University of Zululand

Faculty of Arts

Department of Communication Science

HONOURS RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Provisional Topic: The use of YouTube for learning by UNIZULU honors’ students during the Covid19 Lockdown.

Full Name(s) of the Candidate : Precious Zonke Nothando

Student Number : 201453559

Proposed Degree : Honours (Communication Science)

Faculty : Arts

Department : Communication Science

Supervisor : Dr Metso

Co-Supervisor : Prof Rugbeer

Supervisors Dr Metso 8 September 2020

Supervisors Dr Metso 20 October 2020

Head of Department: Dr GM Naidoo 08 October 2020

Faculty of Arts Ethics Committee 020 October 2020

Faculty of Arts Research Committee 020 October 2020

Table of Contents

Contents Page

1. Introduction 1

2. Motivation of the study 1

3. Aim of the study 1

4. Problem statement 2

5. Research objectives 2

6. Research questions 2

7. Review of relevant literature 3

8. The digital divide in South Africa 3

9. YouTube as an eLearning tool 3

10. The advantages and disadvantages of using YouTube for learning 4

11. The role of universities in promoting YouTube for eLearning 4

12. Literature Review 5

12.1. Digital Divide 5

12.2. The advantages and disadvantages of using YouTube for learning 6

12.3. The role of universities in promoting YouTube for eLearning 8

13. Conclusion 11

14. Theoretical Framework 11

15. Research methodology 12

16. Population 12

17. Sampling 12

17. Data Collection Instrument 13

18. Data Analyses and Presentation 13

19. Ethical Considerations 13

20. Resources 14

21. Feasibility of the Study 14

22. Intellectual Property 15

23. Harvesting the Research 15

Declaration by Candidate 16

SUPERVISORS’ DECLARATION 16

Summary 17

Preliminary Chapter Outlines 17

Work Plan and Time Frame 17

Annexure A: Participant Informed Consent Declaration 18

Supervisors’ Declaration 19

Annexure B: Letter of Informed Consent 20

Annexure C: Respondent Statement 21

Annexure D: Access Letter Requesting Permission to Conduct Research 23

Annexure E: Questionnaire for the Community Members Confidential Survey 25

University of Zululand 25

Questionnaire 26

Demarcation and Limitations of the Study 26

Summary 27

Preliminary Chapter Outlines 27

WORK PLAN AND TIME FRAME 27

Bibliography 30

1. Introduction

Any crisis in a nation will always leave its impact on education in the same way or other. Students’ right to education is threatened at times of crisis is a consequences of a natural disaster like Covid19. The Covid19 outbreak across the globe has forced the educational institution to shift to online teaching mode to ensure continuity of teaching-learning and assessment process (Zoyapragasassarazan, 2020).

The development of media in the form of learning videos uploaded on YouTube channel is expected to be able to provide solution. YouTube can also be a source for learning apart from being a medium of entertainment and news.

The closure of educational institutions due to preventive measures against the spread of covid-19 has affected the education, well-being, and functioning of all parties involved and benefiting from educational systems in the world .While the process of shifting learning to a remote or online learning has already became part of many educational institution in different part in the world, a number of factors related to the quality of educational institutions, teachers, parents and students, in conjunction with changes to their emotional state are assumed to be contributing factors that may affect the quality of remote or online learning, teacher performances (Duraku, 2020).

2. Motivation of the study

Communication science focuses on a way messages influence human thinking including speech, gesture, and telecommunication system, publishing and broadcasting media. Communication is a process of exchanging a message between a sender and a receiver, if the process breaks down, communication will fail. YouTube is a medium because it provides connection between videos and audience. Therefore the honours students are the receiver of the information/ message.

The communication principles can assist in this matter for example if we take one of the principles which is the principle of clarity, we learned that whatever that is being demonstrated in YouTube is clear in a way that the receiver or audience could understand the same thing which the sender want to convey, both the lectures and students can understand the message that is being send.

3. Aim of the study

The primary intention of this study is to examine if honours student can get an access to YouTube during Covid-19 lockdown and are able to take full advantage of it by adapting to the suddenly shifting to online teaching mode.

4. Problem statement

Having a tool but not being able to use the tool became a problem. Although some Unizulu honours students may have the tools which are laptops and smart phones to watch online educational videos, the tool became useless because they can’t use them due to data affordability or same are battling with network connectivity. Some students are from rural areas, townships and suburbs which means that all of them they encounter different problems this is where I see digital divide taking place.

