Online learning in higher education during COVID-19 : challenges in a digitally divided society

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had adverse effects on all aspects of social life. The pandemic has not spared the education fraternity with methods of teaching and learning being altered, pushing higher education institutions to adopt online or mediated education. Although online education is regarded as the future of education in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) digital age, the global health pandemic has fast-tracked the pace of digitalisation. The digital divide has highlighted the rapid shift in African societies. In this study, we explored the South African tertiary education landscape using the theory of the digital divide to understand the challenges of implementing full-time online learning among tertiary students. Data for this qualitative study were gathered from a sample of tertiary students at a university of technology from different economic and social backgrounds to find the connections between their situations and their ability to have access to digital learning tools. Semi-structured interviews were employed to extract the perceptions of students regarding online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.