The exclusionary character of remote teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. An exploration of the challenges faced by rural-based University of KwaZulu Natal students

Abstract

Covid-19 has altered the way countries operate in unprecedented ways. In Africa, South Africa is leading in terms of the number of infected cases. The lockdown that was introduced in March 2020 meant that all sectors except the essential services grounded to a halt as a containment measure. The education sector at both the basic and tertiary levels was also affected. Even though higher education in South Africa continues to be among the best in Africa and beyond, students enrolled in higher education come from diverse backgrounds. Students represent different classes, cultural diversity, and varying levels of computer literacy. The call to exclusively migrate learning to digital platforms remains a practical solution to salvage a difficult situation in many ways. However, not all students have the capacity to actively participate in digital learning for varying reasons. This paper focuses on rural-based UKZN first-year students. It draws from data collected through telephonic interviews. The contribution of the paper is twofold. Firstly, it addresses the rural-based students’ experiences with the exclusivity of electronic-based platforms adopted for teaching and learning at UKZN. Secondly, it contends that the acclaimed ‘one size fits all’ remote teaching and learning appears to be ‘phony’ and ‘counterproductive’ because it failed to address the pertinent needs of rural-based UKZN first-year students. The major question raised thus is whether online teaching is meant to reinforce the already existing geo-spatial inequalities in the education system of South Africa or is genuinely meant to salvage an already dire situation.