INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGES FACED BY OFFICE MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

A number of studies have been conducted in relation to Information and Communication Technology and the impact thereof on both the basic and higher education sectors. This study focuses specifically on the ICT challenges faced by poorly prepared Office Management and Technology undergraduate students at the Durban University of Technology and the impact thereof on their academic careers. The literature review indicated that the major problem related to the lack of ICT access in basic education is caused by a number of factors, such as the financial capacity of households to equip their children with the best schools and ICT gadgets, infrastructure that enables the implementation and improvement of technology and the basic education syllabus that are outdated and not line with a modern curriculum that matches the fast paced life of technology. The literature revealed that the lack of ICT and the commensurate challenges are purely due to the quality of education students receive. The better and more modern form of education students get, the better are their chances to closing the digital gap between urban and rural communities which significantly visible in tertiary institutions. The results indicate that some of the challenges that students face are understanding the functions of ICT as a whole, which includes basic computer skills such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Lacking these basic skills affects students' performance academically. This study used mixed, (qualitative and quantitative) research methods, including interviews and questionnaire surveys, to collect data from undergraduate Office Management and Technology students who were the target population. Following an in-depth analysis of the results, this study recommends that there should be an integration between basic and higher education. For instance, winter schools or every weekend where grade twelve students who are interested in studying Office Management and Technology at the Durban University of Technology when they finish their matric would be taught basic computer skills to familiarise themselves so that by the time they reach higher education institutions, they are equipped with at least basic ICT skills. The Durban University of Technology can also help with donating old computers to rural schools. Lastly, more emphasis is needed on those students who lack ICT skills in the form of extra classes and tutorials. Furthermore, encouraged they should be open access labs by giving them weekly assignments or tutorials that will require them to use the ICT facilities.