Virtualisation Of Course Evaluation Process In Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study Of The University Of Ghana

ABSTRACT The act of student evaluating teaching is a prevailing development in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs). In most HEIs in Africa, students evaluate courses for both summative and formative purposes, that is, to serve as a feedback mechanism to faculty for instructional improvement. The method of evaluating courses is undergoing a tremendous change due to the rapid development in technology. The purpose of this study is to understand why and how higher educational institutions virtualise their course evaluation process, using University of Ghana as a case study. It further seeks to identify the enabling and constraining forces associated with the virtualisation of the course evaluation process. Information Systems Research in HEIs in developing countries is focused on application in learning and teaching (such as e - learning systems) but silent on application in the evaluation of the teaching delivered. This study tends to address this paucity of knowledge, since evaluation of teaching is critical for the sustainability in HEIs. This study employs the use of Kurt Lewin’s Force Field Analysis Model to delve into the driving or enabling and restraining or constraining forces connected to this move. This research was conducted base on the tenets of interpretive paradigm. The study uses a qualitative research method and an interpretive case study in order to achieve the purpose of this research which is to gain complex and detailed understanding of not only “what” but the “why” of the phenomenon under study. The data was analysed by identifying emergent themes to answer “why” higher educational institutions virtualise their course evaluation process. The Kurt Lewin’s force field analysis model was used to analyse and identify the constraining and enabling forces that influence the virtualisation process. The findings suggest that higher educational institutions virtualise their course evaluation in order to reduce processing time, reduce operational cost, internal environmental influences, anonymity and confidentiality and other organisational issues. These findings from the study contribute to the body of knowledge on virtualisation of course evaluation process by outlining the constraining and enabling forces from a developing country perspective. These findings present practical implications to the case institution that, the systems interface should be redesigned for courses to be classified by colleges. The novelty of this study first stems from the being arguably one of the few empirical studies that has been conducted on the virtualisation of the course evaluation process from a developing countries perspective. In addition, the use of Kurt Lewin’s force field analysis model to study both the constraining and enabling forces associated with the virtualisation of course evaluation process enhances knowledge on the effects of these forces in the implementation of an IS in an educational context. Future studies may consider a quantitative approach to test the generalisability of these findings over a wider population of HEIs or explore the effects of context comparing differences in the implementation in public and private HEIs. Further, as course evaluation systems move on to more accessible technologies like mobile phones, future studies should find out which forces will enable or constrain such a process.