5. Research objectives Too many objectives, I suggest you reduce them to a minimum of 3 objectives.

The objectives of the study are as follows:

1. To determine how the students get data to use their smartphone.

2. To determine whether honors students have access to YouTube

3. To determine the amount of time an average honors student spends watching YouTube for entertainment.

4. To determine the amount of time an average honors student spends watching YouTube get clarity on issues that need to be understood for the honors study.

5. To determine the pros and cons of using YouTube for learning

5. To determine the pros and cons of using YouTube for learning.

6. To determine the alignment of the use of YouTube by students according to the constitution of the university.

6. Research questions

The following questions, which are derived from the objectives above, will be used to compile the main questionnaire:

1.How do you (student) get data to use your smart phone at home (during lockdown)?

2.Do you have access to YouTube at home?

3.How often do you use YouTube for entertainment at home?

4.How often do you use YouTube at home to understand something related to your study (for e.g. How to do electronic referencing)?

5.If applicable what were the advantages of using YouTube for learning at home?

6.If applicable what were the disadvantages of using YouTube for learning at home?

7.Does your university promote the use of You Tube for learning?

8.Does your University subsidize the use of YouTube for learning at home?

7. Review of relevant literature

The literature review is broken down into topics which relate to the objectives of the study. For each objective, you should create ONE Literature Review Topic (Sometimes you may have to create two Literature Review Topics for CERTAIN objectives). Literature review topics. Which are aligned to the objectives of the study will be examined. These include

1.The digital divide in South Africa

2.YouTube as an eLearning tool

3.The advantages and disadvantages of using YouTube for learning

4.The role of universities in promoting YouTube for eLearning

8. The digital divide in South Africa

The digital divide is the gap that exists between individual who have access to modern information and communication technology and those who lack access. There are three key stages that influence digital inequality worldwide, the first I gender divide, social divide and universal divide (Steele, 2019).

According to Gibson (2019) as one of the most unequal society in the world, many historical disadvantaged south Africans still experienced an overwhelming lack of access to basic service, skills training, and employment opportunities. Digital divide exist not just only between those people with and without internet access. A divide also exist between those people without internet access.

9. YouTube as an eLearning tool

According to Burns (2016) states that YouTube is so much more than music videos and clips of animal doing tricks. It contains engaging informative content at all levels. This video hosting site gives teachers the opportunity to take students around the world, listen to expert on a topic, or hear an explanation for a new idea.

YouTube is a treasure trove of education content that can turn a one dimensional lesson into an interactive that really taps into the imagination of students. YouTube triggers interest and unique discussion, especially the stories that are reported buy two different news station can be a great way for students to students to deconstruct and impact of competing broadcasters (educational app store).

10. The advantages and disadvantages of using YouTube for learning

YouTube is one of the two edged sword which one side is good and another side is bad but it depends on the purpose of the user if they use in wrong ways there will get back the bad feedback and if they use it in a good way they will learn the good feedback.

According to Brandon (2017) YouTube is free anyone can have an access to it whenever they want to have it, wherever you are in the world you can access the videos that are uploaded for educational purposes without even have a need to have a Google account. The disadvantage of using YouTube is that one need to have an internet connection to access it. If you do not have a cellular data connection and there is no internet connection in a classroom there is no way to utilize YouTube for education.

11. The role of universities in promoting YouTube for eLearning

Video learning holds an important place in the new learning environment of higher education and has helped to reinvent the way people learn. Video is a powerful way to build and maintain student engagement in classrooms and to ensure that learning can take place at a deeper level (Romaniuk, 2018).

Videos can be as good as an instructor in communicating facts or demonstrating procedure to assist in mastery learning where a student can view complex clinical or mechanical procedure as many times as they need (Galbraith, 2004). According to Willmot (2014) there is a strong evidence that digital video reporting can inspire and engage students when incorporated into student centre learning activity through, increased student motivation, enhanced learning experience.

12. Literature Review

12.1. Digital Divide

The digital divide goes a long way it is distinguished into two categories, which are those who have access to the latest technology which is the use of the Internet, and those who don't have access to the latest technology. Those who have access can fully take advantage of opportunities in a digital economy while others can not (Gibson, 1990).

