Exploring undergraduate students’ perceptions and experiences of learning management systems in a rural South African university: a qualitative inquiry

Abstract

The study focuses on the experiences of undergraduate students with Learning Management Systems (LMSs) at a rural South African university, where digital pedagogy is constrained by infrastructural limitations, socio-cultural diversity, and historical inequalities. In line with qualitative design and based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), 20 students from different faculties were interviewed. Thematic analysis identified low LMS adoption due to limited digital literacy, internet access, and device availability. These barriers notwithstanding, mutual aid and student agency provide critical enabling factors. Participants feel that materials ought to be culturally relevant, multilingual, and designed with student participation in curriculum development. The LMSs were perceived as opening avenues of greater inclusivity in education; however, systemic and pedagogical limitations offset these opportunities. This contribution to the discourse on digital equity draws on perspectives on socio-technical and epistemic factors that shape LMS use in a rural higher education setting and offers propositions for inclusive, student-oriented innovation.