An Outbreak of Online Learning in the COVID-19 Outbreak in Sub-Saharan Africa: Prospects and Challenges

The COVID-19 outbreak stimulated an outbreak of online learning in many institutions in Sub- Saharan Africa. Educational institutions went beyond fighting the COVID-19 through social distancing norms to tackling Sustainable Development Goal Four (SDG 4) with the adoption of online learning as the new modality for instruction. Online learning has the propensity to ensure learners from all geographical regions have access to education, thereby addressing the inequalities in education. However, the disparities in the access to digital infrastructure had a negative impact on the online instruction in Sub- Saharan Africa. The online learning experience is best described as a challenge-ridden online learning with many teachers suffering from burnout and students lamenting on limited ICT resources, inadequate access to affordable and reliable internet, power outages, and anxiety over academic outcomes. Despite the challenges, the COVID-19 has presented a silver lining to online learning in Sub-Saharan Africa. Aside the attempt to massify online learning, many institutions have come up with novel technological innovations and inventions to bridge the digital divide in the region. The review gives an overview of the challenges, prospects, and practical implications of online learning in Sub-Saharan Africa

An Outbreak of Online Learning in the COVID-19 Outbreak in Sub-Saharan Africa: Prospects and Challenges

The COVID-19 outbreak stimulated an outbreak of online learning in many institutions in Sub- Saharan Africa. Educational institutions went beyond fighting the COVID-19 through social distancing norms to tackling Sustainable Development Goal Four (SDG 4) with the adoption of online learning as the new modality for instruction. Online learning has the propensity to ensure learners from all geographical regions have access to education, thereby addressing the inequalities in education. However, the disparities in the access to digital infrastructure had a negative impact on the online instruction in Sub- Saharan Africa. The online learning experience is best described as a “challenge-ridden online learning” with many teachers suffering from burnout and students lamenting on limited ICT resources, inadequate access to affordable and reliable internet, power outages, and anxiety over academic outcomes. Despite the challenges, the COVID-19 has presented a silver lining to online learning in Sub-Saharan Africa. Aside the attempt to massify online learning, many institutions have come up with novel technological innovations and inventions to bridge the digital divide in the region. The review gives an overview of the challenges, prospects, and practical implications of online learning in Sub-Saharan Africa

Teacher Professional Development as a Catalyst for Faculty Development: The Case of a University in China

Teacher professional development (TPD) is integral for faculty development through quality teacher performances and student outcomes. Prior research on TPD indicates that school leaders at the helm of educational affairs are responsible for implementing and sustaining TPD activities for better school improvement. In the higher education (HE) context, fewer research studies have been conducted on TPD. Most HE institutions still struggle to implement, sustain, and improve TPD in China and significant parts of the world. The qualitative research utilized a case study approach to solicit information from two deans of a selected university faculty in China reputable for its TPD programs. The three key leadership practices explored in this study were; how leadership support TPD, the role of TPD in faculty development, and the challenges of TPD in the HE context. Findings from the study indicate that China's hierarchical structure has positively affected TPD programs in this university due to the Chinese culture and tradition. Clear and concrete policies emerged as an essential step towards TPD implementation. Motivational strategies such as incentives and academic conferences have been identified as integral factors for TPD sustainability. Also, mentorship and collaboration among teachers and other stakeholders were integral to enhancing teachers' research capacity. Educators should ensure the evaluation and supervision of TPD for it to achieve its intended goals

Why All the Hype about ChatGPT? Academics’ Views of a Chat-based Conversational Learning Strategy at an Open Distance e-Learning Institution

The launch of ChatGPT has been revolutionary. This AI chatbot can produce conversations which are indistinguishable from that of humans. This exploratory qualitative study is foregrounded in a constructivist-interpretative perspective. The principal objective of this paper is to explore the views of academics on ChatGPT as an AI-based learning strategy at an open distance e-learning (ODeL) institution of higher education. Thirteen academics, who were enrolled as study participants, posted their views of ChatGPT as an AI-based learning strategy on a Teams chat at an institution of higher learning. The results support a few research studies on ChatGPT. The academics recognized the benefits and risks of using ChatGPT for teaching and learning. Further investigations are recommended to explore similar studies in higher education spaces and specifications

Researching Teacher Work Motivation in Ghana through the Lens of COVID-19

Teachers, particularly in developing contexts, were vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. As natural parental figures for students, they had to reconcile the dual role of ensuring the safety and health of students and their own and their family’s well-being. The external crisis of COVID-19 heightened the negative experiences of teachers in their work environments during both online and physical instruction. This qualitative phenomenological study involving thirty (30) secondary school teachers in Ghana took a comprehensive and fresh look at how COVID-19 impacted the work motivation of teachers. It was found that teachers suffered a great deal of stress in the wake of the pandemic and had to face mounting concerns about their working conditions. The low morale of teachers precipitated by COVID-19 made them develop attrition intentions. However, intrinsic and altruistic traits such as passion, the feeling of responsibility, and the desire to contribute to society and foster student development made teachers resilient towards the deleterious effects of the pandemic to promote optimal teaching. Future studies should investigate the installation of support structures that strengthen the motivation of teachers in unforeseen crises

Blended learning for the “multi-track” undergraduate students in Ghana in an adverse era

The sudden emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a paradigm shift in the status quo of education. Institutions globally migrated from traditional face-to-face (F2F) learning to online learning to achieve the objectives of Sustainable Development Goal Four (SDG 4). However, Ghana and its peer countries experienced unique challenges which hindered smooth online instruction delivery. Since 2017, Ghana has subscribed to a multi-track year-round education (MT-YRE) for its students at the Senior High School level because of limited physical capacity. In the wake of COVID-19 with its social distancing norms, the failure of online learning compelled some universities in Ghana to adopt the multi-track system temporarily for its undergraduates. In this phenomenological qualitative study, a snowball sampling technique was used to solicit interview data from undergraduate students (n = 20) in some selected universities on their perceptions of the MT-YRE and future education delivery. Thematic analysis suggests that blended learning is a way to mitigate the “challenge-ridden” online learning and as a solution to the MT-YRE. In the MT-YRE, learners experienced academic anxiety and complained about its intensive nature although there was a positive teacher-student relationship and peer-to-peer relations. They perceived their online experience in 2020 as ineffective and called for a blended modality of instruction for better social interactions. The rapid use of mobile technologies and social media was considered an enabler of blended learning. It is recommended that policymakers, school authorities, and educators implement a blended learning model tailored to the needs of learners post-pandemic

What if the devil is my guardian angel: ChatGPT as a case study of using chatbots in education

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have been progressing constantly and being more visible in different aspects of our lives. One recent phenomenon is ChatGPT, a chatbot with a conversational artificial intelligence interface that was developed by OpenAI. As one of the most advanced artificial intelligence applications, ChatGPT has drawn much public attention across the globe. In this regard, this study examines ChatGPT in education, among early adopters, through a qualitative instrumental case study. Conducted in three stages, the first stage of the study reveals that the public discourse in social media is generally positive and there is enthusiasm regarding its use in educational settings. However, there are also voices who are approaching cautiously using ChatGPT in educational settings. The second stage of the study examines the case of ChatGPT through lenses of educational transformation, response quality, usefulness, personality and emotion, and ethics. In the third and final stage of the study, the investigation of user experiences through ten educational scenarios revealed various issues, including cheating, honesty and truthfulness of ChatGPT, privacy misleading, and manipulation. The findings of this study provide several research directions that should be considered to ensure a safe and responsible adoption of chatbots, specifically ChatGPT, in education