Abstract
This thesis reports on a literature survey followed by an internet-based enquiry into
best practices in academic support, with particular reference to the use of information
and communication technology. It was found that higher education is a rapidly changing environment in which there is a constant demand for support, some of which may be provided by information technology. Learning organisations, however, need to be grown within the reality of existing attitudes and learning cultures. The
reasons cited for failure of current methodologies are: understaffing/time constraints,
money/budgetary limitations, faculty too busy or disinterested, perceived credibility/non-academic status of development practitioners and the perceived level of importance of teaching.
No single solution will satisfy everybody; nor do simplistic answers or options exist.
Four issues seem to stand out. They include the willingness of staff to be involved in
developmental interventions (receptivity), the availability, clarity and accessibility of
information (lucidity), the need for networking (dependency) and the use of technology.
It would seem that these aspects are interrelated in that the relative levels of receptivity, lucidity and dependency may determine the degree of technological intricacy that staff are likely to tolerate as a medium through which to channel
organisational learning interventions.
© 2001 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria
Please cite as follows:
Steyn, AB 2001, Creating a learning organisation, using information technology, PhD thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-10172005-141454
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