DOI: 10.7763/IPEDR. 2013. V60. 1 Strategizing with ICT to Manage High Universities Enrollments Billy Mathias Kalema + Department of Computer Science, Tshwane University of Technology Abstract. University education especially in the developing world is faced with many challenges. However, it’s 21st Century major challenge has been acquiring, deploying and effectively use ICT to address other challenges. This paper demonstrates how new technology innovations are used to improve online teaching in universities that are currently facing a big challenge of high enrollment. The paper contributes to the pedagogical approach that could be followed by instructors to improve their e-learning experience. Practically, the illustrated methods could be used to boost e-learning tools that are already implemented but ineffectively used in many universities. Keywords: E-learning, Teaching Pedagogies, Course Management Systems and Online Teaching Strategies. 1. Introduction Universities worldwide are operating in a challenging global environment that was never before. The advent of internet and the ubiquitous of computers have caused an exponential increase in the competition for clients. Such competition has seen many universities merging and others establishing regional campuses to gain higher market share. Even though these dramatic changes in the demographic structures and the enrollment boom are seen as a bottom line by the university administrators, they have created serious unanticipated challenges. Such challenges like the complexities in managing unstructured data content, duplication, inconsistencies and poor service delivery. Worth still, it is impractical to assume that, class assignments, discussions, exams, and other activities will exactly remain as before the classes burgeoned. This doesn’t only increase the instructors’ workload, but also comprises the quality of the courses being offered. Such dilemma has been a major factor in fueling endless uncalmness that has engulfed universities in developing countries in the 21st century. Due to these increasing demands, many universities have hugely invested in information and communication technology (ICT). Others have acquired the latest most robust electronic learning communities and subscribed to externally hosted databases. However, all of these have done little in solving the problem (Petrides, 2004; Kalema et al., 2011). As (Baker, 2010) noted, the failure of ICT to create a change in higher education is not because of what technology, but how the technology is used and the pedagogy followed when using it. This should be done not forgetting the students’ social-background as many in developing countries use information technology (IT) for the first time while at the university. The evolution of IT has increased its need to be used in teaching and learning (e-learning) so as to manage learners and their learning contents. E-learning as domain of IT has been widely researched, advertised and advocated for as an essential tool for teaching and learning. However, the slogans anytime, anywhere that are used to describe e-learning have entirely remained in adverts, conference proceedings and journals. The objective of this paper is to report and demonstrate some tools and strategies that may be used to make e-learning effective by improving students’ engagement and hence produce the desired learning outcome. This paper is expected to contribute on the methodology of effective use of ICT in teaching and learning especially in the high enrolments environment. 2. Related Work + Corresponding author. Tel.: 0718382896. E-mail address: kalemabm@tut.ac.za. 1