SECTION 2: INTERVIEW RESULTS
4.2.3. Internet connectivity and access
4.2.3.1. Provision of appropriate ICT infrastructure
The state of general Internet connectivity and access at both institutions was remarkably good. All the interviewed respondents (i.e. 10 students and 5 staff members from Unizul and 8 students and 4 staff members from DUT) had Internet access. In terms of infrastructure, Unizul and DUT presently have a number of computer laboratories through which they provide Internet access to students. Access is provided in the main computer laboratories, departmental laboratories, libraries, and a few small rooms or areas provided by departments or centres (e.g. postgraduate facilities in various departments). Each academic member of staff is provided with at least one work station with Internet access. Problems mentioned by the interviewees had more to do with the quality of the electronic services, e.g. Internet connection speed (a result of low bandwidth), laboratories’ ability to deal with growing student populations, and the quality of the facilities (hardware). Although the provision of Internet facilities was fairly impressive, both institutions still lag behind in comparison to other academic institutions in the country, particularly the University of Zululand. Both have not moved significantly forward in offering Internet access in student residences or halls, an initiative that would greatly reduce the congestion that both institutions currently face. The institutions still rely on traditional Internet connection types and have not embarked on or started to use other innovative connection types, such as wireless access. For instance, many students’
residences at Unizul (specifically those that housed postgraduate students) already had
wireless receivers installed, but these hadn’t been activated. Generally, while both institutions have taken commendable measures towards providing appropriate ICT infrastructure to support web information seeking, it appears as though DUT, with its extensive technology and professional orientation, has done much more than the University of Zululand. One progressive area has been its incorporation of web-based learning. The University of Zululand is also taking steps in this direction, although the situation on the ground is more in the direction of ICT-aided teaching and less of web- based learning (e.g. equipping lecture rooms with computers and projectors).
There was also evidence of growing home access and use of the Internet, mainly by academics. The respondents that fell into this category reported satisfaction with their modes of access.
Generally, the respondents called for their parent institutions to put in place and provide access to appropriate ICT infrastructure, which is the backbone of optimal Internet connectivity and ultimately effective web information seeking. As the situation stands, students and staff from both institutions felt that a lot still needs to be done before this milestone can be achieved.
4.2.3.2. Efficiency of Internet connection types/ access types
Respondents were found to rely on cable modem access and regular modem or dial up access more than on any other Internet connection type. Both students and staff were also incredibly unaware of or had very little technical knowledge about how they were connected to the Internet. This made it difficult to assess what particular connection type they used. It was unclear which institution offers better and more efficient Internet connectivity as respondents from both universities were generally unhappy. Suffice to say that whatever the access type, 7 of the 8 students successfully interviewed at DUT were not satisfied compared to 6 of the 10 students from Unizul. More staff members were unhappy at Unizul (4 of 5) than at DUT (2 of 4). Exactly what the respondents were unhappy about could be grouped into three categories: speed/connectivity, access/time, and quality of the facilities. Unizul’s respondents were particularly unhappy with speed
and connectivity, while the DUT respondents were mainly concerned with overcrowding or lack of access. Hardware was found to be fairly up to standard, with pockets of unhappiness here and there.
1. Speed
In terms of speed, respondents unanimously concurred that Internet connections were very slow. 8 of the 10 students interviewed at Unizul felt that the speed of the Internet was very poor. Only 4 of 8 shared similar sentiments at DUT. It is unclear what is behind this, with some citing poor bandwidth and others blaming large volumes of traffic. Poor planning was also cited as a cause. Sharing bandwidth was said to be one of the most common contributory factors to slow access and breaks in communication/transmissions.
This was especially the case when people opted to download large amounts of data, such as films, programmes or music, which often caused congestion and delays or interruptions in access. The respondents believed that the bandwidth available did not realistically correspond with users’ requirements. For this reason, the slow speed encountered when downloading documents was terribly frustrating for both students and staff, even though staff members were in a far better position.Any downloads that they attempted were frequently interrupted by breaks in Internet connectivity.
2. Access/Time
In terms of access or time, some mixed reactions were given by the respondents. Clearly, DUT students were unhappy (7 of 8) with the amount of time they were given to access the web. While most students at Unizul stated that they did not get the chance to access the university facilities owing to overcrowding, lectures/tutorials, and restrictive opening hours, others felt that time was sufficient (4 of 10), arguing that the challenge lay instead in students’ ability to organize themselves within the times provided. For instance, it was observed that the main computer laboratory at Unizul generally closed at 23:00 hours during term, allowing those who wished to work ample time to access the facility at night. Other respondents suggested that the crux of the problem did not necessarily stem from the unavailability of facilities, but rather from lack of access to or hindrances to access at these facilities. However, it should be noted that although fairly impressive, the
facilities’ situation is not one of overabundance but rather of sufficiency. Swelling student numbers are straining these facilities and both institutions are failing to accommodate them. It was felt that the available computer laboratories should not be used for classes; each department should have a separate computer laboratory dedicated to their students. Time limitations remained an issue for academic researchers, with respondents citing research and teaching engagements. This was voiced by several staff members, more so at Unizul than at DUT. However, one member of staff from DUT revealed that in their planning schedules, time was allocated for research. Students appeared to be content and flexible with time, their major worry being lack of access.
3. Quality of facilities (hardware)
The state of the facilities at both institutions was reportedly fairly high. Most academics were provided with modern computers, either a desktop or laptop, while the laboratories contained the latest computers (e.g. Pentium 4s) with the latest operating systems, Microsoft Office packages, and other useful programmes. Respondents also gave the impression that upgrades were frequently conducted.
4.2.3.3. Challenges relating to connection to the Internet/ World Wide Web The main challenge relating to Internet connectivity was cited as retrieval difficulties.
Given that the connection to the Internet was (described as) always either slow or down, respondents said that they often failed to download the documents they required for research, assignments, or the like. It was suggested that both institutions should purchase more bandwidth for improved connectivity.