Remote Online Collaborative Learning for Knowledge Co-Creation Through WhatsApp in an ODL Programme

Abstract

Open education fosters accessible and continuous learning by enabling individuals to engage in learning activities anytime and anywhere, through the use of social networking sites. This allows mature, working learners or professionals to construct their knowledge through collective intelligence that is associated with self-directed learning and socio-constructivism. Viewing the use of WhatsApp for ubiquitous learning through an adult education perspective may enable learners to actively engage in collaborative online learning and enhance their understanding through knowledge construction. This is based on the Pedagogy, andragogy, and Heutagogy (PAH) Continuum. The purpose of this study was to explore lecturers' perceptions of the use of WhatsApp for the co-creation of knowledge by learners. Interview data from 15 contingent lecturers using WhatsApp for the co-creation of knowledge among learners in an undergraduate programme shed light on both the advantages and obstacles faced, which might give insights to other lecturers of emerging open education institutions in the developing world where open education is the driving force for liberalizing education. A qualitative interpretive approach was used for data analysis. This study found that WhatsApp remote online collaborative learning bridges the gap between formal and informal learning and enriches the quality of learner-led content that is more contextualised and relevant for the professional growth of learners in open education. It was also found that learners experience emancipatory learning through collaboration and interactivity based on the student-centeredness approach. However, the major challenges were a lack of accountability of learners due to free-riders of the generated knowledge, and their inability to use OERS for self-directed learning and to respect the ethics of online media use. The study strongly recommends a review of the ODL institutional principle of providing one prescribed reading material for each module.