Betwixt and Between: The Liminality of Guiding Students.

In an age of technology where students have constant access to smartphones and other electronic devices to get just-in-time information, educationists need to continuously adjust to keep users engaged. With this premise in mind, the North-West University, South Africa, started an initiative to digitalise printed study guides. Academic Development & Support on the Vaal Campus took ownership of coordinating the shared development of the project; in 2013 a group of 14 academic volunteers developed the pilot SMARTguides. During the first year much emphasize was placed and research done on ensuring that the electronic interactive study guides have been effectively designed, and achieved the desired learning outcomes for students. Since then many study guides have been successfully converted to SMARTguides, of which some are utilized across campuses. At the North-West University a restructuring process has been embarked on since the end of 2015. This process was concluded at the onset of 2018 and resulted in a unitary university where more focus is placed on alignment of courses across campuses. This wind of change will also blow over study guides - where the current support for electronic interactive study guides may be withdrawn. This paper provides a background on the evolution of the initiative to implement electronic interactive study guides; from the design, development and implementation of the pilot guides until the present situation. In addition, it focuses on the particular case implementation in the two subject modules of Systems Analysis & Design, a second year subject offered in the Information Technology course; starting with its inception as pilot SMARTguide, and following its development into a well-developed SMARTguide. Feedback from students using the Systems Analysis & Design guides over a number of years, are scrutinised to determine its value. Lastly, in preparation of possible study guide changes to be imposed by a unitary university, the authors reflect on the preferences of the current Systems Analysis & Design students regarding study guide implementation options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]