With the kind of interruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many higher institutions, including the University of Ghana, swiftly shifted their engagements online which might have come with its setbacks. In view of that, this phenomenographic design study sought to investigate and document the qualitatively different perspectives of thirteen students with visual impairments (SWVIs) as they transitioned and studied fully in an online space. The experiences of the SWVIs were captured in five themes that emerged from the analysis of the field data. The five themes are pre-COVID-19 academic experiences, [initial] reaction to online shift, preparation towards online shift, coping mechanisms in fully online learning spaces and preferred post-COVID-19 learning space. In the end, the SWVIs expressed more challenges with online learning than benefits and opted for a switch to the face-to-face mode post-COVID-19. Consequently, the study recommends inter alia, training for students and faculty to build sustainable online relationships; deployment of participatory technologies to build learner autonomy; and the need for the University to craft a policy of inclusiveness which embeds ‘ubuntu’ (common humanity) and human awareness to reverse inequalities among its students.
This phenomenological exploratory multiple-case study design was conducted at an open distance e-learning university and a traditional contact residential university and it was found that the participants viewed video conferencing under the COVID-19 lockdown period as an exhausting experience. A second major finding revealed that the participants were empowered with digital literacy skills to use video conferencing effectively. The current findings add to a growing body of literature on video conferencing with a focus on Zoom fatigue. Further research might explore the lived zoom experiences of administrators, students and a larger group of faculties over a longer period. The study findings must be considered when planning and implementing video conferencing for academics and students in open distance e-learning contexts. This study showed that video conferencing is one tool in the emergence of a digital zoom revolution that has radically changed the workspace. The evidence from this study suggests that zoom fatigue is a reality check for work-related health management.
COVID-19 has “taught” universities worldwide that using digital technologies to support purely online or blended learning is a survival strategy. This lesson plus the inclusion of technology in continental, national, and university policies and strategic plans implicate significant technology integration, especially blended learning, in higher education in the post-pandemic era. However, there lacks sound theoretical frameworks to adequately explain success indicators and success factors in blended learning. Existing frameworks provided particulars about the impacts of blended learning within certain contexts; none provided a comprehensive analysis of the significant factors that transcend specific application contexts. Moreover, the frameworks did not offer clear conceptions of knowledge, teaching, learning, and technology and its role in learning. To better inform successful blended learning adoption, this study problematizes success indicators and success factors based on a configurative review of existing frameworks and emerging theoretical perspectives in higher education. A holistic conceptual framework that transcends context specificity is proposed to better inform policy making, instructional design, and teaching and learning. Conceptions of adaptive policy, policy as learning design, and policy as practice are found relevant for blended learning policy making and analysis in higher education.
In today's complex and knowledge-driven world, the quest to pursue and acquire information and skills to enable one to be useful in society is not limited to young learners; many older adults also actively seek to acquire new knowledge and skills. The study presented in this article aims to establish the characteristics and dominant learning styles of adults enrolled in a diploma programme at an institution of higher education in Ghana. In a qualitative case study approach using a homogenous sampling technique, 21 students (aged 27-54, 10 female, 11 male) were asked to fill in a learning styles questionnaire and to participate in focus group interviews. Based on these participants' responses, the study found three learning styles to be dominant: pragmatist, reflector and theorist. An interesting finding was the absence of a fourth type among participants, the activist learning style. Since it is clear that not all adult learners engage well with the typical theoretical and conceptual content that is taught in higher education institutions, understanding these four adult learning styles should inform higher education policies in order to make learning equally enjoyable and maximise effective learning for all four types of adult learners. Other significant findings of this study open up avenues for further research on how an understanding of learning styles can be used to enhance learning by adults.
The University of Ghana adopted the use of the Sakai Learning Management System to create an online environment for its DE students. Based on which, this study sought to examine the support provided for online students of the University of Ghana. The study further sought to determine the association between selected demographic characteristics and student satisfaction with online pre-admission processes, usage of online learning tools, and online social environment. In total, 126 questionnaires were completed and analyzed to generate frequencies, percentages, Anova, and chi-square values. It was established that weak online learning social environment does not encourage tutors and students' interactions, which led to a generally average use of online learning support tools. This implies that academic and administrative support were practically far away from the student, which is detrimental to the development of self-directed learning. The researchers recommended training for support staff, tutors, and students to create an effective online support for online distance students.
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