Abstract
Prior to the occurrence of the global COVID-19 pandemic, some African higher education institutions had already adopted a hybridmode for all their programmes, including distance education. Policies and strategies were put in place to improve the practices, skills and competencies of staff and students. However, the closure of education institutions globally due to the pandemic resulted in the rethinking of current education practices and highlighted the inherent inequalities in the system. This baseline qualitative study, underpinned by the Affordance theory, explores the appropriateness of education responses that were utilised and interrogates the readiness of educators for e-Learning during the pandemic. The participants were purposively selected educators (n=11) from distance and contact African institutions. The study sought to contribute to the reconceptualisation of policies and strategies for distance education provision using e-Learning approaches, which have now become a mainstream reality for the post-school education and training (PSET) sector. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was applied to the rich data. The findings identified the successes and shortcomings of facilitating e-Learning at a distance during the pandemic. Some participants felt ill-prepared for the extent of work required to be well equipped to use this approach. In many cases, it was felt that support strategies could have been better structured. Further analysis highlighted possible restructuring that should occur to meet the needs of educators in the twenty-first century and to survive any future pandemics through greater use of e-Learning. Evidence-based recommendations for policies are discussed.
Highlights
Many institutions adopted a hybrid and blended learning model (Cleveland-Innes & Wilton, 2018) way before the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic
The aim was to contribute to the reconceptualisation of policies and strategies for e-Learning, which has become a reality for the post-school education and training (PSET) sector
The research question that guided this study was “In what ways can the readiness of educators for e-Learning during the COVID-19 pandemic inform our knowledge on e-Learning policies, strategies and practices in an evolving PSET sector?” The discussion will revolve around the extent to which participants in the study were prepared by their institution prior to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown to maximise the available affordances at their institutions, the institutions’ response during the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of the response on the participants, and the extent to which the findings can help to inform our knowledge on and improve institutions’ e-Learning policies, strategies and practices
Summary
Many institutions adopted a hybrid and blended learning model (Cleveland-Innes & Wilton, 2018) way before the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Maphalala and Adigun (2021) decry the deficits of e-Learning policies in many African higher education institutions, and a lack of technical and administrative support for staff for the implementation and use of e-Learning facilities. Institutions need to put in place policies that speak to the context. According to Roberts (2018: 40), “from a more holistic point of view, effective training and development interventions should address staff members’ knowledge, skills and attitudes”. From various studies, the author identifies three common features of professional development, which are “(a) it is context and time specific; (b) technology has a significant role in the professional development of staff... From various studies, the author identifies three common features of professional development, which are “(a) it is context and time specific; (b) technology has a significant role in the professional development of staff... that depends on organisational policies and purposes for which technology is being used at any given context; and (c) it is continuous and dynamic” (Roberts, 2018: 41–42)
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