Abstract
Some universities in Kenya have taken up e-learning to flexibly deliver learning and bridge the educational access gap. Despite the benefits that e-learning offers to the e-learners, there are challenges that they must cope with. The aim of this paper is to present the challenges that emerged from a research that was undertaken in two Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs). It also presents the coping strategies that e-learners used to overcome the challenges. The research used the constructivist version of Grounded Theory (GT) methodology. It used in-depth interviews and participant observations to gather data from the e-learners, e-tutors, e-learning managers and e-learning platforms. Therefore, the research yielded qualitative data which was analyzed using Atlas.ti software. Data was analyzed thematically to establish the patterns of challenges and the equivalent coping strategies. The results are presented using the Gioia technique and the discussion used the vignettes technique from participants in order to preserve their voice. The challenges that emerged relate to: e-content, coursework, internet access, e-learning technology, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills and training, interaction and collaboration, personal issues, teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses and the tutorials. Recommendations on how to tackle these challenges have also been suggested. An understanding of these challenges is important to the e-learning players so that they can adopt interventions to mitigate them and hence improve interaction and collaboration. The results presented in this paper are part of the larger research whose main objective was to develop an e-learning theory for interaction and collaboration.
Highlights
The past two decades have witnessed a heightened demand for higher education in Kenya which has resulted in an increase in the number of Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs) in the country
“due to the pressure of work I get surprised there is an assignment that needs my attention”. To cope with this challenge some participants submitted coursework via e-mail since they were time-barred by the Learning Management Systems (LMS) while other turned to academic assistance
This article has elucidated the various challenges that e-learners experience while undertaking their studies and their coping strategies. It has presented the causes and effects of these challenges as well as the extent to which they hinder the full realization of the benefits of interaction and collaboration
Summary
The past two decades have witnessed a heightened demand for higher education in Kenya which has resulted in an increase in the number of Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs) in the country. The increased number of universities has not been sufficient to satisfy the high demand for higher education in the country widening the educational access gap. Some universities have resulted in adopting e-learning to bridge this gap (Nyerere et al, 2012). Adult learners who are already in employment require a flexible way to access education while they continue working to support their families. Other benefits of e-learning include: learning at e-learners’ own time and pace, allowing stay-at-home mothers to pursue education that otherwise would not have been possible, combining work with studies among others
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