Web-Based Teaching And Learning Approach (WBTLA) Usability In Institutions Of Higher Learning In Malaysia

Abstract

Today teachers in schools and lecturers in institutions of higher learning are endowedwith a wide range of new teachingexperiencesthrough web-based teaching and learning approaches (WBTLA), which is not possible before through thetraditional classroom approach. With the use of WBTLA emerged problems related to usability in technical, pedagogical and contextual aspects of teaching and learning. This paper examines usability problems in the context of teaching and learning at higher institutions of learning in Malaysia. By using the framework proposed by Hadjerrout(2010), a survey was carried out to determine the aspects related to usability and the extent to which lecturers believed that they enjoyed teaching as well as faced difficulties in employing WBTLAin their classes. The findings show that while lecturers agreed on technical and pedagogical usability and the extent of difficulties involved which they could overcome, their perceptions and beliefs of contextual usabilityand the extent of the difficulties involvedare less clear. This leaves much to the ability and willingness of each respective institution to invest in the technology and provision of training to the lecturers. Despite the problems identified the lecturers do see that WBTLA has good prospects in the future