Tertiary Education Disruptions and Readjustments amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic in Botswana

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a global nightmare that continues to pose a multi-facetted threat to human existence. For many institutions, the pandemic outbreak has actually forced them to take an Online and Distance Learning pedagogical approach by adopting the use of various educational technologies to facilitate online teaching and learning as the main form of instruction in higher education globally. This paper seeks to discuss the impact of Covid-19 and highlight the initiatives conceived and implemented by some Universities across Botswana in response to the disruptions caused. The paper focuses on the interventions in leadership, curriculum delivery, assessment, research and student support. // Desk research shows that responses to the pandemic varied across institutions as shown by the identified three Botswana Public universities: University of Botswana (UB), Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), Botswana Accountancy College (BAC) and Botswana Open University (BOU). Common across these universities is that they all took a decision to find ways of ensuring continuity of teaching and learning activities through adoption of educational technologies. Going forward, it is important that institutions should undergo a serious paradigm shift towards embracing the use of educational technologies in learning and teaching.