On Overcoming Transitional Challenges of First Year Students in Technology-Based Educational Settings

Universities in South Africa (SA) are facing several challenges due to the influx of students with diverse backgrounds entering the first year. One of such challenges is the use of technologies for teaching and learning. Institutions in the rural areas are flooded with first year students characterized as under-prepared, educationally underprivileged and had little or no access to computer usage prior to their enrolment. These qualities impedes their transition into the computer-based learning system and other technologies that supports teaching and learning. Moreover, the students are not given the needed assistance when enrolled. Orientation programme that would have been a leverage is only informative and not supportive in nature. Thus, an effective solution requires orientation programme to be supportive. It should involve assessing students' profile during their first year registration to provide them with the needed assistance in terms of technologies usage. This paper conducted a pilot survey over a sample of first year entering students in the University of Venda (UNIVEN). The objective was to assess students in terms of technology-related uses, expectations, experiences, skill levels and training needs. Data collected were analyzed and the results show students' have not used computers or had experience on technologies for teaching and learning in their previous schools. Additionally, students are only technologically identified with their mobile phones. The study proposed a new programme called First Experience Computer Literacy (FECOL) to facilitate students' transition into the computer-based learning of the university.