Curriculum delivery in rural universities

A qualitative analysis of learning management system adoption through the lenses of technology acceptance and social justice

Abstract

Higher education institutions now depend on learning management systems to deliver their academic programs. Implementing them poses challenges in rural areas and at universities serving historically marginalised communities. This study investigates how undergraduate students use a learning management system to access their curriculum materials at a rural university serving historically marginalised students in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study investigates students' access to digital learning materials through perceptions of system usefulness and operational simplicity, platform access and educational equality, and system participation. The researchers used a qualitative research approach to conduct semi-structured interviews with forty undergraduate students who used the institutional Learning Management System. The researchers used thematic analysis to examine the research material. The findings show that students understand the pedagogical benefits of learning management systems, as they help them access study materials, submit their work, and continue their studies. The research identified multiple structural and economic obstacles which hinder students from adopting the system. Students face obstacles such as inconsistent internet service, expensive data plans, and restricted access to digital tools. Their educational institutions provide different levels of assistance. The existing limits create ongoing access problems that prevent students from fully participating in academic programs, even though institutions have promised to develop digital learning systems. The research shows that educational institutions should balance their technological needs with their social responsibility to develop equitable learning environments, as users receive educational content through learning management systems. The article concludes that meaningful integration of learning management systems in rural universities requires not only user-focused technological design but also sustained structural interventions.