically focused on people with disabilities. She noted the issue of relevant innovation which would make the students with disabilities to come out of higher education “intellectually confident” and capable of taking the initiative in information-acquisition”.
In light of the above, this paper will present the experiences of students with visual impairment in using ICT for learning and accessing the learning material at UNISA. The institution espouses strong principles of social justices in relation to people with disability. In particular, section 1.2 of the university’s ODL policy, states unequivocally that “the university commits itself to advancing social justice with an emphasis on redress, equity and empowerment of the previously disadvantaged groups in South Africa such as Blacks, women, people with disabilities, the rural and urban poor and adults who have missed out on opportunities to access higher education” (Unisa, 2008). In addition, Goal 5 of UNISA’s institutional operational plan is aiming at creating an environment, which makes learning possible for the students with disabilities (UNISA, 2010).
This study is also a response to the call for more research on the contribution of ICT to facilitate teaching and learning (Watling, 2011; Lane-Fox, 2010; Czerniewicz, Ng’ambi & Jaffer, 2007). More specifically, Czerniewicz, Ravjee and Mlitwa (2006) who researched the impact of ICT at South African universities raised the need for troubling the contribution of ICT in teaching and learning at institutions of higher learning. Watling (2011) noted that such forms of research should give the platform to the unheard voices of the people with disabilities. This is so because people with disabilities should be able to tell their stories about the exclusionary practices in the use of ICT.
The term visual impairment encompasses quite a variety of characteristics, such as: those who have limited sight, or squint eyes or blurred vision or tunnel vision which cannot be rectified by wearing spectacles (Howell & Lazarus, 2003). Another group of people with visual impairment is those who have total loss of eyesight (Brockmeier, 1992) who are normally referred to as the blind. For the sake of this paper, the focus will be on the group of people who
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fall in the latter category who are completely blind. These students experience different challenges in moving around in a disability unfriendly environment, reading and writing and following visual signs. They also experience difficulty moving around in the cyberspace and using graphic-based navigation system that most electronic platforms use.
Inspired by the motive to give a platform for unheard voices of people with disability, an element, which is empowering in nature, we adopt a critical disability theory as a theoretical lens for the investigation of the problem posed by this study. The problem posed is: What are the learning experiences of students with visual impairment in using Information and Communication Technology at an Open Distance Learning institution? Critical disability theory views disability as an issue of politics and power, and thus provides a fertile ground for questioning the social set up and organization (Pothier & Devlin, 2006). In addition, they argued that all social structures are based on norms of people without disabilities that determine the value of a person based on their material contribution towards society. Clearly, the critical disability theory aims to advocate for people with disabilities to be integral part of the society through their self-determined contributions. There should be no form of pressure to prove they are worthy to be part of the society. Therefore, the learning services provided for the students at an ODL institution and the learning materials thereof should be equally and easily accessible to all students so as to enable all students to succeed.
Method
This is a qualitative study, which adopted a design aligned to the characteristics of narrative inquiry. According to Connelly and Clandinin (1990) narrative inquiry involves studying the ways humans experience the world. As this study is concerned about the ways students with visual impairment experiences learning using ICT, we found the strategy to be suitable for such investigation. This method permits the researcher to obtain data by means of conversation. This method is adopted because of its qualities that allow the narrations to be analyzed through the lens of the narrator. The method is emancipatory in nature (Susinos, 2007) and allows the researcher to develop a mutual relationship with participants, and thus offer an opportunity for understanding the value of their participation in the study (Noddings, 1986 & Hogan, 1988). The conversational element embedded in the approach would instead make them feel equal, caring and connected to the researcher and the research study (Connelly & Clandinin, 1990). The narrative element in particular, gives participants a chance to tell
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their story in their own words instead of having to conform to the limiting research terms normally found in survey questionnaires and other structured data collection tools. Hogan (1988) states that the narrative empowers research respondents as they live; and relive their experiences and reflect on them. In addition, the strategy can be therapeutic (Pennebaker, 1997) to the people involved. Therefore using this methodology will prevent the concern by most people with disabilities that researchers tend to treat them like voiceless objects that are to be researched on (Crowther, 2007).
Sampling
A sample consisting of five students with visual impairment was traced following the snowball approach. The students were studying for law, social work, public relations, financial accounting and policy studies. Three students were in their fourth year of study, one was in her third year of study and the other one was studying for an Honours degree. According to Punch (2009), the use of snowball sampling is motivated by an interest to identify cases of interest from people who know which cases are rich in information. Although the sample consisted of students of both genders, namely two males and three females, the reader is cautioned that gender and race were not important variables for the study. Identification of participants began with two students, who were referred to the study by an organisation for people with disabilities. Fortunately, the students were already registered at an Open Distance Learning institution. These students referred us to the other three students whom they knew and believed that they would be interested in sharing their stories in this regard. The criterion for participation in the study was registration at an ODL institution for at least two years or more and being completely blind. The recruited students depended solely on ICT to gain access to the learning materials. For purposes of anonymity purposes participants were given fictitious names.
