In many universities, online learning has become central in the knowledge era, providing vast opportunities to improve teaching and learning. More recently, the Covid-19 pandemic brought with it significant threats but also sparked remarkable interest in intensifying growth in the adoption and utilisation of eLearning, IT tools and practices. This study intends to perform institution-wide research to (i) adapt an instrument and (ii) assess staff’s perceptions of the new Moodle Learning Management System (LMS) which was implemented in the post Covid-19 pandemic period.
The project explores the use of Moodle LMS by the University of South Africa (UNISA), a comprehensive open distance eLearning institution. The primary objective of this qualitative study is to investigate staff’s perceptions of the educational usefulness of the Moodle LMS in a blended learning setting. All staff will be encouraged to participate in the study by completing an online survey to be administered in August/September 2024. The questionnaire will ask staff how often they use the LMS, which tools they most commonly utilise, how involved they are in training and support interventions, and so on. The data obtained will be analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software to answer the research objectives. It is believed that the findings would assist to affirm Unisa’s impact in meeting its strategic goals and highlight gaps that stakeholders should address to realise continuous improvements in Unisa’s eLearning practices.