African Educational Research Journal - Vol. 7(1) - January 2019 - Full Length Research Paper - The use of Zimbabwe Open University’s MyVista platform in e-communication, accessing and uploading learning materials, and assessing students’ work

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Stanley

Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) developed the MyVista technology platform to deliver online teaching and learning activities. When MyVista became fully operational in 2017, students and staff reported substantial difficulties. This qualitative survey involved 30 students and 14 staff members from the Midlands Regional Campus who responded via a questionnaire. Results showed barriers in registration, e-communication, and access to learning materials due to limited resources, poor network connectivity, and delayed lecturer responses, plus incorrect or unopenable submissions. The study recommends e-learning policies, adequate fast accessible computers, upgrading ICT resources and MyVista, and ongoing training across students and staff.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Purpose of the study and research questions

Review of related literature

Conceptual framework

e-Learning

African Educational Research Journal Vol. 7(1), pp. 1-13, January 2019 DOI: 10. 30918/AERJ.71.18.079 ISSN: 2354-2160 Full Length Research Paper The use of Zimbabwe Open University’s MyVista platform in e-communication, accessing and uploading learning materials, and assessing students’work S. Chirume* and S. Thondhlana Midlands Regional Campus, Zimbabwe Open University, Zimbabwe. Accepted 28 September, 2018 | ABSTRACT
Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) has come up with the technology platform known as MyVista which can be used to fulfil teaching and learning activities online. However, it appeared that when the MyVista platform became fully operational from 2017, both students and staff members faced a lot of challenges. To investigate these challenges, this study employed a qualitative survey with 30 students and 14 staff members of the Midlands Regional Campus, both groups conveniently chosen and asked to respond to aquestaview. Findings showed that students had challenges in using the MyVista platform to register, to ecommunicate with other students and lecturers due to limited resources, due to poor network and due to lecturers not responding to their messages. They also said they needed a lot of constant training, among other things. Lecturers said students often sent wrong assignments, some without links and some which could not open. They also said they needed training on marking and grading assignments, and needed fast and reliable computers with anti-glare screens. The study recommends that ZOU needs to put in place adequate e-learning policies and procedures, adequate computers for the students and make them fast and accessible at all times. ZOU should be innovative by upgrading the ICT materials and the MyVista platform and train all students and staff in the proper use of the ICT facilities, inter alia. There is need to also carry out a similar study in other regional campuses of ZOU.
Keywords: STEM innovation, MyVista platform, e-communication, accessing learning materials, uploading materials, assessing students’work. | | --- | | *Corresponding author. E-mail: [skchirume@gmail.com](skchirume@gmail.com). | INTRODUCTION In this Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) age, every university aspiring to become world-class strives to make its students and lecturers computer literate. They wish that students should be able to communicate online, to download and upload learning materials and to prepare and submit assignments online. Every lecturer is also supposed to upload learning materials, to mark and grade assignments online, among other things. In this regard Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) has come up with the technology tool known as MyVista which can be used to fulfil teaching and learning activities online. MyVista can be accessed from [http://www.myvista.zou.ac.zw. An](http://www.myvista.zou.ac.zw. An) initial evaluation of the implementation of the MyVista in 2015 by Tafangombe and Kaputa (2015) when only the Masters programmes were involved revealed that the students faced challenges when accessing the platform and that students, lecturers and even most Information Technology personnel did not have the capacity to use the MyVista internet based programmes. A study by Chiome (2012) on access and success in e-learning in the ZOU also revealed that while the majority of the students used computer related gargets they did not have access to computers and to e-learning. It also appeared that when the MyVista platform became fully operational as from the year 2017, both students and staff members faced a lot of challenges as reflected by informal discussions with the lecturers and the students. Purpose of the study and Research questions The researchers often observed that students and even some lecturers gave a cold shoulder when the MyVista elearning platform was introduced. Some training was given to both students and lecturers but it would appear that a lot of challen

FAQs

What is the MyVista platform used for at Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU)?

MyVista is used to support teaching and learning activities online, including online communication and the delivery of learning materials and assignments.

What main challenges did students face when using MyVista?

Students reported difficulties with registration, e-communication, and accessing learning materials due to limited resources and poor network, and they also noted that lecturers sometimes did not respond to messages.

What did the study recommend to improve the MyVista e-learning experience?

The study recommends establishing adequate e-learning policies and procedures, providing fast accessible computers, upgrading ICT materials and the MyVista platform, and training students and staff in proper use, with further similar studies in other campuses.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Stanley