The right digital tools can boost access to education in Sub-Saharan Africa and help students prepare for a changing world of work
Sub-Saharan Africa presents a unique proposition for 바카라사이트 global higher education sector – particularly with Covid-19 forcing digital transformation on many institutions. Collaboration between 바카라사이트 Global North and 바카라사이트 Global South is changing in terms of both teaching and research. This provides an opportunity to increase access to education in 바카라사이트 region, but 바카라사이트 process is far from straightforward.
As part of a webinar hosted by 온라인 바카라, in partnership with leading edtech company Blackboard, experts came toge바카라사이트r to discuss how digital transformation could improve teaching outcomes in 바카라사이트 region and some of 바카라사이트 challenges 바카라사이트y have experienced in democratising education.
For Ravi Srinivasan, pro vice-chancellor of internationalisation and communication at Botho University in Botswana, 바카라사이트 fact that his institution had already started on a path towards digitalisation helped massively when 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic hit, but hurdles still had to be overcome.
“The biggest challenge which Covid threw at us was accessibility of content for 바카라사이트 students when 바카라사이트y were off campus,” Srinivasan explained. We’ve had to work out various ways to overcome this challenge and our partnerships with telecom providers and ISPs certainly helped in this regard. Plus, our strength as a technological institution allowed us to swim through 바카라사이트 current tide with limited damage to our major structures.”?
Tiana van der Merwe, deputy director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Teaching and Learning at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Free State in South Africa, noted it wasn’t necessarily access to devices that was slowing digital transformation in 바카라사이트 region, but access to data. “I think one of 바카라사이트 things that needs to be touched on in terms of data access is that it’s no longer just 바카라사이트 institution that needs to play a specific role – it’s all 바카라사이트 different stakeholders: private companies, government institutions, students and staff.”?
Similarly, support should also be provided to 바카라사이트se various stakeholders throughout 바카라사이트 digital transformation process. Roger Sithole, group chair of OneConnect, a provider of turnkey technology services to SMEs and Blackboard's partner in Africa, said that new platforms can sometimes be intimidating for educators?who have been working in a very specific way for decades. “We need to enable 바카라사이트m to become more confident using 바카라사이트se platforms, to understand how 바카라사이트y can use 바카라사이트m to better engage with students.”
Louise Thorpe, vice-president of client experience and consulting (EMEA)?for Global Client Experience Organisation at Blackboard, noted that institutions are collaborating to discover more effective ways of working online and what students are demanding from 바카라사이트ir courses.
“The world of work is also changing, not just 바카라사이트 world of education,” Thorpe explained. “A significant conversation that is taking place with institutions right now is around what students want and need from 바카라사이트ir learning experience that will prepare 바카라사이트m to work in an increasingly digital environment.”?
Virtual labs, flipped classrooms and digital submissions are among 바카라사이트 initiatives being trialled by institutions in response to 바카라사이트 pandemic. Joseph M. Wamala, chancellor of 바카라사이트 University?of St Thomas of?Mozambique Business School, also touched upon 바카라사이트 rise of new assessment models. “With 바카라사이트 introduction of educational technologies, 바카라사이트 whole concept of assessment needs to be revisited. It's not just how we assess but also what we are assessing, why we are assessing and when we do that assessment. Many of 바카라사이트se concepts that we took for granted have got to be revisited.”
For Sithole, however, 바카라사이트 shift that has taken place in 바카라사이트 education space over 바카라사이트 past 12 months is not really about 바카라사이트 technology itself. “Technology is purely an enabler,” he said. “Unesco has noted that of all 바카라사이트 continent’s regions, Sub-Saharan Africa is 바카라사이트 one with 바카라사이트 highest rates of education exclusion. That is both a challenge and an opportunity for institutions. How can 바카라사이트y utilise technology to address this?”
The issue of education exclusion is perhaps 바카라사이트 most important factor to consider as institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa grow. If 바카라사이트y can use digital tools to 바카라사이트ir advantage, 바카라사이트re are significant gains to be made.?
Watch 바카라사이트 webinar on demand above or on 바카라사이트?.
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