Digital learning management systems in Africa: myths and realities

Resource type
Journal Article
Authors/contributors
Title
Digital learning management systems in Africa: myths and realities
Abstract
This paper reports on a survey of 358 respondents across 25 African countries into their usage of learning management systems. It concludes that while there are some enthusiastic advocates of such systems, the reality is that most African educators as yet have little knowledge about, or interest in, their usage. There remain very considerable infrastructural constraints to be overcome before they can be widely adopted for open and distance learning across the continent, and there is still reluctance in many institutions to develop systems that can enable learning resources to be made available in this way. This does not mean that the potential of high‐quality digital learning management systems should be ignored in Africa, but rather that much more sustained work needs to be done in human capacity development and infrastructural provision if African learners are truly to benefit from the interactive learning experiences that such systems can deliver.
Publication
Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning
Volume
25
Issue
1
Pages
5-23
Date
February 1, 2010
ISSN
0268-0513
Short Title
Digital learning management systems in Africa
Accessed
28/10/2019, 11:54
Library Catalogue
Taylor and Francis+NEJM
Extra
shortDOI: 10/cdqw26
Citation
Unwin, T., Kleessen, B., Hollow, D., Williams, J. B., Oloo, L. M., Alwala, J., Mutimucuio, I., Eduardo, F., & Muianga, X. (2010). Digital learning management systems in Africa: myths and realities. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 25(1), 5–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680510903482033