Although South Africa is considered a developing country, a country that has access to everything but the truth remains not everyone has access to the Internet. The majority who stays in rural areas haven't even seen a laptop with their eyes or even touching it, how do we expect that they may know about the latest technology and the usage of social media platform? South Africa is battling against COVID-19 epidemic and everyone is urged to use a sanitizer and those who have smart phones were able to Google and find more information about COVID-19 but those who stay in rural areas didn't have an idea what is COVID or sanitizer because they don't have access to the internet to learn more about it, no smart phones or even television to watch the news, with what the researcher has seen and observed this where she finds digital division occur in South Africa, being in the same country, having same rights but still we are digitally divided.

The advantages that unizulu student has on campus is that they have access to free Wi-Fi, computer labs which give them allowances to be able to communicate with their classmates by sharing the important information which may be assignments or projects and also they can be able to communicate with their lecturers. Therefore, we are all seeing as equal. They are no sign of the digital divide among us because everyone is given the same privilege.

Students who stay in the suburbs have malls that offer free Wi-Fi, internet café, and parks where the municipality offers free Wi-Fi they can stay there and complete their school works. In townships-sometimes the situation can be the same as those who stay in rural areas because they rely on municipality library which will provide them with Wi-Fi and some rely on their grandparent's grants pension to buy data to get access to the internet. The students who stay in the rural area especially in deep rural places like Nongoma and Inkandla and who walk 60-70km to travel to town to get access to the internet makes life more difficult, although they may have students founds, smart phones and laptops they became useless because they cannot use them due to network connectivity. Some of them also rely on their grandparent's pension grant which is also not enough to buy those data since the money in which they receive the buy basic things like food.

Lockdown has affected everyone. Honours students who are not financially founded face a serious challenge, we rely on school Wi-Fi and labs to get our works done but due to lockdown life has become difficult. To communicate with our lecturers, we need data to communicate with them. This is where digital divide among unizulu honours student take place, we are from different places some of us are from urban areas, Townships and rural areas some of us afford to buy data some of us can’t some of us rely on our parent’s monthly income to buy data to get access to the Internet which we may get it on month-end which means that the messages we get from our lectures we can only be able to get access when we are online. The pressure is high and as an honours student, we have to make it work at some point to deliver what is expected of us from our lecture, the researcher calls it the survival of the fittest, some of us can’t cope because of the situation we are in back home.

The constitution of South Africa emphasizes on equality, everyone is equal but the question remains, can we say that those honours students who stay in a rural area who faces network connectivity and are unable complete and send their assignments have the same privileges of getting access to the Internet with those who are staying in urban areas? Whom they have Wi-Fi at their home and can afford to buy data, should the digital division needs to be closed? Does it portray inequality and what should be done for everyone to feel equal? They are those who stay in a rural area that has a Smartphone but what about those who are poor and they cannot afford to buy themselves smart phones?

12.2. The advantages and disadvantages of using YouTube for learning

The usage of YouTube for learning by university students is mixed with its advantages comes with disadvantages and vice versa. YouTube plays a vital role to educate at the same time entertain students to improve academically and improved for the better (Sheppard & copper, 1982).

YouTube serves as edutainment for students. Nothing that excites us to watch videos on YouTube that are educating than to study them on a hardcopy of a book. By watching these videos, it creates a strong memory for student and it becomes difficult to forget what you have watched it also prepared student to be able to answer questions regarding the videos that they were watching (Romaniuk, 2018).

According to Romaniuk (2018) YouTube serves as an outlet for creativity. Once students become familiar with how YouTube is used they can create a short video regarding the particular assignments given to them, they can even write a short poem about a particular module that usually gives them a problem in return to those who have an idea or know about it. Regardless of complaining about using data to get access to YouTube, the student may download YouTube on their laptop or smart phones and save many educating videos which has been shared by their lectures during the class lessons as much as they can, then later they can watch it at any place they want to watch it regardless of the place they might be in, whether they encounter network connectivity they will not face a problem (Pappas, 2018).

According to Pappas (2018) YouTube can be used as a word of mouth or to raise awareness among university students. Being a university student is not an easy thing especially if you are new at the institution, YouTube then serves as a voice of warning, encouraging and also helping new students to deal with the pressure of being in a new institution, students may post small videos and share their experiences about how it was for them being new at the university and how they have conquered the fear of being in an unknown place through that many students may benefit and they can learn more about it

Increase intellectual capacity-students intellectual may rise to another level because they will want to find out what more can YouTube be a medium toward them than just only a tool when it convenient

It a platform for student to explore and also learn about different things for example when you are called for an interview and they are questions that are asked one must know how to answer those questions, therefore YouTube provides those videos or posters about how one has to conduct him or herself during the interviews (Pappas, 2018).

