Students make a plan: understanding student agency in constraining conditions

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dc.contributor.authorCzerniewicz, Lauraen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorWilliams, Kevinen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorBrown, Cherylen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-07-29T08:36:52Z
dc.date.available2014-07-29T08:36:52Z
dc.date.issued2009en_ZA
dc.descriptionThis is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in ALT-J Research in Learning Technology of Higher Education in 2009, available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09687760903033058.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractDrawing on Archer's perspectives on the agency/structure relationship, this paper explains situations where students in varied, challenging circumstances find ways to negotiate difficult conditions. It reports on a 2007 study undertaken through a survey at three quite different universities in three South African provinces, addressing inter-related questions on access and use. Our findings are that on-campus access is generally reported favourably, and off-campus access is problematic and uneven. There is a cluster of students using their cell phones to access the Internet, and using their cell phones for academic purposes, and this is true across socio-economic groups (SEGs). It is especially striking that students from low SEGs do so. The findings show the choices students are prepared to make and the strategies which they find in order to engage online or access the Internet to support their studies. Archer's nuanced approach to agency and structure helps us begin to make sense of the way that students exhibit a more complex and nuanced way of engaging with the availability of different kinds of technologies, as well as making considered decisions about using ubiquitous technologies in unexpected ways and for purposes for which they may not have been intended. Her concept of reflexivity provides a way of describing how those choices are made in relation to structural conditions and enables us to explain how students are 'persons' showing an inventive capacity to circumvent the constraints imposed by structures.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationCzerniewicz, L., Williams, K., & Brown, C. (2009). Students make a plan: understanding student agency in constraining conditions. <i>ALT-J Research in Learning Technology</i>, http://hdl.handle.net/11427/3324en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationCzerniewicz, Laura, Kevin Williams, and Cheryl Brown "Students make a plan: understanding student agency in constraining conditions." <i>ALT-J Research in Learning Technology</i> (2009) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/3324en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationCzerniewicz, L., Williams, K., Brown, C. 2009. Students make a plan: understanding student agency in constraining conditions. ALT-J Research in Learning Technology.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn1741-1629en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Journal Article AU - Czerniewicz, Laura AU - Williams, Kevin AU - Brown, Cheryl AB - Drawing on Archer's perspectives on the agency/structure relationship, this paper explains situations where students in varied, challenging circumstances find ways to negotiate difficult conditions. It reports on a 2007 study undertaken through a survey at three quite different universities in three South African provinces, addressing inter-related questions on access and use. Our findings are that on-campus access is generally reported favourably, and off-campus access is problematic and uneven. There is a cluster of students using their cell phones to access the Internet, and using their cell phones for academic purposes, and this is true across socio-economic groups (SEGs). It is especially striking that students from low SEGs do so. The findings show the choices students are prepared to make and the strategies which they find in order to engage online or access the Internet to support their studies. Archer's nuanced approach to agency and structure helps us begin to make sense of the way that students exhibit a more complex and nuanced way of engaging with the availability of different kinds of technologies, as well as making considered decisions about using ubiquitous technologies in unexpected ways and for purposes for which they may not have been intended. Her concept of reflexivity provides a way of describing how those choices are made in relation to structural conditions and enables us to explain how students are 'persons' showing an inventive capacity to circumvent the constraints imposed by structures. DA - 2009 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town J1 - ALT-J Research in Learning Technology LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2009 SM - 1741-1629 T1 - Students make a plan: understanding student agency in constraining conditions TI - Students make a plan: understanding student agency in constraining conditions UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/3324 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/3324
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationCzerniewicz L, Williams K, Brown C. Students make a plan: understanding student agency in constraining conditions. ALT-J Research in Learning Technology. 2009; http://hdl.handle.net/11427/3324.en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisherTaylor & Francisen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyCentre for Higher Education Developmenten_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 International*
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/*
dc.sourceALT-J Research in Learning Technologyen_ZA
dc.source.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09687760903033058
dc.subject.otherstudentsen_ZA
dc.subject.otherArcheren_ZA
dc.subject.otheragencyen_ZA
dc.subject.otherhigher educationen_ZA
dc.subject.otheraccessen_ZA
dc.subject.otheruseen_ZA
dc.subject.otherICTsen_ZA
dc.subject.otherinformation and communication technologiesen_ZA
dc.subject.otherSouth Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.othercell phonesen_ZA
dc.titleStudents make a plan: understanding student agency in constraining conditionsen_ZA
dc.typeJournal Articleen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourcePostprinten_ZA
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