Transition to e-learning remains a challenge
Higher education minister Itah Kandjii-Murangi said the ministry had commissioned a research study to fully understand the sector’s readiness to transition to online learning.
The study also sought to identify and assess factors impacting the delivery of quality education during the Covid-19-imposed lockdowns.
According to the minister, only 28% of training providers utilise the e-learning delivery mode for learning, with 72% of institutions still relying on the face-to-face mode of learning.
She added that 66% of the institutions do not currently have quality assurance systems for e-learning in place and 53% of the institutions do not have teaching staff trained and proficiency in the use of e-learning technologies and e-assessment methods.
“Only 43.8% of the institutions offer support service to students in e-learning programmes, while
59.4% do not provide students with guidelines or training in the use of e-learning resources, such as e-library,” Kandjii-Murangi, who was speaking during the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) virtual summit yesterday, said.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to industries and economies worldwide in one way or another. The education and training sector in Namibia have been particularly hard-hit by the pandemic, such as the extended closure of schools and institutions of higher learning,
disruption of the academic calendar and the sudden migration to online learning, which came with its own unique set of challenges.”
Kandjii-Murangi added that it is undeniable the pandemic has created a myriad of challenges to education and training.
“On the other hand, the pandemic has also presented us with extraordinary opportunities for innovation in teaching and learning, as well as the enhancement of quality assurance processes that are uniquely aligned to an ever-changing environment,” she
believed.
NQA council member Samuel John said institutions of higher learning found themselves in deep waters over the pandemic; however, there were opportunities created.
“When it became obvious that the pandemic was here for a short visit, educational institutions had to abandon conventional teaching methods and transitioned to e-learning, while managing the economic, demographic and technological challenges that came with these changes,” recalled John.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has
revealed that it is possible to offer online teaching at all tiers of education.
This paradigm shift in the teaching method has also confirmed that digital infrastructure and internet connectivity are some of the main real estate necessary to respond to diverse student needs and truly deliver quality education.
Needless to say, fast and fundamental change is imperative for educational institutions to remain relevant and fit for purpose in this new normal.”