The exploitation of Careers-YouTube creates that eager for the student to know which steps to take to be successful for example if you want to be a doctor, the videos are being posted to make people aware of what they want to become and how they should conduct themselves (Pappas, 2018).

The good thing also comes with a bad thing or vice versa. YouTube can be a disadvantage to students in the following ways: Posting inappropriate videos, may post videos that may destroy the reputation of the university which may cause harm in the long run. Loss of concentration-distraction among university students are investable it something that we cannot escape from and YouTube is also contributing to that, instead of dedicating our time and afford on YouTube learning about the important things that will benefit us in preparing for exams we watch videos that are not going to help us at all like music videos, it also makes us forget about our surroundings and procrastinate in a way that during the past it would never have happened.

Addiction-students became addicted to YouTube in which it may pose a threat to their health e.g. back pains due to the use of watching YouTube videos for a long period in a wrong posture, irregular sleep patterns, mood swings, continuous strains for eyes and mental stress and depression. These issues can lead to a loss of focus on their studies and can seriously affect their future (Pappas, 2018). You have cited this author several times now, it shows that your literature search is limited.

Insufficient data-university student life does not revolve around the campus, we have holidays where we have to go back to our home and maybe during those holidays we are given assignments that need to be completed via YouTube and they don't have data to get access to it and this makes life difficult for them.

Network connectivity-some students live in deep rural areas like kwaNongoma where there are poor network connectivity and it’s something that is beyond their control (Pappas, 2018).

12.3. The role of universities in promoting YouTube for eLearning

The role of the university is to equipped students and further their education. The introduction of YouTube as a tool for online learning during lockdown will never match the real thing which is the campus life, the privileges of having a lecturer in front of students

Corona virus has an outbreak in the country, what student has seen as a real thing which is a face to face interaction will never have matched in quality by other modes of communication. Face to face interaction has been and remain to be the model that works best for university students although online learning has been introduced due the pandemic COVID 19 which has frustrated the life of students has made life difficult (Lau, Yang & Dasgupta, 2020).

Watching an online video and being in a class where the lecturer is in front of you is a different thing because when you are watching a video the is an insight that you cannot have access to it, but in a class where every member of a class is presented makes learning and lessons more interesting, you appreciate the views and questions that are asked and shared concerning the topic. University environment premises is the key to understanding.

Although online education may create unhealthy graduates and create interpersonal communication, at the same time the online learning keeps us in tune with what seems to be behind us, it keeps us alert about our surroundings and to be able to adjust with any changes that we might encounter during our studies. Therefore, to keep up with our studies YouTube serves as a medium of communication between lecturers and students (Pappas, 2014).

The introduction of YouTube for eLearning at the university can be managed, the students can take control of their learning because they can save the videos that they were watching and on their leisure time they can move forward, backward to rematch the video for the second (Pappas, 2014). According to Pappas (2018) the promotion of YouTube for ELearning persuade a student to think beyond a problem and try to find a solution towards that particular problem, in other words, it makes them be more alert and increase their intellectual capacity to the extent where the can find a solution to every question.

Videos can be as good as an instructor, the lecturer may not be in front of students but the video can play the role of being a lecture because it can also demonstrate more about the lesson being tough by making a relevant example. With this, the student develops problem-solving skills and elastic thinking skills (Pappas, 2014).

Through this, students became motivated to explore more and discover things that may make their online studying more meaningful and exciting at the same time. By being motivated their focus shift and focus more on their studies to improve their academic performances.

Creates learning environment-although we are facing lockdown but it doesn't stop students to study, YouTube bridge that gap, lectures can set certain time whereby everyone can be online as a class and start teaching as much as it can they can, it may become difficult to some students because it is something that they are not familiar with or due to internet connection (Pappas, 2014).

Self-expression-online teaching creates a platform where students who are typically shy about speaking in public benefit from online teaching because they can be able to express what they have watched in writing than speaking, so here so here everyone benefit (Romaniuks, 2018). To put ease to student-battling against COVID-19 has frustrated the life of students, online videos serve as ease o limit that, students get an opportunity to be taught in those videos by their lecturer, through that their mind can be preoccupied because they will have something to do during the lockdown.

