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The Data-Free Moya Messenger
Application: Online Accounting Tutoring
in a Large Class
Fazlyn Petersen and Ronald Arendse
University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
Fapetersen@uwc.ac.za, Rarendse@uwc.ac.za
Abstract: There is an increased need for more accessible technological options for students,
especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. The literature indicates a prevalent digital divide
due to the exclusion of students based on their socioeconomic status and their ability to
access the internet. Student inclusion can be aided using applications that do not use data
(data-free). The South African mobile instant messenger, the Moya Messenger application,
is data-free. Using ethnographic research, the Moya Messenger application was piloted in a
large accounting class of 495 undergraduate students and 15 tutors during the Covid-19
pandemic. It allowed the lecturer to set up groups for students and tutors to facilitate online
tutoring. The Moya Messenger application allowed students to engage with peers and
tutors, data-free. The research used the framework for the extraction of lessons learned as
a theoretical model. Tutors’ feedback was analysed using thematic content analysis.
Students’ feedback from the course evaluation was analysed using descriptive statistics. The
findings for implementing this alternative to the popular WhatsApp option showed positive
outcomes. The positive outcomes were due to students having access to tutors, even
without data. Most students (79,47%) indicated that the tutor was available and helpful.
Tutors indicated that the use of voice notes assisted students in understanding course
concepts. Students agreed or strongly agreed (70,2%) that the course allowed them to fully
participate. However, at the time of implementation, the application was not yet available
to students who used Apple devices. Recommendations for implementing this application in
other large classes are to provide a training guide to students. The implementation of the
Moya Messenger application will aid students’ learning more if the sending of attachments
also did not require data.
Introduction
“No student should be left behind. Students who have no study gadgets or
internet connectivity should not be treated as though they are the cause of
#Covid_19. We will ensure that we take all students along”
The South African Deputy Higher Education Minister, Buti Manamela (Khumalo,
2020).
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The need for “inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong
learning opportunities for all” is highlighted by the fourth Sustainable Development
Goal (SDG) (United Nations, 2017). During the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a need
for more accessible technological options for students. Target 4.5 in the fourth SDG
supports the elimination of all discrimination in education (UNESCO, 2016),
however, there is a prevalent digital divide in South Africa (Statistics South Africa,
2018). The digital divide excludes students based on their socioeconomic status and
their ability to access the internet (Cinnamon, 2020).
Access to the internet and devices are important considerations when emergency
remote learning was implemented during Covid at tertiary institutions, as indicated
by the South African Deputy Higher Education Minister. Despite the growing
penetration of mobile phones in South Africa, the number of households with
internet access remains low (10.1%) (Statistics South Africa, 2018). The statistics
also indicate that 86.9% of South African households used mobile phones
exclusively and therefore the cost of data needs to be reviewed (Statistics South
Africa, 2018). Mobile companies such as MTN and Vodacom operate in several
African countries. The average cost of 1 gigabyte (GB) of Vodacom data in South
Africa is higher ($7.83) than in other African countries, such as Mozambique ($2.19)
(Healing, 2019).
Mobile operators have zero-rated institutional electronic learning management
systems (eLMS) during Covid as part of the State of Emergency being declared in
South Africa (Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, 2020).
Zero-rating means that students do not need data to access educational resources.
The cost of zero-rating is borne by the mobile operators. The University of the
Western Cape uses iKamva, an eLMS built on the Sakai platform (University of the
Western Cape, 2020). iKamva allows students to engage in synchronous and
asynchronous learning (CEICT, 2019). Synchronous learning allows students to
engage in real-time, however, it is more data-intensive. Using the BigBlueButton on
iKamva for video conferencing is an example of synchronous learning, however,
this functionality is currently not zero-rated. Asynchronous learning is not in real-
time and is less data intensive. iKamva functionality such as discussion forums are
forms of asynchronous learning. Students can use this functionality at a convenient
time, but the feedback or responses is not immediate (CEICT, 2019). Discussion
forums are zero-rated and more inclusive as students without data will still be able
to access them.
It must be highlighted that the current zero-rating of institutional learning
management systems, will not remain indefinitely, especially as the State of
Emergency was lifted in South Africa on 5 April 2022 (South African Government,
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2022). Mobile operators will no longer be compelled to provide access to
institutions’ eLMS at their cost.
Infrastructure
The research used the framework for the extraction of lessons learned as a
theoretical model, as indicated in Figure 1 (Balie & Immink, 2009).
Figure 5: The framework for the extraction of lessons learned (Source: Balie &
Immink, 2009)
In the initial situation, tertiary institutions, especially those whose students are
predominantly of lower socioeconomic status, needed to consider providing
students with more accessible technological options for students, especially during
the Covid-19 pandemic. When lockdown commenced, the rapid move to remote
learning highlighted existing inequalities (Czerniewicz et al., 2020). The need to
engage students via synchronous learning became evident, in the absence of face-
to-face engagement.
