Managing online teaching and learning in Mpumalanga TVET colleges

Abstract

Technology today plays an ever-increasingly important role in society than ever before. Back then, teaching and learning were conducted face-to-face in classrooms only. There has been an increasing use of online teaching and learning through the integration of information and communication technologies since the outbreak of Covid-19, which challenged the education system worldwide to shift to an online mode of teaching overnight. This is why the quality of online teaching and learning may have been disrupted. Hence, this study sought to examine the management of virtual teaching and learning in TVET colleges in the Mpumalanga Province and propose strategies to enhance the quality of virtual teaching and learning. This study developed a conceptual framework comprising key ideas on managing online teaching and learning, including learner achievement, personnel involvement (human resources), technology in education, teaching and learning, and management. The study adopted the narrative research design and the qualitative methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three (3) campus managers, two (2) e-learning managers, and six (6) lecturers who were purposively selected. Data was analysed using the thematic analysis method, which emerged with five themes. The study found that the online teaching and learning process is managed through e-learning platforms, including GS Academy, GS4ME, Student Hub, LMS, Google Classroom, and social media. It was also established that the college management experiences challenges in managing virtual learning, such as the lack of training for lecturers and students, lack of confidence in lecturers, lecturers’ negativity, and a lack of resources. The college management responds to these challenges by providing resources, training lecturers, and motivating the students. The study also found that the transition from face-to-face to virtual learning had effects such as frustration for the lecturers. The type of training offered to the lecturers to assist with online teaching and learning includes training in digital literacy. The study recommends that to enhance the quality of virtual teaching and learning, there should be the training of lecturers and students in ICT use, provision of resources, recruitment of special lecturers for e-learning, the appointment of an administration team, benchmarking with other TVET colleges, and the lecturers taking ownership of virtual teaching and learning.

Tegnologie speel vandag ’n toenemend belangrike rol in die samelewing. In die verlede is onderrig en leer slegs van aangesig tot aangesig in klaskamers gedoen. Sedert die uitbreek van Covid-19, het aanlyn onderrig en leer ’n sentrale plek ingeneem deur die integrasie van inligting- en kommunikasietegnologieë (IKT’s) wat die onderwysstelsel wêreldwyd uitgedaag het om oornag na ’n aanlyn modus van onderrig oor te skakel. Dit het moontlik die gehalte van aanlyn onderrig en leer ontwrig. Daarom het hierdie studie gepoog om die bestuur van virtuele onderrig en leer in Tegniese en Beroepsgerigte Onderwys en Opleiding- (TBOO)-kolleges in die Mpumalangaprovinsie van Suid-Afrika te ondersoek en strategieë voor te stel om die gehalte van virtuele onderrig en leer te verbeter. ’n Konseptuele raamwerk is ontwikkel wat sleutelidees oor die bestuur van aanlyn onderrig en leer, insluitend leerderprestasie, personeelbetrokkenheid (menslike hulpbronne), tegnologie in onderwys, en bestuur bevat. ’n Narratiewe navorsingsontwerp en kwalitatiewe metodologie is gebruik. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gevoer met drie (3) kampusbestuurders, twee (2) e-leerbestuurders, en ses (6) dosente wat doelbewus gekies is. Data is ontleed deur die tematiese ontledingsmetode te gebruik wat vyf temas opgelewer het. Daar is gevind dat die aanlyn onderrig- en leerproses bestuur is deur e-leerplatforms, insluitend GS Academy, GS4ME, Student Hub, LMS, Google Classroom, en sosiale media. Daar is ook vasgestel dat kollegebestuurspanne probleme ondervind het met die bestuur van virtuele leer, soos ’n gebrek aan opleiding vir dosente en studente, ’n gebrek aan vertroue in dosente, negatiwiteit onder dosente en ’n gebrek aan hulpbronne. Hulle het op hierdie uitdagings gereageer deur hulpbronne te verskaf, dosente op te lei en die studente te motiveer. Daar is ook gevind dat die oorgang van aangesig-tot-aangesig na virtuele leer frustrasie vir die dosente veroorsaak het. Die tipe opleiding wat aan dosente gebied word om hulle met aanlyn onderrig en leer te help, het opleiding in digitale geletterdheid ingesluit. Daar word aanbeveel dat om die gehalte van virtuele onderrig en leer te verbeter, dosente en studente opgelei moet word in IKT-gebruik, dat hulpbronne verskaf moet word, en dat spesiale dosente vir e-leer gewerf moet word. Die aanstelling van ’n administrasiespan, normering met ander TBOO-kolleges, en dosente wat verantwoordelikheid neem vir virtuele onderrig en leer, word ook aanbeveel.

