Reimagining scholarship of teaching and learning in open and distance e-learning: Towards inclusive and decolonial digital pedagogies

Reimagining scholarship of teaching and learning in open and distance e-learning: Towards inclusive and decolonial digital pedagogies

Khanyisile Mbatha

Issue: Vol. 7 No. 2 2026 Article 15 pp.230 – 250
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.20267215 Published online 27th March 2026.

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ABSTRACT

This paper reconceptualises the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) within Comprehensive Open and Distance e-Learning (CODeL) at the University of South Africa (UNISA). Its purpose is to address the pedagogical limitations of Eurocentric models by developing an Afrocentric, practice-oriented, and decolonial digital pedagogy framework aimed at fostering equity, inclusivity, and transformative learning in digitally mediated higher education. Through a qualitative, theory-synthesizing methodology, the study integrates critical digital pedagogy, inclusive pedagogy, and transformative learning theory. Findings highlight the necessity of shifting toward an approach centred on African epistemologies and cultural contexts, culminating in a framework built on five principles: epistemic pluralism, learner-centred and practice-based engagement, critical reflexivity, culturally sustaining digital spaces, and sustainability through community co-creation. These principles challenge transmission-based pedagogies and resist the uncritical adoption of digital tools that reinforce colonial and neoliberal educational logics. Discussions illustrate the framework’s applicability through CODeL innovations such as Open Educational Resources (OER), IoT-enabled learning, and personalized analytics. Recommendations call for reflective pedagogical practices, ongoing critical professional development for lecturers, culturally responsive digital content design, and institutional policies that support equitable and sustainable open distance learning. The study contributes to scholarship by advancing a context-sensitive, justice-oriented model of digital pedagogy that centres African epistemologies within global SoTL discourse, offering a decolonial alternative to dominant Western-centric frameworks and positioning CODeL as a site for inclusive innovation and educational transformation in the Global South.

Keywords: Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), Digital pedagogy, Open and Distance e-Learning, Afrocentric pedagogy, Decolonial education, Inclusive pedagogy, CODeL

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AUTHOR(S)

Dr. K. Mbatha is a researcher in educational technology whose work focuses on the integration of digital technologies to enhance teaching and learning in diverse educational contexts. Her research explores innovative and context-responsive pedagogical approaches, with particular attention to adult education in Community Learning Centres, open and distance learning, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and technology-mediated instruction in South Africa. Dr. Mbatha’s scholarship is grounded in advancing inclusive and transformative educational practices, contributing to the field through critical, practice-informed perspectives on digital innovation in education.

TO CITE ARTICLE

Mbatha, Khanyisile. “Reimagining Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Open and Distance E-Learning: Towards Inclusive and Decolonial Digital Pedagogies,” Journal of Education and Learning Technology 7, no.2 (2026): 230 -250. https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.20267215