The determinants of effective computer mediated communication between lecturers and students at a tertiary education institution.
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Date
2021
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Abstract
Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) is the transmission of data communication between
individuals using two or more electronic devices. CMC provides digital platforms for one-on-one
communication, conferencing and collaboration that is instantaneous. However, in the literature,
there’s a lack of research that focuses on the interaction between lecturers and students through
CMC in South Africa. Hence, there is a need for this study to understand the factors that influence
an effective interaction between lecturers and students through CMC, and propose adequate
strategies to foster such kind of interaction. In this study, an effective CMC interaction is defined
as the behavioural intention to use CMC between a lecturer and a student that is perceived as
prompt, professional and supportive by both the students and lecturers. The afore-mentioned
constructs have been used to develop a conceptual model that guided the current study to
investigate the determinants of the behavioural intention to use CMC between lecturers and
students at a tertiary education institution, from the student’s perspective.
The study made use of quantitative methods as its fundamental research approach. The study’s
sample consisted of 276 students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. These students were
surveyed using a closed-ended online questionnaire. From a research nomenclature perspective,
the study’s theoretical constructs were identified as immediacy, professionalism and support which
constitute the independent variables while intention to adopt/adoption of CMC has been labelled
as the study’s dependent variable. The study’s main outcome revealed that the majority of students
acknowledge the importance of immediacy, support, and professionalism in the facilitation of an
effective CMC-based relationship. Empirically, the study confirmed a moderate, positive
correlation between the constructs and students’ intention to adopt CMC as a conduit to achieving
excellence in their studies. Evaluation derived from a structured equation modelling derivative of
the original conceptual model revealed that the construct of support had more of a mediating
influence on students’ intention to adopt a CMC-based learning approach. A concomitant outcome
from the study was that a majority of the students preferred using CMC with academic staff than
face-to-face communication, with a preference for technological platforms that support CMC
based learning rather than general social media networking platforms. At the time that the study
was conducted, the institution from which empirical data was collected had transformed to a
remote/online learning approach that was necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic. As a
consequence, many of the study’s respondents had a natural preference for the video conferencing
tool that was currently employed at the institution.
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.