ODeL requires students to be self-directed and self-motivated, putting more responsibility on the learners to manage time and resources (Agba, 2005). Many of these students live within their home countries (e.g., South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Zambia, Nigeria), attend UNISA part-time while working full-time, and access university coursework through the university’s web platform, my.unisa (Madge et al., 2019). The University of South Africa (UNISA) is the largest open distance e-learning (ODeL) university in Africa, with over 380,000 students, 68% of whom are from the Southern African Development Community (Madge et al., 2019 Southern African Development Community, n.d.). Students with more financial resources were more likely to have expanded ICT access, including personal laptop or desktop devices, in addition to phone access students with fewer financial resources relied on access to computers at work, Internet cafes, or shared devices (Brown & Czerniewicz, 2010). However, students had varying levels of access to data and the Internet on their cell phones (Baijnath, 2013 Madge et al., 2019). Brown and Czerniewicz ( 2010) found that among the South African students surveyed, 98.5% owned a cell phone, and there was no difference in access to cell phones among different socio-economic groups. Individuals from rural or socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, and especially non-white students, have access to fewer educational resources (Czerniewicz, 2018). Socio-technical marginalization is the digital divide between those with access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) and those without, as opposed to age-, gender- or race-related divides (Madge et al., 2019).

This paper argues for additional non-Western research on socio-technical marginalization and access to ICTs for students enrolled at higher education institutions in South Africa. Using ICTs to enhance access to higher education is one way to bridge the wide socioeconomic gap in South Africa. Students are able to use WhatsApp to build connections with students and share class materials, without access to an Internet-connected computer. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), including messaging apps like WhatsApp, provide students with informal and formal learning opportunities, increase access to academic and community resources, and mitigate some Internet connectivity issues. Students from rural areas are able to participate in higher education, something they otherwise would not have had access to without ODeL. One of the key features of ODeL is that students can complete coursework modules virtually, without the need to step onto a physical university campus. It allows expanded access to higher education for students from rural or socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Open distance e-learning (ODeL) is an essential form of e-learning for students in South Africa.

Learning whatsapp online courses