An evaluation of the effectiveness of students' online registration system at the University of Zululand.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the online registration system implemented at the University of Zululand (UNIZULU) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, was effective and achieved its intended purpose. Like most institutions of higher learning in the world, UNIZULU had to keep abreast with the latest and progressively evolving information technology by ensuring that students are registered on an automated process, moving away from the traditional way of manual processes. The study employed a quantitative method in a form of questionnaires. A total of forty staff members from the sections or departments which are directly involved in the registration of students and four hundred and fifty students were sampled to answer to self-completed questionnaires. The data collected were statistically analysed by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. The findings indicated that in as much as the online registration system has a positive impact in the entire enrolment process, there were challenges towards the full implementation and also factors that affected the effectiveness of online registration system were identified. Key benefits emerged from the analysis of the data and interpretation that online registration system was ease of use, saves time and costs and should be able to be accessed anytime and anywhere without being physically present at the university. The findings also showed that most students and staff were satisfied with the online registration system with the exception of few students and staff members. The academic structure was not properly set-up, some modules were not linked to the relevant qualifications and accessing the system off campus were some of the challenges that emerged from the findings. Furthermore, the findings pointed out that slow internet, downtime and load shedding were some of the factors affecting the online registration system. In conclusion, even though there were challenges, the majority of students and staff members had confidence in the online registration system and further indicated that it should not be changed for another system. The study recommended that the online registration system must be fully implemented as scheduled to prevent challenges and also to add some features to enhance system performance.