Abstract
Learning Management System (LMS), as at the time of the study there was insufficient information available regarding student experience, largely due to limited in-house research on the topic. LMSs are dynamic and continuously evolving augmentations to the teaching and learning experience. Since the LMS has been designed and developed to suit the needs of the PHEI, data-driven decisions can better inform future LMS design and development. As positive student perception impacts the overall student experience, which in turn affects academic success and student retention, an LMS can go a long way in both augmenting learning and improving academic performance by taking advantage of the affordances which technology brings to education. An exploratory mixed-methods study was used to explore student experience by using qualitative findings to clarify quantitative results. This study gathered three sets of data: one quantitative and two qualitative. Data was gathered using a quantitative online questionnaire, the findings from this questionnaire informed a follow up qualitative online questionnaire. Focus group interviews were then used to confirm and contextualise the findings from both questionnaires. Recommendations for implementation were given; to recognise that lecturers in addition to students are both users and LMS stakeholders, and that their needs are unique and different, and lastly to understand and learn from student behaviour as they ‘buck the system’ they are turning it into something that suits their needs and works for them.
M.Ed. (Information and Communication Technology in Education)