Lecturers’ Reflections on Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning at a University in South Africa During COVID-19 Lockdown
Dagogo William Legg-Jack 
& Clever Ndebele
Issue: Vol.3 No.6 June 2022 Article 3 pp. 238-255
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2022364 | Published online 24th June 2022.
© 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic came with a lot of disruptions which saw so many organisations and institutions shut down. Part of the changes brought about by the pandemic was the closure of educational institutions globally, thereby forcing the migration to emergency remote teaching and learning. Whilst some nations grappled with the challenges associated with this shift in the mode of teaching and learning, others tapped into the opportunities inherent in it. This study located in the interpretive paradigm employed a qualitative case study design that explored lecturers’ reflections on emergency remote teaching and learning at a university in South Africa during the intense stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Technology Acceptance Model was employed as a lens to make meaning of how lecturers perceive emergency remote teaching and learning in the science and technology cluster. The sample for the study consisted of nine participants, recruited from Science and Technology cluster, representing Biological/Life Sciences, Natural Sciences, Physical Sciences and Technology Education faculties. The sample was selected through purposive and convenience sampling. Findings from the study revealed both challenges and opportunities for emergency remote teaching and learning. The challenges identified included, lecturers’ lack of readiness, students’ internet-related issues, and inability to execute practical tasks online. The positive aspect included improved skills in the use of ICT and diverse online platforms for both lecturers and students. Based on the findings, the study recommends that students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds be provided with the necessary ICT infrastructure to ensure their effective participation in online learning.
Keywords: COVID-19, Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning (ERTL), lecturers; reflections; South Africa
Alexander, Melody W., Allen D. Truell, and Jensen J. Zhao. “Expected Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Learning: Perceptions From College Students Who Have Not Taken Online Courses.” Issues in Information Systems 13, no. 2 (2012): 193-200.
Anderson, Derek, Sandra Imdieke, and N. Suzanne Standerford. “Feedback Please: Studying Self in the Online Classroom.” International Journal of Instruction 4, no. 1 (2011):3-16.
Armstrong, Stephen. What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Learning? (2013). https://elearningindustry.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-online-learning.
Bagarukayo, Emily, and Billy Kalema. “Evaluation of eLearning Usage in South African Universities: A Critical Review.” International Journal of Education and Development using ICT 11, no. 2 (2015).
Bao, Wei. “COVID‐19 and Online Teaching in Higher Education: A Case Study of Peking University.” Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies 2, no. 2 (2020): 113-115. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.191
Black, Paul, and Dylan Wiliam. “Developing the Theory of Formative Assessment.” Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability (formerly: Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education) 21, no. 1 (2009): 5-31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-008-9068-5
Bonk, Curtis, .J. & Graham, Charles. The Handbook of Blended Learning: Global Perspectives, Local Design. (2006). Pfeiffer Publishing.
Boyd, Drick. “What would Paulo Freire Think of Blackboard: Critical Pedagogy in an Age of Online Learning.” The International Journal of Critical Pedagogy 7, no. 1 (2016).
Chinyamurindi, W. T. “Mar 17. Learning in the Time of Covid-19, Mail and Guardian.” (2020). https://mg.co.za/article/2020-03-17-learning-in-the-time-of-covid-19/
Clover, Isabelle. Advantages and Disadvantages of eLearning. Retrieved from eLearning Industry: (2017). https://elearningindustry.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-elearning.
Cohen, L., L. Manion, and K. Morrison. Research Methods in Education (7th ed., pp. 456–475). London, UK: Routledge (2011).
Cuban, Larry. Teachers and machines: The classroom use of technology since 1920. Teachers College Press, 1986.
Czerniewicz, Laura, Henry Trotter, and Genevieve Haupt. “Online Teaching in Response to Student Protests and Campus Shutdowns: Academics’ Perspectives.” International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education 16, no. 1 (2019): 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0170-1
Dahya, Negin. “Education in Conflict and Crisis: How Can Technology Make a Difference?: A Landscape Review.” (2016). https://inee.org/resources/landscape-review-education-conflict-and-crisis-how-can-technology-make-difference
Davis, Fred D. “Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, And User Acceptance of Information Technology.” MIS Quarterly (1989): 319-340.
Denzen, Norman K., and Yvonna S. Lincoln. “The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research.” (2005).
Dhawan, Shivangi. “Online learning: A Panacea in the Time Of COVID-19 Crisis.” Journal of Educational Technology Systems 49, no. 1 (2020): 5-22. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239520934018
Du Preez, Jaco, and Saurabh Sinha. “Higher education leadership in the era of the fourth industrial revolution.” The Thinker 83, no. 1 (2020).
Dube, Bekithemba. “Rural Online Learning in the Context Of COVID 19 in South Africa: Evoking an Inclusive Education Approach.” REMIE: Multidisciplinary Journal of Educational Research 10, no. 2 (2020): 135-157.
Durodolu, Oluwole. “Technology Acceptance Model as A Predictor of Using Information System’ to Acquire Information Literacy Skills.” Library Philosophy & Practice (2016).