Ubuchwepheshe namuhla budlala indima ebaluleke kakhulu emphakathini kunanini ngaphambili. Ngaleso sikhathi, ukufundisa nokufunda kwakwenziwa ubuso nobuso emakilasini kuphela. Kube nokusetshenziswa okwandayo kokufundisa nokufunda ku-inthanethi ngokuhlanganiswa kobuchwepheshe bolwazi nokuxhumana selokhu kwaqubuka i-Covid-19, okuphonsele inselelo uhlelo lwezemfundo emhlabeni wonke ukuthi lushintshele kumodi yokufundisa ku-inthanethi esikhaleni. Yingakho izinga lokufundisa nokufunda ku-inthanethi kungenzeka ukuthi liphazamisekile. Ngakho-ke, lolu cwaningo lwalufuna ukuhlola ukuphathwa kokufundisa nokufunda okubonakalayo emakolishi e-TVET esifundazweni saseMpumalanga futhi luphakamise amasu okuthuthukisa ikhwalithi yokufundisa nokufunda okubonakalayo. Lolu cwaningo lwakha uhlaka lomqondo oluqukethe imiqondo esemqoka ekuphatheni ukufundisa nokufunda ku-inthanethi, kubandakanya impumelelo yabafundi, ukubandakanyeka kwabasebenzi (izinsiza zabantu), ubuchwepheshe kwezemfundo, ukufundisa nokufunda, kanye nokuphatha. Lolu cwaningo lwamukela umklamo wokucwaninga oxoxayo kanye nendlela yokuhlola. Kwaqhutshwa izingxoxo ezihlelwe ngokwengxenye nabaphathi bekhampasi abathathu (3), abaphathi ababili (2) be-e-learning, kanye nabafundisi abayisithupha (6) abakhethwe ngenhloso. Idatha yahlaziywa kusetshenziswa indlela yokuhlaziya ngokwezihloko, eyavela ngezihloko ezinhlanu. Lolu cwaningo luthole ukuthi inqubo yokufundisa nokufunda ku-inthanethi iphathwa ngokusebenzisa amapulatifomu okufunda nge-inthanethi, kufaka phakathi i-GS Academy, i-GS4ME, i-Student Hub, i-LMS, i-Google Classroom, kanye nemithombo yezokuxhumana. Kwatholakala futhi ukuthi abaphathi bekolishi babhekana nezinselelo ekuphatheni ukufunda okubonakalayo, njengokuntuleka kokuqeqeshwa kwabafundisi nabafundi, ukungabethembi abafundisi, ukungabi nandaba kwabafundisi, kanye nokuntuleka kwezinsiza. Abaphathi bekolishi babhekana nalezi zinselele ngokunikeza izinsiza, ukuqeqesha abafundisi, nokukhuthaza abafundi. Lolu cwaningo lwathola nokuthi ukuguqukela ekufundeni ubuso nobuso kuya ekufundeni okubonakalayo kwaba nemiphumela efana nokukhungatheka kwabafundisi. Uhlobo lokuqeqeshwa olunikezwa abafundisi ukusiza ngokufundisa nokufunda ku-inthanethi lubandakanya ukuqeqeshwa kwe-digital literacy. Ucwaningo lutusa ukuthi ukuze kuthuthukiswe izinga lokufundisa nokufunda okubonakalayo, kufanele kube nokuqeqeshwa kwabafundisi kanye nabafundi ekusebenziseni i-ICT, ukuhlinzekwa kwezinsiza, ukuqashwa kwabafundisi abakhethekile be e-learning, ukuqokwa kwethimba labaphathi, ukuqhathanisa namanye amakolishi e-TVET