The use of blackboard as a tool for the teaching and assessment of large classes in mathematics education: a case study of second year level bachelor of education students in one university in South Africa

dc.contributor.authorRiley, Alanna
dc.date.accessioned2016-09-05T12:43:05Z
dc.date.available2016-09-05T12:43:05Z
dc.date.issued2013
dc.description.abstractThis study locates the Blackboard Learning Management System as a Technology Enhanced Learning tool within the bounds of the discipline of eLearning and aimed to interrogate the use of Blackboard for the purposes of teaching, learning and assessment in large classes. It is evident from the literature reviewed that changes in both Higher Education in the South Africa with regards to policy and legislation in addition to international shifts towards increased access and participation in a fast paced, ever-evolving knowledge-based economy, providing the context for this work. The theoretical framework for this study is not unidimensional due to the fact that the educational field of eLearning as an area of specialisation draws on a multitude of theories in terms of their utility value for instructional design of courses utilising Information and Communications Technology as a mode of delivery. This study was conducted within the bounds of an interpretivist paradigm as the researcher sought to focus on the use of Blackboard and the experiences of the lecturers and students involved in the implementation thereof. The research design for this study took the form of a case study and a multiple case method was employed. The researcher collected data through personal interviews conducted with participating lecturers, while student data was collected by means of a qualitative survey which was conducted through the Blackboard Learning Management System. The data was analyzed by means of a thematic analysis, consistent with the interpretive paradigm chosen for this study. The findings of this study revealed that Blackboard was utilised effectively in order to facilitate communication, access to course resources and promoted more efficient assessment processes. The implementation was however not without challenges many of which were systemic and focused on the lack of resources available to the students. The implications of using Blackboard for teaching and assessment of large classes include the use of the Learning Management System as part of a multimodal method of course delivery in an effort to reach the multitude of registered students both conceptually as well as electronically. The recommendations arising from this study include consideration on the part of the faculty for a unified approach in the use of Blackboard for communication as well as deployment of resources. Additionally, this study may form the foundation of further studies in this field, with a focus on the active engagement and training of lecturers in order to integrate traditional teaching methods with blended learning opportunities.en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11837/433
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherUniversity of Fort Hareen_ZA
dc.subjectBlackboards
dc.subjectBlackboard drawing
dc.subjectMathematics -- Study and teaching
dc.subjectCollege students
dc.subjectEducational change
dc.subjectInformation technology
dc.subjectTeaching -- Aids and devices
dc.subjectCollege teaching
dc.titleThe use of blackboard as a tool for the teaching and assessment of large classes in mathematics education: a case study of second year level bachelor of education students in one university in South Africaen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
AMRILEY_EDUCATION_MASTERS_2013.pdf
Size:
1.67 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
AMRILEY_EDUCATION_MASTERS_2013

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description: