Experiences and Challenges of Adapting to Online Learning during Covid -19 Induced Lockdown: The Case of Gweru Urban Tertiary Students in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The novel Corona virus resulted in lockdown measures being put in place in order to curb the spread of the virus. This led to the closure of all schools and tertiary institutions. In Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science, and Technology Development (MHEISTD) announced the suspension of face-to-face teaching and learning and indicated that learning would continue online. This was an unexpected new experience for tertiary students. This study sought to explore the experiences and challenges faced by tertiary students in Gweru in adapting to online learning during the lockdown induced by COVID-19. The study was a netnographic study in which a cybercommunity of fifty tertiary students from five different tertiary institutions in Gweru was created. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to select the students who participated in a WhatsApp group. The students participated in text discussions, voice calls, and group discussions and responded to questions probed by the researcher. The results showed that online learning was a new frontier in their learning experiences, and they faced several challenges in adapting to its use. The study concluded that tertiary institutions should embrace blended learning in order to adequately prepare for online learning by both lecturers and students in times of disasters and pandemics like COVID-19, which restrict face-to-face learning. The study recommended that tertiary institutions equip students and lecturers with the skills to adapt to online teaching and learning. Students should be provided with the requisite online learning tools in order to effectively participate in online teaching and learning activities.