The primary objective was to provide some synchronous communication with
students so that learning could continue online. The initial interventions included
the use of existing platforms, such as iKamva. The University of the Western Cape’s
eLMS was not zero-rated at the commencement of level five lockdown. The lack of
zero-rating meant that students may not have received the necessary
communication and resources due to a lack of either network, data, or devices. The
Accounting lecturer initially created WhatsApp groups with students and tutors,
however, this was also limited to students who had data.
Students without data were excluded and as a result, a data-free MIM option was
tested among lecturers in the Accounting and Information Systems department.
Data-free it “means no data is taken from your airtime or data bundle balance. To
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use data-free apps you need to keep your mobile data turned on. As long as you
are on a partnered mobile network operator such as Vodacom or MTN in South
Africa, data-free applications will not use any of your airtime or data balance.
However, other applications on mobile phones may use some data. The results of
testing the data-free Moya Messenger application were promising. Ten tests were
performed to determine the accessibility and usability Moya Messenger application
(Petersen, 2020). Ninety per cent of the tests conducted, such as testing for access,
were achieved (Petersen, 2020).
As part of the intervention process, it was envisaged that student inclusion could
be aided using a data-free application such as the South African MIM, the data-free
Moya Messenger application (Petersen, 2020). The Moya application is designed
by biNu and has a similar interface to WhatsApp (refer to Figure 2) (biNu, 2020).
The Moya application is available via the Google Play Store
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nu.bi.moya&referrer=utm_source
%3Ddatafree%26utm_medium%3Dwebsite.
Using ethnographic research, the Moya Messenger application was piloted in a
large first-year accounting class of 495 undergraduate students and 15 tutors at the
commencement of the Covid-19 pandemic. The application allows data-free
messaging and voice notes to be sent. It also allows groups to be created (biNu,
2020). The creation of groups, by the accounting lecturer, allows tutors and
lecturers to engage with students even if they do not have data.
Figure 6: Moya data-free application interface
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The data collection was completed at the end of the 2021 academic year and used
purposive sampling. Qualitative data was collected from the lecturer via a reflective
exercise and the tutors via an online survey and discussions, given Covid-19
restrictions. Students’ quantitative feedback was obtained from the course
evaluation. The course evaluation was created using Google Forms with a 5-point
Likert scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree). The sample size was 151 students,
representing a 30.5% response rate. The course evaluation results analysed the
students’ evaluation of using the Moya MIM. The course evaluation results were
analysed using descriptive statistics.
Part of the intervention process included onboarding tutors. The accounting
lecturer held a meeting with the tutors via Google Meets. The lecturer explained
the need to connect with the unconnected students by using the Moya MIM.
Tutors’ buy-in was obtained as they confirmed that some students were not joining
the WhatsApp tutorials due to data issues. An agreement was reached to use Moya
MIM as an alternative, data-free solution to WhatsApp. Students would therefore
still be able to obtain important and urgent messages even without data. Students
would also be able to connect with tutors and peers.
The first semester was a survival process and anything additional, such as using a
new MIM, seemed to overwhelm first-year students. Lecturers and tutors
continued using iKamva and WhatsApp. Moya MIM was downloaded by the
lecturer and tutors, although it was not available to tutors who were using Apple
devices. It must be highlighted that downloading the Moya MIM still requires 15.8
MB of data (biNu, 2020). The first step was to create groups with tutors and
students. Students were added using their names and cell phone numbers,
collected by the lecturer before lockdown. In the initial implementation, the Moya
MIM focused primarily on engaging students who were not responding via
WhatsApp.
In the second semester, it was decided to implement the Moya app to use as part
of the tutorial programme instead of WhatsApp again. UWC students were still
dealing with data, network, and device issues at this point, however, this was not
unique to UWC. The lecturer and tutors reinstalled the Moya MIM to have all the
tutors and lecturers using the MIM. Groups of students were allocated to tutors
and groups were created for each tutor. The links with instructions on how to join
tutor groups were sent via email.
The aim of using the Moya MIM was to conduct tutorials via Moya instead of
WhatsApp. Students were divided into groups of 25 – 30. Each tutor was assigned
one group to conduct online tutorials. During online tutorial groups, students and
tutors would work through a tutorial question on a Thursday morning for an hour,
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via chats, voice notes, images and videos. The creation of groups posed some
challenges that will be highlighted in the proceeding section.
The challenges
During the intervention process, challenges became evident. First-year students
were not familiar with the eLMS nor learning completely online. To avoid
overwhelming first-year students a phased-in approach was implemented with
limited technology use.
A tutor also indicated that they had trouble switching to tutoring exclusively online
as they preferred tutoring face-to-face. Tutors struggled to download and become
familiar with the MIM functionality initially. Three of the fifteen tutors used Apple
phones and therefore could not download the Android MIM from the Google Play
Store.
Issues were experienced when trying to create groups and have an administrator
assigned. When several students tried joining the groups simultaneously, it caused
the groups to become unresponsive. The issues were resolved by tutors sending
the links to smaller groups daily. The process took a week to complete but limited
the number of students joining concurrently.
