LINKING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TO ACHIEVE TECHNOLOGY ENHANCED LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Higher education institutions (HEIs) increasingly use technology-enhanced learning
(TEL) environments (e.g. blended learning and e-learning) to improve student
throughput and retention rates. As the demand for TEL courses increases, expectations
rise for faculty to meet the challenge of using TEL effectively. The promises that TEL
holds have not yet materialized, as not enough faculty master the skills and knowledge to
integrate TEL into their teaching and learning. The role of emotional intelligence (EI) in
attaining TEL in e-learning and blended learning environments is not yet clear. This
article reports a case study at a South African university where the former Department of
Telematic Education introduced a program to prepare faculty for the implementation of
TEL for ODL. This research explores and describes links between emotional intelligence
and faculty’s ability to cope with new learning technologies. The purposive sampling
comprised ten participants who completed a set of e-activities. A mixed methods
approach triangulated the findings which provided insight into the coping tactics
participants used to accomplish TEL for ODL. Five trends emerged: perception of
adequate ability, cognitive decision making; perception of stressful situations; emotional
disclosure; and social networking. Although the study identified links between emotional
intelligence and coping strategies, the interdependency of coping strategies and
emotional intelligence remains elusive.