Investigating First-Year Students' Engagement With Blackboard In The Humanities Faculty At A South African University Of Technology

This study investigated the opinions, difficulties, and recommendations for enhancements of first-year students at a South African University of Technology regarding their use of Blackboard. The study used a phenomenological methodology and interpretivist paradigm to document students' lived experiences, guided by the Technology Acceptance Model 3 (TAM3). Ten first-year Faculty of Humanities students were purposefully chosen to participate in a focus group in order to gather data. The results showed that although Blackboard was largely seen by students as useful and user-friendly, a number of contextual barriers prevented successful involvement. These included limited Wi-Fi access, expensive mobile data, poor loading times, frequent system crashes, a shortage of computers, and inadequate user training. Students recognised the value of Blackboard in enhancing communication and academic performance, but persistent involvement was undermined by uneven instructor participation and insufficient instruction in digital literacy. According to the study's findings, maximising the use of LMSs requires institutional investment in infrastructure, reasonably priced connectivity, and organised digital skills training. In order to close the gap between behavioural intention and actual use, it suggests improving pedagogical integration through interactive material and regular instructor use. Universities may encourage more egalitarian digital learning and stronger student involvement in technology-mediated environments by removing these obstacles.