Universities do not only equipped students with knowledge but serve as a preparatory stage for them to be able to deal with what may come whether during their studies at the university or their workplace. Lockdown has proven that although we were not prepared that they will be a time where students have to study online because of certain things but we have knowledge of how to use YouTube to get access to what they need. Elearning doesn't just minimize or try to bridge a gap of not being inside the university lecturer’s halls but serves as a substitute or medium to keep education going and save the academic year

According to Romaniuks (2018) the role of YouTube in e-learning is to add dynamic elements to ELearning courses, improve knowledge, and improve knowledge transfer. Lecturers can use YouTube to introduce a topic to students and explain online activities and this can make learning more fun and meaningful because of both the lecturer and the student's benefits. Freedom of expression- students are free to express their views regarding what they have been taught and they can comment on it without receiving pressure from anyone but according to their free will they can do that. This offers a platform where a strong relationship can be built. Lectures can also extend the discussion to hear different viewpoints regarding what they have just listen (Romaniuk, 2018).

To put ease to student-battling against COVID-19 has frustrated the life of students, online videos serve as ease to limit that, students get an opportunity to be taught in those videos by their lecturer, through that their mind can be preoccupied because they will have something to do during the lockdown.

Universities do not only equipp students with knowledge but serve as a preparatory stage for them to be able to deal with what may come whether during their studies at the university or their workplace. Lockdown has proven that although we were not prepared that they will be a time where students have to study online because of certain things but we have a knowledge of how to use YouTube to get access to what they need.

ELearning doesn't just minimize or try to bridge a gap of not being inside the university lecturer’s halls but serves as a substitute or medium to keep education going and save the academic year

According to Romaniuks (2018) the role of YouTube in e-learning is to add dynamic elements to ELearning courses, improve knowledge, and improve knowledge transfer. Lecturers can use YouTube to introduce a topic to students and explain online activities and this can make learning more fun and meaningful because of both the lecturer and the student's benefits.

Freedom of expression- students are free to express their views regarding what they have been taught and they can comment on it without receiving pressure from anyone but according to their free will they can do that. This offers a platform where a strong relationship can be built. Lectures can also extend the discussion to hear different viewpoints regarding what they have just listen (Romaniuk, 2018).

13. Conclusion

This chapter provided an overview of what other scholars perceived about the nexus between YouTube and learning. Some of the important issues raised are, YouTube video learning is here to stay it serves as a medium between students and lecturers, keeps education going and both students and lecturers can benefit from this, it also increases the intellectual capacity of students because what they have to watch remain in their mind and it seems impossible to forget about it. Poor network connectivity, students may have the tools that are needed which are laptops, data, and smart phones but due to network connectivity, they may miss online classes.

14. Theoretical Framework

Theoretical framework is the structure that can hold or support a theory of a research study. It introduces and describes the theory which explains why the research under study exists. The theoretical framework must demonstrate an understanding of theories and concept that are relevant to the topic of your research paper (William, 2006). The study is relevant because theoretical framework strengthen the study by permitting the reader to evaluate them critically; it connects the researcher to existing knowledge guided by relevant theory.

Having a theory helps you to identify the limits to that generalization. A theoretical framework specifies which key variables influence a phenomenon of interest and highlights the need to examine how those key variables might differ and under what circumstances. (Freytag & young 2018).

15. Research methodology

This chapter outlines the path in which the researchers go through in order to conducts their research, the following sub topics will be discuss in these study which are: research methods, objectives of the study, population, sampling, data collection instrument, data analysis and interpretation, ethical consideration Research methodology is the specific procedure or techniques used to identify, select, process and analyse information about a topic. In research paper, the methodology section allows the reader to critically evaluate a study’s overall validity and reliability. The methodology section answers two main questions: How was the data collected or generated? How was it analysed?

The commonly used research methods in communication science are, quantitative, qualitative, and rhetorical. The methods that will be used in this study are quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative methods seek to establish knowledge through the use of numbers and measurements, whereas qualitative employ a variety of different methodologies which are interviews, focus group, and participant observation. This research method was chosen because each methodology has its own merits, and they often work well together.

16. Population

A research population is generally a large collection of individual or objects that is the main focus of a scientific query. It is for the benefit of the population that researches are done. However due to the large sizes of population, researchers often cannot test every individual in the population because it is too expensive and time consuming (Blakstad, 2020). The main population of this study are the university of Zululand honours student. State/ estimate the total number of students at the University of

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