Abstract:

Over the past few years, we have seen the advent of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) transforming our conventional understanding of education, more specifically teaching and learning practices. While the introduction of ICTs have brought to the fore many optimistic benefits, such as improved lecturer-student interactions, new models for designing creative and innovative curricula, it also has begun challenging our institutional models and the environment in which we function. This has prompted a reconceptualization of how we teach in an Open Distance Learning (ODL) context. Hence, the University of South Africa (Unisa) as an institute has also sought to recontextualize itself within this transitioning environment. This has brought to the fore questions of the readiness of the academics to meet the transitions of this changing context. As part of the exercise to engage with this changing context, the College of Human Sciences (CHS) engaged with a research survey to deduce the creative use of ICTs in teaching and learning practices within the college as well as its prospects and challenges. A total of 132 academics, with representation from all departments and schools within the college participated. This research paper highlights the types of ICTs currently being used in the college, the frequency of use, how it is used in teaching and learning practices, challenges encountered with its integration in teaching and learning, positive and negative contributions rising from such integration, and why certain academics opt not to use ICTs. This paper aims to prioritize some of the challenges and prospects for the integration of ICTs in higher education within the South African context, but with broader insights into the transitioning African educational milieu.

Keywords:

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), teaching and learning, learning management systems, social networks, pedagogies, ICT culture.