The Covid-19 Pandemic: Online Teaching and Learning at Higher Education Institutes

Abstract

Abstract The most recent public health emergency of global concern has presented itself as the Covid-19 pandemic, which began in late 2019 Wuhan, China and has rapidly spread around the world. This disease has received extensive global attention due to the rapid rate of transmission between individuals, with the elderly easily affected. Countries, economies and sectors around the world faced immediate closure to mitigate the infection rate with scientists constantly searching for a means to eradicate the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19). The education sector was one of the sectors significantly affected by the onset of the pandemic due the vulnerability of its setting. UNESCO (2020) reported that as of the 6th of April 2020, 1,576,021,818 billion students were affected across 188 countries at all levels of teaching and learning. As a result, the immediate implementation of online teaching and learning modalities were required with a primary focus on maintaining a standard of teaching and learning that met the needs of both academic staff and students. However, due to the socio-economic challenges faced by South Africans, the education sector experienced numerous challenges in the implementation process of online teaching and learning modalities (HEIs). This paper seeks to review the challenges experienced by academic staff and students with the implementation of online teaching and learning modalities at higher education institutes across South Arica amidst a global pandemic. Future research suggestions include a comprehensive research study on the extensive effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on higher education institutes.