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E-learning tools and LMSs, such as Moodle, have been in existence for decades. However, there has been an accelerated use of such platforms due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Higher Education Providers responded to ensure that education was accessible via online platforms to allow lecturers to continue their daily job functions during the pandemic. This study explores these aspects from a lecturer perspective during COVID-19, using constructs from the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework and Unified Theory of Use and Acceptance of Technology (UTAUT-3) theory. This study is based on the pragmatist paradigm. This methodology was deemed appropriate as this study uses a mixed methodology for collecting and analysing qualitative and quantitative data. The objective of the study was to understand the experiences of lecturers using Moodle for e-learning in a learning journey at a Private Distance Higher Education Institution during the pandemic. The results revealed that several lecturers appeared to have adaptation challenges when using Moodle, but thereafter the system performed as expected. Overall lecturers found that Moodle promoted accessibility and performed as expected. The research further revealed that that there was insufficient training and support provided by the institution. Recommendations arising from the findings included, amongst others, upgrading internet packages and investing in backup power supplies to enhance the experience of lecturers in this learning journey. Recommendations for the institution included enhancing support and communication to lecturers especially part-time lecturers as they are not part of the formal institutional structure on a day-to-day basis.  More comprehensive training to lecturers is required to ensure lecturers are adequately equipped to improve online learning and student engagement.

During the COVID-19 pandemic countries all over the world underwent hard lockdowns that limited face-to-face contact in everyday aspects of our lives. Higher Education Providers responded to ensure that education was accessible via online platforms to allow students to continue their studies during the pandemic. Due to this Learning Management Systems (LMSs) were no longer merely used for uploading or downloading content and instead was used for completing online courses including submitting assignments, conducting examinations and lectures. Thus, using an LMS became the only means of survival for many educational intuitions during the pandemic. The study used the qualitative method for collecting and analyzing data by conducting one on one interviews via MS Teams. The objective of the study was to explore which functionalities of Moodle were used for e-learning in a learning journey at a Private Distance Higher Education Institution in a COVID-19 environment and why. Based on this objective, the following research question was posed: Which functionalities of Moodle do lecturers and students use when using Moodle for e-learning in a learning journey and what are the reasons for their choice? The results revealed that despite having multiple functionalities available only limited functionalities were used by both lecturers and students. It was identified that usage on Moodle was motivated by UTAUT-3 constructs such as Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy, Hedonic Motivation and Facilitating Conditions. The research further revealed that students and lecturers may not have understood how to use all the functionalities available hence usage was limited.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of e-learning platforms globally, particularly Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as Moodle, which became essential tools for facilitating online learning in higher education. This study explores the experiences of MBA students using Moodle at a Private Distance Higher Education Institution in a developing country during the pandemic. Drawing on the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT-3), the study employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative data from questionnaires and qualitative data from interviews. Findings revealed that while students faced initial adaptation challenges, Moodle was perceived as a user-friendly, flexible, and cost-effective platform that facilitated their learning experience. However, students encountered significant challenges, including internet connectivity issues and power outages, which impacted their ability to engage fully with the platform. Recommendations include improving internet infrastructure, providing uninterrupted power supplies, and offering enhanced technical support to ensure seamless learning experiences. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on e-learning in developing countries, offering insights into the effectiveness of LMS platforms in distance education and highlighting areas for improvement in future e-learning implementations.

Eruption of the COVID 19 pandemic era in the preceding years has resulted at learning being infused with technology, hence the emergent of new terminologies or prefixes like ‘e’. For the purposes of this paper, eLearning has since been regarded as an essential aspect targeted towards effective schooling. Teaching-learning approaches had to be re-looked at as universities were held in predicaments to engage on online contact sessions through blackboard as a Learning Management System (LMS). This is a software application that necessitates diverse areas, but not limited to, administration, documentation, automation, delivery of educational courses and training programs. It is for this reason that this paper aims to examine whether Blackboard learning has any substantial influence in relation to learner academic attainment. Little is noted by literature on predicaments entangling rural schooling environments for implementation of eLearning. Examination was administered through a qualitative research approach, embedded in a case study design. Three purposefully nominated teachers from a university located in a rural Eastern Cape Province setting were interviewed as participants. It was divulged by the findings that (i) connectivity glitches, thus having an impact on (ii) contact session attendance, as well as (iii) limitation of eLearning related soft skills, were the major hiccups to this emergent learning platform. As authors we therefore conclude that both teachers and learners are held liable to fully acquaint themselves on eLearning, hence the digital world. This paper recommends for alterations and re-inventing of teaching-learning approaches, thereby curbing situations of rural-urban digital variations.