In this empirical study we argue that immediate attention is required to ensure that B.Ed. first- year students at the university of technology in the Free State province successfully take part in online learning. The problem underpinning this study is that these students face difficulties in learning online. The study is couched in Connectivism Learning Theory which assumes that knowledge is individual and constitutes of a network which feeds into educational institutions, which in turn feeds back into the network, and then provide learning to the individual enabling students to remain current in their field via connections they formed. This is a quantitative paper which responded to two questions; what challenges do first-year B.Ed. students experience regarding online learning and how can these challenges be mitigated? The study used questionnaires to collect data. Purposive sampling was used to select 200 participants who were exposed to online teaching for the first time in their educational journey. Thematic data analysis was conducted to analyse data collected. The study found out that first-year students lamented on the lack of understanding of online learning.

Authors:
Ndoyisile Moses Majola, Central Univeristy of Technology, South Africa
Judith Gabisile Hlumbane, Central University of Technology, Free State, South Africa

About the Presenter(s)
Mr. NM Majola is currently a lecturer and Teaching Practice coordinator at Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State. I enjoy reading and writing. In addition, I like traveling, watching both soccer and rugby I like listening to politics too

See this presentation on the full schedule – On Demand Schedule

Bookmark

---

A Note to Presenters

To enhance academic profiles and showcase research, we encourage all presenters and co-presenters to include links to their public LinkedIn, ResearchGate profile, and research websites. Presenters may update their bio for their presentation by completing the form linked below by October 22, 2024.
- Presenter Information Update Form
Submitted changes will be reflected on November 01, 2024

Additionally, presenters should also update their IAFOR account details if there have been any changes to affiliations or biographies.
- https://submit.iafor.org/my-account/edit-account