Data collection strategies
Data was gathered by means of written stories and individual interview. We began by asking participants to write their stories of studying at an ODL institution, which they then emailed to the researchers. Thereafter, individual interviews were arranged with each participant. The interviews ranged from 60-80 minutes of continuous narrative by each participant, this became possible because the researcher gave a set of guiding questions. Data collection took place at participants’ offices or their homes. The guiding questions were printed in Braille to enable the participant to easily access them. A digital voice
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recorder was used to record the narratives of all the participants and those narratives were subsequently transcribed by the researchers immediately after all the sessions. Permission to use the voice recorder was sought from all the participants before it was used.
The main research question was: What are your learning experiences of using ICT at an ODL institution? The proposal together with the set of questions to be explored was cleared for ethics by the relevant committee at UNISA. All ethical issues and the focus of the study were clarified to all students before any attempt to collect data. An expert with visually impairment who worked in the Disability Unit at UNISA also checked the questions for relevance. All materials used, including the consent form were converted to Braille to make them disability-friendly and it was also emailed to those students who preferred to have it in an electronic format.
Data analysis
This research study was analysed through the use of the categorical-content approach (Lieblich, Tuval-Mashiach & Ziber, 1998) normally called content analysis. This data analysis approach was deemed suitable for this study because it allowed for the proper examination of the narrative materials that were used in the study such as life stories and the individual interviews. The categorical-content approach tends to focus on detached parts of the story addressing one research problem. Lieblich, Tuval-Mashiach and Zilber (1998) state that narrative research “does not require replication of results as a criterion for its evaluation”. The researchers did not look for common themes but instead carefully listened to the voices of the narrators to come to an “interpretive conclusion” (Lieblich, et al.: 1998). The process of analysis was not based on assumptions but rather on theoretical framework and narrative comprehensions. Verbatim transcription was done each time the researcher recorded participant’s experiences so as to avoid piling up all the stories. This also helped the researcher to have a better understanding of the stories and to be able to identify the trends within them. Every aspect of the story was recorded such as sighs, laughter, unhappiness and pauses; words were recorded as they were being uttered. The researchers discussed some of the stories with a view to clarify the stories and to determine whether those stories addressed the research problem. In cases where a particular story was not rich enough and did not address the research problem, such a story would be put aside and another storyteller or participant would be sought.
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Findings
The findings of the study are presented in six themes, which emerged during the analysis. From the findings it could be suggested that students whom are having visual impairments are experiencing challenges in using ICT for learning at an ODL institution.
Challenges with mathematical, scientific and accounting signsOne of the negative learning experiences expressed by Moipone, a female student doing Accountancy-related degree was the challenge of using ICT to read mathematical, scientific and accounting signs which are related to Financial Accounting. She indicated that the programme JAWS was not helpful in this regard, she said:
“The fact is that JAWS have problems reading maths or equations correctly. Therefore, I struggle with the Maths part of the course for I cannot write it and I cannot read it”.
When exploring her experiences further to find out about alternative ways of assisting her in this regard, she said:
“I looked for it and even ordered it from abroad but whatever they sent was not suit-able for a blind person…I just gave up”.
Due to such challenges, she indicated that she has lost some independence and she had to:
“Get somebody to read the maths and help me write the math problems down. Then I will be able to manage on my own”.
Inability to access graphic learning materialAs most learning tends to be vision-based, with graphics used to illustrate and elaborate on learning content, students with visual impairment often felt excluded. Malaika narrated that:
“How do they think I should learn the graphs if the learning device (ICT) does not provide that help for me?”.
On the same note, Nosipho complained about the cost of the ICT that would enable her to read graphic learning material. She stated that:
“To use visual aids to draw such diagrams, I need to have such equipment which is unaffordable to students…it is about R26, 000 not including the screen or alternative lighting devices with the above costs approximately R30,000 and weighs about 10kg”.
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Incompatibility of software
The following narrations highlight the incorrect ways of using JAWS software to convert documents. Amina narrated that:
“The words were seen as individual letters and not as any conceivable word within the English language. The other document was seen as a picture by my screen reader and as such I had no choice but to have the invigilator read the paper to me”.
These challenges pose more problems when a student is in the rural areas where it will take more money and effort to travel to the closest hub to get the problem addressed. It is worse when a student is writing an exam. One student said that she ended up not writing the exam and this is what she had to say:
“The format is not screen reading software compliant… it reads punctuation marks and not the words”.
She had to write to the university explaining her challenge and request for a new date to write her exams. Another student expressed her concern about the incompatibility of software during examination sessions, she stated that:
“I was writing Economics I had a challenge. So when I called the invigilator she was not sure how to help me, then when I checked I found the computer has Windows 2000 and it had JAWS 5.0. I said my God! By then the JAWS we were using was JAWS 8! Then I said to the invigilator The JAWS and all the software you have here is outdated!”.
Lack of timely access to electronic learning materialsAnother challenge raised by the participants was the difficulty of accessing electronic learning material on time, particularly the difficulty to receive the learning materials within 3 weeks following registration, as per the university procedures. Mantwa said:
“When you register you are told that you will receive your study scope after 3 weeks but it is not always the case. We have complained and complained and nothing gets done so we carry on like that”.
On the same issue of delayed learning materials, another student commented that:
“When you order an electronic prescribed book, it takes long to come while you are supposed to be learning and submitting the assignments according to the prescribed schedule”.
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Unfulfilled promisesAs much as the ODL institution promised to provide for the learning needs of the students with visual impairment and other disabilities, a student from one of the ODL institution hubs narrated about unsupportive ICT personnel saying that:
“The X region technician is honestly not supportive because…he just took my cell number and never came back to me with the solution”.
Another student said:
“It was said that I should have no problems and that the ODL institution can accom-modate me, but sometimes it is not the case”.
Inflexible pedagogical practicesTeaching practices are inflexible to accommodate the needs of students with visual impairment. The format of question papers and the assessment strategies are time-consuming. Makau narrated that:
“I am blind and unable to use the multiple choice question answer sheet usually provided by the institution… I always have to type out all the answers onto a word document, which is very time-consuming and exhausting”.
Another student said:
“The questions are in inaccessible formats that do not accommodate the blind, even the method of answering poses a challenge”.
Discussion
From the findings presented, it can be claimed that the availability of ICT does not necessarily guarantee a positive learning experience for students with visual impairment. Clearly, the learning experiences of students with visual impairment in using ICT to study science-related subjects leave much to be desired. The finding resonates the study conducted by Akakandelwa and Munsanje (2012) in Zambia, even though it was conducted in school rather than at an institution of higher learning. The study lamented insufficient and inappropriate learning and teaching materials for students with visual impairment at schools, and the study further linked the problem tor poor performance of students in mathematics and science and their ultimate drop out from pursuing the subjects. In the case of the students at the ODL institution they dropped the subject, changed the course or kept registering for it every year with the hope that they will eventually pass. The inability to access mathematical, scientific and accounting
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signs and being forced to ask other people to assist the students disempowered the student and made them feel inadequate.
The second finding revealed that blind students are unable to access graphic learning material. A study conducted by Dale (2010) divulged that due to the world being dominated by sighted people, not enough effort is made to provide proper support within the educational and employment systems. This includes the systems that cater for visually impaired. In addition, Sanchez (2007) conducted a study on designing interactive learning environments for learners with visual disabilities. The findings revealed that the use of authentic situations would facilitate effective learning for the students with visual impairment, furthermore, learning material should be text-based with text-to-speech plug-ins and Braille display, appropriate use of speech synthesizers should be upheld and that there should be no use of decorative text to avoid confusion for the partially sighted students. The cost of the ICTs also was a concern that needs to be addressed in order to facilitate learning and create positive learning experiences. The critical disability theory advocates that disability should be factored in when integrating ICT with learning and learning design (Pothier & Devlin, 2006). The researchers further submit that visual impairment needs to be highly considered when designing ICT for educational purposes. Mokiwa (2009) asserts that the learning designer should consider learners with special needs whenever designing learning materials.
The third finding revealed that during the examination period the blind students had problems with computers which had outdated software installed in them and the software was incompatible with the latest JAWS software. The difficulty could be emanating from the fact that the computers were used during exams only and the ICT personnel did not have enough time to adjust those computers to each disability need. Another aspect to it could be that students with disabilities did not submit their ICT needs to the examination department in time to allow for proper preparation. This concern corresponds with Paul (2000) as he states that though the number of students with visual disabilities registered at universities keeps increasing, ‘these students constantly face various barriers in their educational environment’. Howell (2005) mentions the lack of a system that addresses the limiting institutional practices and attitude as one such barrier.
The fourth finding is about the lack of timely access to learning materials. Open Distance Learning is about students learning on their own and submitting assignments and passing them in order to get access to the exams. This means that delayed access to learning materials disorganizes the students’ timetable
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and learning goals. This negative learning experience becomes worse for a blind student whose material still needs to be converted to Braille or an electronic format and whose assignments need to be converted to Normal text before a lecturer could mark them. A study conducted by Goode (2007) concurs with this finding and states that though the students with disabilities are entitled to reasonable adjustments, their ability to study efficiently is affected by the delay in learning materials and/or any other learning services they might require.
