Academic professional development and support of academics for digital transformation in African large scale open and distance education institutions

Abstract

To address educational imperatives such as improving the capacity of the education and training systems to meet the pressing needs in Africa, countries such as South Africa, Nigeria, Botswana, Kenya, Namibia and Tanzania have embarked on a journey to implement digital transformation policies and educational innovations such as online teaching and learning. However, research shows a high failure rate of e-learning initiatives in these contexts due to the lack of the right skill sets and expertise. Academics from higher education institutions face the challenge of facilitating and supporting learning using emerging educational technologies without proper preparation and training. Therefore, they struggle to adopt the new e-learning innovations due to a lack of relevant skills and the perceived difficulty attaining the necessary skills. The Covid-19 pandemic also forced many higher education institutions to continue offering education in online spaces, thus affirming the need for distance education and e-learning in the education sector while at the same time revealing the skill gaps required for e-learning. This study was driven by the need to investigate how academics are trained, developed and supported for online teaching in large-scale open and distance education (ODE) institutions in Africa and other developing countries. Twenty participants were interviewed, including academics and other staff members at the University of South Africa (UNISA) and the National University of Nigeria (NOUN), Africa’s two largest distance learning institutions. Through a multiple case study research design lens, this study used a qualitative approach through a configurative systematic review, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis to collect data. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) theory and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) were used to support and guide this research study. Consistent with previous research, the findings in this study showed that higher education institutions in Africa and other developing countries did not adequately plan and manage their e-learning implementation projects. This study also found that a lack of proper understanding of e-learning and appropriate digital skills were some of the significant reasons for reported failures of e-learning initiatives. The findings further revealed that the universities under study implemented e-learning without a comprehensive e-learning policy and related policy that drives and guides the e-learning implementation process. Consequently, this study positioned e-learning policy and academic professional development as integral to e-learning innovation initiatives.

Ten einde aandag aan onderrigimperatiewe te gee soos om die kapasiteit van die onderrig- en opleidingstelsels te verbeter om aan die dringende behoeftes van Afrika te voldoen, het lande soos Suid-Afrika, Nigerië, Botswana, Kenia, Namibië en Tanzanië ’n reis aangepak om digitale transformasiebeleide en onderriginnoverings soos e-leer te implementeer. Navorsing toon egter ’n hoë druipsyfer ten opsigte van e-leerinisiatiewe in hierdie kontekste vanweë ’n gebrek aan die regte vaardighede en kundigheid van akademici. Akademici van hoër onderwysinstellings kom voor die uitdaging te staan om leer te fasiliteer en te ondersteun deur die ontluikende onderrigtegnologieë sonder behoorlike voorbereiding en opleiding te gebruik. Hulle sukkel dus om die nuwe e-leerinnnoverings onder die knie te kry as gevolg van ’n gebrek aan toepaslike vaardighede en/of die waargenome moeilikheidsgraad om die nodige vaardighede te bekom. Die Covid-19-pandemie het ook heelwat hoër onderwysinstellings gedwing om onderrig in aanlyn ruimtes aan te bied en het derhalwe die behoefte aan afstandsonderrig en e-leer in die onderwyssektor bevestig, terwyl dit terselfdertyd die vaardigheidsgaping, bloot gelê het. Hierdie studie is gemotiveer deur die behoefte om ondersoek in te stel na hoe akademici opgelei en ontwikkel is en ondersteun word wat betref e-leer by grootskaalse oop- en afstandsonderriginstellings in Afrika en ander ontwikkelende lande. Onderhoude is met altesaam 20 deelnemers gevoer, insluitend akademici en ander lede van die Universiteit van Suid-Afrika (UNISA) en die Nasionale Universiteit van Nigerië (NOUN), Afrika se twee grootste leerinstellings. Deur die lens van veelvuldige gevallestudienavorsingsontwerp het hierdie studie ’n kwalitatiewe benadering gevolg deur middel van ’n konfiguratiewe sistemiese oorsig, semigestruktureerde onderhoude en dokumentontleding om data in te samel. Tematiese ontleding is gebruik om die data te ontleed. Tegnologies-pedagogiese inhoudskennis (TPACK) en die saambindende teorie van aanvaarding en die gebruik van tegnologieraamwerke (UTAUT) is ingespan om hierdie navorsingstudie te ondersteun en te rig. In ooreenstemming met vorige navorsing het die bevindings van hierdie studie getoon dat hoër onderwysinstellings in Afrika en ander ontwikkelende lande nie hulle e-leerimplementeringsplanne voldoende beplan en bestuur nie. Hierdie studie het ook tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat ’n gebrek aan behoorlike begrip van e-leer en behoorlike digitale vaardighede van die grootste redes was vir aangemelde mislukkings van e-leerinisiatiewe. Die bevindings het ook aan die lig gebring dat die universiteite wat aan die studie deelgeneem het, e-leer implementeer sonder ’n omvattende e-leerbeleid en/of verwante beleid wat die e-leerimplementeringsproses aandryf en rig. As gevolg hiervan beskou hierdie studie e-leerbeleid en akademiese, professionele ontwikkeling as ’n belangrike deel van e-leerinnoveringsinisiatiewe.

