Online Teaching of an Undergraduate Research Module amid COVID-19 Lockdowns: Reflections of an Academic at a University of Technology in South Africa

Abstract

With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the transition from face-to-face teaching to online teaching was enforced in higher education institutions. The study illuminates the lecturer’s reflections on practices adopted whilst embarking on the trajectory to move teaching an undergraduate research module to online platforms amid COVID-19 lockdowns at a South African University of Technology. An auto-ethnographic qualitative approach was adopted, with personal reflections as data sets. Using a Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework to analyse data, findings indicate that cognitive, teaching, and social presence are crucial in an online undergraduate research module. Significant during the lockdowns was the need for communication; the lecturer had to be present as a real person; show compassion towards students; and treat students as real people online, thus adopting humanistic pedagogy. Furthermore, the findings indicate various factors enhancing or impeding the quality of online undergraduate research pedagogical practices. Hence, the study recommends the addition of "policy presence" focusing on staff development, provision of online related resources, and ensuring a conducive environment in pursuit of inspiring and enabling both staff and students to participate in impactful research.