Evaluating the impact of digital divide on the performance of first year students in an IT course: A case of UKZN

Abstract

Technology is continuously evolving and has become embedded into the day-to-day activities performed by everyone. Tertiary institutions, like most other institutions, have been greatly impacted and transformed by technology. Studies have shown that technology plays a huge role in the performance of students, because students are expected to make use of various technologies to aid their learning processes. However, with the prevalence of digital divide, some students find it difficult to get access to the Internet, computers and other technological devices before entering the university. Thus, this study examined the effects of “not having access to computers and other technologies before entering the university” on the academic performance of first year students taking an Information Technology (IT) course, in the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). The results of this study showed that whether or not students had access to computer and other technologies before entering the university, they still achieved good performances in IT courses, especially where the university provides access to computers and other technologies to first year students.