Go samagana le dintlha tsa botlhokwa tsa thuto di tshwana le go tokafatsa bokgoni jwa dithulaganyo tsa thuto le katiso go fitlhelela ditlhokego tsa botlhokwa mo Aforika, dinaga di tshwana le Aforikaborwa, Nigeria, Botswana, Kenya, Namibia le Tanzania di tsene mo leetong la go tsenya tirisong dipholisi tsa go fetogela mo dijitaleng le maitshimololelo a thuto a tshwana le go ithuta ka tsela ya eleketoroniki. Fela dipatlisiso di bontsha seelo se se kwa godimo sa go retelelwa ga maitshimololelo ano a go ithuta ka tsela ya eleketoroniki ka ntlha ya tlhaelo ya dikgono le boitseanape jo bo maleba jwa batlhatlheledi. Batlhatlheledi go tswa kwa ditheong tsa thuto e kgolwane ba lebana le dikgwetlho tsa go bebofatsa le go tshegetsa go ithuta ka go dirisa dithekenoloji tse di tlhagelelang tsa thuto kwa ntle ga ipaakanyo e e siameng le katiso. Ka jalo, ba sokola go dirisa maitshimololelo a mantshwa a go ithuta ka tsela ya eleketoroniki ka ntlha ya tlhaelo ya dikgono tse di maleba le/gongwe go dumela gore go boima go bona dikgono tse di tlhokegang. Leroborobo la Covid-19 le lona le pateleditse ditheo tse dintsi tsa thuto e kgolwane go tswelela go tlamela ka thuto mo maranyaneng, mme ka go rialo di tlhomamisa botlhokwa jwa thuto ya o le kwa kgakala le go ithuta ka tsela ya eleketoroniki mo lephateng la thuto, mme gape di senola tlhaelo ya dikgono tse di tlhokegang mo tlamelong ya go ithuta ka tsela ya eleketoroniki. Thutopatlisiso e tlhotlheleditswe ke tlhokego ya go tlhotlhomisa ka moo batlhatlheledi ba katisiwang ka gona, ba godisiwang le go tshegediwa ka gona malebana le go ithuta ka tsela ya eleketoroniki mo ditheong tsa thuto e e buletsweng botlhe le e go ithutiwang motho a le kgakala (ODE) mo Aforika le mo dinageng tse di tlhabologang. Go botsoloditswe palogotlhe ya banni-le-seabe ba le 20, go akarediwa batlhatlheledi le ditokololo tse dingwe tsa Yunibesithi ya Aforikaborwa (UNISA) le Yunibesithi ya Bosetshaba ya Nigeria (NOUN), ditheo tse pedi tse dikgolokgolo tsa thuto ya o le kgakala mo Aforika. Ka tiriso ya leitlho la thadiso ya dithutopatlisiso tsa tobiso, thutopatlisiso eno e dirisitse molebo o o lebelelang mabaka ka tshekatsheko e e rulaganeng go sekaseka motswako wa data, dipotsolotso tse di batlileng di rulagane le tokololo ya dikwalo go kokoanya data. Go dirisitswe tokololo ya meono go lokolola data. Go dirisitswe matlhomeso a kitso ya diteng tsa thuto ya thekenoloji (technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) le tiori e e kopantsweng ya kamogelo le tiriso ya thekenoloji (the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) go tshegetsa le go kaela thutopatlisiso eno. Go tsamaelana le patlisiso e e fetileng, diphitlhelelo tsa thutopatlisiso eno di bontshitse gore ditheo tsa thuto e kgolwane mo Aforika le mo dinageng tse dingwe tse di tlhabologang ga di dire dithulaganyo tse di lekaneng le go tsamaisa tsenyotirisong ya diporojeke tsa go ithuta ka tsela ya eleketoroniki sentle. Thutopatlisiso eno gape e fitlhetse gore tlhaelo ya go tlhaloganngwa sentle ga go ithuta ka tsela ya eleketoroniki le dikgono tse di maleba tsa dijitale ke mangwe a mabaka a magolo a go retelelwa go go begilweng ga maitshimololelo a go ithuta ka tsela ya eleketoroniki. Gape diphitlhelelo di senotse gore diyunibesithi tse di neng di batlisisiwa di tsentse tirisong go ithuta ka tsela ya eleketoroniki kwa ntle ga pholisi e e akaretsang ya go ithuta ka tsela ya eleketoroniki le/gongwe dipholisi tse di amanang le tseo tse di tsamaisang le go kaela tirego ya go tsenya tirisong go ithuta ka tsela ya eleketoroniki. Ka ntlha ya seo, thutopatlisiso eno e beile pholisi ya go ithuta ka tsela ya eleketoroniki le tlhabololo ya baporofesenale ba thuto jaaka karolo ya botlhokwa ya maitshimololelo a go ithuta ka tsela ya eleketoroniki.