Challenges of Online Learning in the Comprehensive Open Distance and Elearning Context – A Case Study of the University of South Africa

Online learning continues to challenge teachers and students in higher education. The selected institution for this research has adopted the ODeL model to reach out to students in large numbers. It considers online learning as a strategy to increase access and improve student outcomes. However, tuition costs make online digital learning equal to the classroom. Thus, this study adopted a qualitative research method to explore online learning in depth. Seven (7) participants at The University of South Africa (UNISA) were sampled and invited to take part in the study. The researcher used the Community of Inquiry as a theoretical lens of the study. The Community of Inquiry is one of the most preferred online frameworks in education. The concept of Community of Inquiry which is grounded on John Dewey’s view of practical inquiry uses online learning, teaching presence, cognitive presence, and social presence. The findings revealed that the participants have some challenges when supporting students to use the Learning Management System (LMS). These challenges include connectivity issues, student performance in the programme, etc. These challenges pose a threat to student support. The heavy workload also hampered the efforts of the lecturers in their quest to support students on the LMS. It was recommended that more work should be done to equip teaching assistants to support students in Open Distance and eLearning contexts. This study adds to the growing literature on the importance of inculcating online learning in Higher Educational Institutions. Keywords: e-Learning, Adult Education, Online Learning, Learning Management System, Open Distance eLearning