online learning - The African Mirror

Jul

2021

Online learning can be hard for students with disabilities: how to help

THE first case of COVID-19 in South Africa was reported in March 2020 and on March 15, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a series of lockdown measures to curb the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. These included the closure of both basic and higher education institutions. SINDILE NGUBANE, Full Professor, University of South Africa NKOSINATHI ZONGOZZI, Lecturer, University of South Africa Because of the pandemic, most educational institutions, including universities, abruptly went online. Online learning management systems and platforms were consequently adopted. One such university was the University of South Africa, with more than 400,000 students. As an open distance learning…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

Online learning is an opportunity to meet the needs of struggling students

EDUCATION

AS many have observed, the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare many challenges that students face at school and higher education institutions. In South Africa, these relate particularly to inequalities arising from students’ diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. These inequalities account for the learning barriers and inability to learn effectively. DR THELMA DE JAGER, HOD Education, Tshwane University of Technology MASHUPYE HERBERT MASERUMULE, Professor of Public Affairs, Tshwane University of Technology Contributing to ineffective learning, research conducted in South Africa showed that a total of 97% of educators never or seldom use a flexible curriculum and extra time to accommodate the diverse learning…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Nigerian university students find online learning painful: here’s why

EDUCATION

ISRAEL OLASUNKANMI, Lecturer, University of Ibadan, University of Ibadan IN response to the compulsory closure of institutions of learning as part of measures aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria, efforts were made to keep students busy with academic activities during the lockdown. Thus, schools, especially privately owned universities, engaged students in different kinds of online learning approaches. This was limited to private schools because the government owned universities were on strike. To fully understand how students feel about online learning during COVID-19 pandemic, our study investigated the views of students of Anchor University, a private higher education…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

From Minecraft to robots: seven ways education is changing under lockdown

COVID-19

AMBER MILNE SCHOOL globally have been impacted by coronavirus lockdowns with some closing their doors indefinitely and others reopening under new guidelines. Students and teachers are finding innovative new ways to learn safely inside and outside the classroom. From gamified universities to TV lessons, distance learning has spurred new tech solutions to tackle the challenges that come with studying remotely. As the virus continues to spread and with vaccines anything from a few months to a few years away, these innovations could become part of the future of learning in a post-coronavirus world. Here are seven ways education is changing…