International Journal of Computer Applications |
Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA |
Volume 184 - Number 12 |
Year of Publication: 2022 |
Authors: William Akotam Agangiba, Millicent Agangiba, George Essah Yaw Okai |
10.5120/ijca2022922108 |
William Akotam Agangiba, Millicent Agangiba, George Essah Yaw Okai . Computational Modeling and Assessment of Acceptance Level of Virtual Learning Platforms. International Journal of Computer Applications. 184, 12 ( May 2022), 49-54. DOI=10.5120/ijca2022922108
One common challenge that comes with postgraduate studies is the fact that students usually have to combine studies with family, job and other personal and professional endeavours. Despite these challenges, the number of postgraduate students has seen massive increase in recent times as a result of job competitiveness and the need for knowledge creation. To cope with the large numbers in postgraduate supervision and to provide flexibility for the working class to acquire higher degrees, online postgraduate supervision has become common. However, research shows that several challenges confront virtual supervision for both the supervisor and the supervisee which include the feeling of isolation and attrition. This paper examines the challenges associated with technologies such as Virtual Learning Platforms (VLPs) for postgraduate supervision and proposes a computational technique for assessing key attributes of VLPs. A survey among 160 postgraduate students shows that students combine a variety of VLPs for communicating with their supervisors for reasons such as cost-effectiveness, technical-know-how and availability of means. The results reveal amalgamated factors that influence the choice of technologies used by supervisors and students. The findings further indicate that user-friendliness, attractiveness, transparency, interactivity and support are reasons why postgraduate students in Ghana mostly prefer social media platforms such as WhatsApp in interacting with their supervisors.