Flyvbjerg, Bent. Case study. In K. Norman, Denzin, S. Yvonna, & Lincoln (Eds.), The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research (2011). (4th ed., pp. 301–316) Thousand Oaks: CA: Sage.
Garrison, D. Randy, and Norman D. Vaughan. Blended Learning in Higher Education: Framework, Principles, and Guidelines. John Wiley & Sons, 2008.
Gholami, K., and K. Tirri. “The Teachers’ Perceived Dimensions of Caring Practice: A Quantitative Reflection on the Moral Aspect of Teaching.” Education Research International 2012 (2012).
Giandhari, Jennifer, Sureshnee Pillay, Eduan Wilkinson, Houriiyah Tegally, Ilya Sinayskiy, Maria Schuld, José Lourenço et al. “Early Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in South Africa: An Epidemiological and Phylogenetic Report.” International Journal of Infectious Diseases 103 (2021): 234-241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2020.11.128
Guangul, Fiseha M., Adeel H. Suhail, Muhammad I. Khalit, and Basim A. Khidhir. “Challenges of Remote Assessment in Higher Education in the Context Of COVID-19: A Case Study osf Middle East College.” Educational assessment, evaluation and accountability 32, no. 4 (2020): 519-535. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-020-09340-w
Guzzo, Tiziana, Patrizia Grifoni, and Fernando Ferri. “Social aspects and Web 2.0 challenges in blended learning.” In Blended Learning Environments for Adults: Evaluations and Frameworks, pp. 35-49. IGI Global, 2012.
Hallgarten, Joe. “Evidence on efforts to mitigate the negative educational impact of past disease outbreaks.” (2020).
Hodges, Charles B., Stephanie Moore, Barbara B. Lockee, Torrey Trust, and M. Aaron Bond. “The difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning.” (2020). Educause review, 27(1), 1-9.http://hdl.handle.net/10919/104648
Kalantzis, Mary, and Bill Cope. “After the COVID-19 crisis: Why higher education may (and perhaps should) never be the same.” Educational Philosophy and Theory 40, no. 1 (2020): 51-55. https://doi.org/10.46786/ac20.9496
Kalayou, Mulugeta Hayelom, Berhanu Fikadie Endehabtu, and Binyam Tilahun. “The applicability of the modified technology acceptance model (TAM) on the sustainable adoption of eHealth systems in resource-limited settings.” Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare 13 (2020): 1827.
Kayembe, Christian, and Danielle Nel. “Challenges and opportunities for education in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.” African Journal of Public Affairs 11, no. 3 (2019): 79-94.
Kebritchi, Mansureh, Angie Lipschuetz, and Lilia Santiague. “Issues and Challenges for Teaching Successful Online Courses in Higher Education: A Literature Review.” Journal of Educational Technology Systems 46, no. 1 (2017): 4–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239516661713.
Keengwe, Jared, and Terry T. Kidd. “Towards best practices in online learning and teaching in higher education.” MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching 6, no. 2 (2010): 533-541.
Keis, Oliver, Claudia Grab, Achim Schneider, and Wolfgang Öchsner. “Online or face-to-face instruction? A qualitative study on the electrocardiogram course at the University of Ulm to examine why students choose a particular format.” BMC medical education 17, no. 1 (2017): 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-017-1053-6
Legg-Jack, Dagogo William. “Readiness for the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Experiences of Students in Practical Courses During the COVID-19 Pandemic at a University in South Africa.” In Future of Work, Work-Family Satisfaction, and Employee Well-Being in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, IGI Global (2020): 12-29. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-3347-5.ch002
Legg-Jack, Dagogo William. Digitalisation of Teaching and Learning in Nigeria amid COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Lessons for Education 4.0 And 4IR. Ponte International Journal of Sciences and Research, (2021): 77(10/1). https://doi.org/10.21506/j.ponte.2021.10.10
Li, Cathy, and Farah Lalani. “The COVID-19 pandemic has changed education forever.” In World economic forum, vol. 29. The rise of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic| World Economic Forum (weforum. org), (2020). https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education-global-covid19-online-digital-learning/.
Mahyoob, Mohammad. “Challenges of e-Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic Experienced by EFL Learners.” Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) 11, no. 4 (2020).
Means, Barbara, Marianne Bakia, and Robert Murphy. Learning online: What research tells us about whether, when and how. Routledge, (2014). https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203095959
Merisi, Peter, and Ansurie Pillay. “Emergency Remote Teaching in Higher Education: How Academics Identify the Educational Possibilities.”(2020). Alternation African Scholarship Book Series (AASBS): 74-91.
Mgqwashu, Emmanuel. “Universities can’t decolonize the curriculum without defining it first.” The Conversation 22 (2016): 1-4.
Mhlanga, David, and Emmanuel Ndhlovu. “Socio-economic implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on smallholder livelihoods in Zimbabwe.” (2020).https://10.20944/preprints202004.0219.v1
Mpungose, Cedric B. “Emergent transition from face-to-face to online learning in a South African University in the context of the Coronavirus pandemic.” Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 7, no. 1 (2020): 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00603-x
Munoz, Albert, and Jonathon Mackay. “An online testing design choice typology towards cheating threat minimisation.” Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice 16, no. 3 (2019): 5.
