Implementation of Blended Learning in Southern African Marginalised Higher Education Eclectic Contexts
Patricia Muhuro 
& Simon Murote Kang’ethe
Issue: Vol.5 No. 10 December 2024 Article 16 pp. 583 – 598
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.202451016 | Published online 30th December, 2024.
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Unequivocally, even though blended learning is lauded for being useful in enhancing online and face-to-face learning in institutions of higher learning, little attention has been paid to interrogating its implementation in marginalised higher education contexts. Marginalised contexts include slums, rural areas, remote locations, and zones characterised by resource limitations. If contextual realities are not well considered in such settings, the implementation of blended learning may result in more marginalisation and digital exclusion. This paper therefore explored the implementation of blended learning in Southern African marginalized eclectic contexts. The study adopted the digital inclusion framework by Helsper using constructs of access, proficiency, and opportunity. The study employed a literature review method using 20 relevant studies extracted from major databases. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The study found that blended learning can be implemented successfully when: policies are blended-learning friendly, resources are robustly usable and accessible, capacity building to facilitate functional blended learning proficiencies and curriculum design are instituted, and delivery facilitates digital inclusion. The study will be of benefit to academics, administrators, and policymakers who are looking for ways to increase blended learning delivery in their spaces.
Keywords: Digital inclusion, digital divide, marginalized contexts, blended learning
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Patricia Muhuro is a Senior Teaching and Learning Consultant at the University of Fort Hare, South Africa. She trains both students and staff in the use of digital technologies in teaching and learning. Her research interest lies in inclusive ICT use for teaching and learning, student transitions for rural students, professional development, and curriculum innovations.
Simon Murote Kangethe is a professor in the Department of Social Work at Walter Sisulu University. His research interest inter alia spans health, culture, social enterprises, children, and education.
Muhuro, Patricia & Simon Murote Kang’ethe. “Implementation of Blended Learning in Southern African Marginalised Higher Education Eclectic Contexts .” Journal of Education and Learning Technology 5, no.10 (2024): 583 – 598. https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.202451016
© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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