Online Learning as a Pre-Pandemic Barrier: A Case Study of First-Year Students at a South African University

The use of technology in higher education has been a challenge to some first-year students for some time. Students from different backgrounds find that, once registered at university, the use of computers is compulsory. Computers serve as the primary tool for academic work and for communicating with university stakeholders. However, the ability to use technology should not be taken for granted when students arrive at university for the first time. Many high school learners from disadvantaged backgrounds and schools have not had access to technology or computer literacy as a subject. This presents a challenge when they transition from high school to university. In this context, the purpose of this study was to explore the way in which blended learning may present itself as a learning barrier to some students. In this study, we adopted a mixed-method research design. For this paper, we present only the qualitative data. The data were collected in 2017 through focus group interviews from three different groups, namely, female participants, male participants, and mixed-gender participants. The findings indicate that first-year students who lack computer literacy at the university are from various backgrounds.