Can e-Learning Enable the Transition to University for Computing and Electronic Engineering Students from Low Socio-Economic Status? A Socio-Cultural Approach

Abstract

Students enrolling to university holding vocational qualifications to study Computer Science and Electronic Engineering struggle to adapt to the requirements of academic life. As a result, they show higher dropout rates and perform less well than the sector-adjusted average. Following a socio-cultural approach, we present a practice-based ethnographic study of an e-learning initiative at a Russell Group University in the UK aiming to enable the transition of students holding Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) qualifications. We look beyond “access” issues around e-learning and instead focus on the university’s organizational implementation efforts and the ways students engage with e-learning. Our findings show that although the online module could potentially enable students to actively engage in developing their personal and professional identity, the university struggled to embed it in their strategy and organizational practices