The lived experiences of academics in transitioning to remote online teaching and learning: A South African university case study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20853/40-1-6404Keywords:
academic experiences, remote online teaching and learning, academics lived experience, transition to remote educationAbstract
For traditional contact universities, the transition to remote online education brought a sense of panic and uncertainty concerning how Teaching and Learning (T&L) would be implemented and its implications for the quality of their qualifications. Despite opposition to full remote teaching and assessment and the ensuing challenges, academics and management at a university in South Africa developed coping mechanisms to navigate the transition. This article adopts a qualitative research approach to understand academics’ lived experiences in an abrupt transition to remote online teaching and learning. It adopted an interpretive paradigm that allows the expression of lived experiences. To that end, six Focus Group (FG) interviews were conducted via the Zoom platform in compliance with the COVID-19 restrictions. The study was undertaken during the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of the key findings are that certain of the students reported not having access/limited access to data and laptops, poor networks, and living spaces that were not conducive to learning. Poor internet connectivity meant some students missed valuable lecture periods, as they could not access online learning resources, and sometimes missed assessments. Some staff found the transition overwhelming and described it as a “bomb” as this came with additional administrative responsibilities.
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