Students’ perceptions of the infopreneurship education in the Department of Records and Archives Management at the National University of Science and Technology

Abstract

Background: The infopreneurship education course forms part of the final year Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Records and Archives Management (BScRAM) at the National University of Science (NUST). The course looks unique and out of place in relation to other records and archives courses which specifically focus on the management of records and archives.

Objectives: The study examined the students’ perceptions regarding the relevance of the infopreneurship course in the BScRAM that is offered in the Department of Records and Archives Management at NUST, Zimbabwe. The aim of the study was to determine student evaluation of relevance of the course to the BScRAM.

Method: Both quantitative and qualitative methods of collecting data were used. Using a census method, data was collected through a focus group interview and a self-administered questionnaire from a study population that comprised 17 students who were in their final year of the BScRAM at NUST.

Results: The results revealed students found the infopreneurial education module quite relevant to their degree. Although the lecturer was helpful in providing resources, students felt that they needed to visit some infopreneurial businesses for familiarisation and looked forward to having guest lecturers from the infopreneurial world.

Conclusion: Although the BScRAM was not well known at high school level, students found the infopreneurial education in this degree quite stimulating. Having gone through an infopreneurship course, students were prepared to undertake infopreneurial businesses after graduating from the university.