Transition to Emergency Online Learning in SA: Reflection of Historically Black Universities

ABSTRACT

The year 2020 witnessed an unprecedented and rapid change in education due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has forced almost all learning institutions to make an abrupt transformation to a remote learning pedagogy due to health precautions to control the spread of COVID-19 and save the academic year. Despite the evidence that remote learning makes work easier, this new content delivery method caught most universities off guard, especially those referred to as Historically Black Universities in South Africa. An in-depth literature review of the existing body of knowledge was applied to investigate HBUs and their ability to navigate the transition from face-to-face learning to remote teaching and learning. Results indicate that lecturers and students in HBUs encountered several challenges in adapting to remote teaching & learning due to constrained resources and severe lack of access to data and skills in using teaching and learning technologies. Therefore, it is recommended that academic staff undergo technology-related professional development to ensure successful integration and improved pedagogical practices. Additionally, improvements in ICT infrastructure among HBUs post-COVID-19 remain critical and should be considered in the transition to online teaching and learning.