The fifth finding is that the ODL institution had inflexible pedagogical practices; this concern is about blind students continuously receiving multiple choice questions (MCQ) which made it impossible for students to be assessed properly. Multiple Choice Questions compelled students to retype the questions and their answers. This is a fixed instructional design strategy which completely sidelined the blind students and made them spend too much time doing a task with less assessment points. Laurillard (2004) troubled the issue of relevant innovation which would make the students with disabilities to come out of higher education “intellectually confident, capable of taking the initiative in information-acquisition”. She then calls on all higher education institutions and academics to ‘manage learner’s interaction with academia such that students can formulate their positive higher education experiences. Lack of proper address the educational needs of students with visual impairments could be attributable to statement which was made by the Council of Higher Education that there is a very small number of students with visual impairments at South African higher education institutions (Council of Higher Education, 2005). The researchers argue that the number of students should not be a determining factor and that focus should be on ensuring the right to quality and accessible higher education for every student is upheld.
The sixth and final finding is about the unfulfilled promises which related to the university policies which the university did not put much effort to fulfill them. A blind student from one of the ODL hubs mentioned how one ICT personnel was not supportive when she asked for assistance. This confirms Balls’ argument that most “learning technologists and lecturers rarely have the expertise in assistive technologies to understand fully the role they play in the learning experiences of the students who use them” (Ball, 2007). There could be two explanations for this, either the technician did not have enough expertise to deal with ICT needs for that particular student or was just not helpful. If it were the first assumption, then there is a need to adequately train the ICT and other personnel on both general ICT and assistive technologies. The Unisa Open Distance Learning policy, section 1.2 states that “The university
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commits itself to advancing social justice with an emphasis on redress, equity and empowerment of the previously disadvantaged groups in South Africa such as Blacks, women, people with disabilities, the rural and urban poor and adults who have missed out on opportunities to access higher education” (Unisa, 2008). In addition, Unisa institutional operational plan’s Goal 5 aims at creating an environment which makes learning possible for the students with disabilities (Unisa, 2010). It is these above policies that make the students with disabilities feel that this ODL institution is ready to cater for their learning needs but one student lamented that there was still a gap between policies and current practices of the ODL institution.
Recommendations
The suggested path to transformation is to regularly seek the learning experiences of students with visual impairment and use that information to introduce best practices in the integration of ICT into educational practices. It is important to know the learning experiences of the students with visual impairment and to use them fruitfully in improving their learning experiences which would eventually make those students with visual impairment to feel proud that they have also contributed to the development of equitable access to education. In agreement with Horkheimer (1993), the researchers recommend that ODL research should adopt critical theory which should be used in an explanatory, practical and normative way in identifying authentic problems within the research settings. The critical theory should be used to identify change agents who are going to suggest realizable paths to the transformation agenda. In this case of this study the problem is in the non-educational needs based setting in which ICT is used to facilitate learning for the students with visual impairment. The change agents are course designers and lecturers at an Open Distance Learning institution in South Africa. Universities across the globe should make an effort to design specific educational ICT to enable people with disabilities to participate actively in the digital era.
Conclusion
The aim of this article was to seek the learning experiences of the students with visual impairments (i.e., five blind students) whom were registered at an ODL institution in South Africa. Excerpts of narratives from the life stories were used to reflect the voices or experiences of the students with visual impairment. The article also discussed the social constructions and perceptions of visual disability and the impact it has on the way the students with visual impairment learned at
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the ODL institution. Seale (2006); Lamshed, Berry and Armstrong (2003) call upon all the stakeholders in higher education institutions to be critical of the way ICT is being rolled-out for the use by the entire student population. The critical disability theory also allows exposure of the discriminative practices that exist in the way technology is used for teaching and learning. Most stakeholders tend to stress the issue of accessibility rather than usability, which is more important in the case of students with visual impairment (Bilotta, 2005; Paciello, 2005; Shneiderman & Hochheiser, 2001) who might not have the chance of trial and error like their able-bodied counterparts.
The general feeling amongst all the students with visual impairment was that ICT presents a great learning opportunity to all blind students. However there was a feeling that the ODL platform should be more supportive and understanding toward the learning challenges the blind people face. They felt that there was lack of evident effort to integrate ICT in an inclusive manner hence making unpleasant learning experiences. In agreement with the critical disability theory, this argues that the social pressure exerted directly or indirectly on the students with visual impairment “has the power of a glacier” (Holstein & Gubrium, 2000). Dale (2010) sees glacier as the normally negative impact the disability perceptions have on the main learning objectives.
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