The systematic use of digital technologies in the higher education sector is far from being achieved, this is one of the point highlighted in the conclusion of a recent research to assess the readiness of the higher education to use digital and visual methods. Even though it seems that distance learning is likely to continue into the future, exclusive delivery of online curricula is perceived as negative and inefficient.
Strategic partnership
Titled: “Report on the digital readiness and on the use of visual methods in Higher Education in Hungary, UK, Greece, Italy, Sweden and South Africa”, the study was carried out from June to December 2021 by FutureAbility – a strategic partnership of nine organisations. It was a European Union funded project under the Erasmus Plus Strategic Partnership. The report gives an overview of the teaching capabilities required to ensure digital readiness during the Covid-19 pandemic. It offers details about the teaching approach and methodologies that should be deployed with a particular focus on visual methods.
Shift to online platforms
The Covid-19 pandemic saw a rapid transition towards the adoption of online visual methods that mostly took the form of the “virtual whiteboard, dedicated software and platforms and online workshops and classes (real-time and recorded lessons)”, the report noted. It said there was a notable decline in the use of visual methods in blended or physical forms while online and hybrid forms of teaching increased substantially. For instance, hybrid mode of teaching in photo production, increased from 2, 7 % to 10, 38 during Covid-19.
Compiling the report
South Africa took part in the study through the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), which conducted two focus group discussions with nine academics from different faculties across the institution. A group of academics from the university were involved in compiling the report. They highlighted the key challenges posed by the pandemic which led to a sudden shift to distance learning as opposed to face-to-face classes that took place prior to the lockdown.
Associate Professor Eunice Ivala, director of: Centre for innovative educational technology (CIET) is the project leader representing CPUT. Dr Sisanda Nkoala, senior lecturer in the media department is the project administrator. The other team members were drawn across the various departments of the university.
Phases of the report
Professor Nkala said the project has three phases with the first one focusing on the generation of a report on the perspectives and experiences of educators who teach visual communication courses and who teach using visual methods. The second phase, which is currently underway, aims to create open education resources in the form of online courses that will address some of the gaps identified in phase one regarding the skills needed to teach online. The third phase, set for 2023, will be to roll out the courses and get feedback from participants.
Tool used in the research
The main approach to the research was mainly qualitative, relying on a range of investigative tools, chosen according to the specific aim and target group. These included surveys, focus groups and desktop research. The latter reflects the situation at a broader and official level. Similarly, the focus group and the survey showed considerations in a more nuanced, detailed and personal way. The survey was completed by 305 respondents ranging in age from 35 to 64 years old, with a slightly higher number in the age range 45-55. Respondents were equally represented in relation to gender balance, and 77% of them were professors/lecturers at a University.
Limitations of online learning
The report highlighted some shortcomings related to the adoption of online teaching methodologies at universities. These include the high levels of digital divide and digital inequalities among the population of South Africa. Even though virtually all South African Universities have an online presence, a full reliance on online teaching was something new, said the report. “Distance learning was perceived as positive in respect of flexibility and the acquisition of skills; however, many students and professionals reported problems related to internet connection and technological problems, and in some cases (especially in rural areas) a complete inability to attend courses as they were exclusively performed online,” the report noted.
Isolation and alienation
Other negative impacts were the increase in workload and mental health problems related to a sense of isolation and alienation. This was found to be detrimental to the quality of the learning environmentfor both students and professors. In the main both students and professors feel that hybrid mobility has the potential to produce some positive effects. However, it is essential to solve limitations and problems that currently result in negative effects for distance learning, said the report.
For more on the report click here