Engendering Technology-Assisted Pedagogy for Effective Instructional Strategy in the University of Namibia Language Centre

Abstract

The advent of COVID-19 disrupted existing socio-economic activities and has unveiled digital inequities and injustices. The pandemic led to a forced migration of education activities towards the new normal using technology-assisted pedagogies around the globe, Africa and Namibia is no exception. This paper attempts to report on how the blended-learning strategy for the Academic Writing for Postgraduate Students course was developed in the University of Namibia. The study used the Flipped Approach as a framework which guides self-reflection, active cognitive processing, interaction and peer-teaching. The paper used a combination of empirical as well as theoretical-based research. Firstly, a Google Form questionnaire was used to obtain quantitative data that profiled students. A conveniently sampled respondents participated in the study. Secondly, a reflective practice is applied to highlight the use of a technology-assisted learning strategy that enables effective pedagogic access to Academic Writing for Postgraduate Students at the University of Namibia’s Business School. The student-profiling results showed that more students preferred the blended learning mode, which makes them less likely to resist the proposed strategy. It also emerged that all the students have technology devices, which makes it possible to engage in the learning processes that involve the usage of technology. Post-COVID-19, stakeholders in the higher education context should re-imagine the traditional stances in order to transform the way teaching, learning and assessment shall be enabled after the crisis. This calls for educators to re-invigorate, re-imagine, re-think, re-construct and de-construct the way they conduct pedagogic activities.