The shift to online learning calls for global cooperation

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the closure of schools and universities has become a common phenomenon across the world. In the last few weeks alone, Africa’s close to 10 million students have discontinued classes to stave off the impact of the pandemic.

Invariably, institutions have been advised to shift to online modalities of educational delivery. While this may be possible in advanced countries with well-developed systems, it remains a serious challenge for many in the less-developed world with relatively meagre information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, expertise, systems and policies.

Shifting to an online modality in response to the new reality may not be easy in Africa, where inadequate ICT access, capacity and systems are evident. The limitations have different dimensions including structural, economic, social and technical.

Structural dimensions

ICT has been identified as one of the major instruments for meeting many of the development imperatives expressed in the Sustainable Development Goals. ICT also holds potential to drive development and transform Africa into a knowledge-based economy and information society.

However, ICT infrastructure across the continent has been restricted due to the lack of investment, policies and systems that promote its growth. For instance, 65 million people in Ethiopia, which has the second biggest population in Africa, has no electricity, which is a key component in ICT access. Even the most technologically advanced country in Africa, South Africa, has been experiencing power cuts in the form of load shedding, with serious consequences for all aspects of life.

Within the education sphere, the use of technology-mediated learning that allows for improved learning and additional access to higher education has been limited across the continent.

Economic dimensions

A lot is said about the encouraging changes taking place with regard to using mobile technology in Africa but access to mobile broadband and cost are still serious challenges. A mobile handset and 500MB of data cost 10% of an average monthly income in Africa, which is double the 5% threshold recommended by the UN Broadband Commission.

This harsh reality will continue to affect the business of academia conducted through online platforms in a meaningful way by inhibiting students’ capacity to access available resources from their own institutions or other external sources.

Governments may also need to direct universities to channel their resources - for instance those dedicated to meals, accommodation and so on - to internet and data access so that students can pursue their studies.

Social and political dimensions

Since most African governments closed universities due to the pandemic, students have returned to their parents and communities. A significant number who live in rural, remote and marginal areas lack internet access. By and large, these students are cut off from their universities due to a lack of ICT access, compounded by high cost and poor infrastructure.

No one knows for sure when life will return to normal and universities will open their gates again. This means that a large number of active members of society will remain idle - with unpredictable social and political consequences, unless a proactive political decision is made to address some of the key challenges, one of which is the provision of subsidised and zero-rated data for students so that some semblance of learning -- whether formal or informal - can continue.

Delivery of educational content mounted on online platforms may engender social inequities and marginalisation. Not much is known about what alternatives exist for students without internet access but alternative solutions that do not necessarily demand an internet connection should be sought, including the use of media such as radio, TV and other forms of offline delivery.

Technical dimensions

Despite its limitations, social media for educational purposes may be an immediate alternative considered by many African institutions. However, setting up a full-fledged and effective online system for educational delivery is much more than the matter of internet connectivity. Such a system demands a host of technology tools, a user-friendly interface and accessibility standards.

In an ideal scenario, online platforms should be developed to incorporate multiple learning modalities and activities that promote active learning and wider interaction. Among other things, an institution needs to have an organisational structure, requisite expertise and a dedicated budget to run such a system in an efficient and sustainable manner.

Further, online instructors and students should be equipped with the technical skills to function in the new environment and hence require sustained support pre-, during and post-delivery. And yet, there is a scarcity of qualified human resources that can support the ICT system, and high-end ICT skills are typically low in many institutions across Africa.

The move to online delivery of lessons in Africa has been greeted with considerable scepticism due to these challenges and has even been rejected outright in some countries like Tunisia.

Call for broader cooperation

In addition to combating the health, economic and social threats of the coronavirus, African governments need to explore mechanisms to marshal cooperative schemes, resources and expertise at national, regional and global levels towards addressing the threats posed by COVID-19 to the education sector.

In the last few weeks, we have witnessed local initiatives and high-profile international support to Africa in the fight against COVID-19. In addition to what African governments themselves and regional institutions like the African Development Bank and the African Import Bank are doing, the World Bank Group (including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and International Development Association),the G-20 and foundations like the Alibaba and Gates Foundations have made direct commitments to Africa to help mitigate the negative impacts of COVID-19.

While the various forms of support directed towards the impending health and economic crises are critical, the need to keep the out-of-school population occupied and engaged through the 'transformation' of educational delivery modes should receive similar consideration or else, in addition to the educational losses, we run the risk of social and political upheavals.

Concurrent with the encouraging African initiatives made by governments, service providers and the private sector, support from regional and international sources should focus on getting the education system on its feet by ramping up technological and resource assistance to those in need. This becomes urgent in the event that lockdowns continue for a considerable period of time.

The role of technology giants, global and regional IT companies, development partners, communication platforms, software developers, elite universities and others – all of which are key in linking institutions to their students through their products and services – remains critical. In addition to playing a role in galvanising and coordinating such assistance, African governments and the academic community expect to hear about innovative and more generous initiatives in this area in the weeks ahead.

In summary, if the current unprecedented crisis has proven something with respect to education delivery, it would be the need for Africa to commit itself fully to the building of its ICT infrastructure, exploitation of ICT across all sectors and types of institutions, creating interconnectivity for and among institutions, and making improvements in digital skills across all levels.

Despite the many threats COVID-19 is posing to the continent, this may be a momentous opportunity for Africa to undertake significant steps in improving its ICT profile in collaboration with development partners and the private sector.

Wondwosen Tamrat is associate professor and founder-president of St Mary’s University, Ethiopia, and PROPHE (Program for Research on Private Higher Education) affiliate. E-mail: wondwosentamrat@gmail.com or preswond@smuc.edu.et. Damtew Teferra is professor of higher education at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and founding director of the International Network for Higher Education in Africa. E-mail: teferra@bc.edu or teferra@ukzn.ac.za.