Mwale, Nelly, and Joseph Chita. “Higher education and programme delivery in the context of COVID-19 and institutional closures: Student responses to the adoption of e-Learning at a public university in Zambia.” Technology-based teaching and learning in higher education during the time of COVID-19 (2020): 9-33.
Ngubane, Nomalungelo, Sibonelo Blose, Pinky Mthembu, and Tholani Hlongwa. “Transitioning from face-to-face to remote teachingin the context of COVID-19 pandemic: Reflections of South African emerging academics.” Technology-based teaching and learning in higher education during the time of COVID-19 (2020): 54-73.
Pappas, Christopher. Advantages and Possible Limitations of Online Learning. (2015). https://elearningindustry.com/advantages-and-possible-limitations-of-online-learning.
Ray, Kecia. What is remote learning? Tech & Learning. (2020) https://www.techlearning.com/how-to/what-is-remote-learning
Sansa, Nuhu A., Analysis for the Impact of the COVID – 19 to the Petrol Price in China (March 2, 2020). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3547413 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3547413
Scholtz, Salome E. “Sacrifice is a step beyond convenience: A review of convenience sampling in psychological research in Africa.” SA Journal of Industrial Psychology 47, no. 1 (2021): 1-12. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajip.v47i0.1837
Schwab, Klaus. The Fourth Industrial Revolution. Geneva: World Economic Forum, (2016).
Sunkara, Venu Madhav, and Rajasekhara Rao Kurra. “An analysis of learner satisfaction and needs on e-learning systems.” International Journal of Computational Intelligence Research 13, no. 3 (2017): 433-444.
Tamrat, Wondwosen, and Damtew Teferra. “COVID-19 poses a serious threat to higher education.” University World News 9 (2020).
Tang, Chun, and Lee Chaw. “Readiness for blended learning: Understanding attitude of university students.” International Journal of Cyber Society and Education 6, no. 2 (2013): 79-100. https://www.learntechlib.org/p/209223/.
Urdan, Trace A., and Cornelia C. Weggen. “Corporate elearning: Exploring a new frontier.” (2000). WR Hambrecht & Co.
Waghid, F. “Action research and educational technology: Cultivating disruptive learning.” South African Journal of Higher Education 32, no. 4 (2018): 1-11. https://doi.org/10.20853/32-4-3097
World Bank. Remote Learning and COVID-19 The use of educational technologies at scale across an education system as a result of massive school closings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to enable distance education and online learning. (2020). Retrieved from file:///E:/PC/Rapid-Response-Briefing-Note-Remote-Learning-and-COVID-19-Outbreak.pdf
Zalat, Marwa Mohamed, Mona Sami Hamed, and Sarah Abdelhalim Bolbol. “The experiences, challenges, and acceptance of e-learning as a tool for teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic among university medical staff.” PLoS One 16, no. 3 (2021): e0248758. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248758
Dagogo William Legg-Jack, currently, is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Directorate of Research Development and Innovation Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, South Africa. He obtained his Masters and PhD in Technology Education in Science and Technology Education Cluster, University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), South Africa. Dagogo has worked twice as a Contract lecturer in the Department of Technology Education, Science and Technology Education Cluster UKZN. In Nigeria, he has also served as a teacher in high schools, where he taught Technology-based subject. He also functioned as a lecturer in the Department of Metal Work Technology, School of Secondary Education (Technical), Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku, Rivers State, Nigeria for about twelve years. Dr Legg-Jack has supervised students’ research projects both at Nigerian Certificate of Education and undergraduate levels. He is a mentor to research students at Honours, Masters and Doctorate levels. Moreover, he has participated in seminars and conferences both within and outside South Africa and has published articles in peer reviewed journals that focus on skills development, poverty reduction as well as wealth creation. Some of his recent publications is titled “Readiness for the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Experiences of Students in Practical Courses During Covid-19 Pandemic at a University in South Africa”, Digitalisation of Teaching and Learning in Nigeria amid COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Lessons for Education 4.0 and 4IR.
Prof. Clever Ndebele is currently the Senior Director: Learning and Teaching at Walter Sisulu University. He has extensive experience in higher education studies with more than 10 years experience at the senior management level in the area of teaching and learning at several universities in South Africa. Has participated in several (NRF) research projects on academic staff development in collaboration with other universities and has also been involved in Teaching Development Grant National collaborative projects (namely PGDHE for educational development practitioners and PGDHE for academics). He is also a member of the CHE National Standards and Reviews Committee and the CHE Peer Advisory Group on Reconceptualising Teaching and Learning (RELATE). Prof Ndebele currently oversees academic staff development and student academic support and coordinates the University Capacity Development Programme, the New Generation of Academics Programme, National Siyaphumelela Student Success project and Future Professors Programme at Walter Sisulu University.
Dagogo W.L. & Ndebele C. “Socio-economic Characteristics Influencing Small-scale Farming in a Rural Community in Limpopo Province, South Africa.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 3, no.6 (2022):238-255. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2022364
© 2022 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Publishers. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
