Digital Learning Content: Solution to Continuity of Learning in Technical and Vocational Institutions in Kenya: A Practical Approach

Abstract

IntroductionDigital content has been conceptualized as any content that exists in form of digital data that could be utilized for teaching and learning. Mullan, 2011 posits that digital content comes in different forms, from text, audio and video files to graphics animation and images. Further digital content refers to information available for download or distribution on electronic media. However, many stakeholders in the content industry argue that digital content is anything that can be published.Teaching in technical and vocational institutions has been going on in the traditional way without any interruptions. The Kenyan government has invested in the TVET sector in the spirit of eradicating poverty, promoting livelihoods by enhancing employment in Kenya. The government has realized that investing in technical education is key to the promotion of economic development of the country with optimal utilization of skills acquired in these institutions. Indeed, the institutions are seen as the anticipated solution to the country achieving the Vision 2030, the Big four agenda, namely, affordable health, manufacturing, affordable housing and food security. A skilled nation will contribute to the Africa Agenda of 2063 and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that advocates for eradicating poverty through skills training.Skills development through training in technical, vocational institutions and acquisition of entrepreneurship skills enables a country to attain economic development and increase per-capita income per household. The benefits of skill development have been evident in Singapore among other Asian countries. Today Singapore has the highest per-capital GDP in Asia despite being on the same level with Kenya at Independence. For rapid social-economic growth training institutions in Kenya have to adapt and adopt to the emerging skill acquisition in the current dispensation of COVID 19.Consequently, there is need for a paradigm in the teaching and learning processes within the technical and vocational training institutions. The critical question is how do these institutions continue teaching amidst the pandemic?