The use of the Moya MIM required WiFi or mobile data to be switched on, although
users are not charged for data used for text messages or voice notes when using
the application. Despite the Moya MIM being data-free it still required network
access; however, this is limited in more rural South African areas. Sending chats and
voice notes were data-free but sending attachments and video was not (biNu,
2020). Students were notified of the size of the attachments and could decide
whether they wanted to download them.
How the initiative was received by tutors and students
As per the research model, the final situation allowed the outcome of the
implementation to be assessed. Tutors were eager to engage with the students and
adapted quickly to using the Moya MIM instead of WhatsApp for online tutoring.
The quick adaption was expected as tutors were senior students and were
comfortable using technology and devices, unlike the first-year students.
Tutors indicated that it was easier to use the Moya MIM when they were familiar
with the course content. Using Moya MIM functionality allowed tutors to use voice
notes and pictures to explain the content. The use of pictures allowed tutors to
show students how to perform calculations, however, sending pictures was not
zero-rated. The finding is supported by.83,44% of students who indicated that the
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tutor was effective and displayed good knowledge of the materials taught in the
course evaluation (refer to Table 1).
Table 2 Tutor effectiveness
The tutor was effective and displayed
good knowledge of taught material
Strongly disagree
2,65%
Disagree
1,99%
Neutral
11,92%
Agree
41,06%
Strongly agree
42,38%
Grand Total
100,00%
Tutors indicated the benefit of using Moya MIM, “Students could go over the work
afterwards as the messages are still there as opposed to face-to-face classes”.
Based on the results from Table 2, students (78,81%) indicated that tutors provided
prompt feedback and results.
Table 3 Tutor providing feedback and results
The tutor provided prompt feedback and
results
Strongly disagree
3,31%
Disagree
1,32%
Neutral
16,56%
Agree
35,10%
Strongly agree
43,71%
Grand Total
100,00%
Using the MIM allows tutors to have more flexibility, including scheduling (Pimmer,
Lee & Mwaikambo, 2018). A tutor’s commitment and flexibility as indicated by the
following quote, “I made myself available outside of the prescribed tutoring times
as well as consultation hours to be there for the students with whatever questions
they might have”.
The finding is supported by the results in Table 3. Most students (79,47%) indicated
that the tutor was available and helpful in the course evaluation.
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Table 4 Tutor availability and helpfulness
The tutor was available and helpful
Strongly disagree
1,99%
Disagree
3,97%
Neutral
14,57%
Agree
35,10%
Strongly agree
44,37%
Grand Total
100,00%
The learning outcomes
The course evaluation and tutor survey were used to evaluate the achievement of
learning outcomes. Based on Table 4, students (76,16%) indicated that there were
clear learning objectives.
Table 5: Clarity of learning objectives
Learning objectives were clear
Strongly disagree
2,65%
Disagree
1,99%
Neutral
19,21%
Agree
55,63%
Strongly agree
20,53%
Grand Total
100,00%
Using Moya MIM increased student participation in online tutoring. The following
comment reflects how tutors assessed participation, “I was able to see who is
online, who participates and who views the messages but [also who] does not
participate”. Table 5 supports the tutors’ feedback as 70,2% of students agreed or
strongly agreed that the course allowed students to fully participate.
Table 6: Course organised to allow all students to participate fully
Course organised to allow all students
to participate fully
Strongly disagree
3,31%
Disagree
4,64%
Neutral
21,85%
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Agree
45,70%
Strongly agree
24,50%
Grand Total
100,00%
However, some tutor groups did not participate, “Most of my students did not make
use of the intervention”. Some students’ lack of participation is unexpected as they
may not have had devices, or network access or did not want to participate.
The use of Moya MIM to achieve more inclusivity was summarised by a tutor with
the following quote: “I could easily explain the course content and make sure that
no student was left behind.”
The literature indicates that there is a positive correlation between online tutoring
and student performance (Carlana & La Ferrara, 2021), although this was not
measured as part of this research project.
Plans to further develop the initiative
The next phase of this research is to implement the Moya application in more
classes across the University of the Western Cape. A large class of third-year
Information Systems students has been identified as the next group. Student
perceptions will be analysed in more detail, via a quantitative study and the use of
a survey. It may be interesting to see the differences between the first-year and
third-year students in different departments. More senior third-year students,
majoring in Information Systems, may find the Moya application easier to use.
Recommendations for implementing this application in other large classes are to
provide a training guide to students. There is now a Moya MIM version available
for students who use Apple devices. This version may make the MIM more
inclusive. We would appeal to mobile network operators to also reverse bill the use
of attachments for institutions in our aim to provide more inclusive learning options
for all students.
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Author Biographies
Dr Fazlyn Petersen is a senior Information Systems lecturer at the
University of the Western Cape. Her research foci are Information
Communication and Technology for Development (ICT4D) in
health and education. Her research focuses on creating more
inclusive online environments for students and patients,
especially those with lower socioeconomic status.
Mr Ronald Arendse is currently the Project Manager of special
projects in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at
UWC. He is a lecturer and module co-ordinator in Financial
Accounting. Previously he assisted academics in using technology
to enhance teaching and learning and the implementation of the
University Teaching and Learning strategy
